hersheyburger
New Member
Does anyone have any recent updates or knowledge of the road conditions into Moutcha Bay? Heading up next Wednesday.
2023 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports
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nootkaassassin
Well-Known Member
The road is full of washboard on most of the sections and bad on the gravel hills. Only good thing is no logging truck’s hauling right now.
I agree with this concept too. As chinook get closer to their native river or later in the season I lengthen my hootchie leaders usually 4 wraps of the flasher. Trolling offshore or early season I go shorter 3 1/2
Wraps.
Port Eliza Fishing
Well-Known Member
Fishing is very good in Esperanza. Limits of chinook and Coho up towards Tachu point and Sandstone out in deeper water. Chovies or small spoons doing the trick.
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
As Porr Eliza Lodge reported the fishing is excellent! Just back from 3 days out there. Fantastic fishing, and great service from Robert and his crew!
Port Eliza Fishing
Well-Known Member
Glad you had another great trip up here Dave, even if you didn't repeat your 38lb fish from last year!
codfather
Crew Member
Hi SeaSport, after suffering thru the worst fishing I have ever seen in Nootka July 5-8 it's way better now.
July 6 and 7 evening fish, 8 boats left the dock at NIL and 8 boats came back SKUNKED.
In 3 shifts Salmon fishing I pulled my gear 500 times as I've never seen as many weeds thru out the Sound and never got a single bite!!!
This was due to a week of 30-45 mph winds and a Full Moon from July 2-6.
July 8th things picked up and now Beano is producing lots of fish with some calm seas.
Good luck,
Mike
July 6 and 7 evening fish, 8 boats left the dock at NIL and 8 boats came back SKUNKED.
In 3 shifts Salmon fishing I pulled my gear 500 times as I've never seen as many weeds thru out the Sound and never got a single bite!!!
This was due to a week of 30-45 mph winds and a Full Moon from July 2-6.
July 8th things picked up and now Beano is producing lots of fish with some calm seas.
Good luck,
Mike
SeaSport
Member
Thanks Mike, appreciate it. Will be up tomorrow. Hope to run into you.
Jacob Burton
New Member
How's the fishing in and around Esperanza these days?
Blue Hewes
Well-Known Member
Got home yesterday after 6 days at Critter. Fishing was good overall and the weather was great early on with calm seas and lots of time to bottom fish when we wanted a break from salmon trolling. 1 shy of our limit on Chinook with most fish between 10-14lbs with the top 2 fish at 18 & 25lbs. The 25 came on a green splatterback hoochie with tinsel insert caught in 55ft of water on bottom in front of the caves at Beano. Fish was full of squid. All the other fish were caught on various coho killer spoons and AP spoons again close to bottom. Lost several fish early on the spoons so swapped out the stock hooks for larger ones and added an offset bend and that helped a lot. Tried a bit on the inside on Friday when the winds kicked up in the afternoon but didn’t find any fish there. Also no coho to be seen and only heard of 1 getting caught. Lingcod fishing was great fished off the SW corner of Bajo reef bouncing swimbaits on bottom. Brought home 8 with the largest at 20lbs. Best baits were the glocaine and White Russian (can’t remember what brand). Had a 12lb Chinook smash a savage gear 7” swimbait bottom fishing which was released but that was cool. Easy limits of black rockfish out there and lost a nice vermillion at the boat. Never caught a halibut before but spent some time with a spreader bar and bait west of the reef without a hit. Spoke to a gentleman at the ferry lineup that fished Esperanza and said the bite was good up there with tons of coho so may head up there for a day next trip. Back up for another 5 days on Sat.
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pescador
Well-Known Member
Just back after another 6 days at Nootka. Sea conditions off shore were phenomenal. Flat callm most days. We did well on Springs last Tues/Wed, then things just fell off Thursday/Friday. Then yesterday things exploded. Beano was producing yesterday well. All the boats hung in close to the beach. We’re lone wolves who fish off shore by one mile surf lline. it was good to us. It really seems things are changing daily. We tried Wee G’s and Skinny G’s but didn’t find them working. The previous week they were. We found chovies with Green/Gold holders were effective. And strangely a Green/white/red flasher was killing it. 40-45FT seemed to be the number. It really seemed hit and miss day to day. There were fish but we worked to get our limits. Biggest was 20 lbs some in the low teens. Nothing big but all were silver. Maquinna to the Lighthouse worked a few days as well. There was a lot of weed in the water the last few days from the Lighthouse to Beano. Unfishable in some areas. We fished inside twice for a few hours and picked up one close to the Log Dump. It seemed slow inside still. Who knows, it could change tomorrow. Hali was zero trying 5 afternoons in a row. Dunno, didn’t see much Hali at the dock and heard it was dead. Think we proved that. Tried for coho a few hours with coho killers but no takers. Saw lots of jumpers offshore while fishing Hali.
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SeaSport
Member
Thanks for the report!
Blue Hewes
Well-Known Member
Does anyone see the finfish closures on the fishing BC app? I thought that the app was supposed to show all of the updates but I don't see them for area 125. I can see the slot limit update but that's all. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place?
MacDuff
Active Member
Excellent. Fished high rocks-Tatchu contours on Saturday - 4 guys tagged out by noon springs and coho. Deep on skinny g's. Heard from reliable guys that low rock/outer black and pin rocks are on now. Hali has been slow in 125 due to the long liners. North is way better.
Nasty017
Active Member
Should have read the thread. Disregard.
RiverBoy
Well-Known Member
the inside fishery usually gets going full tilt end of july and ramps up as the fish head to the Conuma / Burman systems. those spots you mention are usually productive now but man you gotta be there early in the day. 4:45 am start type thing and then late late at night getting dark. you will pick up the occasional fish here and there but those are your best times inside nootka
if it’s windy you can still usually fish Lighthouse Friendly / Wash Rock area and the beach if it’s not too full of weeds
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MRW
Active Member
Good to know I can still fish lighthouse and beach area if wind. Been up there a few times and know all about the early morning thing. Last year we found the wall good in the afternoon 80’ on the rigger and white hootchi was the ticket. Just haven’t seen too many reports coming in so trying to get some people talking.
always a great time up in Nootka.- Status
