Second Shift

[Team Tom]

It’s been a six years since I made the trip from Washington to Ucluelet with my own boat. For over twelve years I moored my boat in Ucluelet for the months of July and August, but with family demands and the lack of favorable fishing buddies my trips ended. Since then I have fished one yearly trip from a coworker’s boat. He owns a cabin in the area. However his style of fishing is getting on the water around 9 am, fishing the same depth at the same bank each day pulling the same color hoochie year after year. He will not deviate from this pattern no matter how slow the fishing may be. Don’t get me wrong, he catches his fair share of fish, but I defiantly take a different approach to fishing.

Now that the kids are older it is time to start my trips back up. This summer, my first trip to Ukee will be after fishing the Washington tuna classic. If any of you guys are willing to make the trip down to Westport Washington in the month of September and October I will make room for you on my boat. Catching a thirty five pound Albacore tuna on live bait is truly mind blowing.

Since my buddy fishes second shift LOL! I never really got the chance to pop by the docks and keep up with the friendships I built over the years and get into the details on what was catching fish. I'm starting to prepare and educate myself for my August trips. I'm assuming the lack of pilchards has driven a change away from larger plugs and spoons offshore? My arsenal is pretty limited based on what was working years ago. I have large assortment of 7” plugs and spoons, anchovy helmets, a number of kettle fish in glow with green spots and army truck. I know this gear was lights out years ago, but will it work today? What basics I’m I missing to be successful for the summer of 2016?
Thanks in advance.

Tom
PS Ive been a looker on this site for many years

 

[Olde School]

All of your old gear will still work on WCVI. Just add a few hoochies.

 

[RiverBoy]

I wouldn't forget pilchard spoons. Like old school said, bring more hootchies. White glow, green/white, and some needlefish patterns.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

As others have written here needle fish hoochies as well as spoons are key at times due to the abundance/prevelance of needlefish/sandlance on the west coast. When predominantly small needlefish around hard to beat green splatter back glo needlefish hooch or small irish creme or green glo spoons. When larger needlefish around I stack needlefish hoochies to mimic the proper length - if fishing deep on the banks a pure glo is always the under with a splatter back or similar on top. Also where your larger needle fish spoons like the AP sand lance and Nogs Needle come in.

Purple Haze hoochies always seem to work inshore and off on the west coast as there are often squid around. I prefer the AORL12 in cuttlefish and octopus - thats the purple haze uv with oil slick on it.

Bigger spoons and plugs have their place onshore and offshore, particularly later in the season as the bait gets bigger. I know the ongoing Tomic Plug thread on this forum has me itching to try plugs a lot more this year!!

Bait fishermen do well with anchovies in helmets but will let others discuss as I don't find I need to mess with bait in the Ukee area.

To be honest, when it is prime season in July and August it is usually more a weather/fog issue than what you're using because if you can get out to the productive banks you're going to catch fish. Inside Barkley Sound is more challenging, need to find the bait, fish the tides and "match the hatch" - i.e. bait size and colour, depths fish are feeding, etc.

Don't forget Kajiki style hoochies or turds. Bit longer leader behind the flasher and slower troll with your down rigger ball hitting the sand once in a while is a tried and true hali technique that also takes springs!

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[tubber]

I concur with Ukee, Also, there are stories of pilchards in Barkley. To generalize, the last two summers have been squid close to shore, needlefish on South Bank, herring on Big Bank.

All of the following were new additions for me and I got several fish on all of them last year along with other spoons, hootchies, and plugs.
http://resources.p-line.com/images/uploads/protected/SQ-1113-HG.jpg Canadian tire in Port Alberni had 'em cheap.
Everglo Ghost Jensen Flash Fly -all white glow- change the hooks to a swivel and siwash.
Bad Attitude Coyote spoon -White on both sides with a yellow/chartreuse edge. Got more at Harbour Chandler in Nanaimo last weekend. The 5.0 Chinese one seems better than the flimsy 6.0 one from Indonesia.

 

[ericl]

By July-August you should be able to catch nice fish on Herring/Pilchard size lures. Back in the 80's we were young & stupid & 3-4 guys all wanted 4 fish so we used Flashers. I am now fine with 1 nice fish so have ditched the flashers. I am sure that a needlefish lure in the mud will work, but that would be a last resort "need meat" option. As for second shift, best fishing I have EVER been in was 1pm at Wya point in August about 1990 - me+ 3 other boats doubled-up on 40 pounders - pod of Orca's just off the Eagles nest. Don't thinks it's the second shift as much as the lazy technique.

 

[Team Tom]

Thanks for the help!

I remember a time, fishing from second shifts boat, when all three downriggers were dancing as we ran through some large bait. Since I always packed a few spoons and plugs with me I excitedly pulled a plug out and did my best to convince him to switch out. We trolled for hours without a hit. Knowing that my gear will come into play as the bait grows gives me confidence to catch fish. Thank you for that!

I think I'm on the right track, digging through some gear last night I found an unopened pack of Purple Haze cuttle fish. In addition, last October I purchased a number of AP sand lance spoons from Andy. I choose the AP over Nogs Needle because of its smaller fishing winter springs in and around the San Juan Islands. As we all know you can never have too much fishing gear and after reading your responses I will be doing some shopping.

I agree fighting a fish without a flasher is far better. Have you guys seen or heard of a Q-Cove Jim's Breakaway Flasher? I’m not sure if they are sold in Canada? Ken the owner is a great guy. He lives down the road from me. There is definitely a difference fighting a fish with this flasher. If you get the chance check them out on line. Just another option if you are fishing with flashers.

Speaking of flashers. A majority of the plain green and red flashers I purchased years ago for the West Coast of Vancouver are either missing Mylar or badly corroded. I will be replacing these with your recommendations. I do have a nice assortment of flashers I use salmon fishing in Westport, the Columbian river, and inside the San Janus. Im sure they will all work, but building a foundation from all you experts gives me more confidence.


Thanks again!

 

[chris73]

Tom, we have these break away flashers here too - I think they are called Farr better flasher or similar. They do work but only come in a few colors. You can very easily modify any other flasher to do the same thing. just drill a couple of holes into the rim of your flasher to fit the size of a JDF teaser head bait pin (the ones with the line hole through them) and then rig a mono line setup just like the break away flashers have.