2016 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Fishing Reports

[Tailwalker]

Does anyone know the exact location of the rocks in front of the airplane dock?
Jim

t
The rock is about 8 feet from the right shore (while going out) & as you approach the seaplane float area as you go out, you will see log booms on the right. The rock is just about at the end of the first log boom (as you are going out). I saw it the last time I came in at low tide. So as you are going out, as you approach the first log boom, start easing out left toward the middle of the channel and you should be able to avoid it. Good luck!

 

[SpringFever552]

Tonight inshore...

 

[oguard]

Nice looking fish! Heading up on Friday morning.

Mike

 

[Trowser]

Thank you for the input guys. Now to see if work/life will cooperate to get up there

 

[pescador]

Nice silver fish...fresh. Looks like Galiano in the background.

 

[Cut Plug]

Nice silver fish...fresh. Looks like Galiano in the background.

 

[Cut Plug]

Woo hoo! Nice Fish. 2 more sleeps...

 

[Marsman]

Nice silver fish...fresh. Looks like Galiano in the background.

That looks like just east of Camel Rock north side of the inlet. There are 2 resorts tucked away in behind the little Island. Productive fishing along that shore....

Cheers, Rob

 

[Drewski Canuck]

Fogged In,

The bright fish in the river are the late arrivals who hit when the run off is strong and they are able to shoot straight up the river. Tthe dark ones were the early fish that turned back because of the low flow and started to turn. This can make for a frustrating situation when you have a wet summer and fish don't have to stage for the fall rains.

What is interesting is that the Thasis run of fish are a late July arrival, and will head back all the way to Strange Island and Friendly Cove. Early August we have caught black big fish, and scratched our heads until we found out about the Thasis fish showing up early. There is also a creek near Gold River that has an early return of Springs in mid - late July, just don't remember the name right now.

Moyah Creek fish are a very late return, but from the Fisheries Guardian that did the count on the creek in the year I talked to him, there was only about 400 spawners anyway, but still, it was another return to Nootka.

Drewski

 

[pescador]

I meant Galiano Bay directly across from Critter East of Camel.

 

[SpringFever552]

I meant Galiano Bay directly across from Critter East of Camel.

Yup...
Ours were caught at 80ft..anchovies

 

[Joe]

Just got back from 3 days in nootka. It was flat calm everyday except Tuesday afternoon. Salmon fishing was Unreal all three days off shore. Lots of 18-25lb fish. biggest was 27. Saw a hand full over 30 during our time there and a 37 at the dock this morning. Have no idea how the fishing is inside although we did kill 2 low twentys's around beno when it got crappy on tuesday. Full tags of salmon, rockfish/snapper and lings for us. Was probably into 30+ springs total. White hoochies outfished anchovies 5 to 1.

 

[fogged in]

Fogged In,

The bright fish in the river are the late arrivals who hit when the run off is strong and they are able to shoot straight up the river. Tthe dark ones were the early fish that turned back because of the low flow and started to turn. This can make for a frustrating situation when you have a wet summer and fish don't have to stage for the fall rains.

What is interesting is that the Thasis run of fish are a late July arrival, and will head back all the way to Strange Island and Friendly Cove. Early August we have caught black big fish, and scratched our heads until we found out about the Thasis fish showing up early. There is also a creek near Gold River that has an early return of Springs in mid - late July, just don't remember the name right now.

Moyah Creek fish are a very late return, but from the Fisheries Guardian that did the count on the creek in the year I talked to him, there was only about 400 spawners anyway, but still, it was another return to Nootka.

Drewski

fair enough Drewski...so you are convinced it's the fresh water that turns a Salmon dark eh.
Well my experience and the area I fish most as of late does not support that theory.
I still stand by my belief that a Spring gets dark due to aging...the same aging instinthat brings it to the river of it's birth or in the case of net pens, where it was released as a smolt.
I am not saying I am 100% correct, but I have been involved in the fishery for over 50 years.
You are obviously a knowledgeable fisher, so I guess we will just have to agree to disagree.
Thanks for sharing your opinion...bye the way we fished up your way about 50 years ago...got unbelievable fishing up in Head Bay long before they closed it.

 

[Marsman]

You guys are both wrong. A whale used that fish as toilet paper.

Cheers, Rob.

 

[Drewski Canuck]

Fogged In,

Hope to see you out there some time. My baby brother, my other brother from another mother, and my niece will be in "DeFishNSea", a Campion 215 Fishing Machine.

I'm the guy who preaches about using circle hooks.

Drewski

 

[dmurph]

Just back from my first trip into nootka. Such an epic place to camp and fish with the family. Brought my boat over from vancouver last Thursday night and drove as far as I could before camping up road side in the rig and boat. Lots of good spots along the road into gold river. I didn't find the road in or the launch so bad. In fact I found the launch no worse then the main vancouver one st vanier lol.

We stayed at Critter Cove and it was so awesome, a Fisherman's or Fisher families dream. Very affordable I thought also. It's all fishing there, so set up. Everyone there seemed to be going for 20 years plus and pretty much all were in bed early and out fishing by 430 or 5. Pretty cool to look out from my slip and see a line of navigation lights stacked up along the wall to camel rock.

We put our lines in at Hoiss Pt Friday afternoon for the first time after getting checked in. We fished there to the head of Tahsis inlet for most of the afternoon with no bites. We switched over to San Carlos and around 730pm or so hooked into our first hit. It ended up being our biggest of the trip at 24. We were in tight to the shore 40 feet of water fishing close to bottom. Fish hit a 6 inch white glo chovy. It was a big relief to finally get a bite after so many hours with nothing.

