2020 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports

[RBL]

That’s a good one, have seen it before lol. although I don’t always agree with the regs I follow them, that fish was 80 right on, shows the possible difference in weight for a certain length fish. That being said it was so close I did end up bringing it in to double check and if it was over it would have been a netted fish that had to be released. Don’t agree with the slot for this reason.

I was totally joking. I know you would take an oversize. I saw the pics and it looked like a great day!!!

 

[dmurph]

I was totally joking. I know you would take an oversize. I saw the pics and it looked like a great day!!!

All good i fiqured you were joking

 

[donnie d]

How is the Tahsis road? Will be at Moutcha in one week. Will report on trip. Inside of a week my productivity has hit zero.

 

[Crali2014]

My mistake-thought you were referring to inside Nootka-gave me a heart attack to think a guy would boot a tyee just because of misreading overly complex regs!! Tight lines

Complex is an understatement. Its like some nerd is drawing triangles on a map and saying ok here are the boundaries

 

[RiverBoy]

Just got back sunday to wednesday. slow as molasses in january for salmon. two salmon the entire time, one decent chinook around 22 lbs at san carlos sunday eve at last lite, and one decent coho at wash rock tuesday evening. we were up tahsis inlet to camel to beano creek at first light. didn’t try burdwood at all.

anyways pulled the pin on salmon and filled the cooler with three hali, and some a few 20 lb lings offshore. no shortage of white meat out there which was a pleasant surprise. other large cod as well. only caught and descended one yellow eye.

on our final morning (wednesday) the other boat in our party got up at 4 am and headed out to beano where they picked up three chinook all around 20. they are feeding on bait around 1 1/2” long. maybe they are starting to roll in...

 

[Reel Gone]

"bcfishguy, post: 1002263, member: 7900"]Heading up there on the 24th as well. Are you taking a ferry from Vancouver?[/QUOTE]

Heading up from Victoria 24’ Sea Sport - see you on the water

 

[The Weasel]

Friends just got back yesterday from a couple days (2 1/2) at Nootka. 4 springs, two hatchery coho and some cod.
Lighthouse (just inside around corner) and camel rock were the spots.

 

[Flywheel]

Fished first light at Hoiss and picked up a few springs up to 20lbs on white hoochies and lost one fish that bent the hook straight.

Ran to Beano and got one 20lb right away then it died off. Grabbed lunch and then went to camel and hit a few more springs, one of which was a real hog and broke us off .

White hoochies out performed anchovies and small spoons although we caught fish on everything we sent down. Two more days left.

 

[Dorman Point]

Great to see!!! I’m not familiar with Coopte, but it must be near Critter cove! Great jobs finding the fish on the inside. Heading to Moutcha bay on Friday....

With respect to all the great members on this forum, this is the best avatar I’ve seen!

 

[trophy fisher]

Heading home from Moutcha today. After a frustrating start to the week with a dead sounder/chart plotter, We drove around blind and from memory and managed a couple fish. Realized it was not going to be a fun trip without a chart and sounder, we drive to Campbell River and after an hour of install, we started to find the fish. Beano at first light paid off every morning. Thursday was a weather change day and the fishing improved dramatically. Started to find bait schools outside Maquina and with the brother-in-law cruising through the same bait ball managed 3 decent springs in 45min, in almost anything you put down at45’. Also picked up a couple coho shallow just outside the lighthouse. Thursday evening the bite was on at Camel rock. Saw many over 20# come in that evening.

 

[cohochinook]

Good bite this morning. Got into over 10 Chinook and a half dozen lingcod. Choives were the ticket 15 to 30 feet off the entrance to Esperanza.

 

[MacDuff]

How is the Tahsis road? Will be at Moutcha in one week. Will report on trip. Inside of a week my productivity has hit zero.

Drove into Tahsis this morning. Road is a tarmac except for a few ragged sections 19-22 km. I drive it year round so that influences by perspective, no doubt.

 

[Flywheel]

After a great day yesterday with tons of bites, this morning was really slow. Only managed 5-10 shakers. Fished camel rock at dawn and went to the lighthouse eventually. Then burnwood. Saw nets out at burnwood but no love for us. Fished wjth anchovies, White hoochies and skinny g herring aid spoons. Worked great yesterday.

Going out at 4 for the evening bite hoping I can get out of this funk!

 

[ripper12]

how about prawning and crabs worth while bringing traps arriving july 26

 

[Port Eliza Fishing]

Fishing has been excellent in Esperanza! Fish are spread from Grassy island down through the mouth of Esperanza. low rock, pin rocks, outer black have all been producing on anchovies, spoons and hootchies. Several boats have limited on springs before lunch time to 25 lbs. The inside at Rosa has produced the odd fish, so may be close to getting going. With the fishing so good in Esperanza no one is bothering to fish salmon offshore with the 80cm size limit, and high NW winds have made it tough to go out there

 

[Doubleheader]

The local fish are definitely in Esperanza, lotsa teeners and low 20’s. They are scrappy little buggers and fairly easy to tie into a dozen in a couple hrs...

 

[Rated-R]

Any news on the cougar creek dock upgrades?

 

[hooked for life]

My mistake-thought you were referring to inside Nootka-gave me a heart attack to think a guy would boot a tyee just because of misreading overly complex regs!! Tight lines

You nailed it SP overly complex regs, imagine being a first time fisher

 

[Mervillite]

Any news on the cougar creek dock upgrades?

The main dock was complete about a week ago but they said that there would be no fingers installed this year, only the main run of dock. It was looking nice however the parking will be limited. Like the old days with boats rafted together.

 

[pescador]

Just back after our second 6 day trip this month. What a difference a week makes. Lots of action this week. Beano, Maquinna, Lighthouse, Hoiss were our go to spots. The inside seems to have really lit up. All produced well. Pretty well all on Chovies using black/gold and Betsy teaser heads 37-44 feet with flashers. Biggest was 23. Limits for two of us and one Hali. Couldn’t get offshore too many days. It was blowing up quite a bit. I noticed less **** floating in the water this last week which made is easier to fish. The previous week was a nightmare for seaweed and slow fishing. It was sunny most of the week other than Thursday. I noticed less boats in the Sound without the US contingent. All in all this last week was very good. We hit three 20+ lb fish at Hoiss one sunny afternoon over a 30 minute time frame in the identical spot. Landed two of them. An afternoon to remember for sure.