2019 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports

[DieselBeast]

Heading to Esperanza next week need a little help with understanding coho limits .
Am I correct that daily limit is 2 coho wild or hatchery ? Area 25-13 is most likely the area we would be fishing .
My old brain is confused with all the openings,closed areas and restrictions. Chinook is pretty straightforward just need some help with coho . Thanks in advance

Ok. The coho changes in the July 11th update could of been worded better...and a colored map of the update would of been a nice touch like in previous years....but here’s the deal:

Effective immediately, so as 137pm on the July 11, 2019 update, you can keep 4 coho per day in Area 25-4 and 25-5 ONLY (this is the area east of Bligh Island, so not really coho season there yet).
Only 2 of those 4 per day can be hatchery.

The rest of Area 25 is still 2 hatchery coho only until July 15. So one part of the update opens Area 25-4 and 25-5 a few days early. Make sense?

Effective July 15, 2019 all the rest of Area 25 opens up for the same new limits.
4 coho per day. Only 2 can be hatchery.
And the 2 day Possession limit is now 8 coho if you are fishing Area 25.

These new daily limits and possession limits are in place till Dec 31.

So if you are there next week, after July 15th, all of area 25 is open to 4 coho per day, only 2 can be hatchery.
8 coho possession limit.
But of course if you keep 4 coho in a day, then you cannot keep any other salmon (ie: springs) as the max salmon daily limit remains at 4 per day.

Hope that helps.

 

[Normfish]

Only 2 can be hatchery , does that make any sense at all , figured they want use to catch more hatchery , and release the wild ones

 

[CIVANO]

here is the notice. it says only 2 can be unmarked. I assume marked is fin clipped
Wild would be easier to understand

Area 25 - Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet
------------------------------------------
Effective 00:01 hours July 15 until 23:59 hours December 31, 2019, you may
retain four (4) Coho per day, of which only two (2) may be unmarked except for;

Subareas 25-4 and 25-5 (Tlupana Inlet). Effective immediately until 23:59 hours
December 31, 2019, you may retain four (4) Coho per day, of which two (2) may
be unmarked.

 

[Aces]

Ok. The coho changes in the July 11th update could of been worded better...and a colored map of the update would of been a nice touch like in previous years....but here’s the deal:

Effective immediately, so as 137pm on the July 11, 2019 update, you can keep 4 coho per day in Area 25-4 and 25-5 ONLY (this is the area east of Bligh Island, so not really coho season there yet).
Only 2 of those 4 per day can be hatchery.

The rest of Area 25 is still 2 hatchery coho only until July 15. So one part of the update opens Area 25-4 and 25-5 a few days early. Make sense?

Effective July 15, 2019 all the rest of Area 25 opens up for the same new limits.
4 coho per day. Only 2 can be hatchery.
And the 2 day Possession limit is now 8 coho if you are fishing Area 25.

These new daily limits and possession limits are in place till Dec 31.

So if you are there next week, after July 15th, all of area 25 is open to 4 coho per day, only 2 can be hatchery.
8 coho possession limit.
But of course if you keep 4 coho in a day, then you cannot keep any other salmon (ie: springs) as the max salmon daily limit remains at 4 per day.

Hope that helps.

BUT if you keep 4 cohos a day you can't keep any Chinooks as you are only allowed 4 salmon per day

 

[DieselBeast]

BUT if you keep 4 cohos a day you can't keep any Chinooks as you are only allowed 4 salmon per day

Yup. I wrote that in there. At the very end.
And ultimately, your total 2 day possession of combined salmon can still only be 8.
So 8 coho if you want.
Or 4 springs and 4 coho.
Or 2 springs and 6 coho.
And so forth and so on. And only for Area 25.
But the total 2 day limit is still 8 combined. Same as always.
And the total 1 day limit is still 4 combined. Same as always.

 

[Aces]

Yup. I wrote that in there.

Sorry, i just saw that now after rereading it. I can't tell you the number of fishers i've come across over the years that thought they were allowed both

 

[DieselBeast]

Only 2 can be hatchery , does that make any sense at all , figured they want use to catch more hatchery , and release the wild ones

Well trying to make sense of some of the regs will only cause you stress.
The reason for the specific targeted increased Coho limit in Area 25 is apparently due to the huge return of coho to the Conuma Hatchery.
You need to know that not all hatchery born and released fish get clipped. It’s impossible. A certain percentage, very small, of the Coho from the hatchery get clipped.
Their assumption is that a bulk of the Coho caught “inside” Nootka are returning to that hatchery River. Marked or unmarked. And there is a surplus.
If Nootka fishers want this Coho trend to continue....then when you are in Nootka visit Critter Cove or Cougar Creek and buy a Conuma River Hatchery Society Membership.

