Sttr
Crew Member
Yes, it’s great, Hali and lingcod everywhere around brooks
2023 Winter Harbour Reports
- Thread starter SFBC
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inlet hunter
Member
Better Check the new Reg starting today July 15 maybe a slot size pass the Surf line
inlet hunter
Member
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Sttr
Crew Member
All caught in the yellow, thanks for the post
Nice! Is Cliff Point producing?
Sttr
Crew Member
We did not fish cliff
Macdeep
Active Member
What size bait was in the guts of those ones you caught?
Any squid still around?
I’m packing to be up there Wednesday. Forecast is getting interesting…
Any squid still around?
I’m packing to be up there Wednesday. Forecast is getting interesting…
CourtKayak
New Member
I'm heading up to San Josef Bay this weekend, plan on bringing my kayak and rods. I've brought in lots of salmon and rockfish in my zone (Comox), but was hoping to hook up with some hali and ling while visiting. How far/deep out do you need to get for the productive zones? Or should I just be happy with rockfish and salmon in the protected waters?
Gong Show
Well-Known Member
Looks like the wind is coming in strong tomorrow afternoon for a bit.
That will be your main issue.
CourtKayak
New Member
Good call, will wait for a nice weekend before heading out there. When I do go though, how far out from the bay to hook up with ling and hali?
Macdeep
Active Member
Do you have navionics? If not, get it on your phone. It makes things a lot clearer. You'll want to find structure... But lings can be anywhere - 10-20ft of water in the kelp, or on top of a rock, or at a 200ft pinnacle coming up out of 300ft of water.
A buddy of mine went spear fishing in Grant bay and got a massive ling near short in the kelp... but if you were jigging, the black bass would probably have taken your lure 100 times before it got to the ling.
CourtKayak
New Member
Thanks for that! I will use navionics to scout structure, and put a few points into the garmin striker! Also, great reminder to bring my spear fishing gear too
Tydey
Active Member
Just got back from an unreal week in winter harbour, weather cooperated with us all but one day. Spring and coho fishing were lights out, and bottom fishing was pretty hot down off of brooks. Spent most of our time trolling off shore north of lippy. White hoochie seemed to be the ticket for coho and springs, bait worked as well and when we needed to get past the coho large coyote spoons and plugs got down to the springs. Back in august.
Macdeep
Active Member
Definitely a good weekend out there at WH.
The only drama was the anchor. Had to give it the long line release, there's ~150ft of that blue poly rope and a 10lb anchor 2.7 NM @ 210deg off Lippy at the 141ft structure on the chart. Yes, I had it reverse rigged with zip ties, but I guess sometimes things just get hooked up. I busted my bow-stern line when trying to pull it with the boat/scotty, that tipped me off that something was up. Had to then try by hand. Definitely had a few salty words for that experiences. Cost me some knuckle flesh trying to pop it, but any way, the boat knife was sharp and away she goes.
Then my crew went on to bust a rod (on the last spring of the day - yes we landed it), crush a few line guides on another and pop the tip-top guide on the last mooching rod in the boat. 3 rods disabled... GRRR. Had to borrow a mooching rod by mid-afternoon from the second boat on the team. Good thing the fishing was so good, otherwise I'd be a grumpy captain.
Did anyone see that jumpy hump back outside of Kains? What a show!! I was off Lawn point so not close enough to really appreciate it. But so many full breaches and tail slaps.
Whales aside, salmon fishing outside was lights out. Hoochies, spoons, plugs all seemed to work from 60ft down as deep as you wanted to fish. Hard to not catch fish. Chinook size could have seen some improvements at times - mostly teeners for the boats in our group, but we did get spooled once at Kains which was a bit of a shocker.
Didnt seem to be too many seals around which was encouraging.
Bites did happen at Cliffe, and apparently yesterday was unreal at Kains, but as usual, the outside never disappointed.
Gut checks on most of our fish had small bait (2-3") and decent sized squid (5-8"). Skinny G, Wee G and Turds were our go to's until we had to keep off the coho, then it was 5" and 6" plugs. Anything with green or chartreuse seemed to work.
Anyone know what causes that milky green water? Assuming algae. Looked like glacial runoff at times, but the fish didn't seem to care much.
Looking forward to an few more trips out that way.
The only drama was the anchor. Had to give it the long line release, there's ~150ft of that blue poly rope and a 10lb anchor 2.7 NM @ 210deg off Lippy at the 141ft structure on the chart. Yes, I had it reverse rigged with zip ties, but I guess sometimes things just get hooked up. I busted my bow-stern line when trying to pull it with the boat/scotty, that tipped me off that something was up. Had to then try by hand. Definitely had a few salty words for that experiences. Cost me some knuckle flesh trying to pop it, but any way, the boat knife was sharp and away she goes.
Then my crew went on to bust a rod (on the last spring of the day - yes we landed it), crush a few line guides on another and pop the tip-top guide on the last mooching rod in the boat. 3 rods disabled... GRRR. Had to borrow a mooching rod by mid-afternoon from the second boat on the team. Good thing the fishing was so good, otherwise I'd be a grumpy captain.
Did anyone see that jumpy hump back outside of Kains? What a show!! I was off Lawn point so not close enough to really appreciate it. But so many full breaches and tail slaps.
Whales aside, salmon fishing outside was lights out. Hoochies, spoons, plugs all seemed to work from 60ft down as deep as you wanted to fish. Hard to not catch fish. Chinook size could have seen some improvements at times - mostly teeners for the boats in our group, but we did get spooled once at Kains which was a bit of a shocker.
Didnt seem to be too many seals around which was encouraging.
Bites did happen at Cliffe, and apparently yesterday was unreal at Kains, but as usual, the outside never disappointed.
Gut checks on most of our fish had small bait (2-3") and decent sized squid (5-8"). Skinny G, Wee G and Turds were our go to's until we had to keep off the coho, then it was 5" and 6" plugs. Anything with green or chartreuse seemed to work.
Anyone know what causes that milky green water? Assuming algae. Looked like glacial runoff at times, but the fish didn't seem to care much.
Looking forward to an few more trips out that way.
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Busterbrown
Active Member
That is a lot of fish for one day … what is the daily limit on the West Coast??? Lots good eating in that pile
Captain PartyMarty
Crew Member
Just finishing up a week of charters! Lots of fish down deep offshore! Almost all of them fit within the offshore slot limit! Bottom fishing was excellent as usual! Hooked two Hali over 140cm which where let go!
Great bunch of guests really made for a fun week! Nice to see some old friends aswell!
Great bunch of guests really made for a fun week! Nice to see some old friends aswell!
Macdeep
Active Member
There was a big group of us. 2 Chinook pp, 2 coho per person and we didn’t even come close on our rock fish and lings. And no halibut this year. Lost the anchor on our second spot where we released two beauty yellow eye.
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