2015 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports

Just back from 3 days. We had a blast, lots of fish, hot weather and good company. Released around 20 Chinooks, took a few nicer ones and some coho home. Fishing for us was best with anchovies in spite of us having 3 separate on board derbys featuring an hour of: plugs, spoons, and anything plastic. (But an Apex did nail 2 nice ones after considerable onboard ribbing about it's effectiveness with the junior member). Fished at Wall, Camel, Hoise and 1 morning outside for the heck of it. Fish up on surface in morning and quite a bit deeper as the day progressed. Nothing huge for us, low 20's was biggest but colour still ok. Water really clear and still quite a bit of jellyfish fouling the gear.
 
Great report, 6 more sleeps for me and off to Tuta . Probably my 10th trip to Nootka sound and have stayed at Cougar , Tuta and slept in the boat at critter once. Nothing like it up there . Around 11 I will radio my buddies boat and say Breakfast and we all meet at the restaurant at critter cove .Going to launch at gold river for the first time this year and run the boat down and meet the truck at Tuta. My daughter caught a beautiful 33 lber last year and she put her own bait on and ran the downrigger herself.
 
Tahsis Road- Had a Commercial Boat Mover bring a 24ft. boat to the Marina. He commented on how GOOD the road is. Recently graded, Sprayed for dust, 45% paved/seal coated. Similar comments by several guest who also brought there boats in.

Fishing- over the top GOOD in BOTH Esperanza & Nootka. Fish have moved well into the inlets. Good numbers of Chinook are in as far Saltery Bay in Esperanza & well past Hisnit in Nootka. There are so many fish that nearly every bait is working BUT anchovies is still winning the day. Lots of fish in the 20-25lb few Tyees. Catching is best if lines are fished deeper on these may sunny days.

Why are there so many Chinook? One thought is because the Northern Troll fleet did not see the high number of WCVI Springs which they usually catch- "that the WCVI Chinook were hugging the coast in the colder waters not further out where the Troll Fleet normally intercepts them."
This maybe the season when everybody limits out.
Have Fun Out There
FOJ
 
Just a quick note from Nootka arrived camel rock 11am yesterday-ramp was a zoo- Tried stacking with an anchovy no flasher above a flasher and a fake strip from the great lakes sent to me by a new member. Shock and awe -that strip was hammered-it took the first fish a nice 24(weighed). Where do you get super strip holders-nobody carries them!! Interested -look up McRocket lures. I didn't feel pushed- we visited san Carlos and coopte pt-down to friendly cove. Fished the night bight at Burdwood-all held fish we were limited for the day when we hooked up and had the plan for this morning-first boat at Burdwood-4,40am 3 min-first hit-We were finished by6.30. Lures-anchovy new fake strip from Ontario, blood and bones hoochy, 602 hoochy depths camel rock 50 to 60, Burdwood 35 to 45. We tried for coho after we were limited but slammed a 20+ spring which I released. We decided that we would just wind up killing more fish so we pulled the pin a day early and came home. Just an allround excellent trip. Have a good time guys-will post pictures later.
 
Spent Sunday till Thursday fishing Nootka with 7 buddies. Great trip with lots of fish and tons of laughs. Fished Friendly Cove Monday and Tuesday where we limited out on springs then switched to coho gear (shortened leaders, Apex’s, plastic and metal stuff) and couldn’t keep the springs off. Go figure. Managed a few coho, but they were hard to catch with the springs beating them to our bait. Used army truck JDF teaser heads with anchovy and white hootchies mainly between 25 and 35 feet. Wednesday and Thursday we moved inside and picked up fish pretty much everywhere we tried including the Wall, Hoiss and Tahsis Inlet.
Couple of shout outs I have to give. First to BCAA who sent a truck to Moutcha Bay to pick up my boat trailer with seized wheels and took it back to Campbell River to be repaired. The tow was covered under my BCAA RV membership category. The second shout out goes to staff at both Critter Cove and Moutcha Bay who did everything possible to make my trailer misfortune as comfortable as possible. They could not have been more accommodating to me.
The road from Gold River to Tahsis really is in tremendous shape. I certainly had no issues towing my 18 foot boat there and back. As I said in a previous post, as long as your brakes are in good shape you should have no problem towing smaller, lighter boats along the Tahsis road. Can't wait to go back at the end of August.
 
Just got back from a few days in Nootka-great spring fishing (6 springs 15-20 lb in 3 1/2 hr on Mon at the lighthouse) white hootchie,sandlance spoon ,sandlance hootchie,green splatterback hootchie. Like others few coho-should have been offshore I guess.
 
