Alert Bay Trip

[nedarb2]

Ive just got back from alert bay and wow, what a trip.
Coming from fishign the gulf islands to up into black fish sound was an experience in its self, but trolling 200' away from pods of killer whales, cathching fish, amazing scenery, and the whole surroundings was just out of the world.
the campsite (although 2 blocks in off the water) was beautiful and clean. The most campsites occupied through out the entire trip for a night was 4! All weekend that was the high number, and for 2 nights it was only us and one other party. THe island its self was very unique and quite an experince, with the majority of the maybe 100 tourists a day being european.
We got two days of fishing in due to time and weather.
THe first day it was too rough to get out in the 14', so that was a no go. We stayed on the island and explored. That night a wind blew up for the next day
day two, still choppy and windy out but we got out to troll off the kelp beds on the southern tip of the island, no salmon but got some nice bottom fish. In the evening it calmed down some more and we made it south down to pearse islands and pciked up one pink. Talking to a party of boats back at the dock that were able to fish malcolm, they said it was very slow, only a few pinks were cought, no springs in sight, and it was very windy.
Day three, up early to flat waters. Headed out to donegal head and started trolling admist the probly 50 boat fleet. We didnt arrive until about 7am. Everything was dead out, and word was only 2 or 3 springs had been cought the whole morning, and myabe 5 or 6 pinks. Very slow, about 15 mins after arrival, the fleet broek up to try new spots for fish,. The fleet was farther out than the 80-120 footwater depth as mentioned to me before, they were 200' plus. We trolled around for about 20 mins where the fleet had been, and then then a rod pops. Needless to say, we got into pinks. I made the call that as none of the 50 boats wre having any luck, chances are we wouldnt either. SO i switched 1 rod into pinks, and kept the other for springs. And never having fished pinks before, holy it was fun. The fish were taking the squirt as it was trailing behind the boat befoethe downrigger sucked it under, we couldnt even keep two rods in the water for about an hour. the fish were hitting non stop, it was a blast. we felt sorry for the otehr boats, they migth have not wanted pinks, but we were the only boat keeping busy out there! We saw pods of whales, porposis, humps backs, sea lions, and bait balls everywhere! (this was all off stubbs island)
we got our limits on pinks, fished a bit more, and headed home.
In the afternoon we returened with different people, and the fishing was slower but still great for the pinks. The springs were still in the same situation, with most boats trolling double bay now. We got a few double headers, and alot more single pinks, had a blast, and limited out the new guests soon. When all this was happeneing, two pods or orcas swam right by, a sea lion tried stealing all our fish we hooked, we went through a huge baitball and were surrounded by hindreds of seagulls, porpoises (dolphins?) were jumping the waves nearbye, and still we were the only boat being kept busy.
After trolling, we switched to jigs and got some more bottom fish, then headed home and left the next day.
So the conditions:
except for one day flat calm and beautiful out
lots of pinks
lots of boats trying for halibut but no word on whether or notany were landed
very slow for springs
lots of whales and wild life
one heck of a trip

pictures will follow in the next day or so,
and sorry for the spelling mistakes ive been sleep deprived!

 

[TheBigGuy]

Hi, Nedarb.

Thanks for posting the results of your trip. I knew you'd like it there, it's beautiful country. I hope to make it back there in Sept. It's too bad the springs weren't around, but it sounds like you enjoyed yourselves all the same. That's the important part, sometimes we get so wound up in catching a trophy that we don't appreciate the beauty of experience. Good on ya.

 

[nedarb2]

it defienlty was amazing, and we are looking forward to returning next year perhaps in our bigger boat
and as regard to oprah, i completely forgot to mention.
the one day we explored the island we were sitting on the sea wall next to the boat launch (with the dock 30' out from the boat luunch) and a huge yacht pulls up and we are awed by it,
and the three people jump off, my uncle who use to work and ride the elevator with jum pattison told us who he was and we were awed by him being there , and payed no attention to his daughter or who we later found out to be oprah! they walked shoulder to shoulder beside us, and smioled and said hello as they passed us sitting on the sea wall. We then went to the museum, and as we drove by my cousin took a picture of jimmy, ill post that picture when i pot pics, but she just missed oprah by about a foot out of the picture.

 

[nedarb2]

the alert bay trumpeter, every cruise ship that went by hed run out and play oh canada, the amercian anthem, and one aother song. Every cruise ship for the last 5 years jsut as a hobby. As we fished off the fishermans wharf (see below, couldnt not fish even when the boat wasnt up yet) after playing for 2 cruise ships he came and played us our own song.

the boat luanch , very good, a little steep. Would only reccomend for larger boats at a higher tide., sorry about the big head..

that drive by picture

his nice boat, origianly 110 million dollars, he got the yacht from an auction when it was 6months old? for 10 million, seized in a drug bust

camp site

a bait ball

the funnest time fihing, was i got out the video camera and turned it on to get that bait ball, then whithen 10 seconds a pod of killer whales popped up on the otehr side of the boat, and then the rods spring up on a double header, all before 10 seconds were filmed! haha afew more pics will follow up tomorrow.