Is trailering a boat from the north side of Victoria to Port Hardy and motoring to Rivers Inlet in one day realistic

[Dogbreath]

FWIW-I've had excellent service dropping fish off @ St Jean's Depot in Campbell River instead of heading to the Nanaimo operation.

Check their hours though they change with the season.

Also I've done a few trips to Rivers and would never return just to fish there as mentioned upthread too many other good options nearby.

 

[Cookie's Cutter]

Not a derail at all. Very interested in advise on timing (what time off year), technique and areas. Obviously we're trying to catch a Giant Spring and we realize that's a little like winning a Lotto but it's a possibility. It seems that the majority of really Big Salmon are caught cut plugging before 09:00. Our trip is planned to start July 30th which I think may be a week early but I have a due I have to got to on the 8th or august and I have to have the fish Canned, Smoked and Frozen before the afternoon of the 7th or I will be summarily be neutered. Has anyone used live herring instead of a cut plug?

I suggest you take a picture of the big salmon and release it so that it spawns and carries on its genes. Then go someplace else and catch some 8 pound coho to smoke and can.

 

[Eden Island]

FWIW-I've had excellent service dropping fish off @ St Jean's Depot in Campbell River instead of heading to the Nanaimo operation.

Check their hours though they change with the season.

Also I've done a few trips to Rivers and would never return just to fish there as mentioned upthread too many other good options nearby.

When we go for two weeks, we fish just enough to eat for the first week to 10 days, then plan five days of fishing hard at the end (two days for salmon, two for bottom fish, one extra). Don't really want to have fish on ice for longer than that and possession limits puts a cap on the retention.


Processing options will be limited until you get home as you need to transport the fish relatively whole (filleted with tails on) until your residence, or are you dropping the fish off at the processor at the end of your trip - St. Jeans or Hardy Buoys?

Given your dates, I would plan on the following. This assumes your main goal is to target big fish at the head of the inlet, but you could mix it up depending on your priorities. A day trip to the Hakai Institute to walk on the beaches is worthwhile if the weather permits (you'll need a dinghy):

July 30: Depart Victoria, get ice, splash boat in Port Hardy or Port MacNeil. As others have suggested, I'd go for MacNeil - better marinas, services, food, cheaper gas, friendlier locals and there is more sheltered water available if you need to spend a day or two fishing locally because of the weather. The extra hour in the morning on the run up goes fast.

July 31: Plan to cross Cape Caution if weather permits, drop the lines and catch dinner. Fish local if weather is bad.

Aug 1: Explore the area and drop lines to break up the day and get a feel for the area.

Aug 2: Fish the head.

Aug 3: Fish the head

Aug 4: Fish the head in the morning and then check out beaches Calvert Island mid morning - afternoon

Aug 5: Fish the head or try someplace different (Hakai Pass, Calvert Island, Fitzhough Sound)

Aug 6: Fish mouth of Rivers Inlet to put some fish in the boat. Depending on weather might need to return this day.

Aug 7: Return to Hardy / MacNeil, pull boat, south and drop off fish if time.

Aug 8: Return home

Be prepared to be flexible given the weather. You could be waiting a few days to cross. Aim for light winds and flood tide. NW winds, especially offshore and an ebb tide makes for a long and rough crossing. Radar is a must that time of year and lots of whales from MacNeil to Fitzhough Sound to watch out for. If you want to stay at Dawsons for a night, I'd aim for the middle of the trip to break things up.

As other mentioned, fishing at the head is not for everyone. Cool to experience and it might be just your thing, but if you get tired of it there is lots of excellent fishing relatively close by. You might be a week or two before primetime for the head of the inlet, but there will be fish showing up in early August.

I like the way you think CB2. We generally get Hardy Buoys to process our fish within 4-5 days, then when we trailer home to Victoria, we grab all the fish on the last day - styro boxes topped with ice stay cold til home. Or they will ship.

What would be awesome is a St Jean's depot in MacNeill or Hardy, then their free delivery service could send it to the Victoria depot. Easy.

