2017 Haida Gwaii Reports
- Thread starter SFBC
- Start date
sly_karma
Crew Member
I'm interested in working the kelp beds on my trip at the end of the month. We'll be fishing the area around the west entrance to Skidegate Channel and always catch lots of salmon with cut plugs on the riggers. Is it worth bringing casting gear and drift fishing the perimeter of the kelp? Can anyone point me toward lures and setup for this method?
ILHG
Crew Member
I would recommend through a lure into the prop wash while trolling for salmon. I think you may be surprised at the Coho that hang out back there.
ILHG
Crew Member
All of the big fish I have ever caught have been from grinding as close to kelp with either whole or cut plug herring. The hogs will see it from a ways away & come after it. When you are trolling through a herring into the prop wash & you will also pick up any Coho hanging out behind the boat. (which there will be).
advTHXance
Well-Known Member
Fishing has been a lot slower the past week or so at the lodge Im guiding out of, but maybe things are different on the east side. Still a few chinooks around but not in the numbers we were seeing for most of June. Seems like most of the commies are fishing for coho as well.
Hi sly_karma. Your "popper lure" comment made me realize what is up with your questions about fishing the kelp:
If a Salmon gets hooked then gets into the kelp, it ALWAYS ends well for the Salmon. Fishing with a friend who decided to not listen to "Don't let him get into the kelp Fred" - after 10 minutes of separating gear from kelp bed Fred reeled-in bare hooks.
I would probably never try to hook a Salmon within 50ft of the kelp. You can also be certain that kelp extends under water from where you can see it floating.
I was in Masset fishing with forum member Brett. We were talking about the "big one's". He asked me how much line I had on the reel (20# Spectra on a Shimano 4000) - I said at least 500 yds. He said good, as 300 is not enough.
I have personally had a fish run out 250 yrs with 10# of drag set on the level wind reel. It got cut-off on a downriver wire.
With the "popper" statement it sounds like you fish fresh water?
Instead of trolling the kelp, try steep bare rocks instead.
If a Salmon gets hooked then gets into the kelp, it ALWAYS ends well for the Salmon. Fishing with a friend who decided to not listen to "Don't let him get into the kelp Fred" - after 10 minutes of separating gear from kelp bed Fred reeled-in bare hooks.
I would probably never try to hook a Salmon within 50ft of the kelp. You can also be certain that kelp extends under water from where you can see it floating.
I was in Masset fishing with forum member Brett. We were talking about the "big one's". He asked me how much line I had on the reel (20# Spectra on a Shimano 4000) - I said at least 500 yds. He said good, as 300 is not enough.
I have personally had a fish run out 250 yrs with 10# of drag set on the level wind reel. It got cut-off on a downriver wire.
With the "popper" statement it sounds like you fish fresh water?
Instead of trolling the kelp, try steep bare rocks instead.
sly_karma
Crew Member
Been busy catching up on business and spending time with my brother and his friend visiting from Australia. They greatly enjoyed their Haida Gwaii experience, and they got a big dose of west coast weather. The marine forecast had a gale warning with 40 knot southerlies and that was what we found when we arrived at the end of Skidegate Channel. There was a locally organised fishing derby on that day, but with the winds no one was venturing outside, and all the guide boats too were fishing in the relative shelter of 'The Wall'. With the derby boats there were about 25 boats working the same ledge, it was very much like southern BC combat fishing, complete with a couple of the lodge boats acting like bullies. If you could get close enough in - pretty much to the point of scraping the downrigger boom on the bluff - there was lots of bait and larger fish clumped in against the shelter of the wall that extends below water level, but very few bites. I'm pretty sure it was due to the noise of all the boats in the water; we went through two tide changes with little impression, but once the derby and lodge boats headed home about 6 pm, we got four good springs in an hour. Up to that we'd lost a couple more springs plus had taken two coho and some pinks. We ran a mix of anchovies and herring strip, plus tried a spoon and a plug that had been successful only a few days earlier, with roughly equal results on all gear. All springs had empty stomachs, they should have been feeding heavily but again I think there was just too much noise in the water.
We were staying in a little cabin my friend has built so we didn't have to go all the way back to Charlotte and thus were able to fish until after 9 pm. Tired, cold and wet as only a long day on the west coast can produce, the cabin and its wood stove were a welcome sight. The following day we doubled up on springs, all in the 18-22 lb range. There were considerably fewer boats out and we had more hits and again took some coho and pinks as well.
With the weather severely limiting our options, my casting reel stayed in my bag. It would have been impossible and unreasonable to drift and cast along the kelp beds.
We were staying in a little cabin my friend has built so we didn't have to go all the way back to Charlotte and thus were able to fish until after 9 pm. Tired, cold and wet as only a long day on the west coast can produce, the cabin and its wood stove were a welcome sight. The following day we doubled up on springs, all in the 18-22 lb range. There were considerably fewer boats out and we had more hits and again took some coho and pinks as well.
With the weather severely limiting our options, my casting reel stayed in my bag. It would have been impossible and unreasonable to drift and cast along the kelp beds.
Olde School
Well-Known Member
Recently back from 6 weeks guiding on the north Island.
The only word that can be used is SLOW.
Yes there are a few bigger fish around, but you can go days without seeing a tyee.
Still, it is a beautiful place. Cold and wet, but beautiful.
The only word that can be used is SLOW.
Yes there are a few bigger fish around, but you can go days without seeing a tyee.
Still, it is a beautiful place. Cold and wet, but beautiful.
ILHG
Crew Member
Did you see much for bait? When I was on the north side I never seen any bait. The west side had huge herring & lots of them
advTHXance
Well-Known Member
Most of the feed showing up in bellies on our cleaning tables was needlefish. Saw more herring jumping heading into Masset Sound than we did all season on the west side of Graham Island. AP spoons in lemon-lime and MVP were outfishing bait most days. By the end of the season I wasnt even brining herring some days. Thanks again to Andrew for the spoons, all the boys loved em.
