Bamfield/Poett Nook 2013 Reports

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Nice Ray, congrats! Gets the blood pumping, just can't wait to get out there. The motor is finally back in the boat and the leg is rebuilt and also back on the boat, just have to finish connections and tune up, do some break in trials, and then hit the fishing grounds. Enjoy your fish and chips man!
 
I thought I should post a quick note about the trip to Bamfield that Kildonan (Jim) and I did last weekend. Jim and I do an April trip each year to visit Osama (Jeff), relax on the Mills Landing Cottage decks with our beverages and take a break from reality. Bamfield is a great place to do that! We usually manage to fit in a bit of fishing too but that's not the main reason we go.

We launched my new Thunderjet Friday midday at Clutesi in Port Alberni and made the run down the canal. On the way we were escorted by a family of Orca's which was pretty cool. The "teenager' of the family group cruised along side of us not 40 feet from the boat for a mile or so.

We got to Bamfield just in time for Happy Hour at the store, picked up Jeff and Maybe and headed down to Mills to see Jerry and Diane. Each year I'm anxious to see what changes Jerry and Diane have done to Mills Landing Cottages. Jerry and Diane work hard to update and improve the facilties and they work hard every day! I love it there; perhaps it's West Bamfield itself or the whole area but I always feel nice and relaxed after I arrive at Mills. New roofs were being put on the cottages so we had an endless supply of the old shakes for firewood that Jerry let me burn. And burn we did!

We spent Saturday out cruising around in my boat with Jeff showing Jim and I a couple of spots he likes to fish and Jim showing Jeff a few spots he fished as a teen back in the 70's. Sunday we fished the sandy flats by the green whistle bouy; it was too rough to get out past the surfline, at least in my boat. We hooked and released a few small chinooks then hooked the downriggers onto a sunken wreck off Brady's Beach. Jeff was pretty shocked as he fishes that area all the time and has never encountered the wreck. Lost both new cannon balls when we had to cut the DR line but that's life. Back to Mills for more rum and coke and burning...

Monday was beautiful but it was departure day so off we headed back up the canal. Jeff and Maybe came with us, he starts a bit of a holiday this week before his busy work season begins. Nice cruise back to PA, saw an elephant seal on the way too. Yes, they are as ugly as they look on tv.

I was very happy to see my new boat (light & aluminum) performed well in the bigger water and I'm really pleased that I can do the run from PA to Bamfield no problems. I prefer that to taking the truck down that's for sure and you pretty much need a boat if you are in West Bamfield.

Jeff is really exciteed (& a bit stressed) about the Tuna Shoot-Out but I know it will be a fantastic event. I don't have the ways or means to join in but I'm glad for those that do. I think it's a great event and hearing from Jeff some of the details and things going on around the actual Shoot-Out I'm tempted to bring the boat down to enjoy some of the inshore/onshore festivities.

A great trip, a great stay at Mills (thanks Jerry and Diane!) and a great visit with Jeff. I wish I could do it every weekend.
B.
 
Nice report Bigman. Thanks for sharing. I agree it is a nice place to escape. Congrats on the new boat!
 
The TJ is a beauty and we had a great time in her. Here's the big guy in his new rig pre-launch.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1367039001.266863.jpg
 
I'll guess the 18'6" Hawk XL, only because I'm considering upgrading to it from my 1725 Harbercraft Adventurer (don't tell the wife, LOL!)

Ukee
 
Thanks guys. It's a Thunderjet Falcon, it's 20 feet plus the 2 foot engine bracket. That's a 115 and 8 hp Yam hanging off the back.

I'm really happy with it and how it performed on the trip. I bought it for mostly inshore waters; Sooke, Renfrew, Qualicum, Hardy, McNeill etc. Jim and I were really happy to see that it got us to Bamfield and back so comfortably. I've mostly heard bad stories of running down the canal to Bamfield but it was a nice comfortable trip. 90 minutes each way, lots of it at over 20 knots and no worries. I know the nice weather helped; Jim related some stories of when he was a kid running their old 'glass boat down from PA.

The best thing is that we only used about $90 in fuel the whole trip!

For sure downrigger balls are consumables. When we got hung up I looked at Jeff (who was steering at the time by the way) and I said "Cut 'em?" and he said "Yup, they're consumables!"
 
Thanks guys. It's a Thunderjet Falcon, it's 20 feet plus the 2 foot engine bracket. That's a 115 and 8 hp Yam hanging off the back.

I'm really happy with it and how it performed on the trip. I bought it for mostly inshore waters; Sooke, Renfrew, Qualicum, Hardy, McNeill etc. Jim and I were really happy to see that it got us to Bamfield and back so comfortably. I've mostly heard bad stories of running down the canal to Bamfield but it was a nice comfortable trip. 90 minutes each way, lots of it at over 20 knots and no worries. I know the nice weather helped; Jim related some stories of when he was a kid running their old 'glass boat down from PA.

