2020 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports

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Also back from my 1 week trip to Nootka on Saturday. Fished usually spots like Hoise, Camel, and Lighthouse plus some new spots we never fished before. For me and my group, fishing was a bit slower compare to last year partially because we were trying to learn more new posts and spent a couple of days in the ope for some bottom fish. The weather was just fantastic and the wind for the most part cooperated. Met some great people and shared some info.
We only had one small Coho. Chatted with the head guide at Nootka and he was also worried about coho not showing up. I hope they are just late.
 
capman, glad you caught some fish. Over the last week at Nootka Lodge with 8 boats running we have caught 1 Coho. This time of year we should have schools of Coho hanging around growing a pound a week until September.

The Spring fishing is very spotty also with the numbers are at least in half right now.

There has been a few good bites and then it's over for a while and you go back and buttkiss.

I can't wait for a big flush if fish from up North to hit Nootka.

Had a couple good days bottom fishing, thank god.

If you notice the Halibut only has one eye?

Mike
 
Esperanza has been little slow but mostly due to crappy weather I think.

Average 2-3 Chinook per day. Biggest 25 pounds. Rosa hit and miss. Nothing at the usual holes like Pin, Low Rock and Black. Brownish water in those areas. Off shore yesterday was slow at Whale tale. Only 2 springs, 3 misses, one ling and 2 Hali’s. Noticed the commercial fleet is father south toward Nootka so maybe fish are there.

Top producer has been herring aid mini G, some on small anchovies, some on glow hootchies. Most fish have small bait the size of a coho killer in bellies

As others have mentioned coho are no show. Only caught one wild so far. 3 more days left.
 
Hi Reel Rude, Should be there Saturday, all things being well......See you there......
 
Arrived st Tuta yesterday had some issues chasing a ground wire after the road jiggled it up.

My cousin caught two this morning at camel.

Going tobto fishing hard here on out.
 
Just back from 4 days in the area. 2 in Esperanza and 2 in Nootka. Fishing was reasonable for us. Catching 6-8 springs a day in both areas but working hard to find them. Found fish outside of Esperanza around the rocks outside of Catilla and up at Tatchu on beach. Nothing for us around Rosa or along the wall. I would like to do a shoutout to the guide boats from Reel Obsession for sharing information on their depths and working with the rest of us so no one tangled gear with these hot fish in shallow water.

We had fish everywhere in Nootka but we were getting them 1 at a time until this morning along the wall. Fished Beanno, Burdwood, the lighthouse, Coopte, Hoise and the wall. We got at least 1 fish on in each place. Everyone had a good couple of hours this morning on the wall. Limits for many ...finally. Hardly anyone at Camel which looked kind of weird.

We were lazy and only fished small Skinny G spoons and a white hootchie. Depths were all over from 25-99'. Wind looks like it will limit boats to inside for next few days.
 
Gillnet opening on the night of the Aug 12 for 4 hours in 25-4 and 25-5, with a target of 6,121 chinook. The in-season forecast for the terminal Conuma Chinook is now 30,000 which is in the "Moderate" management zone (last year was 45,000 in the "Abundant" zone).
 
Tighthead said:
Gillnet opening on the night of the Aug 12 for 4 hours in 25-4 and 25-5, with a target of 6,121 chinook. The in-season forecast for the terminal Conuma Chinook is now 30,000 which is in the "Moderate" management zone (last year was 45,000 in the "Abundant" zone).
Click to expand...

The "local band" had a group gill netting working/ based out of lighthouse when I was there a few wks ago. I stopped in when I was there and had a great chat with Daryl at the gov. dock.
Nice guy, good talk.

Edit..Some of the band was also hook and line fishing,, keep working on them Daryl :-)
 
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SpringFever552 said:
The "local band" had a group gill netting working/ based out of lighthouse when I was there a few wks ago. I stopped in when I was there and had a great chat with Daryl at the gov. dock.
Nice guy, good talk.
Click to expand...
First Nations have had an opening since July 10th and it is spread around. The Aug 12th opening is right at Galiano bay and last year was 63 commercial boats. They will likely have an opening on the 19th also.
 
Tighthead said:
First Nations have had an opening since July 10th and it is spread around. The Aug 12th opening is right at Galiano bay and last year was 63 commercial boats. They will likely have an opening on the 19th also.
Click to expand...

Yeah I know about the com. bow pickers that net yearly in the sound this time of yr...not that I like that either
 
Part 2 of my Esperanza Inlet trip report. Fishing for Chinook good to excellent at Sandstone Point and Grassy Island area. Looks like most of the guide and self Rec fishers were in the area. Bit of a gong show at times. Most not paying attention to boats with fish on. I thought a boat that is fighting a fish has the right away to someone just trolling by but maybe I am wrong???

Lots of high teen Chinook. Biggest 28 pounds. Saw a 30 pounder at the dock. Best day was 10 hook ups in the morning. 3 double headers.

First light best time. 20 to 40 ft down. Small anchovies and small spoons. Glow Lures and flashers in the early morning followed by UV and silver combos as the sun came up.

Usual spots like Rosa, Pin and Low Rock were useless. No coho. Whale tale and other offshore spots slow.

Hali’s were really picked off offshore in 200-300 ft zone but nicer ones in the 150 ft zone. We Limited on Hali’s. Ling cod were slow with only 3 caught.

Weather was the worst I have seen in close to 30 years. All in all good fishing. Good luck to those in the coming weeks.
 
Just got back from a few days staying at Port Eliza bring your own boat package. Really nice outfit, Maggie works so hard and is an excellent chef. Meals were spot on. Mike was a big help at the dock and Jim was a wealth of knowledge as it was my first time there. I didn’t limit out but I definitely got the fish I wanted. Mostly trolling Rosa 40-89’ my biggest was 20lbs. Little rough for my liking outside so we just stayed around Rosa for the most part.
 
Just got back from a weekend at Nootka. Fri-Sun. We fished inside for a few hours each morning, and on the afternoon tide change. Fished the wall and camel. We brought 9 springs home, half in the teens and half in the low 20s. also got 2 coho along the wall, 10 and 14 lbs. Morning bites were pretty good however the swarm of boats was crazy. there were fish all along the wall and in 3 bay but everyone had to try to run each other over. Cant blame the americans this year :) heard it was windy outside so didnt even attempt ground fish. We got them 20-30 ft deep in the morning and down in the 60-80ft range once the sun came out. The bite died down Sunday morning but we heard on the radio beer can bay lit up so i believe another batch of fish came in. Small spoons outfished bait and hootchies. Also found the new white flashers worked better than green, orange, or purple.

Back out next weekend to find some for the smoker. commercial opening on the 14th, lots of commie boats lined up already.
 
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