2023 Port Hardy Reports

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I've switched to launching from McNeill. The hardware store has secure parking for reasonable cost. I find it's a more convenient place to operate out of. Hardy is kind of spread out, I've never had much luck figuring out secure parking there.
We do the same - Shoprite has a fenced compound a block from the ramp.
 
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Did a return to the prosperous ling grounds we found last year and found a bunch of lings at Cape Caution again.
This year they were very small. Almost half of the lings we brought to the boat were close to the limit. The biggest one would have been the smallest one last year.
We did see a commercial boat trolling the area in tight, under 100', and he was pulling up lings and hali?!?
Last minute engine excitement meant that a bunch of things, like a frying pan and binoculars, did not get packed, so could not see if the hali was thrown back less obviously than how it was caught.
Stayed in Miles Inlet for the night on the pick, such a nice hidey hole.
Tried again at Caution in the morning before heading back to Nigel and Hope Islands.
The lings were small there too.
Did one pass at Sutil before the wind and tide made it really hairy, picked up a nice red spring for our efforts.
Tied up to the little dock in Bull Harbour for the night.
There were a couple of guys in a very small DE that were tenting on the dock.
We felt bad for a couple of minutes while sitting around in the cabin with the heater on.
Good for them! They must have planned that trip for awhile, lots of small waterproof boxes with supplies in them.
We also dialed in our one hali hole, after lots of discussions about holes vs plateaus.
Got off the water around 14:00 on Sunday, right about when Hardy Bay turned white.
Good white fish trip, not the size we saw last year, but good times and good food for the family.
 
Did a return to the prosperous ling grounds we found last year and found a bunch of lings at Cape Caution again.
This year they were very small. Almost half of the lings we brought to the boat were close to the limit. The biggest one would have been the smallest one last year.
We did see a commercial boat trolling the area in tight, under 100', and he was pulling up lings and hali?!?
Last minute engine excitement meant that a bunch of things, like a frying pan and binoculars, did not get packed, so could not see if the hali was thrown back less obviously than how it was caught.
Stayed in Miles Inlet for the night on the pick, such a nice hidey hole.
Tried again at Caution in the morning before heading back to Nigel and Hope Islands.
The lings were small there too.
Did one pass at Sutil before the wind and tide made it really hairy, picked up a nice red spring for our efforts.
Tied up to the little dock in Bull Harbour for the night.
There were a couple of guys in a very small DE that were tenting on the dock.
We felt bad for a couple of minutes while sitting around in the cabin with the heater on.
Good for them! They must have planned that trip for awhile, lots of small waterproof boxes with supplies in them.
We also dialed in our one hali hole, after lots of discussions about holes vs plateaus.
Got off the water around 14:00 on Sunday, right about when Hardy Bay turned white.
Good white fish trip, not the size we saw last year, but good times and good food for the family.
Thanks for the detailed report! We are heading up that way later in June and will be in that general area later June I think, depending on the winds and how much time we spend exploring on the way up. Last year we had some very dense fog late June which did make it difficult to fish Bremner. I have heard that the lings are plentiful at Cape Caution area but if the commercial guys are fishing there and thinning them out then we may go further north to Hakai and Smith Sound and or Rivers Inlet for the white fish and salmon. We anchored in Allison last year and we did have some decent ling fishing not far from Allison while staying out of that large RCA nearby.
 
My pals and I are fishing PH the first few days in July. Any reports on how boats are doing will be greatly appreciated ! Thanks
 
Any comments on the Duval Point Lodge? I would like to moor in Hardy Bay somewhere but can’t find a spot for a plus 30’ boat.
 
Where do Hardy guys call “Jurassic Park”? I have heard guys call Frederiksen Pt Jurassic park but I always thought it was more East Mark Peddlington used the phrase lots in an episode a few years ago.
 
Was out with North shore Lodge from 20th till the 22nd, salmon fishing was excellent, weather was bad on the 20th but was amazing 21st and 22nd. Got our Lings and Hali but had to grind for them a bit. When the salmon turned on it was mayhem. Minimum of 45 min run to get to most spots. A 37 king came in on the 20th from the wall.
 
