2013 Summer Port Renfrew & Swiftsure Reports

[GDW]

We actually found tight to the rocks it comes way up over a little was a bit better and I imagine over a bit more is death to your prop - not sure.

But we hugged the rocks and watched some locals like Rex go outside of us and punch up on plane before we were over the bar. So they must know where the deepest trough is. I'd suggest take it easy and find your own best route the guy your following might not have a clue either. 3ft minimum is a safe bet.

 

[merrittboy1]

Good fishing all round on beach, especially up at camper and Carmanah. Mid size 18-25 a plenty with several in 30's. lots of boats and some fog. Overall great! A few a$& holes who veer in and out disrupting any flow. Maybe an 8 lb cannon ball will help with frustration... When the bite is on sure reminds me of fishing the Fraser and Chilliwack! Guys see a bite and all the boats congregate in the area. Crazy because fish seem everywhere. My 2 cents.

 

[nedarb2]

Good fishing all round on beach, especially up at camper and Carmanah. Mid size 18-25 a plenty with several in 30's. lots of boats and some fog. Overall great! A few a$& holes who veer in and out disrupting any flow. Maybe an 8 lb cannon ball will help with frustration... When the bite is on sure reminds me of fishing the Fraser and Chilliwack! Guys see a bite and all the boats congregate in the area. Crazy because fish seem everywhere. My 2 cents.

Ill make sure im the idiot cutplugging through all the trollers this weekend gotta have fun somehow when waiting for the bite right.... (its different if you do it on purpose lol)

 

[cpony]

Anyone know how the smelt fishing has been? If any around which beach?
Thanks for any info.

 

[TheRock]

Yup, been good! Smelt are running.. Folks were up three weekends ago and got two buckets.. I was up last Sat. (left side/SanJuan River side) our group had three smelt nets down from first light till 5pm. It was steady filled two 5 Gal. buckets of smelt.
Heard a report some one did well on the Friday (on the Right side/Gordon River side by the sand bar) in two hours filled three buckets.. heard they were thick and jumping over the net..
On Sat. we got three large Pilchards in the smelt net, was cool to see.. Saved those for Hali bait

 

[TheRock]

 

[TheRock]

 

[cpony]

Thanks for the info. My daughter is taking my father up for the first time in a few years Monday. He's not as agile as he use to be, hope they can get some for a few dinners.
Seen different things in the net over the years but never pilchards.

 

[RevyFisher]

Just wondering how much water is needed to get in/out of the river in 18ft boat. Is it high tideo only?

I was there the week in July with 2' morning tides. We headed out with 3' and don't get "uncomfortably" close to the rocks as we nicked a rock with the prop after the tight spot. After that I stayed out a bit and followed the gps staying in the centre of the channel and never had a problem the rest of the week. There was enough room that boats would pass on both sides of us as we took it slow.

 

[TheRock]

Ya...Same here.. remember as a kid the folks never used to use gill nets.. they ran into the surf with hand held dip nets smelt were so plentiful..
I'v caught, Salmon in the net, big Springs spin casting off that beach years ago, a 60lb. skate once on a spin casting rod, night fishing for giant 20lb. + dog fish, steel head, crab in the net and on the hook,
big flounder/sole, herring, anchovie a few times came in the nets... but never Pilchards, this was the first time I'v ever seen them in the net! it was cool to see...

Thanks for the info. My daughter is taking my father up for the first time in a few years Monday. He's not as agile as he use to be, hope they can get some for a few dinners.
Seen different things in the net over the years but never pilchards.

 

[TheRock]

Monday is a good tide for smelt... low is at 10:30am @ 3.6ft. first hour it doesn't come up much...11:30 @ 4.0ft. after that it starts coming up fast.. make sure you get your float down before then on the low tide..
by 4:30pm its 9.1ft. Great tide they should do well for smelt...

 

[Fishtank]

What do you do with smelts?

 

[TheRock]

What do you do with smelts?

They are unlike other bait fish.. they are unique, have tender white meat.. cooked right you cant stop eating them, delicacy.. in my opinion fresh smelt are better eating than halibut..
You butterfly them and pull the center bone out, bread crumb them with spices and pan fry... one of my favorites...

 

[Fishtank]

Cool I saw a bunch o people sitting on the beach with buckets as I was comming in I guess that's what they were doing

 

[TheRock]

Yup.. light a fire on the beach, sit back relax, take in the view, check the nets every so often... life is good.

 

[Fishtank]

Wonder if you could use those guys for bait?do you have any picture of them not deep fryed?

 

[TheRock]

They look like these.....

Kidding... buddy called me up for a salmon trip yesterday, took my dad up for his birthday Wow! quick limit of springs.. Every boat I saw had easy limits of big springs..
Talked to the cut plugger fishing camper.. Saturday morning he hooked over 15 springs, got 10 to the boat, he had at least another 10 hits he said.. other boats we talked to had similar reports..
At the docks every where I turned people dragging springs along the docks, line ups at the cleaning station and weigh scale.. I walked by a guy was weighing a 31 and 29. Heavy coolers being carried by all..
It was some thing to see...

 

[Fishtank]

Picked these guys up at camper and walbran this morning 3 springs before 8am at camper then it went dead so moved up to walbran and got the last one at 1230, had two first time fishers aboard everyone got a fish-12 14 18 22

 

[Fishtank]

I think I heard someone call out fishttank in the camping area of the marina? Maybe it was a forum member because I don't have the name on the boat yet?

 

[dss]

Yup that was me . You weregoing past my camper. My boat is the 23 ' Searay with the 250 E-TEC Finadic.