2020 Bamfield and Barkley Sound Reports
- Thread starter SFBC
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getbent
Well-Known Member
We are headed up in a couple of weeks too Dave. I heard from a couple of reliable sources that the beach is turning on nowhere
dmurph
Well-Known Member
I’m thinking to try and go sometime this coming week maybe Wednesday. You talking Columbia beach on our side?
Charts
Active Member
I'm out there 20 to 25th...hopefully it turn on
getbent
Well-Known Member
Damn spellcheck. No that the inside of Barkley is starting to get hot.
Shish-kebab
Member
Well, a very unusual year indeed. Had our annual trip from August 1-8. We had windy and wet weather for most of the week. I'm just starting to dry off now. Even with the weather we were determined and ventured further like never before. At times i thought we should rename our boat to "the clowns" from "shish-kebab". I was totally convinced all the salmon were wearing masks and social distancing because the bites were so slow. We did hit a few salmon everywhere, but seemed to have equipment malfunctions like never before: hooks broke off leaders, backing on the reel snapped as a giant fish was running like ive never seen before. The bites were not coming fast so you really needed to "seal" the deal with the chance, but unfortunately the fishing gods were not with us this year. Last year's
score 23 fish, this year 5 (3 were decent). Probably the most shakers we've ever caught, seemed like every 10 minutes which felt like i dropped the downriggers down at least a 1000 times over the week. Felt bad for the little ones that we dragged around accidentally because in 4 years that fish coulda been the one. Our last day i could really start to feel the fish starting to move in. The shakers were much bigger 3-4 lbers, instead of 3-4 oz. To end the trip as we were pulling up, we hooked into a seal right in the mouth on a cop car spoon. A first for me. Ive lost salmon to seals before, but never one with a lure straight in his chops. Played him right to the boat for about 30mins. I really wanted my cop car back. Finally we just said screw it, pointed the rod tip right at him and one last dash he was gone, but i did get my flasher back. Also if anyone does catch a tyee dragging a purple haze flasher and a cop car spoon, please let me know. Anyways, things will improve this week and we will look forward to returning next year. We had an enjoyable experience staying at bamfield centennial park, but hope our beloved poett nook is open for business next year. Trust me this week will be very good, so let me know. As Maxwell "Get" Smart always said, "sorry chief, missed it by that much." Yes sorry I'm older so you may not know that tv show. Good luck everyone, tight lines, til next year.
score 23 fish, this year 5 (3 were decent). Probably the most shakers we've ever caught, seemed like every 10 minutes which felt like i dropped the downriggers down at least a 1000 times over the week. Felt bad for the little ones that we dragged around accidentally because in 4 years that fish coulda been the one. Our last day i could really start to feel the fish starting to move in. The shakers were much bigger 3-4 lbers, instead of 3-4 oz. To end the trip as we were pulling up, we hooked into a seal right in the mouth on a cop car spoon. A first for me. Ive lost salmon to seals before, but never one with a lure straight in his chops. Played him right to the boat for about 30mins. I really wanted my cop car back. Finally we just said screw it, pointed the rod tip right at him and one last dash he was gone, but i did get my flasher back. Also if anyone does catch a tyee dragging a purple haze flasher and a cop car spoon, please let me know. Anyways, things will improve this week and we will look forward to returning next year. We had an enjoyable experience staying at bamfield centennial park, but hope our beloved poett nook is open for business next year. Trust me this week will be very good, so let me know. As Maxwell "Get" Smart always said, "sorry chief, missed it by that much." Yes sorry I'm older so you may not know that tv show. Good luck everyone, tight lines, til next year.
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At Ease
Active Member
Started at Bradies beach and trolled into and thru Whittlestone and back to Bamfield Harbour. Picked up one 8lb spring just as we entered Whittlestone. Picked up one 10lb coho and lost two as we were going back past Bradies. The spring was absolutely stuffed with big squid. Hear that fish were caught at Kirby, Sanford, Diplock and Pill. Tonight I hear on the radio that they are bitting. Hope tomorrow morning is better.
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Doubletyee
Active Member
Just on ferry back to mainland after fishing Bamfield for three hard days. Probably the worst three days I have ever had in Bamfield. I seen a total of maybe 4 fish out of 15 boats at sea beam in the last three days. Fished hard and everywhere. Tried Cree for hours and piles of shakers, hit Beale, whittlestone, Fleming twice, Kirby, Brady and the wall. Fished 15 hr days and only landed one keepable spring and one ling cod in three days. Even the guide boats where empty unless they went off shore. We packed up and left two days earlier and will come back again next week. Sure hope it picks up.
Charts
Active Member
nope not listening...ears are plugged...haha just kidding...i am heading there in 9 days so hopefully it picks up. Not to crazy about running offshore everyday because that's why we pick Aug to fish..and I am cheap so says my wife!!
Finally
Active Member
Just on the ferry back from Bamfield. We arrived on the afternoon of Aug 5th and last day of fishing was Aug 9th. Two boats with 3 man crews limited out on chinooks in the 12-25 pound range. Lots lost as well. We ventured offshore on the afternoon/evening of the 5th and came back with limits of coho and halibut.
Fishing was very good for us inshore if you put in the time at all the usual spots. The flood tide was best for us. Hootchies and bait did the trick. Another great trip in the books! Can’t wait for next year.
Fishing was very good for us inshore if you put in the time at all the usual spots. The flood tide was best for us. Hootchies and bait did the trick. Another great trip in the books! Can’t wait for next year.
