2024 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports

[Rated-R]

fish are showing inside at camel rock, deeper than normal 80-110ft just off the rock. 2 mid 20s tonight on white hootchie.

 

[RiverBoy]

Thanks guys!!! Normally I would be in the Mistress trolling from Hoiss Point to Strange Island, or beercan bay to San Carlos, but this is a trip organized with a group of friends, so we are going to Zabellos.

The Zabellos road cannot possibly be as bad as Cougar Creek to Tuta Marina. When you get to the summit from Cougar Creek you are driving through a "canyon" blasted out of sheer rock, about 30 foot deep and easily two hundred yards from start to finish.

Then there is the hairpin curve with the pull out that drops about 100 feet straight down overlooking Galiano Bay. We towed into Tuta the first time because Shirley told us that Larry pulls his 21 foot boat in and its no problem. Shirley did not mention that Larry is one tough cookie who worked logging on the Island all his life and 20 % grades where the norm. All the same, we towed in a number of years into Tuta and saw trailers with blown tires, trucks with blown tires, etc.

But yes, carrying a spare, or two, is a good idea when the road bed is blasted sharp rock with some sand sprinkled over top.

I hope that Zabellos does not have the big crowds we are used to in Nootka. It should be just a little bit more remote.

For those who are doing Hoiss to Strange this year, if things are dead, and there is a flood tide, put on a green spackle back glow hootchie to 120 FOW. Start trolling faster and faster until the downrigger cable is back about 30 degrees. Put the motor in neutral, and let the ball take the flasher / hootchie back down to 120. Then start accelerating again to the max your release clip will handle and again go to neutral and glide to almost a stop.

Squid escape salmon by going down, not up. This trolling technique has saved alot of afternoons when there were fish around, but not hitting bait or spoons run at usual depths. People thought we were having trouble with our kicker, but also wondered why we had limited and they did not get a sniff.

Drewski

The road is mainly in great shape. There is one steep grade descending down into zeballos that is indeed blasted and I’ve cut two tires on the hill both times going uphill. You spin out and boom. Anyways you asked so I offered my two cents. Have a good trip it’s a beauty area

 

[Tighthead]

The road is mainly in great shape. There is one steep grade descending down into zeballos that is indeed blasted and I’ve cut two tires on the hill both times going uphill. You spin out and boom. Anyways you asked so I offered my two cents. Have a good trip it’s a beauty area

On the Woss side, or Fair Harbour?

 

[Fishdreamer]

Has anyone on here fished out of Zebellos? Technically it is Esperanza but I never see any posts? We are going in mid August as a group with Reel Obsession Charters, and it looks like it will be about 1/2 hour closer to the outside than running from Thasis, and it does have a river that should have returns of fish, but I can't find any posts on whether we will have any staging fish off the river mouth, or what the drive in is going to be like.

Hopefully the crab traps won't be pulled by every boat going past like in Gold.

It is a drive straight north of Campbell River, and it looks like a shorter run on gravel than going to Thasis from Gold, but no idea on how bad the washboard will be, how bad the hills are, etc.

Any help is appreciated.

Drewski

I fished out of both places and prefer Zeballos. Pleasant drive north of Campbell River to the turnoff, and then the gravel road is easy. Fished with Reel Obsession several times and always had a good time and always limited out.

 

[silverstreak]

Just got back from a week fishing nootka was pretty slow compared to last year for us. Fished outside at maquinna, wash rock, beano, and the monument with most success early in the week at the monument and between wash and the monument. Later in the week we fished further offshore off of beano and found some fish right on the boundary of the closure and the slot limit areas. All fish were caught on grand slam bucktails in micro and needle fish sizes. Fished spoons, hootchies, and anchovies without much success. All the fish had tiny bait in their stomachs which the micro gsb matched perfectly. Finished with 8 chinook and released a couple wild coho while fishing maquinna.

 

[chille51]

Just got back from a relatively last minute trip to Critter Cove that basically fell in my lap thanks to @WB59 . We took over the reservations he unfortunately couldn't make. Was my first time at CC after hearing a lot about it, so was eager to snap up the opportunity, and definitely loved the place. Hope to be back many more years. Was just a short trip, put the boat in Thursday morning and pulled it out Sunday morning. Lines down at Camel Rock by 10:30am while we waited for our room to be ready. Not much action so moved over to Hoiss until about 1pm, and yeah - nothing there either. Got checked in, had dinner, unloaded the boat etc. and went out for night bite. Managed to land the largest fish of the weekend (15.5 lbs) at Beer Can right when we were about to call it for the night.

