Winter Harbour this week.

[finaddict]

Nice Report James, I have been up to WH 3 years in July and August and had some great days (and some not-so-great) in the weather department, but you cannot beat the country. We camped at the campsite at the outpost. Greg Vance was a terrific host and he and his guides were really helpful.

See you at Toquart this summer.

Cheers

 

[spring fever]

Thanks MS for the report-conservation is provided at WH by the weather-no doubt about it. I've been fishing there for over 15 years and kept meticulous journals which are my crutch this time of year. I don't move a wheel until I see a hole. There appears to be one this weekend-doesn't guarantee a thing but will get back to you either way.

 

[Foxsea]

(Fish farms) play a part, no doubt, but there is other unkowns that also play a part in any decrease in fish numbers.
Anyways not to side track the original post. Cheers SS

You're absolutely right: habitat destruction, climate change, the Alaskan harvest, poor allocation and management of the stock here, along with other factors, contribute to the decline. However, one of the most influential negative influences on survival has been proven to be open pen fish farms - in the migratory paths. Containing fish farming operations is an easy, although an expensive fix, so we see nothing from the farms other than deception, denial and inaction. The shareholders rule our politics and so our coast suffers.

 

[Busterbrown]

We are making our first trip this year to Winter Harbour on Thurs. Plan to stay a week then take the boat over to Telegraph Cove for the summer. I will report when I get back next week.Hope the weather co-operates , we have had some great early fishing when the highway is accessible

 

[Halilogger]

Myself and a couple buddies will be fishing this Friday and Saturday who all is going to be up in this neck of the woods this weekend.
We will monitor 6

 

[spring fever]

Hey HL Looks like we'll finally meet-should be off Kains by 1:30 thurs-staying down until Sat pm then up for a party at the narrows-pull the crab traps and depart 6 am sun morning. Testing a very interesting new lure drop by if you see the green and white Orca-will be on 6 -we'll give you whatever spots we've dug up by then. Anchoring in Brownling inlet or will be tied up behind the first island on the way in to WH cleaning fish and having a snooze in the PM> Swell watch says we picked a major weather hole-hope they're right

 

[Mighty Sylvan]

Hey HL Looks like we'll finally meet-should be off Kains by 1:30 thurs-staying down until Sat pm then up for a party at the narrows-pull the crab traps and depart 6 am sun morning. Testing a very interesting new lure drop by if you see the green and white Orca-will be on 6 -we'll give you whatever spots we've dug up by then. Anchoring in Brownling inlet or will be tied up behind the first island on the way in to WH cleaning fish and having a snooze in the PM> Swell watch says we picked a major weather hole-hope they're right

That first island on the way into WH I think is called Mathews Island. Because we were searching for calmish water on our trip I trolled down behind there and we landed a 12 lber! You just never know where you will find one.

 

[Halilogger]

Looking forward to it as well I get to take this trip off and will be in my buddies boat 19' Campion Explorer get to sit in the passenger seat.
We will be up Thursday late and are in a cabin first cove on the right after the narrows ( Kitten Cove ? ) will give you a call Friday morning
not sure where we will start.

 

[spring fever]

Winter Harbour-An Epic Trip!!!!

Pulled into cole harbour ramp at 12 noon thurs-only to be told-no fish by a quotsino resident hauling out his boat. Doom and gloom!! Kain Island by 1pm-Swell from the SW with a funny cross swell from the West. Fishable Very few boats. Cop car and a green and glow coyote-too rough to get the chovies out with any comfort. Started to pick up the odd coho about 1mile north of the island and a mile seaward. 5-7lbs max. This did not look good-started playing around in front of Grants bay in the pinnicles with an anchovie- bingo we were into Springs-not large but every once in awhile one showed promise of getting into the 20,s-we kept 4and released 6 or so in the 10 to 12lb range. I had one pack of chovies left for the highway-so we decided to troll back to the lighthouse on the bottom for Hali's. Bob put down his usual cop car in 180 ft of water and -I put down an LED hand tied hootchy in green. Small Hali about 12 lbs-asked Bob if he wanted one and he took a purple haze with a UV light-we both went down 180 in 180ft of water-almost immediate double header. landed 2 springs in the 14/16 lb range-called it quits-we were limited-home to the anchorage.

Dangers of LED's!!!!! with 2 ex cops-3 am in the morning-one of my LED hootchy's gets a splash of water from a window and activates. Flashing light lights up the whole boat waking 2 ex-cops who are reaching for their side arms to get the "perps". Breakfast at 4 am-water flat-25knots direct Grants bay. 2 passes around the kelp with cop cars produces a legal ling and a fiesty 10 -ish Spring-released. Out to 200 ft in front of Lippy point-160 to 180 ft of wire produce steady if not spectacular Springs. Coho mostly decimated my anchovies but with my last I managed a 21lb er(weighed} We wound up on the Highway between 300 and 325 ft of water directly off LIppy pt. 180 to 200 ft of wire LED UV purple haze and a green LED in a green and redish PNT cuttlefish Produced excellent results. We were always busy-the fish ranged in the mid-teens-the water was good and we released all that would survive. Knocked it on the head and headed in for a snooze and clean fish at noon.We were short 2 springs and 2 coho for our possesion limit which I figured we'd get on SAT morning.

