Slowest fishing I've ever experienced up there. It made me very sad... I never, never did expect it could become like that. Fishing up in Northern HG used to be just
stupid, like, hardly get your bait in the water, stupid at times. Or fish biting a cut plug hanging over the gunnel. Polar opposite this trip. Been lucky enough to have been up there a few times. June, July, September etc. September, we have seen lots of Tyees taken even. Great time to fish there. Great weather in September, my favorite place in the world, even more gorgeous in the sun! However, this trip I even witnessed one of the best fishermen I know, not even get a salmon bite all day in 12 hours. Not a bite!!! (As for myself and my dad, we fish very hard and had to try our best and think our best fish tactics and locations to get them, we did but it was so difficult and frustrating when you lose your possible only chance at a fish all day! Unexpected really. We had a fish our first drop in at the rocks, for example, thought it was going to be a great trip - par for the course. Made a clean release. Not the case because it was just dead and we happened to drop in on a bite.
The weather was the calmest I have ever seen, never gets like that. Multiple days fishing Northwest side. Crazy amounts of Bait, humpbacks absolutely everywhere. Few salmon on sounder, sparse, here and there. Fish board when I landed was skinny, and also when I left
I just keep bleeders, etc now. But I barely had any time playing them this trip on the rod and reel. Few fights I did get were wild. My Dad caught a nice northern coho. Usually we get about 2 dozen of those to the boat, at least. ONE. I never caught a coho. Had about 5 fish I played perfectly spit the hook, took home 3 small to teen sized chinook. And my Uncle caught a 24lb the last day, after 2 full days of nothing. Seems like the number of the Pinnepeds up there as well are multiplying. So many sea lions everywhere. Used to be a joy to fish the kelp. And now it's very hard, because I refuse to feed a Sea Lion. They take limits of salmon now, because they are just waiting for boats to fish a hot spot, and hook a salmon. It's definitely challenging at times if you wish to fish near them or when they show up.
Orca show way out offshore was amazing to watch from far. The family 'playing' or teaching the little ones how to roll, jump, and tail slap. Stunning! Northern Residents came in on the first day, with tactical precision (that didn't help fishing, either!), but fishing was scratchy already prior to that. We had to fish hard, found them and got our limit of chinooks one day. But it's a short trip! I had a Russian submarine of a halibut absolutely peel line off my Penn squall... Broke a 150 lb swivel above the hook! Insane.... Never hooked into one of those bad boys before! Again, so much bait, but few fish. Trollers were around, near shore, offshore. Then they completely seemed to leave! Never have seen so many whales. I feel sad as if the fishing is really declining, it's quite concerning. I have long time fishers with me, frustrated not getting fish, I tell them I am sad as in my almost 3 decades on this earth I am already witnessing this sad decline, tough for me to settle with that feeling. I didn't really fish much at all like I used to, for 1.5-2 yr before this trip because of that realization. I feel it's becoming reality but I don't know how, or what we can do
Whatever, next year could be way better around this time - We just don't know for sure yet! I do like how they get DNA off all the fish for study, lobbying, etc. We are getting more data than ever before and I sincerely hopes it helps us progress and educate those that aren't involved as much and bring more awareness!
Pics! Yes I released that Lingcod. No need to keep any large stock, breeding females or Wormy huge fish (for me). The big ones look so awesome with their lambent yellow eyes in that clear water very cool
Sorry whales are hard to photograph on a rocking boat zooming in on the camera while legal distance away! Cheers. FZ
