Bait size and type haidi gwaii

[bardfromedson]

Heading out next week to the west side of haidi gwaii. Wondering what size bait to pick up. Also is it worth grabbing any anchovies or just stick to herring. We might only get 1 chance to stock up because of logistics. The processor is holding 20 pounds of herring for me but I have no idea of size or quality so I want to get some good stuff that I know will work. My plan is to try and stick to plugs and spoons but if were not hammering them the bait will be hitting the water sooner than later. Any other tackle tips for out there would be great as well. First time running my own boat out there. So pumped. Can't wait for the first hook up.

 

[Tugcapitan]

Everything works up there for bait. We used small, medium and large herring with success. Anchovies worked well too, sometimes even better without a flasher! It's a little early for large size herring I'd stick to medium. Also, totally worth taking a couple of herring jigs, the kind with multiple hooks and tiny "feather" looking appendages with a mini bead on each hook. That way you can use exactly what the fish are eating at the time, cutplug or whole. Fishing live ones is fun too if your on the fish.

 

[fishin_magician]

Large herring. You will have no problem. rig it whole or cut plugged. A bait may be a waste of time, west coast resorts guides are running tackle right now.

 

[SpringFever552]

Heading out next week to the west side of haidi gwaii. Wondering what size bait to pick up. Also is it worth grabbing any anchovies or just stick to herring. We might only get 1 chance to stock up because of logistics. The processor is holding 20 pounds of herring for me but I have no idea of size or quality so I want to get some good stuff that I know will work. My plan is to try and stick to plugs and spoons but if were not hammering them the bait will be hitting the water sooner than later. Any other tackle tips for out there would be great as well. First time running my own boat out there. So pumped. Can't wait for the first hook up.

Fished QCL fathers day weekend, large 6in glow knight rider coyote spoons with a wicked bend in them out fished bait the first day then it was large chovies and spoons fished equally well 2nd day then chovies out fished spoons and cutplugs on 3rd..all were pulled no inline flashers but with dumby flashers off cannon balls..obviously cut plugs on weighted rods..

But yeah at sometimes I think you could drag an mt lucky can through the water and catch fish up there. .good luck I know I had the time of my life up there and definitely want to go back

 

[SpringFever552]

P.s.
I dont know where, what "type" whether your inshore tight to rocks/kelp or deep offshore..
We fished what I can only say IMHO is the best fishery and that is inshore shallow waters tight to kelp/rocks and those fish are hungry and hit like freight trains..so hang on and have fun..again. good luck

 

[Travo]

Sorry to high jack thread but is generally the same for prince rupert area , heading up there on Monday ... Was just going to use bait but since I was under impression it's majority bait fishery but now thinking of stocking up on gear.

 

[yo mama]

Big Fish use large herring period. For numbers of fish you can run and of the standard spoons or hootchie set ups and will work great.

 

[bardfromedson]

We will hopefully be fishing offshore on good weather days and more inshore if it's lumpy. I'm hoping they hit the plugs and spoons deep offshore because I hate dealing with bait deep offshore. If were sick of catching cookie cutters offshore maybe try for pigs in the shallower kelp beds and rocky areas going slower with bait. Might have to pick up a few glow spoons.

 

[adanac]

Guiding out of QCL this season. Main forage right now seems to be small 1 - 3 inch needle fish so all of your smaller spoons and anchovys will work fine on fish in the 15 - 20lb range. With saying that there has still been some large balls of herring showing up recently, if looking for large 25+lb fish scrape the kelp with either cutt plugs , holy rollers or herring in teaser heads. Coho seem to have really shown in the past two days so dont forget your large cop car tomic spoons or you will be using loads of bait.

 

[Old Blue]

Can't go wrong with large herring. With that being said I know a few guides who sley hogs when it's a bit slower on the disco show: 4 rods with UV flashers and glow hoochies. A few swear by big plugs as well so they can cover a lot of ground to find the general area fish are holding then toss some cut plug large herring into the mix. If things are slower I'd toss on a chovie or 2.

 

[Karlo]

Why would you opt to fish deep offshore, if you can get unbelievable fishing for equally large fish up against kelp and structure in shallow water? As to the need for large quantities of bait, out of QC City lately, the fish are very plentiful, and hitting 3.5-4" Coyote spoons just as happily as they are 7" herring and medium anchovies. As bigger herring show up, a 6" Cop Car will often produce at least as well as bait. A Tomic 727 Tubby is also a good producer. It's nice not messing with bait!

 

[bardfromedson]

Thanks for the tips guys. I might have to grab a few smaller spoons. We're mostly stocked up on big spoons for going with no flasher. Might have to start with some smaller ones behind the dummies.

 

[Karlo]

You don't need a flasher, even with the small Coyotes, especially in close and shallow. Be sure to switch out the split rings and hooks, though.

 

[Itchy]

Have been lucky to fish out of Masset for the last couple of years, this year I fished last week of May until the end of June. All the information that has been supplied will definitely help you out in a big way. I usually fish from Cape Edenshaw and west as the guides work 7 mile and Hidden Island hard and it can get busy there but everyone is respectful of each other. I found that the Springs definitely like structure and usually the bigger bait/lures catch the larger fish. That being said, with most of the fish keying on needlefish early in the year I went to a chovie in a teaser head and used a small flasher off the downrigger ball on one side and no flasher on the other. The flasher side outfished the non-flasher side most of the time and the bigger fish were also produced on the flasher side. However, when we started searching for fish in deeper water the side without the flasher really produced some amazing results. Go figure.
I have also found that when search for fish in deep water I will go perpendicular to the shore and when I hit fish or mark them I will do a 180 degree turn directly to shore and will usually find some success.
Early morning and tide changes should find you fishing structure especially anything that is holding bait.
Later in the year (I have fished right into mid-Sept.) the bigger lures and bait will definitely give you some amazing results though the coho can be hard on the wallet if you stay with bait.
Good luck with your fishing and good to see that everyone has been really helpful with the information offered. Tight Lines!!