WE fished behind Kain island FRi night in a downpour!!! Instead of fishing the kelp we went from Pinnicle rock directly across to a point 1/4 mile south of the light-water averages 125ft deep. Just off pinnicle in 120 ft of water 130ft of wire a green LED hootchy lights up-mid-teen spring; after 5 min. throws the hook head-shaking on the surface. !0 min later close to the light we get a real burner-the islander is a blur-then nothing-tail hook busted off an LED UV hoochy-rooky mistake-that hootch had taken at least 4 springs and 1 halibut that morning and was re-used without a re-tie. Not good-0 for 2. Bob's green LED soon produces-right of the bottom. This is a realburner-had to jockey the boat for this one. Great fight-241/2 lbs (weighed). Tagged 2 more coho and a badly hooked hi-teener spring-we were limited. I had promised to go Halibut fishing if we filled on Salmon-not my favourite passtime. I started looking for the gravol for the morning. The Moonson rains left India around midnight and arrived WH shortly there after.

Had a later breakfast-5 am-rain was torrential!! Low slack was around 10 AM. Time to kill. Pirates den had sent me a 7 inch hoochy custom built for the LED lights the day before I left for WH. IT was gorgeous transluscent pearl colour with glow in the dark speckle belly-easy to rig-I knew it would catch hali's and lings -but salmon?-I've never dragged a turd-this looked similiar but much prettier. Decided to try it behind Kain Island before we went Hali fishing. Long story-same depths -38 inch tie-one with green LED-one with UV LED-4 mid teen springs in one hour!! This is very interesting!! I will be running tests on this development on my next trip. THe UV LED lights will be in most stores this week as will "the Purple GLow Wench" I prefer "Pearly Girlie" but Hell I just test them-I don't make them!! Damn I forgot the Hali's, so after the Pearly Girly shows great promise we arrive at some coords-off Grants Bay-200 ft of water-me- Pirates DEN LED squid-re-rigged with an extra treble-sponge in the nose injected with a personal oil mixture and salmon belly for bait. Bob says he doesn't need it and is using real squid as bait-first co-ords nothing-I've been in this movie before!! New coords-190 ft-my rod buries-20 ish ling-5 min later-my gravol is working overtime and I get a 25 lber-BOB wants the doctored Pirates Den (PD) LED Squid. His line doesn't even settle and he's on-Roger has my rod and makes it a double.-I could weep for joy-we are limited and I don't have to wallow in the ORCA anymore!! Rain is falling in buckets as we clean fish and head to the final anchorage. Sunday morning pick-up the crab traps for an excellent Haul. What a trip!! Winter Harbour at it's best-and wettest!!

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Great report! Glad to hear that the three of you had a great and safe trip. ............BB

 

[Halilogger]

I also fished this weekend, Thanks for the info Springfever, it would have been nice to hook up for a few pops. Long days on the water and lots of fish to clean GOOD TIMES!
Fished Friday and Saturday got our limits in Springs and Hali's, both days Coho were there for the taking. A good haul of Yellow eye and even a few Tiger Snapper and six nice lings.
Had my first experience with reeling in a bottom fish which was about a 4lbs Snapper with a 20Lbs Ling with its mouth wrapped around the Snappers head. We kept them just below the surface and gaffed the Ling.
Springs were between 120' and 220' Springfever had told me 200' and he was bang on that depth produce the big fish. The biggest being 22lbs, biggest Hali 20lbs we had 2 that were better but lost both. Water was great Friday and good Saturday.
Anchoivey worked best for Springs and Herring for Hali's, we had to work hard for our Hali's.

 

[Chovy1]

Great reports guys!! Finally making the trip down island to tow my boat up from Duncan to my new home in Port Hardy. My boat is a 14 1/2 ft lifetimer and I am well aware of my limitations in such a small boat on the waters of the north coast. I have fished this area before mostly around Cliff and Kaine but i am interested to know if there are any decent hali spots within range of my little boat, either close enough to WH or appropriate shelter should the weather turn for the grim as it can and often does in this area.
Also looking for any reports from the Hardy side. Haven't seen a ton of fish down at the cleaning table yet but any reports would be greatly apprieciated.
Chovy1

 

[spring fever]

There are some hali spots very close to Kaines but I'm not sure I would even think of it in that size boat. We have taken small Halis to 35 lbs between pinnacle rock and the end of kains. There is a sand flat that streches east of the kelp at the eastern end of pinnacle rock and stretches towards mcallister point?-has lots of depth-I've taken sole and the odd hali there as well as off mcallister rock. Some hali off Koprino harbour-usually a winter fishery but might be worth a try. Best I can do.

 

[Downchild]

You can always troll up a chicken or two off Kains. I got a 55 a few years ago.

 

[Mighty Sylvan]

Great report. Your pictures background show a much different WH then I experienced! Maybe next year.