As the previous poster said - pretty slow for the last couple days. We managed to bring home 4 fish total, and the other 3 were all sub 10lbs. Released a few shakers and a Sockeye of all things. Not sure what he was doing there but there he was. Chatter at the dock and on the radio sounded like most people weren't doing a lot better, though of course there are always a few top rods around that manage to tub out somehow when the rest of us are washing gear. Fished most of the usual inside spots, and went out to the Lighthouse and Wash Rock for both mornings before the wind came up. And it was pretty windy, even inside the sound was challenging but doable for my 17' - but definitely had to take advantage of the morning calms to push outside. Fog was heavy both the last two mornings as well, all the way into the the sound was pea soup until 9am or so this morning, when we headed home.

The fish we did catch were on either skinny g's or chovies, and anywhere from 80' to 50' on the wire, but mostly in the middle of that range. Most other people I talked to were also using the same tactics.

Was a bit of a clusterf**K at the launch this morning, with a parade of boats idling in the channel waiting to pull out. Word was nobody showed up to unlock the gate to the trailer parking until late. Launching on Thursday I had words with some guy who gave me the gears for "launching on the pull out side, making everyone wait". Funny thing was when we got there, everyone was pulling out on the left side (looking down the ramp) - so we launched on the right. Never having been there before we apologized and went on with the day, but did note with suspicion that everyone we saw was doing the opposite of what he claimed. When we got there to pull out today every one was doing so on the left, and I even asked the boat ahead of us to confirm while we were all waiting. So I have concluded that guy on the first day was full of it.

 

[pescador]

Just got back from a relatively last minute trip to Critter Cove that basically fell in my lap thanks to @WB59 . We took over the reservations he unfortunately couldn't make. Was my first time at CC after hearing a lot about it, so was eager to snap up the opportunity, and definitely loved the place. Hope to be back many more years. Was just a short trip, put the boat in Thursday morning and pulled it out Sunday morning. Lines down at Camel Rock by 10:30am while we waited for our room to be ready. Not much action so moved over to Hoiss until about 1pm, and yeah - nothing there either. Got checked in, had dinner, unloaded the boat etc. and went out for night bite. Managed to land the largest fish of the weekend (15.5 lbs) at Beer Can right when we were about to call it for the night.

As the previous poster said - pretty slow for the last couple days. We managed to bring home 4 fish total, and the other 3 were all sub 10lbs. Released a few shakers and a Sockeye of all things. Not sure what he was doing there but there he was. Chatter at the dock and on the radio sounded like most people weren't doing a lot better, though of course there are always a few top rods around that manage to tub out somehow when the rest of us are washing gear. Fished most of the usual inside spots, and went out to the Lighthouse and Wash Rock for both mornings before the wind came up. And it was pretty windy, even inside the sound was challenging but doable for my 17' - but definitely had to take advantage of the morning calms to push outside. Fog was heavy both the last two mornings as well, all the way into the the sound was pea soup until 9am or so this morning, when we headed home.

The fish we did catch were on either skinny g's or chovies, and anywhere from 80' to 50' on the wire, but mostly in the middle of that range. Most other people I talked to were also using the same tactics.

Was a bit of a clusterf**K at the launch this morning, with a parade of boats idling in the channel waiting to pull out. Word was nobody showed up to unlock the gate to the trailer parking until late. Launching on Thursday I had words with some guy who gave me the gears for "launching on the pull out side, making everyone wait". Funny thing was when we got there, everyone was pulling out on the left side (looking down the ramp) - so we launched on the right. Never having been there before we apologized and went on with the day, but did note with suspicion that everyone we saw was doing the opposite of what he claimed. When we got there to pull out today every one was doing so on the left, and I even asked the boat ahead of us to confirm while we were all waiting. So I have concluded that guy on the first day was full of it.

The FN manager of the launch gave me the gears several years ago about retrieving from the right side (looking down ramp). Same thing, it was a busy day with no one managing the trailer launches. People were doing whatever they wanted. Finally enough people started complaining so they came out of the trailer and started directing traffic I just happened to be the last guy to pull up the right ramp with my boat so he came after me. Since then I launch on right always retrieve on left. There is no signage, no one directing traffic and no one really seeming to give a **** from a managerial perspective so it's easy to screw up.

 

[Fishin]

quick weekend trip to moutcha bay launched in gold river Friday at 10am did a few passes at the light house while we waited for our room no action and lots of debris in the water fished wash rock sat morning lots of debris again tough keeping the rods down had to check every 5-10min for kelp picked up a few nice hatch coho back at the light house and released a few, landed a nice spring later in the day inside at hoiss pt. Sunday was much better picked up a spring and a beauty coho right away as we did a few passes before heading home on the inside so definitely a few fish starting to show up on the inside most guys at the dock said it was on the slow side this weekend we went home with 5 nice fish, Back in august for a week can’t wait!

 

[chille51]

quick weekend trip to moutcha bay launched in gold river Friday at 10am did a few passes at the light house while we waited for our room no action and lots of debris in the water fished wash rock sat morning lots of debris again tough keeping the rods down had to check every 5-10min for kelp picked up a few nice hatch coho back at the light house and released a few, landed a nice spring later in the day inside at hoiss pt. Sunday was much better picked up a spring and a beauty coho right away as we did a few passes before heading home on the inside so definitely a few fish starting to show up on the inside most guys at the dock said it was on the slow side this weekend we went home with 5 nice fish, Back in august for a week can’t wait!