 

[DieselBeast]

Sorry, i just saw that now after rereading it. I can't tell you the number of fishers i've come across over the years that thought they were allowed both

No worries.
I’ve seen the same. Too many times.
But honestly, it’s not written correctly by DFO.
They could be way more clear.
And a map and diagram would help. Especially for Area specific changes outside the norm like this one.

Every year at Nootka I come back to the dock with wild coho, from Area 25, and get the same hassle about keeping wilds. So every year I print the regs off, laminate it with a map, and show it to the dis-believers that haven’t interpreted the regs properly.

 

[hooked for life]

Back from Nootka last night after five days with Monday and a Tuesday being best days. No one fishing inside if weather good as was still really slow. Two guys in our group did manage a twenty and eighteen inside, But most fish taken on outside from Wash to Beano. We got a nice twenty at wash at start of evening flood tide. Friday night. Caught over 50% of our fish on Irish cream spoons. Biggest in our group was 21.09 caught by me. Back up on 25th. Boat 3 Amigos. Tight lines all.

 

[pescador]

So back tonight after 6 days at Nootka. I’d say it was a slog to find abundant fish. There are fish there but it takes a lotta work to get your limit. I didn’t find Beano productive like it normally is. Fished 8 hours inside over a couple of days and didn’t mark or catch anything. Usually this week fish start showing up on the inside. We put our time in at Wash and Maquinna and managed a few there. We found the best spot for us was Escalante first thing in the morning (0530). Tight to the rocks at 38 ft on Chovy. But, day to day things change. The water was full of seaweed because of a storm Thursday and a mother to fish. We must have pulled our gear a hundred times Friday and Saturday. We had lot of rain Thursday which could change things. A great trip but fishing 12 hours a day looking for fish gets exhausting. It was too much like work.

 

[Fishtech1]

So back tonight after 6 days at Nootka. I’d say it was a slog to find abundant fish. There are fish there but it takes a lotta work to get your limit. I didn’t find Beano productive like it normally is. Fished 8 hours inside over a couple of days and didn’t mark or catch anything. Usually this week fish start showing up on the inside. We put our time in at Wash and Maquinna and managed a few there. We found the best spot for us was Escalante first thing in the morning (0530). Tight to the rocks at 38 ft on Chovy. But, day to day things change. The water was full of seaweed because of a storm Thursday and a mother to fish. We must have pulled our gear a hundred times Friday and Saturday. We had lot of rain Thursday which could change things. A great trip but fishing 12 hours a day looking for fish gets exhausting. It was too much like work.

I was up there the same time, with similar results. I think we passed each other a few times at Beano. Lost a nice fish at the boat there, and turned back some nice native coho. No real wind to deal with so made it off shore for lings etc.. All in all a good trip.

 

[Reel Time]

July 6-7 - Fished Wash to Beano. 3 people we got 6 springs over 2 days and 8 coho, 1 halibut. Was good and not too much work.

July 12-13 - Back again, fishing same areas, and tried some inside. 2 spring, 3 coho over 2 days (half days) as it was too much work with seaweed and action was much slower.

Fish are full of squid or small sand lance/2 inch bait. Was using chovies and hoochies, went 100% hoochies for 3 of 4 days.

 

[barkerfam]

Thanks for the excellent report reel time.

 

[ATPNW]

Very surprised to now see closure's hit the inside of Nootka.

https://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=223174&ID=all

 

[DieselBeast]

Very surprised to now see closure's hit the inside of Nootka.

https://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=223174&ID=all

Closures? The same no fishing areas exist for Nootka as in previous years.
That new Fisheries Notice 657 dated July 16 that you have linked above is a correction notice for an area restriction mistake in Area 127.
That’s a ways north of Nootka. They must have entered a incorrect GPS point and this new notice corrects it for Area 127 only.

 

[ATPNW]

Closures? The same no fishing areas exist for Nootka as in previous years.
That new Fisheries Notice 657 dated July 16 that you have linked above is a correction notice for an area restriction mistake in Area 127.
That’s a ways north of Nootka. They must have entered a incorrect GPS point and this new notice corrects it for Area 127 only.

Am i reading it wrong then? I see Nootka subareas mentioned here

 

[Aces]

[/QUOTE]

A great trip but fishing 12 hours a day looking for fish gets exhausting. It was too much like work.

sounds like guiding, lol

 

[DieselBeast]

Closures? The same no fishing areas exist for Nootka as in previous years.
That new Fisheries Notice 657 dated July 16 that you have linked above is a correction notice for an area restriction mistake in Area 127.
That’s a ways north of Nootka. They must have entered a incorrect GPS point and this new notice corrects it for Area 127 only.

Those are the same no finfish closures as always for inside Nootka. They aren't new.

 

[ATPNW]

Those are the same no finfish closures as always for inside Nootka. They aren't new.

Sorry just checked old regs, you are correct. Not sure how i got confused on that. Thanks

 

[rebuw21]

Has anyone been fishing out near the can at Bajo? I believe it is open on the seaward side of the can, but correct me if I am wrong?