Alder Bay/Telegraph Cove
- Thread starter bigbruce
- Start date
bigbruce
Crew Member
Hali's between Mitchell Bay on Malcolm Island and Cormorant Island. Line yourself up between the microwave towers on Cormorant and the red building with the tin roof on the dock in Mitchell Bay. Look for 300' or so depth. You'll usually see a few boats in the area. Have to go at a slack current, though, as the normal currents will make it very hard to hold bottom. You will also see boats of the SE side of Stubbs Island which usually produces well - but there's a very rocky bottom there, so be prepared to donate some gear if there's any current or wind at all.
I will be camping at Naka Creek next weekend. Would love to catch a Halibut while up there(never caught one over 12 inches). Any advice would be appreciated. Would make the run up to Mitchell Bay if weather provides the opportunity, but somewhere closer is more realistic considering the area. PM me if the details are secretive 
SpringFever552
Well-Known Member
Looks like SpringFever552 will be at Telegraph Cove Friday to Monday of this coming long weekend ..booked in and staying in my Bigfoot up the hill will be cruising and doing a bit of fishing....if you see me at the dock stop and say hi..552 Explorer .haven't been in that area for many many moons. Hope the weather/winds cooperate..any info appreciated. P.m. if need be ..thanks in advance Steve
....if you see me at the dock stop and say hi..552 Explorer .haven't been in that area for many many moons. Hope the weather/winds cooperate..any info appreciated. P.m. if need be ..thanks in advance Steve
Last edited by a moderator:
Deewar25
Well-Known Member
First day fishing here on our annual trip - its a morning show for sure right now as the wind is howling in the afternoons (20 knots currently). We dropped our first lines at around 5 at Black Bluffs, got into a nice one within a couple minutes - was a teener but hooked in the stinger and my usually reliable netter got the treble caught in the net and it got a roll out! No biggee I figure as its start of the trip and lots more to come, but then it was a grind. Another decent hit during the morning snap, then released a 10-12lb coho (yeah yeah, damn Sooke regs on the brain and didn't realize you can keep 1 wild up here!) Then nothing for 2 hours - moved to tack Lizard to Donegal - got a decent pink pretty quick, then got a small 10lb hali dragging near bottom. Then wind came up around lunch, headed to Mitchell hoping for cover and it was still a strong blow - trolled for another 1/2 hour - some decent arches, but nothing hitting. Called it a day, grabbed a nap, plan to hit it earlier on the assumption that its another afternoon blow.
We want to check out the wall sometime on the trip as it may be quite protected - not totally sure where its at - am I right to assume its directly west/NW of Cracroft Point just south of the islands against Hanson, or is it closer to Licka Point & Alexander Rock?
We want to check out the wall sometime on the trip as it may be quite protected - not totally sure where its at - am I right to assume its directly west/NW of Cracroft Point just south of the islands against Hanson, or is it closer to Licka Point & Alexander Rock?
bigbruce
Crew Member
Echo the wind thing up here - coupled with a week of some pretty big tides and currents and fishing hasn't been a lot of fun. The only "wall" I know about is directly across from Craycroft (north) on Swanson Island, not Hanson. I'm at Alder Bay and can report that there hasn't been a lot of action at the cleaning station for the past few days. In a 2101 Striper - "Finntastic".
Deewar25
Well-Known Member
hmm, wonder if others can chime in on that - wasn't aware of 'the wall' at Swanson - only know Flower there - always thought it was a steep cliff along Hanson where you can fish and almost touch the rock at the same time. Maybe islands mixed up? Any word on where the fish were coming today bigbruce?
edit...k, talked to a local, sounds like its against Parson Island to the north
edit...k, talked to a local, sounds like its against Parson Island to the north
Last edited by a moderator:
Sitkaspruce
Well-Known Member
Deewar25, PM sent.
Cheers
SS
Cheers
SS
bigbruce
Crew Member
You're probably right, Deewar. Don't have my charts up here at the trailer - but it's probably Parson. I know when I'm heading up Baronet Passage and look to the left - it's there.