Pastafarian
Active Member
Well I just fished sat, sun and this morning. Came home with 5 nice chinook, 2 very large (12, 13lb) coho and a ling. Fished all over, cree, kirby, whittlestone, the wall..... bit of a grind for sure. All are nice fish however and the weather was good inside. Spoons and flashers around 50 feet worked for us.
Good luck!
Pastafarian
Good luck!
Pastafarian
At Ease
Active Member
Some do and some don’t it seems. Tried pill first thing. Not much happening there and didn’t want to deal with Mr Seal swimming there if we did. Put in behind Fleming and trolled to Kirby. Only saving grace was less shakers. Nothing worth keeping for our boat. Saw a couple nice fish brought back to the dock. Going to hit it again Tomorrow.
Fishonjeff
Active Member
Well I’ve been trolling this site for a few years now and now finally writing a report. Well this is the third time I’ve been up to Bamfield in the last 2 years. I stayed at pacific gateway last year and was planning on heading back but it wasn’t opening back up. So we tried Mackey lodge which is a great place and everyone is so friendly and helpful!! We stayed there from Aug 4th - Aug 7th and reading all the reports before I left I really didn’t have high hopes unless your going way offshore so.....
Day 1 - we arrived in port Alberni mid morning and launched our boats out of port boat house which was really smooth. Great ride down the Alberni inlet to Bamfield and dropped our luggage off at Mackay’s and had a quick orientation. After that headed out to Whittlestone and cape Beal for an afternoon fish. As we headed out you came see the fog right around Brady’s beach but wasn’t that thick. We started with anchovy on one side and hootchie on the other and quickly picked up 20 pound spring on the hootchie at 62 feet and lost 2 others for a 3 hour fish.
Day 2 - we knew it would be the only day to get offshore so we started at 7 mile because we heard the coho were so thick but only picked up 2 which were wild and both went back. Fog started to roll in around 10am so we picked up and went to cape Beale since we got into a few fish the day before. As we arrived we notice only a hand full of boats so I started fishing tight to the rocks and ended up picking up 5 springs ranging from 15-22 pounds and also 2 coho and everything came on anchovies and hootchies other than one coho which we got on a needle fish.
Day 3 - windy windy windy started again at Whittlestone in the bay getting blown around, but did pick up one 18 pound spring on bait. The other boat in our group was at swale rock so we headed over to get out of the wind but I don’t think it mattered where you were because it was so windy!!! We did manage 2 springs there 18 and 20 and headed in early around 2:30
Day 4 - last day and we just had the morning to fish since we had the 3:15 ferry to catch. So we started at Whittlestone with more boats fishing that area total (14) but lots of room. Seen a few nets out but it wasn’t in fire by any means but did manage a 21 pound spring at 44 feet to finish the trip.
Overall fishing was tough but thought our boat did great overall considering the reports I’ve read and also talking with the guys up there and the other boat that was in our group only picked up 3 fish during our trip. Best depths so us ranged from 44-62 feet and I’ll say it was half/half with bait and hootchies. Looking forward to getting back up there as this is me and my dads yearly fishing trip together!!!
Day 1 - we arrived in port Alberni mid morning and launched our boats out of port boat house which was really smooth. Great ride down the Alberni inlet to Bamfield and dropped our luggage off at Mackay’s and had a quick orientation. After that headed out to Whittlestone and cape Beal for an afternoon fish. As we headed out you came see the fog right around Brady’s beach but wasn’t that thick. We started with anchovy on one side and hootchie on the other and quickly picked up 20 pound spring on the hootchie at 62 feet and lost 2 others for a 3 hour fish.
Day 2 - we knew it would be the only day to get offshore so we started at 7 mile because we heard the coho were so thick but only picked up 2 which were wild and both went back. Fog started to roll in around 10am so we picked up and went to cape Beale since we got into a few fish the day before. As we arrived we notice only a hand full of boats so I started fishing tight to the rocks and ended up picking up 5 springs ranging from 15-22 pounds and also 2 coho and everything came on anchovies and hootchies other than one coho which we got on a needle fish.
Day 3 - windy windy windy started again at Whittlestone in the bay getting blown around, but did pick up one 18 pound spring on bait. The other boat in our group was at swale rock so we headed over to get out of the wind but I don’t think it mattered where you were because it was so windy!!! We did manage 2 springs there 18 and 20 and headed in early around 2:30
Day 4 - last day and we just had the morning to fish since we had the 3:15 ferry to catch. So we started at Whittlestone with more boats fishing that area total (14) but lots of room. Seen a few nets out but it wasn’t in fire by any means but did manage a 21 pound spring at 44 feet to finish the trip.
Overall fishing was tough but thought our boat did great overall considering the reports I’ve read and also talking with the guys up there and the other boat that was in our group only picked up 3 fish during our trip. Best depths so us ranged from 44-62 feet and I’ll say it was half/half with bait and hootchies. Looking forward to getting back up there as this is me and my dads yearly fishing trip together!!!
Dad just got back. We are fishing partners except for a couple trips a year. He had two guys with him on our boat. They got seven decent spring and two big coho. They moved around alot. Most fish were caught on anchovies. About 30-40ft That being said the two guest only fish anchovies. The stomachs were empty. They were with a large group, the rest of the group didn't have the luck.
Derby
Crew Member
How's the fishing? Comimg over next Thursday.
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