Has anyone had any luck with Halibut out there lately? My boy and I are going Monday as the waves look like they will be good at least early. Want to give it a try offshore. Is that brown water at Baja still there? Do you think it would be a waste of time trying the Baja area for Halibut? I don't think that I want to venture too much further out than that really unless it's really calm. If it is super calm I was going to troll the highway but only have 250' of line on my riggers. Will that be deep enough? Thanks I know that's a lot of questions.

All the best,

Curtis
 
Has anyone had any luck with Halibut out there lately? My boy and I are going Monday as the waves look like they will be good at least early. Want to give it a try offshore. Is that brown water at Baja still there? Do you think it would be a waste of time trying the Baja area for Halibut? I don't think that I want to venture too much further out than that really unless it's really calm. If it is super calm I was going to troll the highway but only have 250' of line on my riggers. Will that be deep enough? Thanks I know that's a lot of questions.

All the best,

Curtis
The brown water doesn't seem to affect bottom fish-so if you know your spots shouldn't affect things. I mentioned the brown water 2 trips ago-the other day the water was very clear and green off the monument didn't bother going to Bajo but my guess is that with all the north wind it should have cleared.
Your other question about trolling the hiway-I sense a little hesitation there-the hiway at Nootka is quite away beyond Bajo so if you are hesitant about going to Bajo the hiway is another 2 miles beyond that. The length of line on your rigger is another question-depends what weights you are using-if 15 lbs You could put out up to 200 feet and feel relatively comfortable but I certainly wouldn't go close to what you have on your spool. Personally I wouldn't go to the hiway equipped like that especially if you are looking for salmon. The salmon are in good numbers in the sound and there are enough salmon under the 77 cm mark to make fishing there great in the one over 1 under zone. The hiway is not the be all end-all-you still have to find the bait and salmon and if you don't; you've wasted a whole morning and a lot of gas-especially as you really are on the slim side for downrigger wire/braid. What length is the other rigger?My 2 cents.
 
Does anyone know if you can buy anchovies at critter cove or anywhere else in Nootka sound?
 
Just got back from a few days in Nootka-great spring fishing (6 springs 15-20 lb in 3 1/2 hr on Mon at the lighthouse) white hootchie,sandlance spoon ,sandlance hootchie,green splatterback hootchie. Like others few coho-should have been offshore I guess.

If I were you I would edit your post. A 20lb Spring is well over the 77cm limit at the light house!!! Hopefully you didn't keep it!
 
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I don't have any spots for Halibut as I've never fished Nootka before unfortunately. It's been my sons dream to catch a halibut so I'm just trying to give him a chance is all. I'll troll around Baja for a while and see what I can stir up! I'll just slow down my troll a bit. Here's hopin!
 
I don't have any spots for Halibut as I've never fished Nootka before unfortunately. It's been my sons dream to catch a halibut so I'm just trying to give him a chance is all. I'll troll around Baja for a while and see what I can stir up! I'll just slow down my troll a bit. Here's hopin!

Try the rock piles just outside of the bajo whistle bouy. We have done well there.
Also straigth out from the lighthouse in 200 feet of water.
And out on the other side (southwest) of Escalante reef in 200 as well.
 
I don't have any spots for Halibut as I've never fished Nootka before unfortunately. It's been my sons dream to catch a halibut so I'm just trying to give him a chance is all. I'll troll around Baja for a while and see what I can stir up! I'll just slow down my troll a bit. Here's hopin!
Try a white hotchie and a red flasher just off bottom around Bajo. We got springs, Coho and halibut using this method.
 
Well I just got in from no reception spent a week at Tuta marina from the 22nd to the 29th my cousin got married their on the 25th. The marina is looking great new decking on the docks, but the hill is still there(inside joke FA).

Fishing was just as good inside as it was outside minus the hails biggest one I got in the boat was 26lb this season, camel was always easy to get them but a parking lot, discovery was also productive this year and some of my outside holes in well. I only got a few in Tahsis inlet this year wasn't productive for me.

Critter cove was set up nicely with the new fuel dock location always like stopping in their. Spoke to the first nation chief and I guess they are redoing the docks at the mill launch, and going to dredge out all the silt that will be nice hope it happens.
 
If I were you I would edit your post. A 20lb Spring is well over the 77cm limit at the light house!!! Hopefully you didn't keep it!

the lighthouse is the general fishing area. 1 spring over 77 cm is allowed N of Friendly Cove to Burdwood line at 49 35.946, 126 36.848
 
the lighthouse is the general fishing area. 1 spring over 77 cm is allowed N of Friendly Cove to Burdwood line at 49 35.946, 126 36.848
Absolutely- glad you clarified that so we don't have a pile of newb's in front of the lighthouse in the 77cm zone. DFO often sits there with glasses and gets guys. Glad your trip went well !!
 
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