Overall fishing was a little slow for us, but the reports before we showed up were pretty poor, the weather forcast bad but it didn't matter upon arrival I told myself and wife it didn't even matter if we caught fish this place is just so nice. We ended up bringing home 6 springs 20 to 24 pounds. Most we caught at Beano bouncing bottom in tight with chovy and uv white hootchy on one. We tried the inside lots with 3 more good hits at San Carlos one night that didn't stick. Only hit one undersized the entire trip. Lost one at camel at the boat on a purple haze chovy. Released a good mid teen wild coho off Maquinna with a chartreuse flaser and ace high. We tried Banjo but came up with only black bass? There was a big School of them all jumping around out there. We tried halibut for an afternoon out of the light house but only caught skates.

One of the older American guys Moored up beside us was just killing out at beano each day with white hootchy trolled real slow right off the bottom. He landed a 35, 32 and many mid to high 20 fish. Real nice guy and wife. Made our trip. Overall a real good time there and I can't wait to get back. I personally like all the radio chatter there also, as I am kinda of chatty myself and if I am not catching I at least like to live vicariously through those who are. Everything is radio there as there is no cell coverage to text. The one good thing I liked also was every hit was a chance at a gooder of a spring.

 

[Sculpin]

Great report dmurph. Thanks for sharing. Your one of the ones that gets it .

 

[TheBigGuy]

Just back from my first trip into nootka. Such an epic place to camp and fish with the family. Brought my boat over from vancouver last Thursday night and drove as far as I could before camping up road side in the rig and boat. Lots of good spots along the road into gold river. I didn't find the road in or the launch so bad. In fact I found the launch no worse then the main vancouver one st vanier lol.

We stayed at Critter Cove and it was so awesome, a Fisherman's or Fisher families dream. Very affordable I thought also. It's all fishing there, so set up. Everyone there seemed to be going for 20 years plus and pretty much all were in bed early and out fishing by 430 or 5. Pretty cool to look out from my slip and see a line of navigation lights stacked up along the wall to camel rock.

We put our lines in at Hoiss Pt Friday afternoon for the first time after getting checked in. We fished there to the head of Tahsis inlet for most of the afternoon with no bites. We switched over to San Carlos and around 730pm or so hooked into our first hit. It ended up being our biggest of the trip at 24. We were in tight to the shore 40 feet of water fishing close to bottom. Fish hit a 6 inch white glo chovy. It was a big relief to finally get a bite after so many hours with nothing.

Overall fishing was a little slow for us, but the reports before we showed up were pretty poor, the weather forcast bad but it didn't matter upon arrival I told myself and wife it didn't even matter if we caught fish this place is just so nice. We ended up bringing home 6 springs 20 to 24 pounds. Most we caught at Beano bouncing bottom in tight with chovy and uv white hootchy on one. We tried the inside lots with 3 more good hits at San Carlos one night that didn't stick. Only hit one undersized the entire trip. Lost one at camel at the boat on a purple haze chovy. Released a good mid teen wild coho off Maquinna with a chartreuse flaser and ace high. We tried Banjo but came up with only black bass? There was a big School of them all jumping around out there. We tried halibut for an afternoon out of the light house but only caught skates.

One of the older American guys Moored up beside us was just killing out at beano each day with white hootchy trolled real slow right off the bottom. He landed a 35, 32 and many mid to high 20 fish. Real nice guy and wife. Made our trip. Overall a real good time there and I can't wait to get back. I personally like all the radio chatter there also, as I am kinda of chatty myself and if I am not catching I at least like to live vicariously through those who are. Everything is radio there as there is no cell coverage to text. The one good thing I liked also was every hit was a chance at a gooder of a spring.

Not quite like the fishin at home eh dmurph. So glad to hear you and the family had a great time. Those kind of trips with the kids are the kind of memories that last a lifetime. I'm so glad I took the time to do those kind trips every summer with my kids. They grow up pretty quick, and you don't want to end up wishing you'd done that stuff when they're all grown up. Good on you for taking them on holidays fishing. Most kids would rather go to Disneyland, or just sit and play video games all summer. So you are doing something right my friend.

 

[spring fever]

Just a quick report since it's 2 am and I can't sleep. Just over for tues pm, wed, thurs. am. Fished only the outside and only heard some chat on the radio about inside-What do they say-only believe half you hear and in my case what you think you hear!! Lol The fishing was slow-ok Spotty Don't get me wrong we got some very nice fish,salmon, yellow eye and ling but we worked hard as befits 2 "Legends in their Own Minds" Amazing how deserted the monument is-didn't take fish until we hit the corner of the new restricted area where it turns back to Beano. Seems to be 4 places to fish. That corner, the red can and then 2 miles further out. Inshore of Wash rock was producing well one pm. We tried the Burdwood shore thurs am but not until fairly late am as we had been ling fishing. Judging from the number of boats must have been a bite early that morning. So lures of choice-salted chovies-not Anise chovies (private joke)-did quite well with the Nano jughead glow needlefish-once I found that on a 40 inch tie-since I had no chovies left-only artificial that produced. Spotty -well lets say if you find the fish late evening-don't count on them being anywhere close next day-lots of bait around but could be an hour or 2 between fish. Very impressive size coho around--10 to 12 lbs easy. Have fun -the fish are in pockets-you get one don't take a picture get your gear back in the water. Take your camera for the ramp-you might get some video for the "Science of Stupid" TV show. Picture perfect off-shore Nootka Salmon-you tell me what it weighs -I don't have a chart- 103 cm long not a blemish on it!!

 

[pescador]

SF, just curious with the new regs, how far south of the red can can you fish now. It looks on the DFO maps you can fish quite close to the whistle bouey. That area was producing very well 10 days ago. Great report Dmurph and glad you enjoyed CC. Its pretty special and well situated to fish all the good areas at Nootka.