2024 Bamfield and Barkley Sound Reports

[salmonkiller01]

Good to know! I always leave the tail on a piece and portion into 4-6 pieces, each bag gets labelled. Then all bags from one fish go in a single bag.

I have never been checked but heard the officers are fine with this. I go for 8-10 days and really don’t want to freeze a full side of a 15-20lb spring.

Think you are set, it makes sense especially if you are freezing. We go for 3-4 days so no need to freeze

 

[Charleygirl]

Hi Everyone

It’s straight out of the classroom and right onto the water for me! So great to be back at Harbourside in Bamfield for the summer! We are up and running and ready to roll!

Ok, no one wants to hear my grandiose stories of last year’s high schooI basketball season, right?
You are all waiting for some “fish” news. Ok then, let’s get to it!

I have had a few chances to do some fishing recon this June before my actual season gets started. And… in a nutshell? Things look to be awesome coming into July and August.

I fished locally as I was attempting to make sure all was running well with my Grady, Charlie Girl.

The amount of bait, both squid and small immature herring, at Kirby was startling! And there were decent size springs taking advantage. A glow white turd hootchie went down on one side of the boat along with an Amundson Irish Cream skinny g knock off on the other. I fished the hootchie at 55 feet and the spoon at 45. Both were very effective although the hootchie hooked up the bigger fish. Jaime (my fishing partner) and I kept 4 springs ranging from 12 to 16 lbs along with a couple of coho.

Joe (one of our Harbourside Guides) and I went out for a few hours this past Thursday morning and kept 4 springs from 14 – 19 lbs. Gorgeous fish for this time of the year! We also ran an Amundson skinny g knock off (Bon Chovy) and glow white hootchie. Again, the hootchie hooked the larger of the fish. Magic depth was 53’ on the riggers.

So if you coming up in the next few days, drag your gear at Cape Beale, Austin, Cree, Mears or Kirby. Also plying any of the waters on the edge of the Sound would definitely pay off. The squid spawn is still happening and salmon moving down the Island are stopping in to fatten up. I keep saying to people that yes, August is so awesome here in Barkley, but June and July are amazing! Great fishing, few crowds and daylight that seems to last forever!

I haven’t got out for halis just yet, but I am planning to get out with my first crew this weekend. Word is hali fishing is solid, as it should be this time of year. Halibut are often found much closer to the coastline and even in the Sound early in the season. Salmon bellies, collars, heads are my go tos. Herring and octopus are also good bets. Find a hump that comes up on the bank say maybe from 150' to 220' and fish it on and around it. Anchoring up is always your best bet but only do it if you have the right gear. Drifting can still be effective on calm days at the tide changes

I’ll have another update in 3 or 4 days.

It’s still not too late to get up here for the long weekend. There are fish to be had! What other reason could there be? Oh yeah, it’s stunningly beautiful, full of amazing marine wildlife and the road is paved! Really? Just come…

Standing by, Coach…. (aka Jonathan / Charlie Girl)

 

[TMan]

I've never been here before, but fished Kirby today and got my daughter and her friend into their first chinooks. Only kept the one fish. Was a great day. Nice weather. Lots of fun. 3" AP Herring in Neon Army Truck. Dummy flasher. Around 50'.
Bamfield sure is a nice place.

 

[TMan]

Where is Cree?

 

[JWS]

Where is Cree?

Southern tip of broken group

 

[SpringFever552]

 

[TMan]

View attachment 107700

Thanks! I was looking and looking. But in the wrong spot.

 

[Flywheel]

Heading back after a pretty good few days of fishing. Saturday was very slow for us with only 4 coho to show for around 15 hours of fishing. Went back to Cree this morning and got quick limits on coho and springs. We ran flash flies, skinny gs and coho killers in a variety of colored and everything was working. Bite was best between 5:15 when we dropped lines and 7, then it picked back up on slack tide.

 

[Brambles]

First day of a weekend trip to Bamfield.

View attachment 107698

Fished Cree at first light this morning and picked up four nice springs up to 19 pounds as well as our coho. Ran offshore and enjoyed great weather conditions managed our halibut as well as about a dozen sablefish, which was a nice surprise.

Springs had a mix of small and large herring in their stomachs.

Hey, I just posted.on the ukee side about targeting sablefish during my trip there in a couple weeks, would you be willing to share any Intel? We're you using spreader bars or lead jigs? and what depth of water you found them at? Thx

 

[BigBadBrad]

Heard of a couple early Robertson Chinook poking their nose in the canal. Friend landed one sockeye fishing yesterday. 14lb bronzed back buck missing an adipose fin…..I will let you do the math.

