seabeyond
Well-Known Member
Good morning tide at wya. Fish were smaller than yesterday by 5lbs on average. Nothing past 18lbs. Mostly 14-16. The needle fish are tiny in there.
2023 Ucluelet Reports
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walleyes
Crew Member
My morning started out real crappy. Been planning on setting prawn traps with the grandkids for months now, going over charts and picking spots. On the way through Parksville couple days ago stopped in and grabbed a couple things I needed like rope for one thing. Bought a 1200’ spool, thought may as well go over kill.
So everyone gets up super early this morning which is not easy when a 3 year old is in the bunch. Anyways we get out there and I get all set up and start dropping my traps spooling line right off the new spool. I get the first one in and tandem tied the second one about 75’ onto the line and just get moving ahead maybe 50’ and the line parts !! Two ends scotch taped together, yes thats right scotch taped. I guess they don’t mean 1200’ of one line FFS. There went my two traps, two old spare 10lb down rigger weights i used for weight. Was planning on maybe running out 400/500’ cutting it and then tying it off to the bouy. They weren’t cheap traps either, don’t ask me what kind but they weren’t anything cheap, have had them for 10 years now and hardly used them.
But, I will say the fishing was decent, kids got to play lots of fish and we boxed some decent Chinook and 5 beauty coho.
So everyone gets up super early this morning which is not easy when a 3 year old is in the bunch. Anyways we get out there and I get all set up and start dropping my traps spooling line right off the new spool. I get the first one in and tandem tied the second one about 75’ onto the line and just get moving ahead maybe 50’ and the line parts !! Two ends scotch taped together, yes thats right scotch taped. I guess they don’t mean 1200’ of one line FFS. There went my two traps, two old spare 10lb down rigger weights i used for weight. Was planning on maybe running out 400/500’ cutting it and then tying it off to the bouy. They weren’t cheap traps either, don’t ask me what kind but they weren’t anything cheap, have had them for 10 years now and hardly used them.
But, I will say the fishing was decent, kids got to play lots of fish and we boxed some decent Chinook and 5 beauty coho.
tubber
Well-Known Member
Try 40 going toward Tofino and deeper heading the other way. Bump up and down to find them.
Sea Chaser
Crew Member
Had another successful trip to Ukee . 4 of us loaded up pretty good . Couple mid twenties springs and a bunch of teeners . 114 cm Hali was our biggest and 6 unders . Gonna be some good eating for a while . Didn’t have to venture far for the fish this year .
salmoneye
New Member
Halibut fishing has been very good in many spots and Chinook salmon fishing has been good right outside the harbour and up at Long Beach bank. Coho have been in a few spots but and plentiful around Fraser Rock and in a few spots on the inside. Normal depths for Chinook seem to be 100-140 closer in and if fishing Big Bank or other banks more than 4 miles off 140-200 on the downrigger.
There have been lots of squid, needlefish and small herring so small spoon, needfish hutchies and white hutchies have been working well.
Halibut have been biting well on salmon bellies, grubs and herring. If you pack all 3 you should have success anywhere you decide to set down. Some spots are faster than others right now but almost all spots are producing. As August rolls in expect the halibut to be mostly at Big Bank or other spots further offshore.
We finally got the rain we desperately needed and it looks like we are back to rainless weather. Little fog has been great but if coming in Fogust expect to be using your GPS and Radar.
Tight lines,
Sam Vandervalk
Salmon Eye Fishing Charters
www.salmoneye.net
There have been lots of squid, needlefish and small herring so small spoon, needfish hutchies and white hutchies have been working well.
Halibut have been biting well on salmon bellies, grubs and herring. If you pack all 3 you should have success anywhere you decide to set down. Some spots are faster than others right now but almost all spots are producing. As August rolls in expect the halibut to be mostly at Big Bank or other spots further offshore.
We finally got the rain we desperately needed and it looks like we are back to rainless weather. Little fog has been great but if coming in Fogust expect to be using your GPS and Radar.