Not many fish coming at all today. Cleaning station here was pretty much empty all day. It's still pretty slow - and frustrating up here. The winds and currents have been pretty strong this past week so fishing has been a bit of a chore. Currents and tides will be easing up over the next week and hopefully the winds will die down as well which will at least make the boating side of the fishing equation a bit easier to handle.
Last edited by a moderator:
Sitkaspruce
Well-Known Member
If you get the sun, you will get the wind in the afternoon, rarely does the NW wind not come up during nice weather. Have to love the area, fog in the morning, burns off, the sun comes out, the wind comes up, the fog rolls back in and the wind dies at night, repeat the next day. Get some overcast weather, a little SE wind the water can be fished all day.
Big tides usually bring in the salmon and bait, small tides make for better hali fishing. Talked a couple buddies over the last few days and they are getting fish, but they are working hard for them and most are teeners, not a lot of big fisg around, but that can change. If the mid coast is doing well, then the fish will moving down, but they can stay on the mainland side or head to the west coast....the fun of fishing the area.
Cheers
SS
Big tides usually bring in the salmon and bait, small tides make for better hali fishing. Talked a couple buddies over the last few days and they are getting fish, but they are working hard for them and most are teeners, not a lot of big fisg around, but that can change. If the mid coast is doing well, then the fish will moving down, but they can stay on the mainland side or head to the west coast....the fun of fishing the area.
Cheers
SS
Deewar25
Well-Known Member
that was a pure dogs dinner today and some nervous times. 15-25 is borderline for our boat as forecast. The 30-35 gusts on the way back crossing blackfish though was quite dangerous for us. Poor judgement realizing how much it stacks up there so lesson learned. Basically just exploring for protection around Swanson/Hanson and trying our luck for lings. Some nice ones on the sw side of Hanson just outside of the RCA and tons of cod/greenlings, but the story was just trying to get home safe. Hopefully u guys out there had better judgement than us today!
bigbruce
Crew Member
Good to hear you made it back to port safe. Things were bad enough here that most of the folks in the marina pulled their boats out of the water this afternoon. There were a couple of hardy types that went out fishing - and wished they hadn't - with very little to show for a very trying day.
Sitkaspruce
Well-Known Member
One thing you have to watch in those islands and the whole area is the wind and the tides. The wind will be out of the NW on nice days, but you will get the outflows from Knights as well. Throw in the tides in the area and you have a reciept for disaster. A washing machine effect is what we called it when we would run down that way to fish or work. Most people either don't know or forget about the outflows. NW winds and ebbing tide will create the biggest mess there, as each is trying to move water in the opposite direction.
Glad you made it back safely Deewar25, not a lot of fun being caught out there.......any fish???
Cheers
SS
Glad you made it back safely Deewar25, not a lot of fun being caught out there.......any fish???
Cheers
SS
Deewar25
Well-Known Member
difference a day makes with weather..basically flat out there all day, only picking up a bit now. There was too much residual for our liking past Lizard, so stuck around the slide - still bit of a grind - got a low teener spring, 2 nice 7-8lb cohos, a trolled hali, couple of pinks we let go. Mostly 50-70' on glow green. One last morning tomorrow and we will be hitting it hard while its still dark - like to get 1 hog on this trip! Sounded like the sunds boats got into some decent ones (best guess Mitchell from their kelp mentions as they weren't at the bluffs) - few in the 20's, 1 upper 20's. Most of them had a spring or two and several coho and big pinks.
Deewar25
Well-Known Member
well, last day today (morning only to 9)...end of a tougher trip than last year - fought the wind and a virus that went through us all. Started out in pea soup so didn't want to brave the boating too much and dropped gear for a tack along the kelp at Mitchell - no go. Once it brightened a bit, took off to bluffs - pretty dead - scratched one up around 13 and a pinky right after...that was all the action seen. Moved to slide, realized that the orcas had come through and it was slow there - no luck for us - lodge boat missed a good one, sounded scratchy all around. Far cry from last year, but still took home decent amount of meat. Until next time!
