Three Times a Charm at Bajo

They’re here! Yesterday (May 11^th) was the first time we were able to get out to the areas we really wanted to fish.  Due to persistent South Easterlies for the last couple of weeks it has been virtually impossible to get out to areas like Bajo Reef, Ferrer Point, Maquinna, Beano Creek etc. But due to changing weather patterns, the winds finally subsided enough for us to make it out to some of these areas for the first time this spring, and we were not let down.

Most of the bait and the best fishing we encountered was out on the reef; we did land two small feeders at Beano as well. By days’ end (which was only 3 hours of fishing) we had hooked six nice springs, and kept four. A twenty two pounder being the largest, with a sixteen being the smallest, round that out with two eight pound ling cod and what a morning of fishing for mid-May. It was encouraging to see all the smaller immature lings we released during the day, and hopefully during the rest of the season all responsible anglers will do the same. Unfortunately many of these smaller lings get harvested by inexperienced fishermen who have not been educated on the damage that can be done to an area by over-harvesting of future brood stock fish for all species.

Guide Juds first Chinook of the 2012 Season....Many More of Those to Come!

Back at the cleaning tables we noticed that all the salmon we had kept were chock full of five inch needle fish (typical for this time of year) thus the reason we chose needle fish hoochies for bait (anchovies would work fine as well). We found that our most productive depths were 63 and 55 feet, fishing in an average depth of 85 to 110 feet of water. An hour after the high slack and into the ebb was also the most productive for us. We can thank the good work of our neighbors south for the great early fishery we are experiencing on the west coast of the Island right now, as three of the four fish we retained were clipped fish heading back to either Washington or Oregon. This we know from the hatchery clipped heads we have been returning for the past several years. The US has been greatly increasing their efforts for enhancement and habitat for all species of Pacific salmon, over the past seven years giving us the opportunity of this fabulous early season migration of US spring salmon.

Manager Gibran White Enjoying a May Day Off the Reef

Crabbing and prawning has finally picked up substantially as well, with the areas around Bligh Island producing the best results. Prawns being found readily in the 280 to 350 foot range, and crabs at 65 to 85 feet, however remember there are many areas open to commercial prawning at this time, including ours.

Fresh Water

There have been great reports of excellent estuary sea run cutthroat fishing from Moutcha Bay to Tahsis, with many mended kelt steelhead being taken as well. There is easy access to these estuaries either by foot, kayak or pontoon boat. Any part of these lower systems that are tidal will produce some kind of fish almost year round.

Some of the local lakes in our area are also stocked with catch and keep rainbows, check the Go Fish BC website to find out the timing of these trout dumps. However many of the other lakes here have very healthy populations of wild cutthroat and rainbows as well.  Any kind of fry imitation will interest feeding fish consistently at this time of year, during the natural salmon fry migration from the lakes, streams, and rivers coinciding with the spring freshet.

It’s a great opportunity for you and family or friends to go explore and find your own secret honey hole, or zipper-mouth lake. Join us at Moutcha Bay Resort this June to discover your own little piece of fishing nirvana.

Tight Lines, Good Luck, and Safe Fishing

Gibran White

Onsite manager of: Nootka Marine Adventures

Prawning in our area (check regs for local closures) has been fair so far, you may have to move your traps a few times to get on them, but they are there, and opportunities should improve with the arrival of spring.

A Pile of Prawns

Last weekend the beautiful sunny weather gave us the opportunity to head out to the light house at Friendly Cove (Yuquot) for a quick visit with our friends Ray and Sanford Williams. It also allowed us to drag some gear around, in search of any pre-season feeder spring opportunities.

We were pleasantly surprised to see the amount of bait and sea life when we arrived out there. Sea lions, seals, gulls, and diving ducks were everywhere aggressively feeding on spawning herring or pilchards. Most of the bait showing up on the sounder was in mid water so we decided to run two hoochies, one at 67 feet (a blue, black and pink needle fish) the other at 77 feet (a black and white cuttle fish). Due to the strong winter tides and larger rollers, we decided to run out and tack with the wind and tide which made it a lot more comfortable and safe.

The Lighthouse at Friendly Cove

We did one long tack to the light house approximately an hour and a half long, and were pleasantly surprised to land 5 small feeder springs. All the fish were between five to fourteen pounds. We kept two for dinner and released the rest, adding the perfect final addition to our fresh, westcoast feast.  There is no better-eating fish than a hardy, early season feeder spring salmon … and of course, fresh prawns!!

Best Hoochies EVER - Available for Purchase in the Store

These early days are teasers for a great upcoming season.  Our crew at Moutcha Bay Resort is eagerly preparing for our opening … less than 60 days away on May 18^th, Victoria Day long weekend.

