2012 Vancouver, Howe sound and Sunshine coast reports thread

[Teja]

Was out for a couple hours off West Van / the Cap last night. We picked up one coho at 32 ft. and lost another at 18 ft. (both on Silver Horde spoons). Fished three lines between 15 ft. and 32 ft. and a bottom bounced an anchovy on a fourth line (no action on it).

 

[sir-vivor]

Well I finally made it to the coast to fish and I had the best fishing trip of my life. My friend Mac called me Friday and said to be ready in 2 hours, we are leaving Vancouver and heading to Ukee. I had groceries and coolers of ice ready to go before he even hung up the phone. Mac, his fishy friend Jeff and myself were on route for the coast in his 33' blackfin by 5pm. We were cooking steaks in a sick house that Mac set up in East Sooke by 9pm. Pretty sure we went right by Wolf's place if your in East Sooke, looked like your rig. I barely slept that night as I WAS SO STOKED for fishing the west coast . We decided to make a run for swiftsure in the morning as the conditions were like glass. Not going to lie, the swell and fog did have me feeling a little woozy by the time we hit the bank, which was concerning as the boys said it was actually pretty sweet conditions. They had a good cure for the sickness and we were slaying fish in no time. We had fish on before we even had a line down. The ho's were savage off the bank, easy limits of good size hatchery coho and a couple good size springs. Didn't matter what you put down, by the end we were just running big plugs and spoons down deep but the ho's were still all over it. We switched up to to try for hali during the slack and this was exciting for me as I had never caught one . We got lucky, all three of us had one in the boat in short order. Biggest was 30 which is physically bigger then I imagined. Watching Jeff gaff the halis and wrestle them down was entertaining to say the least. Power bait worked for the halibut doing drifts. Pretty easy to fish halibut without the anchor set up. After limiting out on the hali we made a run for Bamfield to fuel up the beast and grab some supplies . We trolled into Bamfield as we had a spot left for a big spring but only released small ones. Cool place to fish , lots of different areas to hit. Pretty sure I saw Osama at the general store in bamfield but you left before I had a chance to say Hello. Turtle Island was the end of the line for day one of fishing. What a sweet place to drop the hook. Morning came quick after eating and then processing fish and Ukee banks were up next. South bank was the first stop and the seas were big, 1 something swell with 5 foot wind chop on top . I felt good day 2 as Renfrew primed me I guess. The fishing was very productive with lots of wild coho and pretty good for springs. Jeff put 2 in the boat around 25 pounds and lost a big heavy brute that spit the hook at us after a long fight. Pretty funny playing fish looking up at them in the swell. All the big springs came on a glo hoochie with a flap on the head. We broke that off and didn't get any more big ones. Small ones were hitting everything I put down, including daisy chain with flasher and bait above it. Pretty much had our limit on day one off inner south bank. My wife and baby Nakai made the drive from the mainland to join us for dinner at a friend of Mac's and Jeff's. It was nice to meet some of the friendly people of Ukee. My wife, boy and I slept on the boat and it was pretty cool seeing the fleet heading out in the morning, got me pretty stoked. The pouring rain on the other hand had us going onto land to grab breakfast and lunch. The Blue Room was the first pace we saw open and I say it was pretty tasty. The locals told us they did good off light house bank the day before so that was our first destination . The wife really wanted to bottom fish. That bank was pretty slow for us but the wife did get her hali using power bait again. We made a couple of location change ups, including south bank again and finished off at a spot called big bear in close ? Must say fishing was much slower, we had to work for them and did't get our limits. Didn't matter, already had an amazing trip . I would have to say swiftsure had the most explosive fishing and south bank was next. Can't wait to visit every one these places again. I am border line thinking of a career change to switch locations from Whistler to the coast lol. White hoochie was overall top producer. The bigger springs came between 130 and 80 feet but we were getting them from 180 to 30 out of ukee and everywhere the first day off swift sure. Fun watching coho attack the gear sitting on the water waiting to be set to the rigger. Can't wait for the next trip.

Great report !!!
Should have been posted in Bamfield thread , so anyone hitting the area can see what they are in for !!!!

 

[GDW]

He posted the above in just about every report thread including sooke, port renfrew, bamfield and this thread. Lol must have been excited!

 

[oilslick]

Heading out to the local waters in the early am leaving out of the South arm, was thinking on heading out around Galiano, Lions Island. Good choice or not, any reports? Any feedback would be great. Thanks

 

[fortyfour]

Heading out to the local waters in the early am leaving out of the South arm, was thinking on heading out around Galiano, Lions Island. Good choice or not, any reports? Any feedback would be great. Thanks

I have been fishing this area pretty hard since late may with some pretty epic days so far. That said there have been somedays that have been dead slow. If the springs are around there have been days with 15 bites in a 5hr trip. Nothing bigger than 22lbs in the boat yet this year but did loose a couple that were probably close to 30 or bigger. last weekend had a double header an hr before high slack that we managed to get 1 in the boat at 17lbs and lost the much bigger one that nearly spooled the full reel.