BBB

 

[Flywheel]

Hey, I just posted.on the ukee side about targeting sablefish during my trip there in a couple weeks, would you be willing to share any Intel? We're you using spreader bars or lead jigs? and what depth of water you found them at? Thx

Hi Brambles - it's my first time catching sable fish so I'm no expert. To specifically target them you need to fish really deep. We were fishing in about 220 ft of water near a drop off of about 200 ft. very close to rat nose. We were targeting hali and using traditional hali gear and bait. We started catching sables when we tossed bait down on a smaller sized hook. There wasn't much to it. The difference maker seems to be a bit of luck as to whether they have come up from deeper water. If I were to try again, I'd set up in some shallower water around 200ft, near a drop off on anchor. Then I'd toss my normal hali gear as well as some smaller baited hooks and hope i get lucky.
Cheers,
Calum

 

[Brambles]

Hi Brambles - it's my first time catching sable fish so I'm no expert. To specifically target them you need to fish really deep. We were fishing in about 220 ft of water near a drop off of about 200 ft. very close to rat nose. We were targeting hali and using traditional hali gear and bait. We started catching sables when we tossed bait down on a smaller sized hook. There wasn't much to it. The difference maker seems to be a bit of luck as to whether they have come up from deeper water. If I were to try again, I'd set up in some shallower water around 200ft, near a drop off on anchor. Then I'd toss my normal hali gear as well as some smaller baited hooks and hope i get lucky.
Cheers,
Calum

Thanks Calum, that's super helpful..

 

[Umos]

Just got back from a few days fishing out of Bamfield. Fishing seemed really good for this time of year. Our first day was our only full day fishing, starting at Beale without luck then over to Cree where we got a teener Chinook and three coho. Headed off to rats nose and got our limits of Hali pretty quick on anchor, all smalls though. The next day we fished cree for a couple ours and got a couple Chinook and couple coho. We then headed out of the sound a bit for lings. Now I know ling fishing is meant to be the easiest fishing, ‘they’re everywhere’, but I have never had much luck finding them when I’ve looked. This time was different, starting right away w a nice 20 pounder, then 15 and a couple more 10s. Then something crazy happened, some beast took my hook and started peeling line and thrashing head, I pushed my squall 40 to max drag and couped the spool with my thumb, I managed to get it stopped and take 6 cranks up before it decided it pull again. It completely buckled my rod and took line before breaking off. I had 80 lb broad and a short 55lb mono leader, which I sure regret, would have loved to see what that fish was. Couldn’t have been bottom bc of the head thrashing and give and take of line, and I think a seal would have peeled line way faster. Huge ling, Hali? Anyway, final day we fished another couple hours at Cree, for our limit of coho and a couple teener Chinook. then went back out for Lings, getting skunked at a few new spots we tried, then picked up two more from the same spot we had luck the day before.White hoochie consistent outperformed spoons for salmon, fishing 45-65 on the rigger. Pipe jig was the performer for Lings and rockfish.

 

[ryanonthevedder]

Just got back from a few days fishing out of Bamfield. Fishing seemed really good for this time of year. Our first day was our only full day fishing, starting at Beale without luck then over to Cree where we got a tee er Chinook and three coho. Headed off to rats nose and got our limits of Hali pretty quick, all smalls though. The next day we fished crew for a couple ours and got a couple Chinook and couple coho. We the. Headed out of the sound a bit for lings. Now I know long fishing is meant to be the easiest fishing, ‘they’re everywhere’, but I have never had much luck finding them when I’ve looked. This time was different, starting right away w a nice 20 pounder, then 15 and a couple more 10s. Then something happened crazy happened, some beast took my hook and started peeling line and thrashing head, I pushed my squall 40 to max drag and couped the spool with my thumb, I managed to get it stopped and take 6 cranks up before it decided it pull again. It completely buckled my rod and peeled line before breaking off. I had 80 lb broad and a short 55lb mono leader, which I sure regret, would have loved to see what that fish was. Couldn’t have been bottom bc of the head thrashing and give and take of line, and I think a seal would have peeled line way faster. Huge ling, Hali?

Probably a nice shark. There are some nice sized salmon sharks and threshers caught out there from time to time.

What size of pipe jig were you using? Any bait or skirts?

Thanks for the report!

 

[Umos]

Shark, that makes sense.

1/2” x 8” pipe jig w now skirt or bait. Someone gave it to me, but I will be making a bunch before heading WCVI again.

Also forgot to mention a happening out there. One of the mornings around 7am w the bite on a small boat yelled out for help, he’d wrapped his prop w the rigger line and was drifting to the rocks around cree. when we got in there he was about 10’ from the rocks w a good sized swell. He didn’t have a line ready so I threw one and he tied it to his railing, which quickly pulled out from the glass. He retied to one of his bow cleats and I started inching them out in reverse but it gave too and flew into my anchor well. This time I asked him to lean over and tie to his bow eye, which held. Got him out, swapped to a stern clear on my boat and towed them down to effingham where he had a buddy boat. Nice guy, and we were happy to help of course, but would have been smart to drop his anchor, or at least ready a line while we approached.

 

[TMan]

Good job. Everybody needs to look out for one another on the water.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Sorry a little delayed on my post. Spent Canada Day weekend in Bamfield taking out one of my friends from Sooke/Vic who hasn't fished up here before.

Fishing and weather was great. Found it was more about finding the bait this trip, and working the tide changes. Fished all over (Cree/Austin, Kirby, Edward King).

 

[nomad14]

Ill be heading up next week, is the bait still pretty small up there, is it wee gee/coho killer size or will the skinny g/glow hoochi/turd suffice?

 

[SpringVelocity]

It is small mostly.

 

[trophywife]

Ill be heading up next week, is the bait still pretty small up there, is it wee gee/coho killer size or will the skinny g/glow hoochi/turd suffice?

small spoons and big white hootchies, turds.