2024 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports
- Thread starter Denny Dolittle
- Start date
steve lawrence
New Member
Just got back from 5 days at Port Eliza Lodge fishing Esperanza. As always it was a great few days of friends laughter and fun fishing.
Got salmon mostly in the teens but a couple in the 20's as well. The gap was the best spot for us but also caught at inner Black when the wind was blowing hard (which was too often). Pin Rock was also productive when we could get there. Lings were around as well at both spots. We got offshore for Hali one day only and the group did well that day as well. Great time and as always Jim and Sue were the perfect hosts. See you in September.
Got salmon mostly in the teens but a couple in the 20's as well. The gap was the best spot for us but also caught at inner Black when the wind was blowing hard (which was too often). Pin Rock was also productive when we could get there. Lings were around as well at both spots. We got offshore for Hali one day only and the group did well that day as well. Great time and as always Jim and Sue were the perfect hosts. See you in September.
Perfect timing for inside fish. We used to go in around the 10th. San Carlo, Camel, Beer can bay.
Gotta get Back there one day.
We left Critter Cove on Wednesday after 10 days of fishing. Off the start fish were found at Maquinna Rock, Wash Rock and Discovery. 40-60' feet on the downrigger using anchovy, white cuddlefish with a glow strip and blue/silver skinny g. Fish full of tiny herring and squid, if they had anything in the stomach. Mostly in the low to mid teen size. Skunked at Beano, Escalante, Burdwood and Camel Rock.
As the trip progressed it seemed the size of the new wave of fish did as well. The wind came up late in the morning most days and Wash Rock was our go to place with 3 fish over 20 lbs on the last days. Springs were showing up at Hoise and Coopte Points on the inside.
As the trip progressed it seemed the size of the new wave of fish did as well. The wind came up late in the morning most days and Wash Rock was our go to place with 3 fish over 20 lbs on the last days. Springs were showing up at Hoise and Coopte Points on the inside.
queensalmon
New Member
There used to be a color coded map for chinook like I’m finding for coho! Am I missing something. Trying to find out what happens July 14 as far as size and retention 1 mile out. Does it change again in August like before?
Eden Island
Well-Known Member
Yes -- the coho maps were posted later than usual, and DFO says the chinook ones will be posted - not sure when.
Alison2
Well-Known Member
We’re in Esperanza, staying at Flynn’s Cove again, and Jim and Sue at Port Eliza have been very accommodating by flash freezing our fish for us. Ran in to Jeff from West Coast Fishing Tackle and he gave us a flasher to try. He’s such a solid guy! The flasher killed it so we bought a couple more, and his small spoons, at the Esperanza gas bar store. It made all the difference. The Chrome Zone and Chartreuse flashers with the Sex-E Sixty Nine and Herring Aid spoons. Buy them if you are coming here. You won’t be disappointed. That’s all we used today trolling and caught 8 chinook, 2 coho, a ling, rock fish and an under Hali at high rock. The chinook were all in the teens with the biggest at 21lbs. We were back at the dock by 130pm. The bigger fish are just starting to roll in.
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Just back from 3 days at Critter Cove. Fished Sat-Mon. Saturday morning was still good, slower but ok the afternoon. Sun morning still ok but then as off noon until departure on Mon noon it was dead for salmon. Almost no one caught a fish anymore all from Lighthouse to Beano. Turns out a nasty brown algae bloom developed (maybe due to the hot temps) and the water was turbid as wastewater. Salmon probably buggered off at that point. Luckily we had a few decent springs already bagged by time the salmon left. Fishing lines were fouling from Algae slime and lots of jellyfish moved in and added to the yuck. Too bad. After it became clear that salmon was useless we focused on bottom fish. 2 halis came onboard. A few 70-75cm lings went back hoping for bigger but the 2 bigger ones that bit shook the hook before the gaff was deployed. No salmon on the inside yet, a few people tried already but no avail. Critter treated us well, will be back some day; hopefully to hotter fishing.
Fishin
Well-Known Member
that’s not super encouraging glad you got into some though sounds like a decent trip overall I’ve never had good luck with halibut out there but I usually don’t go until mid august so probably why, Heading up on the 19th of July hopefully the waters improved by then!
Mervillite
Member
Went out with family for a week. Started at Friendly Cove to Wash rock for morning fishes Wed/Thurs last week and fishing was hot. 34 and 36 on the riggers, small spoons. Fished 2-3 hours per morning and went in with 3 or 4 fish each day and several others lost. We tried Beercan bay in the afternoon on Friday and in 2 passes got 2 fish in high teens so called it quits. Always fish 65-75' at beercan. again small spoons worked. The weekend saw the fishing slow. The morning bite died but there were some afternoon bites. More like 1-2 fish per few hours out. cycled some hootchies and other lures as well but the small spoons with green on them worked best. Tried Hoiss Pt Sat night and lost 2 but otherwise all shakers. We figured the first batch of fish moved in and then through with all the rain from the week before. Sun and Mon were slow but we still got 1-2 fish for every few hours out. Fished Wash rock, Friendly and Maquinna the last few days to get those as well. Saw lots of people fishing the edge outside wash so would assume they were fishing bottom. Monday morning the fleet was at Maquinna, there were some fish being caught there, that is where we got our fish on Monday as well. great fishing offshore when the wind was down. some nice Lings and Halis as well as a few black bass and Vermillion. Kids and parents alike had a great trip, even got some tubing in with the hot weather. Group of 7 people took home 17 springs, 8 lings, 7 halis, 5 black bass and 5 vermillion. We were also surprised to find the prawning was decent on the inside as well so soon after the commercial opening. Biggest spring was 24lbs, biggest Hali was 31lbs, biggest ling was 22lbs. Tight lines!
Mervillite,
Help me understand where Beer Can Bay is located? We fish Nootka out of Critter Cove every July, and I don't know that I've ever heard the location term Beer Can Bay. Sounds like it may be known to us, but not by that name? We will be there in 10 days and would love to give this spot a try, if we know where it is. Thanks for your help!
Help me understand where Beer Can Bay is located? We fish Nootka out of Critter Cove every July, and I don't know that I've ever heard the location term Beer Can Bay. Sounds like it may be known to us, but not by that name? We will be there in 10 days and would love to give this spot a try, if we know where it is. Thanks for your help!
As you head past Blythe Island on the way to the outside, it is the big long bay with all of the blue floats (beer cans).
WesternStar
New Member
Its essentially right across from hoiss pt, on west side of Bligh island. You’ll see a bay with a whole bunch of buoys that look like the sweet nector of beer cans
Mervillite
Member
you must know where San Carlos pt is. Follow the shore around a few bays and in the corner there is an island with a cabin in behind it. just past the corner there is an oyster farm with blue floats. That bay before the floats is called beercan bay. fish the edge of the shelf in 80-100ft of water with riggers down at 65-75 and it can produce. If there are fish at Coopte pt, there are fish at beercan bay too, and fewer boats.
Marsman
Active Member
Marsman
Active Member
Headed up on Monday with the misses camping at Tuta. Not taking the boat as a buddy is there and I'll jump in with him for a couple days.
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