Tight lines,
Sam Vandervalk
Salmon Eye Fishing Charters
www.salmoneye.net
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walleyes
Crew Member
Like already stated lots of fish around. If you are in the right spot at the right time its lights out if not you have to work for them some but they are there just can’t be lazy about it. Yesterday was a great day with the whole family, went over to Effingham to stay out of the swell and it was fun. Lots of shakers, got 4 chinook 8/15lbs. Wouldn’t have normally kept the smaller ones but with the kids there who are licensed up we have the room for them. Some darn nice coho holy cow. But crazy with shakers over there, way to many. This morning right out front banged off 4 nice chinook 15/20 lbs in 30 mins maybe then went out to south bank country and spent a little over 4 hrs on the hook for halibut with no luck. But 4 days to go yet so time to get serious for some bigger stuff now that we have a few on the kids and womens licences, they are getting tired anyways and want to start to stay in lol.
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walleyes
Crew Member
The highlight of the trip today.
We were in behind Effingham looking for Coho and getting a few. Running my light gear, 9’6 ultra light action mooching rods with north coast reels loaded with 12# test line. Had a dummy flasher on one side with a spoon and a purple haze 8” flasher with some kind of a bubble gum splatter spoon on the other at 35‘. The rod at 35’ goes of and starts to scream. After 10 min battle we land this 25# beauty. What a blast lol.
We were in behind Effingham looking for Coho and getting a few. Running my light gear, 9’6 ultra light action mooching rods with north coast reels loaded with 12# test line. Had a dummy flasher on one side with a spoon and a purple haze 8” flasher with some kind of a bubble gum splatter spoon on the other at 35‘. The rod at 35’ goes of and starts to scream. After 10 min battle we land this 25# beauty. What a blast lol.
relentfish
New Member
Great looking fish! Haven’t seen you on the dock this year.The highlight of the trip today.
We were in behind Effingham looking for Coho and getting a few. Running my light gear, 9’6 ultra light action mooching rods with north coast reels loaded with 12# test line. Had a dummy flasher on one side with a spoon and a purple haze 8” flasher with some kind of a bubble gum splatter spoon on the other at 35‘. The rod at 35’ goes of and starts to scream. After 10 min battle we land this 25# beauty. What a blast lol.
Relentfish.
relentfish
New Member
Yes it’s been hot for sure. Been here a week with the fam. Now have 3 buds here today for the next week. Always out early can sleep in September, oh wait that’s when hunting starts here in BC ok I’ll sleep in December
bcbassfishing
Well-Known Member
Got home a few days ago... all I gotta say is it was epic salmon fishing. Tons of springs and coho were pretty consistant too! We didn't venture far for salmon working the red can north up twards wya. Had so many double headers and went often where we were working a sweat up trying to get both rods down before the other one popped! Silver hord 4'' ''bob marley'' or ''maveric'' colors were our top producers. STS flasher and the gibs green blade with moonjelly and red stripe did the twirling for us. Lings seemed very slow compared to last year but did troll up 4 chickens out at South Bank. Love the place so much, can't wait to get back.
walleyes
Crew Member
Juts got back early this morning after a 23 hr pull home, had a nap and cleaned the boat all the equipment and its all drying out.
Was an awesome trip again this year with plenty of fish. Not the biggest average we’ve seen out there but all nice eating fish. We did keep a couple in the small side like 8/10lb range as the kids brought them in and wanted to keep them so why not. I would say most of the ones we kept we averaged from 14 - 20 lbs with a couple 20 lb and the one big one at 25 lb. We rotated through the kids and women on different days for the first few days then after they were tired just my son and I and grandson finished up, we set a goal of 4 springs a day for ourselves as the priority then went for bottom fish or coho after. Most days springs were done with in an hour or two at the most, one morning we didn’t even make a full tack we were done in 45 mins and had 4 springs in the box between 15 - 18 lbs. We did go for Halibut 2 days just to some humps on the inner banks but had no luck. We did get into a few decent lings, black bass and vermilion on some close spots so we did get some decent white meat. We just didn’t feel like chasing out to far for halibut but went for the close fish instead.
