2020 Port Renfrew Reports

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Just trying to figure out all of the closure areas, regs, and whale zones around Renfrew for my trip next week. Per DFO site, it seems that area 21 off of Nitinat Lake, between the RCA's is open for Springs larger than 80cm? Am I missing something? If I'm not, is there any good reason not to fish the area other than the long run from Renfrew? ,
 
Just trying to figure out all of the closure areas, regs, and whale zones around Renfrew for my trip next week. Per DFO site, it seems that area 21 off of Nitinat Lake, between the RCA's is open for Springs larger than 80cm? Am I missing something? If I'm not, is there any good reason not to fish the area other than the long run from Renfrew? ,
Yes open no slot in 21, fishing that way has been good, offshore is good too
 
Fished east point again on Saturday afternoon , what a difference from last week . From 1-2 boats to 20-30 boats , multiple fish to the boat to a couple ( 1 Fat keeper just shy of 80cm),Flat calm to Foggy and lumpy . That's fishing .
 
Fished east point again on Saturday afternoon , what a difference from last week . From 1-2 boats to 20-30 boats , multiple fish to the boat to a couple ( 1 Fat keeper just shy of 80cm),Flat calm to Foggy and lumpy . That's fishing .
I agree I was up 2 weeks ago was great fishing , few boats, flat calm. Was a absolute grind for fishing this weekend! Boats everywhere and kelp hah. Ohwell
 
Fished Renfrew Tuesday through Thursday this week in the new boat. Nice to avoid the weekend crowds. I am a bit of a Renfrew rookie as I have only fished it once, about 10 years ago. Took my son and a friend - both pretty green fishermen.

Day 1 after the drive to Renfrew, we ran up to Nitinat area 21 and fished until the early afternoon but not much to show for our efforts other than some bottom fish. Ran offshore and after a brief try at hali, started trolling and got into tons of Coho and a couple of Chinook. It ran about 60% hatch vs wild. One of my brand new HP Scotty's electronic counter stopped working - pretty frustrating.

Day 2. Waited until the store opened and managed to buy a new electronic counter for the Scotty. Late start but ran offshore again and tried slow trolling for hali/lings. A few undersized lings but no hali. Switched to salmon trolling and got into the Coho again. Again tried jigging for halibut and again no luck. We were kind of fishing blind offshore and staying away from the closed area. Some local knowledge would have been helpful.

Day 3. Finally got an early start. Fished a few spots as we worked our way northwest up the coast avoiding the RCA's. Lost a couple of nice Springs in the morning near Walbran around the tide change. Kept a small Spring the was a bleeder. Managed a nice 15 pound Ling and a Canary Rockfish after releasing numerous undersize lings. Ran up to Nitinat but again not much happening there - very little bait or fish showing. Headed back towards Renfrew trolling most of the way. Dropped in on the fleet near Camper just before the afternoon high tide and was rewarded by 2 nice Springs on 2 passes. The fish gods were smiling on us as both were an identical 79 cm. One hatch and one wild.

Used my home made fish stick to measure them in the water before netting. It was close but they both made it under. Both
showed up at 15 pounds on my non-official boat scale.

Great 3 days. Great trip and took home 21 fish between the 3 of us. 6 Springs, 9 Coho, and 6 "other'. Lots of fog all 3 days but not much wind. My rookie fishing partners did great and are both seriously hooked.




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Fished Renfrew Tuesday through Thursday this week in the new boat. Nice to avoid the weekend crowds. I am a bit of a Renfrew rookie as I have only fished it once, about 10 years ago. Took my son and a friend - both pretty green fishermen.

Day 1 after the drive to Renfrew, we ran up to Nitinat area 21 and fished until the early afternoon but not much to show for our efforts other than some bottom fish. Ran offshore and after a brief try at hali, started trolling and got into tons of Coho and a couple of Chinook. It ran about 60% hatch vs wild. One of my brand new HP Scotty's electronic counter stopped working - pretty frustrating.

Day 2. Waited until the store opened and managed to buy a new electronic counter for the Scotty. Late start but ran offshore again and tried slow trolling for hali/lings. A few undersized lings but no hali. Switched to salmon trolling and got into the Coho again. Again tried jigging for halibut and again no luck. We were kind of fishing blind offshore and staying away from the closed area. Some local knowledge would have been helpful.

Day 3. Finally got an early start. Fished a few spots as we worked our way northwest up the coast avoiding the RCA's. Lost a couple of nice Springs in the morning near Walbran around the tide change. Kept a small Spring the was a bleeder. Managed a nice 15 pound Ling and a Canary Rockfish after releasing numerous undersize lings. Ran up to Nitinat but again not much happening there - very little bait or fish showing. Headed back towards Renfrew trolling most of the way. Dropped in on the fleet near Camper just before the afternoon high tide and was rewarded by 2 nice Springs on 2 passes. The fish gods were smiling on us as both were an identical 79 cm. One hatch and one wild.

Used my home made fish stick to measure them in the water before netting. It was close but they both made it under. Both
showed up at 15 pounds on my non-official boat scale.

Great 3 days. Great trip and took home 21 fish between the 3 of us. 6 Springs, 9 Coho, and 6 "other'. Lots of fog all 3 days but not much wind. My rookie fishing partners did great and are both seriously hooked.




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Make sure you bring the failed counter to Scotty, they'll give you a new one so you have a spare when your next one craps out.
 
