Winter Harbour 2013

[spring fever]

Just thought I'd start the thread-the Spring Fever Flying Circus and Gong show is on the way for this weekend. The weather Gods have smiled on us this year and Swell watch is showing flat seas until sat at noon. Testing a full range of LED's and some really neat innovations Salty Dog{Pirates Den) has come up with. If you're up that way -I'll be listening on ch 6- Handle is Spring Fever- I share info!

 

[Sculpin]

Good luck up there! I look forward to more of your testing of the LED lures for sure.

Cheers,
John

 

[Yak]

Cant wait to try out the new boat out there this year!

Probably a couple of weeks away from it yet, but very soon!

Been thinking about getting offshore all winter

 

[springnut]

The new wharf wont be ready in Port Alice until the end of the month I'm told, so there is only a ramp for now.

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

I have a trip booked for the end of July this year. Can't wait it's going to my first time in Winter Harbour, and my first time fishing the west coast. Can't wait to read some fishing reports

 

[spring fever]

Good or bad will report Sunday.

 

[Sitkaspruce]

Good luck SF and gang

I now have to live Vicariously through you and few others. I love fishing the WH area and will miss it, so you need to keep this thread going.

Cheers

SS

 

[spring fever]

Got to Kain island 1pm thurs. swell watch was right on-low cloud with maybe a 1 ft swell. The commercial fleet was still there as per fisheries notices working the second 200ft trench about 21/2 miles off-shore. Pushed out from Kain with a chovey and an LED white cuttle fish. We trolled out to the comm. fleet-picking up the odd Black bass and releasing small lings-no salmon!! Lots of bait and birds-I mean lots. Needlefish-tried coho killers and needlefish hoochys-tried cop car coyotes and lots of other combo's from right on the bottom at 200 to 25 ft-nada but bottom fish. Worked with the commies and outside of them-it just seemed dead no grilse, shakers nothing. Called it quits at 7 pm and went to the commercial fleet at anchor-talked to the first boat and all he said was" brutal just brutal" and held up 2 fingers-slipped further into quotsino and saw the "dolphin" at anchor and talked to her captain and he said no fish!! He had 4 10 pounders all day. Asked about the 50 fathom line and he said you may get them there but they had tried yesterday. Hooked up-good night-gear in the water at 5:45 am-tried Grants kelp and outbound to Lippy pt-lots of Black Bass and the odd legal ling. Lots of birds and bait(needlefish) no salmon. The commercials had moved inshore to the closest 200 ft trench-saw a boat take what must have been their smallest legal size. We circled a huge bait ball and got a small coho on a double glow hoochy-released-5 minutes later we took a 12 lb red spring 140ft of wire in 200 ft of water. That was it-we kept at it until 7 pm with couple hours off for Hali-nada. The commercials did a little better but they left early even though it closed that night. They weren't happy!! Weather was closing in on sat so we left. Pulled our crab traps with poor results-this was unexpected-lots of females-very few males and the trap set in front of the cole harbour houses had definitely been lifted. Few notes-the parking is going to be tough this summer-I have never seen the parking lot so full with loggers and fish farm guys. I had to go to over flow-only sporty there, Also Joe is putting in new walk ways and keys at the marina-there are huge hawsers under the water on the outside of it close to the surface and not marked. So what does it all mean-we had a good time-it's very early in the year my journals go back 15 years at WH and about 1/2 the time this early in the year we did well and the other 1/2 not so much. There was acres of bait so if the salmon come they will hold-I'll give it another couple of weeks before we try again. Tight Lines

 

[firelight]

Great report thanks for that, will be watching this closely, have a trip planned early July. Interesting info.

 

[Yak]

Thanks for the report Spring Fever, Im hoping to make it out, weather permitting, sometime before june.

Hopefully its just a late start this year..

Yak

 

[spring fever]

Thanks for the report Spring Fever, Im hoping to make it out, weather permitting, sometime before june.

Hopefully its just a late start this year..

Yak

Yes we always hope that! I think it brings home the need to try and maintain what we have left and to only take what you need and let go gently what you can't use. Good signs were -lots of bait, lots of small ling-swell watch's forecasts are pretty good and we are still able to experience the WCVI--WITH CARE!

