2017 Port Hardy Reports

My Brother just got back from his annual trip up in Hardy with Serengeti, best trip he's had in years. Not sure how many were in his group this year but he did say they all got plenty of fish. Limited out on salmon first two days with in a couple hrs, nice size all between 20-28# fish. Some dandy Hali as well, snapper, Ling. like I said he considered it his best trip in many years.
 
Can't wait! I'll be in Hardy from July 28-aug 8, be fishing mostly solo if anyone is in the area I'll gladly take you out for a trip!
 
Hardy bay is absolutely thick with Coho right now. Went out on a friends boat today and we couldn't keep them off. They bit damn near everything. Fished Duval, Mastermans, Daphne and back to Duval. Saw lots of nets out, but nothing big landed. We hit a couple of jack springs, but no keepers. Full limit of wild/hatch ho's on board by the end of day (but that last hatch was hard to find, had to rls more than a dozen wilds). They bit on almost everything. AP sandlance, glow insert iridescent hoochie, Silver & Green spoon, Green splatterback 1/2 glow hoochie, you name it. Also, depths weren't consistent. We tried deep, shallow, mid, no difference. I hit them even down at 210 at the mouth of the bay.

Lots of showers, but no big rain, a fairly satisfying day on the water.
 
20157777_10154618132537793_7796150863649721278_o.jpg
Hardy bay is absolutely thick with Coho right now. Went out on a friends boat today and we couldn't keep them off. They bit damn near everything. Fished Duval, Mastermans, Daphne and back to Duval. Saw lots of nets out, but nothing big landed. We hit a couple of jack springs, but no keepers. Full limit of wild/hatch ho's on board by the end of day (but that last hatch was hard to find, had to rls more than a dozen wilds). They bit on almost everything. AP sandlance, glow insert iridescent hoochie, Silver & Green spoon, Green splatterback 1/2 glow hoochie, you name it. Also, depths weren't consistent. We tried deep, shallow, mid, no difference. I hit them even down at 210 at the mouth of the bay.

Lots of showers, but no big rain, a fairly satisfying day on the water.

I just got back from Scotia Bay. No fog and flat calm days. Stayed up there from Tues-Sat. We limited out on decent coho and bottom fish (lings, rockfish). Also got 5 springs on our trip. Although we did find our springs not that far away couldn't find anything of fairly decent size. We didn't make the run up to Cape Sutil, and the other two boats I was with got up there. Biggest Chinook was a 29lb. We were lucky I passed on the trip had some mechanical issues next day, so would have not been fun doing the run.

There are some fish around Gordon's and Duval closer in. Fished Castle and Jeanette was dead, but I am sure if we stayed another week we would start figuring out the patterns there. Heard a 40lbs chinook came from Duval week before we got there.

Halibut was a bust for us as we were still trying too figure out the area. The two other boats we were with got 3. All and all was good trip.

My buddy took a picture of this humpback whale near us. This is probably one of my favorite pictures I have, and reminds of how special this area is on the coast.
 
Last edited:
Saw a guy with a large summer run chum (15+) picked up at Castle yesterday. He thought it was a coho and that it would win the derby.

A few small springs but nothing of any size landed between Duval and Daphne but lots of coho but only 1 hatch in 3 days.
 
My neighbour got a 34lb spring in his boat yesterday, took it into the derby for a check. Would have gotten the 2k prize of biggest of day, but was dq'd on a technicality. Not everyone in the boat had a derby ticket. No idea what he caught it on (he's notoriously tight lipped and not as chatty as I), but he picked it up at or around Duval.
 
as springvel just reported, decent trip for us, nothing too great in close, Duval first evening got a mid-upper teener and lost his brother, few other nice ones hit on other boat too, we got out to Sutil the next day and struggled figuring it out for sure (every one around us was catching left right center), but they still found their way to our hooks and it ended up pretty good with the big one and a bunch of teenagers. Still just short of tyee for me!

