Alert Bay

nedarb2

nedarb2

Active Member
Were heading up for the first time this summer for 10 days to fish,
my friends dad has offered to take us out for a few days,
but can we take our 14' aluminum for the rest of the time or is it big water up there?
 
Take it! I was fishing at Donegal Head (about 5 miles from Alert Bay) last year in the first week of July in my 11 foot whaler. I trolled up a small chicken then stopped to jig and got one about 25lbs. A nice older local gal all alone in a 14 foot tin boat stopped by to BS and gave me some of her octopus that she picks up at low tide on Malcolm Island beaches (in winter). She then caught a 40 lb halibut, and 10 minutes later trolled a 25lb spring on an old salt-cured herring in an anchovy holder. 65 lbs of fish in 20 minutes for her. It could be you! I carry a handheld gps and vhf for safety anf very thick fog at times. Wolf and others know more about normal weather conditions, but it was calm in the mornings both times I've been there.
I may be there July 8th to 13th, can't decide between that area or Bamfield.
 
I have also fished that area with a small 14 aluminum boat. It is doable but beware, it can get very foggy and the wind can blow heavy at times. As mentioned already a GPS and VHF is essential. I had fun fishing the area in my small boat. However, I would recommend a larger boat for safety. You can fish the area in a smaller boat, just be cautious and don't go to far from home. Head back in if the wind starts to kick up or fog starts to show. I really enjoy fishing in the Telegraph Cove area and you probably will too. Have fun, keep safe, good fishing.

TheBigGuy
 
Always fished that area with a 12 or 14' from Mitchell Bay to north side of Malcolm....only a few times has it been too dicey to not get out (helps when its not a long haul home I suppose). I'd say fog is more the issue...I have been way disoriented off Donegal before GPS times...

Was just up there this weekend (non fishing related)...flat calm pretty much the whole time...sounds like only springs and hali's are on right now...was a 42 and 21 caught on the north side by one guy, and a 32 off Donegal by another...that was obviously just who I had talked to.
 
Did the marine gas station open back up in Alert Bay? If not were is the closest marine gas from Alder bay.
 
wow very excited! never had the chance to fish for halibut but have wanted too very badly for a long time, this should be fun! Are halibut around telegraph cove? or how far of a run from alert bay?
 
From Alert Bay as already mentioned is about 5 miles to the backside of Malcolm Island. The backside or North side of Malcolm Island is probably your best bet for Halibut close to home. Stubbs Island is also a well known location that is a little closer. The bottom at Stubbs is very snaggy, so be prepared to lose gear there. I would fish the backside of Malcolm, it is a little further but the bottom is snag free and the fishing is more reliable. Halibut are sometimes caught in Mitchel Bay, however I haven't had any luck there. Mitchel is a good spot to fish out of the wind and is a well known Salmon producer also. Be sure to print out the rockfish conservation areas, as there are many around the islands there. Good luck, I'm sure you will love the area.

TheBigGuy
 
thank-you all very much for the help!
now im going to have to have halibut fishing explained to me ;)
and what depths are the salmon at? (water/rigger) :)
 
I just came back from fishing that area. Limited on chickens( hali's) back side of malcom no problem. Best spot NOT a snaggy bottom)
Limited on Cohos too for our 2 day limit( all wild)

You will enjoy your fishing there :)
 
the "backside" of malcolm, is that the side with mitchell bay or the side with lizard and bere point? thanks!
 
Backside of Malcolm is the North side with Lizzard and Bere Point. You don't have to go far up the backside to catch Halibut. Best of luck.
 
Curious too on the halibut for the north side...do they just fish say between donegal and lizard, but just a little deeper out? I usually fish the salmon around the 100' deep mark and never recall seeing any one out there for halibut....just head out to 200-300' say???
 
So for halibut,
you fish the 150-300' depths?
use halibut jigs or spreader bars with herring / octopus
find sand/flat bottom


and for the salmon up there
100-120' water
40-60 on the downrigger?
is mooching possible or trolling preferred

thanks:) ive only fished the gulf islands so this is a big leap
 
Yes, you are correct fish between Donegal and Lizzard between 150 to 350 ft deep. The reason you probably never noticed people fishing Halibut there is probably because of the time of year. Most people in July and Aug are looking for Salmon. The better Halibut months are from April till June. Sept is good also good, although you can catch them anytime of year.

TheBigGuy
 
thanks bigguy...mystery solved....always wondered that as I only knew about the flats in the middle of cormorant...as to mooching nedarb...well, never say never, but I have not once seen someone obviously mooching for salmon there (there are places to mooch for cod if the tides aren't doing do a number on you). You certainly 'could' get away with it as even on a busy day, you may only find 15-20 boats in one area, but why bother? Trolling covers more ground. If you aren't really into the hastle of bait, you can definitely do well with spoons and hootchie up there (mint tulip hootchie and kripple k's my most successful non-bait options, but can't go wrong with army truck and cop car styles of hootchies and spoons).....if downriggers are the issue, that is actually a place you can get away without them...use a 2lb weight and 30-40 pulls anywhere in Mitchell Bay along the shoreline from the west entrance of the bay to donegal (just infront of the kelp)...I have caught many that way as well and my wifes gramps who was a guide up there NEVER used a downrigger when fishing in his own boat. Just keep in mind if you are fishing around other boats, your line will run risk of getting chopped by their downriggers if they cut behind you.
 
great thanks! just wondering about mooching becasue i like the pace alot more :p ive only done it a few times though and troll most of the time so jsut seeing. Thanks-alot!
 
The one thing you have to worry about up there as well when the tides are slacker the dog fish really move in along the salmon spots so mooching is really hard to do especially whitebeach swanson/flower and the back side of malcom ill be back up there from july 20th to aug.

good luck Wolf
 
Yeah, mooching would be very hard to do up here. I've never actually seen anyone mooch in all my years up island, only troll. Plus trolling with a flasher and anchovy definately seems to produce the best results. Hope your trip goes well,

David
www.serengetifishingcharters.com
1-888-281-2275
 
got reservations for august 2-7 at alert bay campsite. Very excited! Hopefully kelly will be joining me as well.

Now, 1st week of August

ill be fishing lizrd, donegal, and "mitchell bay area"
where will be the best bet for halibut, coho, and springs
in terms of:
location (lizard, donegal, mitchel bay, heard the kelp beds are good for coho? where are they?)
water depth
downrigger depth
lures


thank-you very much!
 
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