 

[pescador]

I like the way you think CB2. We generally get Hardy Buoys to process our fish within 4-5 days, then when we trailer home to Victoria, we grab all the fish on the last day - styro boxes topped with ice stay cold til home. Or they will ship.

What would be awesome is a St Jean's depot in MacNeill or Hardy, then their free delivery service could send it to the Victoria depot. Easy.

Where's St Jeans Victoria depot?

 

[Eden Island]

Where's St Jeans Victoria depot?

It was Island Outfitters before their fire -- I've been told that it will re-open at the new location, but not sure of status.

 

[Aces]

Not a derail at all. Very interested in advise on timing (what time off year), technique and areas. Obviously we're trying to catch a Giant Spring and we realize that's a little like winning a Lotto but it's a possibility. It seems that the majority of really Big Salmon are caught cut plugging before 09:00. Our trip is planned to start July 30th which I think may be a week early but I have a due I have to got to on the 8th or august and I have to have the fish Canned, Smoked and Frozen before the afternoon of the 7th or I will be summarily be neutered. Has anyone used live herring instead of a cut plug?

I don’t agree about the best time of day. They can be caught anytime of the day

 

[Keith Brown]

I suggest you take a picture of the big salmon and release it so that it spawns and carries on its genes. Then go someplace else and catch some 8 pound coho to smoke and can.

Oh yea we catch a big one she be photographer alright. It have more photos taken of it then the Playmate of the Year. I'm not worried in the least about releasing. It's catching that is tricky. FYI we release our big fish with the exception of the ones that are fatally hooked. As for the 8 pound Coho, I prefer to freeze those September fish. Their perfect eating size and they keep longer then July caught fish.

 

[terrin]

I'm with you on that, we have a 10 day window to work in but 3 guys on a boat for ten days is excessive and I'm trying to figure out how many days of fishing is enough. We plan on Canning and Smoking some of our fresh catch at home in the ten day time frame. Three guys on a small boat for 10 days = Mutiny. Where are the two friends that you went fishing with? I don't know I guess they must have went for a walk! LMAO

Smoking and or canning is at least a 2-3 day process.

 

[TheHurtLocker]

All good advice here. Make sure you have 3 rod holders on the bow, Centre, and on each side. All the big ones we caught were bow rods, they love the shadow of the boat. Also bring a fly swatter or 2, sounds funny but by 10 am when it starts to warm up, the flies come out and down from the forest and will take chunks out of you. I‘ve seen grown men go crazy from this, and also from starring at 10 rod tips for 11 hrs without a sniff.

 

[Eden Island]

All good advice here. Make sure you have 3 rod holders on the bow, Centre, and on each side. All the big ones we caught were bow rods, they love the shadow of the boat. Also bring a fly swatter or 2, sounds funny but by 10 am when it starts to warm up, the flies come out and down from the forest and will take chunks out of you. I‘ve seen grown men go crazy from this, and also from starring at 10 rod tips for 11 hrs without a sniff.

The trick with horseflies is not to start swatting them wildly - they're quick and you'll seldom get one. The Bachen boys from Dawson's Landing [there are 4 of them] taught me to watch them land on you, and wait until they are fully committed to the bite [their head goes down] - THEN swat. My wife and I used to have a contest - line them up along the gunwale until the afternoon westerly came up.

 

[Keith Brown]

Smoking and or canning is at least a 2-3 day process.

Hmm. We "Can" salmon that we smoked that day. I have a 150 lb smoker at home. I grew up with canning and preserving. It wasn't a pass time for my family, it was for our daily food. Never ate store bought Jam, Jelly, Fish or Vegetables till I moved out of my parents house in 78. I still can Moose meat. I still raise slaughter our own beef. I could afford to buy everything in the grocery store, but I don't. I guess habit or tradition I don't even know. I may not know how to fish worth a Sh** but I do have feeding myself down pat.