 

[soundpounder]

Thanks for the report...I'll be out first part of July for a few weeks...name of my boat is the same as my handle on here.

We made a quick trip out to Port Alice mid-April but stayed inside and prawned, mostly. A couple buddies ventured offshore for hali but didn't do very well at all, and no salmon to be had. Prawning was reasonable but not the best

 

[spring fever]

Boats loaded but the weather looks terrible for at least the next week. Let me know if anyone can see a break!!

 

[reelbuck]

Heading up to Quatsino next week for the boys fishing trip. Might make it out to winter harbour & beyond depending how the boys feel & the weather. Any recent reports to add to this thread??? thanks in advance

 

[spring fever]

Anybody fished Winter harbour in the last little while? If so how about a report-even a negative one is appreciated.

 

[wstcoaster]

old skipper in coal harbour reports limits of chinooks at winter hbr last week teens to 20 pounders just offshore 140 deep not to many cohos flashers with coyote spoons'

 

[Pippen]

Anybody fished Winter harbour in the last little while? If so how about a report-even a negative one is appreciated.

Have a look at the Outpost's reports.....Greg tends to have pretty good synopsis of what's going on from the few I have seen.


Actually....now looking at his site he doesn't have reports up there but does post them up somewhat regularly on BCFR and on Facebook. Here is the most recent one from June 6th....

We have had very calm conditions overall for the last two weeks, making most areas accessible, and the fish are already here in pretty big numbers. The shallows off Lawn Point, Cains and Lippy Point have been particularly good, with most boats limiting on nice Springs as well as a decent number of Coho. The Springs are averaging 18-22 lbs, with a handful of 25-30 lbers coming in.

Similar to last year, the fish are coming in plugged with Pilchard and Needlefish. Most fish are being caught between 50-100ft in 100-200 ft of water. With the abundance of bait in the shallow shoals, there have been ALOT of good sized Hali and Lings coming on the troll, particularly in the bumps off Lippy Pt. This time of year, the Black/Silver/ Glo Hoochies like Tammy Fay, or Cop Car Snotty are really working well, as are the old standby M84's or J31 Needles.

The inside waters off Cliff , Cain and Pinnacle are still relatively quiet, as most of the Springs being caught appear to be southern travelers.

Overall, everyone is pretty excited around here as we are off to a great start.... and there is hardly anyone here yet ! The Van Isle 360 Yacht Race rolls into to town on the 14th of June, and we are basically in full-steam-ahead mode after that!

We do have a reasonable amount of RV and Moorage still available June thru September, with a few spots of accommodation available as well.

Greg Vance
The Outpost at Winter Harbour
250-969-4333
winterharbour@telus.net
@OutpostWH ]

 

[Pursuit]

Will be at WH June 21/22/23, taking 2 boats. Will report. What a great site, wish I'd found it sooner. Thanks for sharing all the info.

 

[bonefish]

Not a lot of sun but the wind and waves were OK. We fished a few km off the lighthouse last week. Very good for hali in the usual depths. Also very good for springs but saw them mostly near the bottom at 150 - 200 feet. Medium sized Cohos were around in fairly good numbers...went through quite a few...but only saw unmarked fish. Anchovy and hootchies worked great.

***Somewhere along the trip back in on the 15th my cover for the 9.9 Yamaha kicker separated from engine...if you happened to find it I would appreciate seeing it again.

Cheers

 

[Halilogger]

Late report but here it is( 14&15 June )
Started out off of Lippy at the 220' we were on springs right off the bat. Had our six in 3 hours, lots of bites and a couple long range releases. Got our limit in Hali's and 8 lings by that time the 20knot SE was getting nasty.
Day 2, limit in springs in 2.5 hours even with those nasty cohos taking are bait. We got back to back Hali's at 150' in 220' of water, weird? We fished 150' to 180' with Anchovies purple haze hoochies and Tomic 6" spoon
Biggest Spring 22lbs Hali 32lbs. Lingcod 16lbs
Probably the best June Spring fishing we've experienced in our 4 years
Will post pictures when I get a day off