 

[oilslick]

Thanks for the report fortyfour. Once out of the arm, is it about a 30 minute run?

 

[getbent]

Hey Slick,

it depends on the water, wind etc and of course size of boat and HP but yeah it can be about 40 mins to Thrasher for starters, we are heading across on Friday.

 

[sir-vivor]

He posted the above in just about every report thread including sooke, port renfrew, bamfield and this thread. Lol must have been excited!

O ! OK !
I would have been excited as hell, with the trip he had, whew !

 

[stones93]

I was out yesterday locally along the west van shoreline. We hear of a few nookies being caught around the bell bouy, and one tyee south of bown. (friend of mine). We worked from fisheries to the mouth. We founf the Ho's, who were biting chovies and white hootchies. The biggest was 7.5lb coho. We caught 6-7 between 11:30 am and 2:30pm.

 

[Revenge]

Nice Job stones
Couple of buddies had my boat out in the same area and got blanked yesterday !!

 

[stones93]

Most boats on the west Van side were blanked as the were fishing west of the Pink Palace on the flood. I just hear the Bon Chovy fishing charters hooked 2 nice ones this morning near the Bell Bouy. Local is starting to produce. Should only get better from here.

 

[Revenge]

ill be out Sat or Sunday so we'll see what happens
Did you see a 25' whaler revenge out there stones i think they were between fisheries and the pink apt sound like where you were

 

[stones93]

If it has a white top and a single main engine (plus kicker?), I think I did. I was on a 28ft grady white with dual black mercs.

 

[Marsman]

I'm heading out tomorrow for high slack around the mouth of the cap and if so maybe over to the Bell. Depends on the winds. Have some chovies in Brine ready to go. Hope there's a few fish around.

Cheers, Rob

 

[BCTony]

Was out yesterday along West Van shoreline and Cap Mouth and managed 4 Coho to about 5lb which all came in the hour up to high slack. After that nothing through the afternoon. Spoon, hoochie and anchovy produced at between 35 and 65 feet. Kept one Coho which when filleted at home the flesh took on the appearance of a parasitical salmon as shown on TV a week or so ago: mushy texture which looked like it had been 'tenderised' with a meat mallet. My wife and I decided to give it a miss.

 

[Ian]

Was out for about 4hrs today (started at 10 ish) off the cap and west van shoreline not so much as a nibble. Weather was beautiful, but it was pretty lumpy for a small boat. Tried white Hootchies, anchovies and coho killer. Marked a few fish, but they were clearly vegan! Did manage a jumbo sea star in the traps release un-harmed along with very few under size dungies....

There was quite a number of boats out, and the rumour to Robert the Creel guy was that a Spring had been caught....

Very best,

Ian

 

[getbent]

Finally got out this year, been a drag with all of the boat/insurance issues, so was out with a buddy, Lucky Strikes. Left Mcdonald at 6, rough ride out, decided to see if anybody was home at the QA and a short tour out off of Bowen. Prety lumpy so headed to Pt Atkison and worked our way around. Picked up a 20lb spring off the flats @28' in about 35' of water, it was loaded with fish in tight, missed one other screamer in tight that didnt stick, tooled around the mouth and headed back up towards the Pt and picked up two hatch coho, one about 5-6 pounds, the other a little guy that was released.

The spring and the bigger coho were on an army truck chovie, coho at 55 feet.

It was pretty slow from what we could see.

Ran in to two rookie fisheries officers at the ramp, they were pretty green, some of the questions were kinda out there. Anyways they said that no one else had brought in any fish so far to the ramp. Good to see them there.

Cheers,

Getbent

 

[stones93]

Nice work Getbent!

Finally got out this year, been a drag with all of the boat/insurance issues, so was out with a buddy, Lucky Strikes. Left Mcdonald at 6, rough ride out, decided to see if anybody was home at the QA and a short tour out off of Bowen. Prety lumpy so headed to Pt Atkison and worked our way around. Picked up a 20lb spring off the flats @28' in about 35' of water, it was loaded with fish in tight, missed one other screamer in tight that didnt stick, tooled around the mouth and headed back up towards the Pt and picked up two hatch coho, one about 5-6 pounds, the other a little guy that was released.

The spring and the bigger coho were on an army truck chovie, coho at 55 feet.

It was pretty slow from what we could see.

Ran in to two rookie fisheries officers at the ramp, they were pretty green, some of the questions were kinda out there. Anyways they said that no one else had brought in any fish so far to the ramp. Good to see them there.

Cheers,

Getbent

 

[Scalper66]

dragged the lines fri nite at the cap nothing to show for it but a nice nite blew a trailer bearing at the ramp tho

 

[BCTony]

Friday late afternoon to evening at Bell Buoy for one take resulting in a 7lb'ish spring. Sunday afternoon and early evening skunked along West Van shoreline - one or two fish heard of taken but it would seem Sunday's rain provided the Coho the opportunity to disappear into the Cap.