Gibran White

Manager, Moutcha Bay Resort

The new 9,000 square foot resort features seven fully-furnished, self-contained suites, a licensed restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining, tackle and general store, government licensed fish processing and packaging plant and public restrooms with hot showers. We have also added three new self-contained, fully-furnished waterfront yurts ideal for families and/or corporate retreats. Our 12 new fully-serviced waterfront sites and 12 non-serviced forest sites proved to be extremely popular and were busy throughout the summer. Round that out with a new fresh water well and reservoir tank, and a state-of-the-art septic system and we can now essentially handle over 100 guests on any given day, at any given time.

The spring season (April, May) started out with the best prawning on the entire B.C. coast with people limiting out on giant spot prawns within throwing distance of our resort. Add in the outstanding crabbing and feeder Spring fishery and we were setting up for an awesome summer of fishing.

Gibran White with a lovely chinook

By the first week of June our guided and self-guided guest boats were already enjoying some of the very best early fishing the west coast of Vancouver Island has to offer, with limits of early migratory Chinook and Coho salmon being intercepted on a daily basis. This early fishery must be some kind of secret, because on most days we had the entire area exclusively to ourselves! This is also one of the best times of the year for outstanding halibut and ling cod opportunities, as most of the bottom fishing areas have not seen a boat in over nine months, so these fish are extremely aggressively feeding, and again it’s all yours on most days.

July and August remained outstanding, with the large runs of local Conuma River Chinook and Coho returning to the inside protected waters of Nootka Sound. Most guests can run to and from the fishing grounds without spilling their morning coffees. This is one of the most protected inside water fisheries on the entire west coast, with outstanding salmon returns guaranteed year after year, thanks in part to the Conuma River Hatchery and the efforts of the Nootka Sound Watershed Society.

Fresh Water Fishing on Conuma River

August and September continued strong with great fishing up until the day we closed on September 20 th . We here at Moutcha Bay are in a very unique situation as we are fortunate enough to be located right where these big staging salmon like to hang around while waiting for the fall rains to enter the river before spawning. We enjoy great fishing within the sight of our own property. In the mornings and evenings we are able to catch fish right off the marina and gas docks on a routine basis. When guests and guides become tired of pulling on these awesome fish and want a change, we head up one of the five different rivers in our area and try fly fishing or tossing spoons and spinners for these very same salmon while they are still bright chrome, and full of energy. The Conuma River is one of the only rivers left on Vancouver Island with catch-and-keep freshwater opportunities; this autumn’s retention was two Chinook and two Coho daily, hatchery or wild!

Nootka Marine Adventures would like to congratulate:

Frank Williams for winning our $10,000 dollar salmon derby this past season, with his prized Chinook weighing in at a lucrative 42.1 pounds. Frank and his fishing buddy Tristan Arnold reeled their prize winner in on the BC day August long weekend.

Matt Kuharic for winning our Labour Day weekend kayak fishing derby with his 27 pound beauty. Have you seen a 27 pounder tow a kayak around – amazing! Matt hooked and landed his winner right in front of the lodge and was also a runner up in our 2010 derby.

Keep an eye out on your favourite fishing channels for two new episodes filmed at our resorts this past season on Sport Fishing B.C. with popular host Mark Pendlington. If you would like to watch them, you can down load them at: www.sportfishingbc.com or look up network and schedule information and catch them on your favourite sports network. Episodes are: Nootka Sound Tyees, and Harland Williams Tyee tour.

Nootka Marine Adventure staff, management, and ownership pride themselves on the fact that we are able to continue to strive to make our resorts the most popular and accommodating sport fishing and recreation destinations on all of Vancouver Island. It is our promise that we will constantly seek to improve our properties and equipment annually so that we will be able to accommodate all of you, with the growing demand for more room at both of our facilities.

We would like to thank all of you who visited us at either one of our two popular resorts this past season, and look forward to your continued patronage.

Tight lines, safe fishing and good luck!

Sincerely,
Gibran White

Bajo Reef and Ferrier Point seem to be the best steady producers for both Springs and Coho. Some of the Coho being caught are in the 12 to 16 pound range now.

White and purple haze hoochies are still working well, but flashers and anchovies, or cut plug herring are always a good bet for aggressively feeding fish.

For bottom fish opportunities, the outer edge of Bajo reef or two miles off Maquina or Burdwood Points are still your best bets. Try jigging or anchoring in the 155 to 170 foot range.

Inside fishing for Chinook is still producing decent numbers, and we are starting to see more and more Coho each day. There are still large numbers of Spring salmon staging in Moutcha Bay at the mouth of the Conuma River. The best bite time for these fish is the first three hours of day light, and the last hour and a half of light in the evening. 5 inch #602 Tomic plugs are producing well for these staging spawners.