Any comments on the Duval Point Lodge? I would like to moor in Hardy Bay somewhere but can’t find a spot for a plus 30’ boat.
I was there a few years back-the operation had taken a heavy hit from a nasty SE easterly and was far from recovering-dock smashed, floating cabins demolished, debris everywhere and the owner badly injured from a workplace injury I can't remember the details of.

So if your expectations are rock bottom and you don't mind dealing with someone who's always smoking dope starting @ 08:00 hrs and is always trying to nickel & dime you it might be 'ok'.
 
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Where do Hardy guys call “Jurassic Park”? I have heard guys call Frederiksen Pt Jurassic park but I always thought it was more East Mark Peddlington used the phrase lots in an episode a few years ago.
If I’m not mistaken. Jurrasic Park as its known is not on the Hardy side its over on the kyuquot / Esperenza side just south of Rugged Point on the south side of Kyuquot Sound. Its a series of rocks they call Jurrasic rocks. The boys from Zebbellos, Port Eliza run there often. The episode with Mark that you are referring too he was fishing with Reel Obsession out of Zebellos.
 
If I’m not mistaken. Jurrasic Park as its known is not on the Hardy side it’s over on the kyuquot / Esperenza side just south of Rugged Point on the south side of Kyuquot Sound. It’s a series of rocks they call Jurrasic rocks. The boys from Zebbellos, Port Eliza run there often. The episode with Mark that you are referring to he was fishing with Reel Obsession out of Zebellos.
You are correct but on one of his episodes he was with Wade ( bear cove on this forum) and they were over on the mainland side heading towards the central coast. anyways he must have said jurassic park about 900 times in that episode hence the confusion
 
If you looking for a place to stay and moor in Pt Hardy don't forget Scotia bay. He is trying to slow down and retire but will still take bookings. Greatest folks you will ever meet.
 
Any recent reports ? My contacts have said that sutil and the wall have both been pretty lights out on those 12 - 18 lb Columbia cookie cutters. We run the strait on the 17th to leave the grady up there till the 24 of august.
 
Just back from hardy, we fished bremmer and buccleugh point on the main land side Saturday. Lots of the above mentioned fish at both locations. Sunday we fished sutil and shuttleworth with more of the same sized fish at both locations. Never tried for Hali and ling fishing was slow with lots of under sized fish.
 
Just back from Port Hardy as well. Went out with Trygg ( Steel Rock Charters ) on July 2nd and 3rd. First time fishing PH ( usually fish Bamfield or Nootka ) so glad went out with a guide. Report is similar to ExFlyGuy In terms of the size of the springs. We got our limit in springs and Hali. Great trip.
 
Hi
Any new reports, heading up tomorrow for an early long weekend.
Thanks
Was at sutil and shuttleworth, small micro bait in the guts of the ones we got. White turd vs 2 1/2” green/ silver spoon ended up tied at 2 fish apiece. Plenty of marks on the sounder and lots of bait.

Hali was slow, lings were undersized and plenty of yellow eye to test your descender.

I’m in a smaller boat so didn’t venture too far past sutil in any direction. But there was lots of radio chatter, lots of action.

Only took me about an hour to get our 4 Chinook which were small- they’d be perfect area 12 slot size fish. Not what you’d feel satisfied with most days up there but a lot of fun for my son who’s 10, so it was a great day all in all.
 
Insane trip this past week . Easy Chinook limits at cape sutil or the wall , take your pick . We fished bait over dummy flashers . Good grade 16 - 26lbs for us . Easy limits on halibut , two nice overs and the rest really nice unders , anchored up on spots towards cape scott . Same goes for lingcod , deep pinnacles out towards cape scott , live greenling , 15 - 35 lbs . Coho fishing not hot but we managed 8 with a few nice fish in that 10 lb range aswell.
 
Insane trip this past week . Easy Chinook limits at cape sutil or the wall , take your pick . We fished bait over dummy flashers . Good grade 16 - 26lbs for us . Easy limits on halibut , two nice overs and the rest really nice unders , anchored up on spots towards cape scott . Same goes for lingcod , deep pinnacles out towards cape scott , live greenling , 15 - 35 lbs . Coho fishing not hot but we managed 8 with a few nice fish in that 10 lb range aswell.
Yeah there are just a few chinooks around, lol!

Last weekend we had close to 40 to the boat each morning
 
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