BigBadBrad
Active Member
Ya, few and far between come august. Can spend 6-10 hours bouncing around kelp beds and maybe pull 1 or 2 out.
2023 Bamfield and Barkley Sound Reports
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trophywife
Crew Member
with high winds earlier in the season, the lings get hit pretty hard.. we all feel it now when asked for a ling day.
Shish-kebab
Member
Hi, I'll be heading out for my annual trip to poett nook beginning of August. I've been reading that bamfield main is closed fr 36km-49km and there is a detour route for about 3 weeks for chip sealing. Is this accurate? If so how long does the detour add for time fr port alberni? I already have a ferry rezi fr tsawassen to duke point. Any info on road condition or alternate route would be greatly appreciated. Thx
Maybe go lake Cowichan and flora lake main?
capman
Well-Known Member
Some of us took this road both on Sunday and Monday. You should expect to add somewhere between 45 min to an hour to your trip due to the detour.
tinhorse
Member
Any size to the springs. Friends have been out at Pill and got several in the 6-10 lb range and had 2 on that took line, with one that he said had the reel screaming
Thunder21
Well-Known Member
Mine were smaller also. Around 10lbs
Charleygirl
Well-Known Member
Ok, I am going to start with a veiled reference to a John Denver tune. Alright I get it, not exactly a " get off your feet and shake your booty " kind of performer but a couple of hundred years from now someone somewhere will be singing " County Roads " around a campfire. I digress.... John Denver once wrote a song called " Some days Are Diamonds, Some days Are Stones ". His song perfectly summed up my last two days out on the water here in Barkley Sound.
I'll get to that in a few paragraphs.
What you all want to know is what's happening in the Sound fish wise.
I think we are seeing the first real push of Robertson Creek springs and a whack of feisty coho in the mix as well. Mears Bluff at Effingham, Kirby, Austin, Cree and Cape Beale have all gone off in the past few days. Run your gear 35 to 65 feet off your riggers and you are in the money. I still haven't switched to bait yet, no need. Irish Cream, No Bananas, and Bon Chovy skinny g's have been lighting it up. There are also a good mix of shakers and pinks hanging around so no sense feeding the fish with bait. It's expensive and spoons are working very well. I have been having success with Irish Cream and Bon Chovy 4 inch Amundsen skinny g knock offs. I run them at 55 - 65 ' at Austin and Cree, 37 and 42 at Kirby and Beale. 6' to 7' behind green and chartreuse flashers. Troll them 2.7 to 3 mph.
We have been landing springs from 16 - 24 lbs the past few days. The coho are getting noticeably bigger, some are already pushing 10 lbs.
Hali fishing has tapered off some. It's always worthwhile putting in the effort though. With halibut (like most fishing) it's persistence and putting in the time. As I always preach, get on the bank, find a hump that comes up to 200 '. Fish near and around it. Salmon bellies work the best out here.
I spent 9 hours on the hook yesterday with guests, Francis, Victor and Dwayne and managed only one 85 cm hali. After dragging up numerous skates, dog fish and whatnot it turned into my worst hali trip in years. I came home humbled with my tail firmly between my legs. I felt terrible for my crew. The only positive was getting Dwayne his first ever halibut. As the song says, " some days are stones ". The next morning was their last day and we were after spings and coho. We fished Irish Cream skinny g knockoffs behind chartreuse flashers and it just went off. We limited out my guests and managed two for me. 8 springs in 3 hours. It doesn't happen all the time but hmmm.... Some days are diamonds...
So get your butts here people. Whether it's by Highway 4 and waiting for the pilot car, Lake Cowichan way, or float plane via Pacific Air, it's on. We dream about these kind of summer days on the water.
I'll get to that in a few paragraphs.
What you all want to know is what's happening in the Sound fish wise.
I think we are seeing the first real push of Robertson Creek springs and a whack of feisty coho in the mix as well. Mears Bluff at Effingham, Kirby, Austin, Cree and Cape Beale have all gone off in the past few days. Run your gear 35 to 65 feet off your riggers and you are in the money. I still haven't switched to bait yet, no need. Irish Cream, No Bananas, and Bon Chovy skinny g's have been lighting it up. There are also a good mix of shakers and pinks hanging around so no sense feeding the fish with bait. It's expensive and spoons are working very well. I have been having success with Irish Cream and Bon Chovy 4 inch Amundsen skinny g knock offs. I run them at 55 - 65 ' at Austin and Cree, 37 and 42 at Kirby and Beale. 6' to 7' behind green and chartreuse flashers. Troll them 2.7 to 3 mph.
We have been landing springs from 16 - 24 lbs the past few days. The coho are getting noticeably bigger, some are already pushing 10 lbs.
Hali fishing has tapered off some. It's always worthwhile putting in the effort though. With halibut (like most fishing) it's persistence and putting in the time. As I always preach, get on the bank, find a hump that comes up to 200 '. Fish near and around it. Salmon bellies work the best out here.
I spent 9 hours on the hook yesterday with guests, Francis, Victor and Dwayne and managed only one 85 cm hali. After dragging up numerous skates, dog fish and whatnot it turned into my worst hali trip in years. I came home humbled with my tail firmly between my legs. I felt terrible for my crew. The only positive was getting Dwayne his first ever halibut. As the song says, " some days are stones ". The next morning was their last day and we were after spings and coho. We fished Irish Cream skinny g knockoffs behind chartreuse flashers and it just went off. We limited out my guests and managed two for me. 8 springs in 3 hours. It doesn't happen all the time but hmmm.... Some days are diamonds...
So get your butts here people. Whether it's by Highway 4 and waiting for the pilot car, Lake Cowichan way, or float plane via Pacific Air, it's on. We dream about these kind of summer days on the water.
Loghauler
Well-Known Member
Thanks Cg great report
Pippen
Well-Known Member
Great report John!!
Charleygirl
Well-Known Member
I often do when I am fishing just for myself but with guests I find flashers just a bit more productive. Gotta get fish in the box.
Thanks for sharing though....
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It’s a stone cold mystery to me why people use flashers——sucks the fight right out of the fish and worse, makes for a way more awkward release if you’re releasing fish properly (shaking the fish off with a gaff, NOT netting the thing)
If you just can’t go through your day without using a flasher, use it as a dummy on the ball
Aces
Well-Known Member
Exactly right! Sometimes you gotta maximize your chances with some guests
capman
Well-Known Member
Thanks so much for your accurate report. I had the pleasure of meeting John for the first time in Bamfield. John, your generosity, humbleness and support allowed me and my group to have an amazing fishing trip. Showing us how to use the anchor system and letting us to follow you so I can catch my first hali on my own was unreal. Your tips on where to fish and what to use abled to put us in front of number of springs and coho. Really appreciate and thank you again. Leaving this morning and now looking forward to come back to Bamfield again next year and hopefully fish this beautiful part of our province for years to come.
G
gone fishin
Guest
The answer to your question is, if it is a question, it depends on your personal experience which will determine your opinion.
For me there is no doubt fishing with an in-line flasher for chinook will improve your success.
If you are looking for some "real stats and literature, etc." best you contact DFO scientists and see what you get. lol
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