IMG_1356.JPG IMG_1358.JPG
 
as springvel just reported, decent trip for us, nothing too great in close, Duval first evening got a mid-upper teener and lost his brother, few other nice ones hit on other boat too, we got out to Sutil the next day and struggled figuring it out for sure (every one around us was catching left right center), but they still found their way to our hooks and it ended up pretty good with the big one and a bunch of teenagers. Still just short of tyee for me!

View attachment 34376 View attachment 34377
Heading up to hardy next week. How long of a run is it in good weather. I usually run anchovies in port hardy, any advice you care to share about fishing cape sutil?
 
Heading up to hardy next week. How long of a run is it in good weather. I usually run anchovies in port hardy, any advice you care to share about fishing cape sutil?
good weather its an hour, if its gnarly coming home, could see hour and 1/2+. Pay attention to the afternoon winds and bail earlier if they are calling for it if you have under 21'.

We were trying to figure things out, but I think all ours came on anchovy (10 pack) just off bottom - chrome pattern heads best for me but it was also sunny, so obviously varies. One guy at the table had one totally stuffed with squid so the consensus also is white hootchies (I'd assume cuttlefish patterns too). Also, run along the beach on south side of the bar, don't go through the middle...much safer.
 
good weather its an hour, if its gnarly coming home, could see hour and 1/2+. Pay attention to the afternoon winds and bail earlier if they are calling for it if you have under 21'.

We were trying to figure things out, but I think all ours came on anchovy (10 pack) just off bottom - chrome pattern heads best for me but it was also sunny, so obviously varies. One guy at the table had one totally stuffed with squid so the consensus also is white hootchies (I'd assume cuttlefish patterns too). Also, run along the beach on south side of the bar, don't go through the middle...much safer.
Thanks for the advice. I have 23 ft boat. But definitely watch the weather. Is there a preferred tact/direction to run when other boats are fishing the area. I like fishing castle pt, but if the fish arent in, i need to expand my options.
 
My neighbour got a 34lb spring in his boat yesterday, took it into the derby for a check. Would have gotten the 2k prize of biggest of day, but was dq'd on a technicality. Not everyone in the boat had a derby ticket. No idea what he caught it on (he's notoriously tight lipped and not as chatty as I), but he picked it up at or around Duval.

I think that is one I saw get landed next to me. Aluminum boat and he wasn't at Duval. Close to it though.
 
Thanks for the advice. I have 23 ft boat. But definitely watch the weather. Is there a preferred tact/direction to run when other boats are fishing the area. I like fishing castle pt, but if the fish arent in, i need to expand my options.
definitely a system for the locals and they yap on the radio if newbees are being idiots - think the general flow was eastbound close to shore, push slightly into the bay on southeast side of crap rock (obvious when u see it!) then outside turn heading west further out. Watch the rocks into that bay as our sounder didn't pick up contours well and it comes up quick, but there was good action into that, so worth navigating it.

Castle was the dead sea for us. Much more action at Duval close in - bunch of teeners onto our lines first night and a couple days thick coho.
 
definitely a system for the locals and they yap on the radio if newbees are being idiots - think the general flow was eastbound close to shore, push slightly into the bay on southeast side of crap rock (obvious when u see it!) then outside turn heading west further out. Watch the rocks into that bay as our sounder didn't pick up contours well and it comes up quick, but there was good action into that, so worth navigating it.

Castle was the dead sea for us. Much more action at Duval close in - bunch of teeners onto our lines first night and a couple days thick coho.
Thanks for that. I will post my results!
 
Hit and miss for us this week. Backside of Gordons was most productive. Lots of coho, everywhere. Managed 2 hatch coho as well as limits of wild coho. Managed 9 springs over 4 days from 9 to 15 lbs. Fished cape sutil twice and seemed like right place, wrong time both times. Earlier in week was hot for some (but of course when i got there it was dead). Castle pt was extremely slow for us. Usually hot last part of july. You just need to be at the normal spots when the waves of fish pass thru. Water temp was great for salmon. Love Port Hardy regardless of catching.
 
Where are the Serengeti boats fishing then?
They are posting some great catches of Chinooks.
 
Heard good things up Nawitti bar area. Will know more tomorrow, as my neighbour is headed that way.
 
Back
Top