Port Hardy / Winter Harbour / North Island Report - Spring and Summer 2011

[Barnacle Bill]

Mike, great report on WH. I bet that Grants Bay was full of squid close to the beach, if so the fish should hang in for some time. Hope to get up there in a couple of weeks. Where do you find that "Swell Watch" for WH.?...........BB

 

[spring fever]

Easiest way to get it is to go on to My Escape,s site-rodgers fishing resort and they have a link. The info was uncanny- way better than the usual marine weather. As I told the crew-I don't think there were tons of fish at WH- we found them at one spot and not a lot of others-nothing on the highway or in between lippy and Kains-however the commies were working when we got there and so the number of Springs should increase with each flood. I am looking at the 25 ,26 as a likely weather window. Man that gas is expensive!! tight lines.

 

[Sharphooks]

hey Barnacle Bill--- I'm curious---what species of squid are you referring to? When someone talks about snagging squid with gear I presume these are Humboldts (Giant Squid)?

If that's what's out there, I'd always thought then when those units show up, it's the kiss of death for good salmon fishing. I know they showed up off Neah Bay last summer and the salmon fishing went off a cliff.

I'd be interested to hear your comments. Thanks

 

[spring fever]

No -the squid we caught at WH were I think they call them california squid-about 1-2 pounds- they fish them commercially. Definetly not Humboldts!!

 

[Sharphooks]

Hey Spring fever--thanks for that---that solves the mystery for me. BTW: if they were 1 - 2 lbs , they probably weren't California squid (Loligo). My guess is that's too far north for their habitat, and they generally grow to be 40 to 100 grams max. The squid you were hooking were probably:

QUOTE

"...the Japanese Flying Squid or Japanese Common Squid, Todarodes pacificus. This animal lives in the northern Pacific Ocean, in the area surrounding Japan, up the full coast of China up to Russia, then spreading across the Bering Straight over towards the lower coast of Alaska and the coast of Canada....."

UNQUOTE

I'm a squid guy (I sell bait to the hook and line guys) so even if I don't always know what I'm talking about, I have to pretend that I do....

 

[Charlie]

They very well could have been ‘Japanese Flying Squid,’ or even ‘Opalescent Inshore Squid’ Also Known As ‘Market Squid (Pacific Loligo) (Loligo opalescens),’ or it is the time of year for the ‘Neon Flying Squid’ (Ommastrephes bartramii). They all can be found off the WCVI. My bet would be:



Ommastrephes bartramii are easily distinguishable by the presence of an elongated silver-colored band in the middle of the ventral side of the mantle. Adult males usually have a mantle length of 29 to 32 cm (0.95 to 1.05 ft), but can reach the maximum length of 45 cm (1.48 ft). Adult females are much larger, usually having a mantle length of around 50 cm (1.6 ft), with the maximum known length being 60 cm (2.0 ft).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_flying_squid
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/species-especes/shellident-identcoquille-eng.htm#SQUID
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas/Csas/status/1999/C6-12e.pdf

 

[Bait tricks]

Bringem home I'll eat them roasted over a fire.

 

[Striper Sniper]

They very well could have been ‘Japanese Flying Squid,’ or even ‘Opalescent Inshore Squid’ Also Known As ‘Market Squid (Pacific Loligo) (Loligo opalescens),’ or it is the time of year for the ‘Neon Flying Squid’ (Ommastrephes bartramii). They all can be found off the WCVI. My bet would be:

View attachment 1420

Ommastrephesbartramii are easily distinguishable by the presence of an elongated silver-colored band in the middle of the ventral side of the mantle. Adult males usually have a mantle length of 29 to 32 cm (0.95 to 1.05 ft), but can reach the maximum length of 45 cm (1.48 ft). Adult females are much larger, usually having a mantle length of around 50 cm (1.6 ft), with the maximum known length being 60 cm (2.0 ft).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_flying_squid
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/species-especes/shellident-identcoquille-eng.htm#SQUID
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas/Csas/status/1999/C6-12e.pdf

Hey Charlie, you are absolutely correct, they were exactly like the one you posted a picture of.