The best thing is that we only used about $90 in fuel the whole trip!

For sure downrigger balls are consumables. When we got hung up I looked at Jeff (who was steering at the time by the way) and I said "Cut 'em?" and he said "Yup, they're consumables!"

Ha ha that's awesome about Jeffery steering lol.

I can burn down that canal quite a bit quicker but it does cost me. Sure beats taking the road like you mentioned.
 
UkeeDreamin, that's funny. I went in to buy an 18' with a 90 hp and I really liked the Hawk XL. The wife did too, which as we all know is pretty important! At least it is at my place... The wife wanted a 115 on it though. I thought the dancefloor was big enough on the Hawk but I'm a big oaf so bigger is almost always better for me.
We couldn't make the right deal on the Hawk but I spotted the Falcon. It had the 115 and a dancefloor a foot and a half longer than the Hawk but was a couple of grand cheaper than the Hawk.
Even I'm smart enough to jump on that!
I looked at Harbercarft, Sea Hawk, Duckworth, Hewes, Silver Streak and Lifetimer. All very nice boats and each had their strong points but I kept coming back to the TJ.
You'll be happy with the Hawk.
 
And the 90 bucks on fuel was
Port to Bamfield, back to Pill point, over to Holford Bay, back to Rainy bay, back to Bamfield, a few hours of trolling around the whistle buoy, then back to
Port.... Insane fuel economy.

Anyway, back to your regular scheduled fishing reports. :)
 
Managed a great offshore trip last week, Thank you to Monti from Sask. who has made an offer on a house here and is moving asap lol.... The lingcod sure have been picking up and salmon are there but the time must be put in.Ours were off long beach on spoons with a slower then normal troll, Did lose a few more than usual. Will be back in mid May.

LanceFishing Monti April 2013 (1).jpgFishing Monti April 2013 (2).jpgFishing Monti April 2013 (3).jpgFishing Monti April 2013 (7).jpgFishing Monti April 2013 (8).jpgFishing Monti April 2013 (10).jpgFishing Monti April 2013 (14).jpgFishing Monti April 2013 (18).jpgFishing Monti April 2013 (19).jpgFishing Monti April 2013 (22).jpg
 
It was great to get out to Barkley sound on Friday, April 26. The weather was spectacular and the water was calm. We came back with one crab, and found one spring (8 lbs) after only having the one bite all morning. We fished in front of Whittlestone, and then headed to Kirby to find lots of bait & the one fish. Anchovy was the key. We saw a couple boats around, but pretty quiet. IMG_0571.jpg
 
Back from a blaze to the coast, shakedown run. 3 generations on 1 boat.
Fished Swale to Cree this morning. Water was flat, there was no wind, sun was hot!
Only hits were a black bass and a just undersize ling, both released, although the bass fed an eagle.
A few minor issues to tweak, will be fully prepped for the sockeye opening.

Business Time, how was your weekend?

Best wishes for a great season to all on SFBC!
 
Sockeye is open now in Barkley Sound:

Sockeye

Barkley Sound, Alberni Inlet, and tidal portion of the Somass River:
May 1 - June 14, 2013: Barkley Sound and Alberni Inlet: 2 sockeye per day except for:
That portion of Subarea 23-1 from a line commencing at the red flashing light at Lone Tree Point due west to a boundary sign across the inlet on Vancouver Island near a point located at 49 degrees 11.033 north, 124 degrees 49.560 west then in a northerly direction to a line commencing at a boundary sign in upper Alberni Harbour situated at 49 degrees 14.190 north latitude and 124 degrees 50.230 west longitude thence through the southern most point of Hoik Island thence to the flashing green light at the mouth of the Somass River thence due east to a boundary sign on the opposite shore: 0 sockeye per day.
Effective June 15, 2013: Barkley Sound and Alberni Inlet: 4 sockeye per day except for:
That portion of Subarea 23-1 from a line commencing at the red flashing light at Lone Tree Point due west to a boundary sign across the inlet on Vancouver Island near a point located at 49 degrees 11.033 north, 124 degrees 49.560 west to a line commencing at a boundary sign in upper Alberni Harbour situated at 49 degrees 14.190 north latitude and 124 degrees 50.230 west longitude thence through the southern most point of Hoik Island thence to the flashing green light at the mouth of the Somass River thence due east to a boundary sign on the opposite shore: 0 sockeye per day.
That portion of Subarea 23-1 from the tidal boundary signs at Paper Mill Dam on the Somass River downstream to a line commencing at a boundary sign in upper Alberni Harbour situated at 49 degrees 14.190 north latitude and 124 degrees 50.230 west longitude thence through the southern most point of Hoik Island thence to the flashing green light at the mouth of the Somass River thence due east to a boundary sign on the opposite shore: 2 sockeye per day.
 
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