After 10 days, still a grind, few good days, but all and all spotty fishing, bank has picked up for bigger spring, and nitinat also is starting to see more fish. Out of 16 fish landed going home with 3 under 80cm
 
Curious to hear about Swiftsure picking up. Was out on the US side in early July and it was dismal. Are people getting mostly coho? They were pretty small when I was out there and I didn't feel like weeding through a bunch of wilds for an occasional hatchery. Our quota for coho is very small this year and have tried to not contribute to an early closure of our season by minimizing contact with them. Would really like to try running some big plugs for chinook when I'm up there again next week. Any Swiftsure reports would be appreciated... especially if you've had success in keeping the coho off.
 
Curious to hear about Swiftsure picking up. Was out on the US side in early July and it was dismal. Are people getting mostly coho? They were pretty small when I was out there and I didn't feel like weeding through a bunch of wilds for an occasional hatchery. Our quota for coho is very small this year and have tried to not contribute to an early closure of our season by minimizing contact with them. Would really like to try running some big plugs for chinook when I'm up there again next week. Any Swiftsure reports would be appreciated... especially if you've had success in keeping the coho off.
This from one of the guide friend, yes there is lots of coho, but they been picking springs on the salmon bumps, fishing big 6” 602 spoons, no flasher,few good fish in the twenty’s. I did not bother with salmon when I was out there, got my bottom fish and hit the beach for salmon. There was coho jumping all around us while bouncing for halo, one even hit our herring on the way down lol
 
Anyone with some advice for the beach, here at the gateway marina for the week with my wife and our little one, picked up one at 75cm yesterday but not much action today. Using anchovies, chartreuse head and green jellyfish flasher working along shore rock pile to camper. Curious if any other colours or specifics guys are having luck with! Thanks in advance!
 
Anyone with some advice for the beach, here at the gateway marina for the week with my wife and our little one, picked up one at 75cm yesterday but not much action today. Using anchovies, chartreuse head and green jellyfish flasher working along shore rock pile to camper. Curious if any other colours or specifics guys are having luck with! Thanks in advance!
Its a tough go, did not seam to be a special flasher or teaser head that would make a big difference, right time right place was more what i experience, its a grind
 
Do plugs work well on the beach? I’ve only used anchovies, which I think is the most common.
Most people use bait, but I plug could work you would think, leave it down there long enough a fish will bite it, i only use plugs offshore myself
 
Fished Renfrew Tuesday through Thursday this week in the new boat. Nice to avoid the weekend crowds. I am a bit of a Renfrew rookie as I have only fished it once, about 10 years ago. Took my son and a friend - both pretty green fishermen.

Day 1 after the drive to Renfrew, we ran up to Nitinat area 21 and fished until the early afternoon but not much to show for our efforts other than some bottom fish. Ran offshore and after a brief try at hali, started trolling and got into tons of Coho and a couple of Chinook. It ran about 60% hatch vs wild. One of my brand new HP Scotty's electronic counter stopped working - pretty frustrating.

Day 2. Waited until the store opened and managed to buy a new electronic counter for the Scotty. Late start but ran offshore again and tried slow trolling for hali/lings. A few undersized lings but no hali. Switched to salmon trolling and got into the Coho again. Again tried jigging for halibut and again no luck. We were kind of fishing blind offshore and staying away from the closed area. Some local knowledge would have been helpful.

Day 3. Finally got an early start. Fished a few spots as we worked our way northwest up the coast avoiding the RCA's. Lost a couple of nice Springs in the morning near Walbran around the tide change. Kept a small Spring the was a bleeder. Managed a nice 15 pound Ling and a Canary Rockfish after releasing numerous undersize lings. Ran up to Nitinat but again not much happening there - very little bait or fish showing. Headed back towards Renfrew trolling most of the way. Dropped in on the fleet near Camper just before the afternoon high tide and was rewarded by 2 nice Springs on 2 passes. The fish gods were smiling on us as both were an identical 79 cm. One hatch and one wild.

Used my home made fish stick to measure them in the water before netting. It was close but they both made it under. Both
showed up at 15 pounds on my non-official boat scale.

Great 3 days. Great trip and took home 21 fish between the 3 of us. 6 Springs, 9 Coho, and 6 "other'. Lots of fog all 3 days but not much wind. My rookie fishing partners did great and are both seriously hooked.




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Right on sounds like a great trip! Couple nice fat 15# slot sized Springs you got there.
 
Usually plugs are run offshore, at least the big ones, with some exceptions. If there are large herring showing up close to shore then throw on a big plug. During the late September coho derby several years ago there was a huge ball of large herring on the surface right in the mouth of the bay. My fishing partner thought I was nuts when I tied on a 7 inch 109 and told him to steer for the ball. He shut up when we pulled in a 16 lb coho. Match the hatch.
 
Do plugs work well on the beach? I’ve only used anchovies, which I think is the most common.
They definently do.. I use to run them up in the Charlotte's when the coho would get so bad you couldnt even let your bait down without having them hit. So I would throw on plugs and it would actually let you have a chance to get springs with all the coho around. Although when everyone is cut plugging the kelp I would stay just outside of them.. no one likes a boat blowing thru the pack at mach 10 when there all running bait slow!!
 
Anyone with some advice for the beach, here at the gateway marina for the week with my wife and our little one, picked up one at 75cm yesterday but not much action today. Using anchovies, chartreuse head and green jellyfish flasher working along shore rock pile to camper. Curious if any other colours or specifics guys are having luck with! Thanks in advance!

Our go to spoon that we picked up all the Springs on were the AP anchovy spoons in any combination of green - lemon lime, green ghost. We found that the Springs were feeding on very small bait and the AP anchovy seemed to produced while the AP herring size spoons didn't. And the only Spring action we had was on the tide changes. There are some Springs offshore if you can venture out but we didn't catch anything of much size offshore. Lots of Coho offshore. Good luck.
 
Any reports before the gong-show tomorrow? Any improvement on the beach or is it a bank show?

First trip of the season for us and can’t wait!
 
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