2015 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports

Just back from Nootka about 2 hrs ago-no fish Burdwood or escalante shore. Fish monument,wash rock, Macquinna. Some fish at Beano but check the others first. Got to Bajo but unfishable It appears to be holding fish. Anchovy was best followed by green and white 3.5 coyote- and white hoochy 40 inch tie . Good quality fish to 20 lbs-DFO has a very fast new RIB-quite the boat-Saw him go in as we left. Relatively easy possession limit for 3 guys if you are dialed in Good Luck SF
 
Califbill, no need to go off shore for Hali. Lots of spots close to shore line. You'll get larger fish off shore though. Personally I prefer smaller chickens. I fish in 125 of water 200 feet off the shore line. I'm up in 2 weeks and happy to provide you more info. PM me if interested. Gordon J, up for my second trip July 9. See you then.
 
Thanks to all for the updates. We are headed to Nootka on Sunday for a week (1st time) staying at Moutcha Bay and Critter Cove. Will post update and pictures when we're back in radio range.
 
SF, Thanks for the report. Looks like it could be another good year up there. Headed back up in a few weeks, cant`t wait.
 
Well, after spending the last 3 days fishing Nootka Sound this I how it went down. We arrived on Wednesday around noon and put the boat in the water and went out and dropped our crab traps in suggested areas. We then went out to find fish. As it was getting on 4pm we decide to not go to Bajo Reef but stopped just inside of Wash Rock. Good choice, we had our limit for 4 guys of Chinooks in 2 hours. Great start to the trip. Next morning we try the same thing, no luck. Not a fish to be found there so out to Bajo Reef we go, no fish there either. We managed to scrape up a few Vermilion rock fish and a couple smaller Lings, but no salmon. Then this morning we tried Beno Creek, nothing. We move out to the reef, one nice 13lb Chinook at the top outside of the reef, also 4 Vermilion rock fish. So out we go, point the boat west and start trolling straight out to sea. Well was that ever a great choice. We went out about 5k past the reef and found everything. We limited out on nice spring, a handful of Coho and a pair of nice pinks. We even caught and released a nice Sockeye. Wow, what a day. and what a trip. Fish stories to tell for a life time. Oh and by the way, 90% of our catch was on white or white/black hoochies. We also realized that we didn't fish Nootka Sound at all. All our fish were caught outside the sound. What a great time and lots of fun. TF
 
You Got it once that wind laid down the place to be for Catching is on the outside. ON THE Highway! Get to 250 ft of water. Drop the riggers to 120- 150 & hold on.
Fishing seems to be better up island at the pins & "T" bigger Chinooks. If you spot Whales a little further out go to them, that is where the bait is.
Limits for all aboard. 18-28lb salmon. Lots of hali in the same areas. Yes white & glow anything works along with anchovies (the BEST)
This is shaping up to be one of the BEST Catching seasons ever.
FOJ
 
Trophyfisher, did you launch at Gold River? If so how was the launch? Any improvements over last year?
 
Trophyfisher, did you launch at Gold River? If so how was the launch? Any improvements over last year?
No -ln short it is a disgrace for the money they charge-15 and 7 a night for parking on the road. The wharf is not all in-and bad shape-be careful!!
 
Thanks Spring Fever. Cameron Forbes had said the band was "talking" about improvements. Guess talk hasn't turned to action. Too bad.
 
Tailwalker, the Highway is the 300 foot line or as most guys know it as the 50 fathom line. You can follow it from as far North as Alaska down to California.

That doesn't mean you have to fish at 300 feet, some times the fish are around the 220 foot line and other times I get them at out as far as 400 feet.

For the most part it's all about the bait. You will find bait balls in the middle of nowhere a 150 feet thick and hundreds of feet long. You know the fish will be all over that. When you find the bait you just end up doing laps back and forth catching fish after fish.

When I fish the Highway which is most days for me, I start trolling at 220 feet of water and head South West which works out to be strait off shore or off the Red can. My path is across the contour lines getting deeper all the time until I see what I'm looking for (bait) and then start doing laps. I will go out as far as 450 feet of water and then move South a couple miles and head back in.
 
Tailwalker, the Highway is the 300 foot line or as most guys know it as the 50 fathom line. You can follow it from as far North as Alaska down to California.

That doesn't mean you have to fish at 300 feet, some times the fish are around the 220 foot line and other times I get them at out as far as 400 feet.

For the most part it's all about the bait. You will find bait balls in the middle of nowhere a 150 feet thick and hundreds of feet long. You know the fish will be all over that. When you find the bait you just end up doing laps back and forth catching fish after fish.

When I fish the Highway which is most days for me, I start trolling at 220 feet of water and head South West which works out to be strait off shore or off the Red can. My path is across the contour lines getting deeper all the time until I see what I'm looking for (bait) and then start doing laps. I will go out as far as 450 feet of water and then move South a couple miles and head back in.
X2 with that- excellent way to get results on the "hi-way". I hit the man overboard sign on my sounder when I hit a fish and do an expanding square or race track pattern around that for reference.
 
Tailwalker, the Highway is the 300 foot line or as most guys know it as the 50 fathom line. You can follow it from as far North as Alaska down to California.

That doesn't mean you have to fish at 300 feet, some times the fish are around the 220 foot line and other times I get them at out as far as 400 feet.

For the most part it's all about the bait. You will find bait balls in the middle of nowhere a 150 feet thick and hundreds of feet long. You know the fish will be all over that. When you find the bait you just end up doing laps back and forth catching fish after fish.

When I fish the Highway which is most days for me, I start trolling at 220 feet of water and head South West which works out to be strait off shore or off the Red can. My path is across the contour lines getting deeper all the time until I see what I'm looking for (bait) and then start doing laps. I will go out as far as 450 feet of water and then move South a couple miles and head back in.

Thank you so much!
 
Hello , I am new to the west coast fishing, I hear about a highway being fished near Nootka, can someone please tell me what and where this is?
Thankyou , Toney
 
From Bajo Reef go west till you reach 200ft + water and start watching for bait. The main part of the Highway is at the 400ft contour. TF
 
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