2018 Alberni Inlet Reports

I talked with the natives netting in the river on Sunday and they were averaging about 5 a set.
 
SOMASS SOCKEYE BULLETIN # 2 – 2018 Date: June 7, 2018
Pre-season forecast:
Somass (Great Central and Sproat) – 350,000 to 500,000 Henderson Lake sockeye outlook < 15,000
Escapement to June 7: Stamp: 100 Sproat: 6252 Total: 6352 Test Fishery: Seine vessel Nita Maria testing June 11th and 12th
First in-season re-forecast: June 28rd
Catch Estimate: ~2101 adults Somass First Nations – ~2000 Maa-nulth First Nations – 0 Area D Gillnet - 0
Area B Seine - 0 Recreational - ~101
Somass Sockeye Stock Assessment Update
NEXT WEEK’S FISHING PLANS:
All Fishing plans are subject to change depending on weekly meetings. First Nations
Tsu-ma-uss (Hupacasath & Tseshaht) - FSC, open for gillnets, hook/line, dip nets in Danny’s Pool (Sproat River) and communal drag seine.
Maa-nulth – 7 days a week hook and line and gillnet. The harvest plan includes the contracting of designated Area D Gillnet vessels displaying Maa-nulth identification flags to harvest sockeye.
Commercial
Area D Gillnet – Tuesday June 12th,14 hour opening from 6 am to 8 pm from the Bamfield harbour to the Pocahontas line.
Area B Seine – No opening for next week, but possible fishery the week of June 20th depending on escapement levels and harvest rates. Boundaries typically from Pocahontas to Polly Point with a “seine free zone” closed area near China Creek.
Recreational
Until further notice, 2 sockeye per day in Area 23 including the tidal portions of the Somass River.
For more information please contact the DFO office in Port Alberni at 250 720-4440
 
Just back from China creek. Tried to get some sockeye Saturday morning with about a dozen other boats, not even a sniff for me and I didn’t see any other boats hook up either... After breakfast we burned out to pill point and boxed a couple nice springs and realesed a couple others. Tried jigging for a couple hours but could only find under sized lings.
 
thanx for the report ExFlyGuy please keep those reports coming guys. I hope to give it a try in a week or two...…..C.A.
 
I went out also Sat morning for just under a couple of hours, nothing for me also
But heard from a couple reliable sources that a few boats caught some fish
 
They arent really good or bad yet I would say. The fish are typically scattered throughout the inlet until you get hot sunny weather that warms the river water, then they pile up into big schools and the carnage starts. The test fisheries dont seem to get a lot until this happens either. Flow in the river high and water is still cold. You can look at flow rates and water temps from previous years on the same site as where the cameras are posted.

Does anyone know if the escapement past the cameras is posted anywhere?
 
Fishing has been a bit slow for socks. There are a few boats getting 3 to 6 in a morning. Its still a week early. I saw a lot of sockeye out in Barkley Sound earlier this week, so there are fish coming. The hot weather will also slow down the in-river migration and stack up more fish in the inlet.

There will be an analysis of the stock composition from the test fishery this week to determine if there are enough Great Central fish to allow a continued fishery beyond the end of June. So don't count yet on any movement up from 2 fish to 4 fish. The issue is the Sprout run is predicted to come in strong, and the Great Central run poor. As it is a mixed stock fishery, there may be a requirement to scale back harvest to protect the weak stock. Complete closure is an option, but a lot will depend on the test fishery and DNA stock composition analysis.

For the time being the fishery will move ahead with conservative limits for all sectors.
 
Gillnet fishery on the outside on Tuesday was not very good. Low average.

Still early but nothing of any significance in the “chute” yet.
 
Went out today to start the sockeye season. We started at Lone Tree working toward China Creek. Ran into a school half way down and managed to put 9 fish in the boat and lost several others. All our fish were very shallow, as in under 30 feet. Hoochie show today for us. I also saw a few decent schools of fish. All the action for us was before 830, then it really died off once the sun came out.
 
SOMASS SOCKEYE BULLETIN # 3 – 2018 Date: June 14, 2018
Somass Sockeye Stock Assessment Update Pre-season forecast: Somass (Great Central and Sproat) – 350,000 to 500,000 Henderson Lake sockeye outlook < 15,000 Escapement to June 14: Stamp: 594 Sproat: 16,093 Total: 16,687 Test Fishery: Seine vessel Nita Maria tested June 11th and 12th. Estimate 8,000-10,000 inside 10-mile Point and 13,000-15,000 outside. First in-season re-forecast: June 28th Catch Estimate: 8,990 Somass First Nations – 4,200 Maa-nulth First Nations – 864 Area D Gillnet – 3,222 Area B Seine – 0 Recreational – 217
NEXT WEEK’S FISHING PLANS:
All Fishing plans are subject to change depending on weekly meetings.
First Nations
Tsu-ma-uss - FSC
Hupacasath First Nation – Communal Gillnet – Fri, June 15 to Sun, June 17. Dip nets in Danny’s Pool (Sproat River).
Tseshaht First Nation – Communal Gillnet/drag seine – Fri, June 15 to Sun, June 17, 05:00h to 12:00h daily at Papermill Dam Pool.
Hupacasath First Nation and Tseshat First Nation –
Gillnets – Sun, June 17 12:00h (noon) to Tues, June 19 12:00h (noon) from Papermill Dam Pool to Ten Mile Pt.
Gillnets – Tues, June 19 12:00h (noon) to Wed, June 20 12:00h (noon) in Alberni Inlet outside the Clocktower to Ten Mile Pt.
Hook and Line – 7 days/week – Area 23, with a nighttime closure in effect at the Somass River (Papermill Dam Pool closure in effect).
Discussions between DFO and Somass First Nations about potential Economic Opportunity fisheries are on-going.
Maa-nulth – 7 days a week – Hook and Line, and Gillnet. The harvest plan includes the contracting of designated Area D Gillnet vessels displaying Maa-nulth identification flags to harvest sockeye.
Commercial
Area D Gillnet – Tuesday June 19th, 14 hour opening from 06:00h to 20:00h from the Bamfield harbour to the Pocahontas line.
Area B Seine – No opening for next week, but possible fishery the week of June 24th depending on escapement levels and harvest rates. Boundaries typically from
SOMASS SOCKEYE BULLETIN # 3 – 2018 Date: June 14, 2018
Pocahontas to Polly Point with a “seine free zone” closed area near China Creek.
Recreational
Until further notice, 2 sockeye per day in Area 23 including the tidal portions of the
Somass River (Papermill Dam Pool closure in effect).
For more information please contact the DFO office in Port Alberni at 250 720-4440
 
Until further notice, 2 sockeye per day in Area 23 including the tidal portions of the
Somass River (Papermill Dam Pool closure in effect).

So the commies are getting a go at the fish, but the reckies can still only keep two fish? WTF.

Guess that trip to China Creek next week is off. Hmmm, where to go.... Nootka?
 
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