For those of you who have been waiting to start fishing the rivers, wait no longer! There are now a couple thousand spring salmon and about 300 fresh bullet Coho sprinting up the Conuma River, we have enjoyed a few great morning trips to the lower river in the last  couple of days with great action for both Chinook and Coho. Small Colorado blades, Blue Fox spinners, and small Coho spoons have been the best producers. The water is low and clear so you must take care not to spook fish with your casts, or when approaching a run or pool holding fish.

So pack up the family, grab some buddies, or head on out by yourself, because summer is not over yet my friends and the fishing is still that good!!

Tight lines, good luck, and safe fishing!

Gibran White
Nootka Marine Adventures

Fishing inside of Hoiss Point has slowed down considerably. This is due to a combination of a weeklong commercial Chinook gill net opening, and the fact that there are thousands of staging springs sitting in front of the Conuma river waiting to run up to spawn, but won’t bite! There are still more fresh Chinook rounding the corner at Friendly Cove and entering the sound, but you need to put in your time to be successful.

Fishing on the outside (of Bajo reef) is still very good! This is a combination of local and migratory fish, both Chinook and Coho. Try fishing through the high slack, and into the ebb tide for your best results. Fishing for all species of bottom fish, including halibut has been excellent!! Guests that have been putting in the time have been doing very well, with most groups limiting on chicken Halibut, Ling Cod, and Yellow Eye! Anywhere in the 150 to 170 foot ranges seems to be the best depths for bottom fish success.

There are still very good reports coming from Ferrier Point and the Esperanza area, so it won’t be long before these fish will be down here. Some of the Coho being caught are now in the 14 to 16 pound range, which a lot of fun on light tackle.

Try fishing hoochies, spoons and plugs in the mornings, but switch to flashers and anchovies in the afternoons. Large white buck tails trolled on the surface for Coho is another option for those of you who want to switch to lighter gear.

There are two weeks left in our $10,000 Salmon Derby. The current leader is 36.4lbs. So come on out to Moutcha Bay or Nootka Sound Resort and try your luck!

Tight lines, Good Luck, and Safe Fishing!

Gibran White
Resort Operations Manager
Nootka Marine Adventures

Outer Bajo Reef has been outstanding for Coho, Chinook, Halibut, Lingcod and Rockfish. Strange Island, Beer Can Bay, Hoiss Point and Camel Rock have been producing some steady fishing for larger mature Springs.

The Lighthouse, Maquinna and Wash Rock are still steadily providing us with Chinook and Coho, and Burdwood has recently picked up too! The last three hours of the flood tide through the high slack has been the most productive fishing, along with the first light bite in the early morning.

Lure Du Jour:
Glow Cuttle Fish Hoochies
Needle Fish Hoochies
602 & 158 6” Tomic Plugs
Watermelon and Half Glow Coyote Spoons
Flasher and Anchovies (with a six foot leader)
Cut Plug Herring

Tip of the Week:
Cleaning your boat is the one best things for it. Make sure your haul is free of debris and sea life. Usually all it needs is a good scrub with a stiff brush. This will help your electronics function better, slow corrosion and prevent blockage of your cooling system. And remember to change your zinc at least once a year.

Rules and Regs:
There have been recent changes in the fishing regulations for area 25-7. You may only retain two Chinook under 77 centimeters (31 inches). For full details visit the Department of Fisheries website.

Front Desk Simon with TYEE!

Fishing on the outside remains steady; nice chrome Chinook and Coho are being taken daily when the weather permits the trip.

Bajo Reef and Ferrier point seem to be the best steady producers for both Springs and Coho. Some of the Coho being caught are in the 12 to 16 pound range now.

White and purple haze hoochies are still working well, but flashers and anchovies, or cut plug herring are always a good bet for aggressively feeding fish. For bottom fish opportunities, the outer edge of Bajo reef or two miles off Maquina or Burwood is still your best bet. Try jigging or anchoring in the 155 to 170 foot range.

Simon & Tristan With Days Catch

Inside fishing for Chinook is still producing decent numbers, and we are starting to see more and more Coho each day. There are still large numbers of Spring salmon staging in Moutcha Bay at the mouth of the Conuma River. The best bite time for these fish is the first three hours of day light, and the last hour and a half of light in the evening. 5 inch 602 Tomic plugs producing well for these staging spawners.

Lure Du Jour:

• Needle Fish Hoochies
• Glow Cuttle Hoochies
• 158 and 602 5” Tomic Plugs
• Watermelon Coyote Spoons

Tip of the Week:
Try a shorter leader on your hoochies, 31 inches; this will give your hoochies a little more action. When using Anchovies you’ll want a long leader, 5-6 feet.

Benson IT from Alberta

Rules and Regs:
Only hatchery Coho can be retained while fishing the outside. Be sure that the Coho’s adipose fin has been clipped when fishing outside of area 25-6. For full details on the retention of Coho visit the Department of Fisheries website.