SS

 

[Halilogger]

Man that sucks FA........... I have stayed at that hotel on a couple occasions, What you and your group experienced was Bull s%$T !!!!
Its really to bad that that grief wasn't overcome whit catch limits. Just one of those weekends to forget.

 

[Bait tricks]

Hey homer_trophy, thanks for having the nuts to post the name of the place. Now we atleast know where not to go..

 

[Fish Assassin]

Hey Bait Tricks, If you had been following this thread you could have read were we had booked or if you had just googled Port Hardy you would have been able to see what Marina has a Hotel,Bar and B&W store attached to it. It has nothing to do with have the nuts to post the name. The lack of the name being used is because we were threaten with other actions if we posted any thing online about our stay. Nice Post..........

 

[Labman2]

Hey Bait Tricks, If you had been following this thread you could have read were we had booked or if you had just googled Port Hardy you would have been able to see what Marina has a Hotel,Bar and B&W store attached to it. It has nothing to do with have the nuts to post the name. The lack of the name being used is because we were threaten with other actions if we posted any thing online about our stay. Nice Post..........

Maybe you should have put that in a previous post as well, it would have clarified your reasons for not posting the name.
I hope that there is something done by the Mayor et al. An apoligy from the OWNER and Termination of the Management would be a good start. IMHO.

 

[Fish Assassin]

I have been told the Owners and the Management are the same. A Husband and Wife bought the place and hired their friend to run it. The Wife is the Manager. The place has gone dwon hill big time. I know in the past it was a great place to stay.

I hear they are going thru a divorce. I hope they are forced to sell to new owners that know how to treat their guests.

 

[Bait tricks]

Hey Bait Tricks, If you had been following this thread you could have read were we had booked or if you had just googled Port Hardy you would have been able to see what Marina has a Hotel,Bar and B&W store attached to it. It has nothing to do with have the nuts to post the name. The lack of the name being used is because we were threaten with other actions if we posted any thing online about our stay. Nice Post..........

I asked you a simple question 2 pages back and was ignored. I'm just happy to get an answer/name to justify all this drama, end of story. Thanks Labman2, I also felt the same way. Could I add on the same note I feel bad for what happened to you and your group. If you guys can swing it, may i suggest a trip out of Winter Harbour? I just got back from there and had some reasonable success. I had a screaming deal offered to me from a lodge owner out there due to a late cancellation. If you or anyone is interested in this opportunity pm me and will do my level best to try to get you hooked up. I believe the available date is mid July.

 

[waddy29]

any reports guys?

 

[Yak]

McNeill area was slow to nil this morning and early afternoon. Fished the flood, didnt have a single hit for almost 3 hours. Jigged for an hour or so on the way home but still nothing. I didnt even see a fish caught all day. It was nice how few boats were out though.

Yak

 

[Busterbrown]

We just got back from 6 days in Winter Harbour. We stayed at the Outpost and were the only boat there. Fishing was ok as we got a alimit of springs and coho. The coho were caught at the lighthouse and provided some action when the wind was blowing. The springs we got were all 15-20 lbs. No big ones for us yet. We fished off of Lippy at the 200 foot mark most of the time, It was slow on the highway for us. Headed back in a few weeks

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Guest caught a 46lb Chinook today Crazy story about it too, went to hook the fish and snapp, rod breaks right in my face, nails me in the cheek, hurt like hell. Broke right above handle too so literally a foot of rod and the reel, so we are fighting this thing with just rod and reel, talk about difficult, especially around the boat, wow! somehow get it in the boat and its this 46lb beauty It was just about 15min of craziness! Plus limit of 28-50lb halibut

 

[Charter Tofino]

All that work in the gym is payin off eh. Barely a strain. Ps thats a pig.

 

[Highliner]

Crazy story Serengeti. Nice fish!