 

[Keith Brown]

The trick with horseflies is not to start swatting them wildly - they're quick and you'll seldom get one. The Bachen boys from Dawson's Landing [there are 4 of them] taught me to watch them land on you, and wait until they are fully committed to the bite [their head goes down] - THEN swat. My wife and I used to have a contest - line them up along the gunwale until the afternoon westerly came up.

Now that's insider home field advise that will help.
Thank You

 

[Keith Brown]

All good advice here. Make sure you have 3 rod holders on the bow, Centre, and on each side. All the big ones we caught were bow rods, they love the shadow of the boat. Also bring a fly swatter or 2, sounds funny but by 10 am when it starts to warm up, the flies come out and down from the forest and will take chunks out of you. I‘ve seen grown men go crazy from this, and also from starring at 10 rod tips for 11 hrs without a sniff.

Are you drifting or at anchor? I assume you are cut plugging is that correct?

 

[TheHurtLocker]

Are you drifting or at anchor? I assume you are cut plugging is that correct?

Trolling dead slow, with cut plugs.

 

[Keith Brown]

Trolling dead slow, with cut plugs.

Sorry to be nuisance. So do you troll and cast. or how do you keep the guys rod in the front from fowling in the prop? What weight do you use.
Thank You.

 

[terrin]

Hmm. We "Can" salmon that we smoked that day. I have a 150 lb smoker at home. I grew up with canning and preserving. It wasn't a pass time for my family, it was for our daily food. Never ate store bought Jam, Jelly, Fish or Vegetables till I moved out of my parents house in 78. I still can Moose meat. I still raise slaughter our own beef. I could afford to buy everything in the grocery store, but I don't. I guess habit or tradition I don't even know. I may not know how to fish worth a Sh** but I do have feeding myself down pat.

How many days to smoke your fish?
Do you brine or just straight to smoker?

 

[TheHurtLocker]

Sorry to be nuisance. So do you troll and cast. or how do you keep the guys rod in the front from fowling in the prop? What weight do you use.
Thank You.

You use slip weights, and you’re only down 5 to 20 ft, trolling at 1 to 1.5 mph. Nothing can get into the props.

 

[Keith Brown]

How many days to smoke your fish?
Do you brine or just straight to smoker?

So when we are canning we cold smoke for two hours then we can. We add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and Bobs your uncle. My fishing buddy gave me a case of salmon done this way and my wife who is a Whole Food Nut eats a Jar or two a week. So I will no longer can salmon without smoking. For smoking to eat without canning we marinate at the most overnight. My nephew and I are working on a cold smoke recipe with little or no heat. What amazes me it how long smoking and a little salt preserves salmon. I had a large slab of cold smoked salmon that was verging on raw. It was mostly eaten but a piece got marooned in the fridge (for a few months). My daughter was home for Christmas and found the salmon and finished it off. Crap had I found it first it would have went straight to the slop pail because it was so old. However my daughter didn't have a problem and said it was the best ever! Amazing how a little salt and smoke can preserve. I wouldn't recommend it, but that happened. We smoke unlimited ways, it seems to me the simpler the recipe the better.

 

[Keith Brown]

You use slip weights, and you’re only down 5 to 20 ft, trolling at 1 to 1.5 mph. Nothing can get into the props.

Great information
Thank You.

 

[rivergal]

I cruise and fish with my wife and daughter - the daughter less often as she's into her 20's and needs to work. Our typical trip is 12-14 days away from home, with a travel day on each end. Our trip is broken up by having a shore break every few days -- at Sullivan Bay or Sointula for showers, fuel, ice and a meal, or back to Port MacNeill for the same plus a run to Hardy Buoys to process fish.

Rivers Inlet is a worthy destination but 10 days may be a bit long, especially just fishing at the head and with Dawson's as your main option for a break from each other. You may need to fish around Hardy or MacNeill a day or two if the weather's not great for crossing -- and your opportunities for getting off the boat are better. There's lots of exploring and fishing around the islands at the mouth of Rivers, and you could also plan to poke into Smith or the area south of Cape Caution. 10 days is a long time if the weather or fishing are poor.

I'd skip Sullivan Bay for a shower, they are the worst in that area.