No issues getting coho on the inside, Beg, Effingham both produced easy and darn nice sized coho. For springs we concentrated out front of little beach / light house area running in the 120’ to 170’ of water. As my earlier updates we also picked up a few at Effingham with our big one coming from Effingham. Gear was ran at 75’ and 93 - 110’ on the deep side with pretty similar results from either side.
Just ran spoons, the usual stuff, skinny g, west coast tackle halo series in various colours with any chartreuse
/ white glow, no bananas combo working. Also did quite well on uv white glow hootchie or chartreuse green/white hootchie. Flashers we ran mostly glow chartreuse or any combination of what ever. Kept them charged and rotated out on the glow box again as i have the last couple years, sure seems to make a difference especially on the deep ran gear.
Our big fish was 25# but I lost a nice battle to a brute on day 4 and could not repeat it. It was a real nice pig of a fish that just hung down and heavy for most of the battle with long slow head shakes. I was able to get him to the boat 3 times, on the second time he jumped the net clearing the water and net easily. I had him to the boat for the 3rd time and was just bringing him along side for a net attempt and he gave one more nasty head shake and tossed the hook. It was a real heart breaker but I laughed it off and just told my son we can’t win them all, they have to win some now and again. He was easily a 25# plus fish I would say pushing 30# for sure as we did have 3 good looks at it, it was a brute.
Will be working on a video of the trip over the next while and will post it when its ready.
Thanks again to the few of us that shared our intel as we all fished out there boys, thats the way to keep it going and helps us all to have a great successful time.
Was an awesome trip again this year with plenty of fish. Not the biggest average we’ve seen out there but all nice eating fish. We did keep a couple in the small side like 8/10lb range as the kids brought them in and wanted to keep them so why not. I would say most of the ones we kept we averaged from 14 - 20 lbs with a couple 20 lb and the one big one at 25 lb. We rotated through the kids and women on different days for the first few days then after they were tired just my son and I and grandson finished up, we set a goal of 4 springs a day for ourselves as the priority then went for bottom fish or coho after. Most days springs were done with in an hour or two at the most, one morning we didn’t even make a full tack we were done in 45 mins and had 4 springs in the box between 15 - 18 lbs. We did go for Halibut 2 days just to some humps on the inner banks but had no luck. We did get into a few decent lings, black bass and vermilion on some close spots so we did get some decent white meat. We just didn’t feel like chasing out to far for halibut but went for the close fish instead.
No issues getting coho on the inside, Beg, Effingham both produced easy and darn nice sized coho. For springs we concentrated out front of little beach / light house area running in the 120’ to 170’ of water. As my earlier updates we also picked up a few at Effingham with our big one coming from Effingham. Gear was ran at 75’ and 93 - 110’ on the deep side with pretty similar results from either side.
Just ran spoons, the usual stuff, skinny g, west coast tackle halo series in various colours with any chartreuse
/ white glow, no bananas combo working. Also did quite well on uv white glow hootchie or chartreuse green/white hootchie. Flashers we ran mostly glow chartreuse or any combination of what ever. Kept them charged and rotated out on the glow box again as i have the last couple years, sure seems to make a difference especially on the deep ran gear.
Our big fish was 25# but I lost a nice battle to a brute on day 4 and could not repeat it. It was a real nice pig of a fish that just hung down and heavy for most of the battle with long slow head shakes. I was able to get him to the boat 3 times, on the second time he jumped the net clearing the water and net easily. I had him to the boat for the 3rd time and was just bringing him along side for a net attempt and he gave one more nasty head shake and tossed the hook. It was a real heart breaker but I laughed it off and just told my son we can’t win them all, they have to win some now and again. He was easily a 25# plus fish I would say pushing 30# for sure as we did have 3 good looks at it, it was a brute.
Will be working on a video of the trip over the next while and will post it when its ready.
Thanks again to the few of us that shared our intel as we all fished out there boys, thats the way to keep it going and helps us all to have a great successful time.
between the lines
Member
It should be open by Friday
If not it takes about 3hrs from duke point to port alberni if not pilling a boat if you drive like a mainlander on the back road Lol
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