Yes, forgotto to mention that. The weeds were definitely a problem anytime we went further out than Friendly Cove this weekend.

 

[barkerfam]

Week in Nootka was glorious as always! Much slower than last year, but did catch fish every day.

Lighthouse to monument and maquinna were our best. Fished Burdwood hard and although there was tons of bait and arches on the sounder, could not get a fish to bite.

Bait is small, so the micro bucktails were the "hot" lure. Did manage a 25 at maquinna.

 

[MRW]

Not a report but just a question. Picked up one of these and thought I’d try it out next week when I’m in Nootka. Can you troll them as usual or are they for going faster or slower. Thought it be fun to try being in Nootka.
Thanks

 

[Hot-Streak]

Hello all,

I'm heading up to Nooka for the first time next week (29th July till maybe 1st Aug) My friends will be up there at a lodge with their boat and I will be camping at cougar creek and getting picked up at the dock daily.

I've read what info there is on the BC gov site but had a few questions about the camping at cougar creek.
1) The site says I should pay in cash? if so where/to who do I pay the $15

2) For camping will it be cold at night this time of year? trying to figure out what gear we need for sleeping bags etc. We will sleep in cots

3) what is the bug situation?

4) should I bring up my own water?

5) We are coming up in my friends car and have space for gear so should I bring a propane fire pit?

Any other tips/pointers for making it a nice stay there? we plan to be out fishing most of the time.

Thanks

 

[WesternStar]

Heading up to nootka thursday for the annual week long trip. Hope things pick up a bit more by the sounds of it. Will give an update if it does.

 

[salmonkiller01]

Hello all,

I'm heading up to Nooka for the first time next week (29th July till maybe 1st Aug) My friends will be up there at a lodge with their boat and I will be camping at cougar creek and getting picked up at the dock daily.

I've read what info there is on the BC gov site but had a few questions about the camping at cougar creek.
1) The site says I should pay in cash? if so where/to who do I pay the $15

2) For camping will it be cold at night this time of year? trying to figure out what gear we need for sleeping bags etc. We will sleep in cots

3) what is the bug situation?

4) should I bring up my own water?

5) We are coming up in my friends car and have space for gear so should I bring a propane fire pit?

Any other tips/pointers for making it a nice stay there? we plan to be out fishing most of the time.

Thanks

Campsite manager. Is who you pay on site

Can be hot or cool, bring gear for cool as it can rain or fog rolls in

Bugs- yes Mosquitos, horsefly’s to a lesser extent

Bring water can not remember if they have a well

Enjoy.

 

[Hot-Streak]

Thanks. Coming out next week. Fishing with the kids so hopefully they’re right where you left them.

I will be there starting 29 july (full day fishing 30 July) have you been before? if so any advice for a first timer?

Campsite manager. Is who you pay on site

Can be hot or cool, bring gear for cool as it can rain or fog rolls in

Bugs- yes Mosquitos, horsefly’s to a lesser extent

Bring water can not remember if they have a well

Enjoy.

Thanks! appreciate the info. It will help me prepare better. Now to figure out the fishing part! cheers

 

[salmonkiller01]

I will be there starting 29 july (full day fishing 30 July) have you been before? if so any advice for a first timer?

Thanks! appreciate the info. It will help me prepare better. Now to figure out the fishing part! cheers

We all try to figure out the fishing part! That’s the fun of it, otherwise we would call it catching.
If first time some info:
Small anchovies, leader 6-7’
Small spoons
Small hootchies
Troll speed 3-3.5mph
Fishing depth anywhere from 40-70

Watch out for being cut off and if it is packed with boats and a guy close to you hooks up and his fish is comming your way, bring up your cannonball and then the rod. 50’ slack won’t tangle in my experience.
Oh and have a great time, beautiful place

 

[chille51]

The FN manager of the launch gave me the gears several years ago about retrieving from the right side (looking down ramp). Same thing, it was a busy day with no one managing the trailer launches. People were doing whatever they wanted. Finally enough people started complaining so they came out of the trailer and started directing traffic I just happened to be the last guy to pull up the right ramp with my boat so he came after me. Since then I launch on right always retrieve on left. There is no signage, no one directing traffic and no one really seeming to give a **** from a managerial perspective so it's easy to screw up.

Yeah, as a first time user of the launch I always assess the situation before I even get lined up with the trailer. I park and take a walk down, check the water depth and see what is going on. Everyone was pulling out on the left so I launched on the right. And one guy felt the need to tell me I was messing up the flow. I guess according to him, me, you, the manager who talked to you, the other boat I talked to and literally every one of the 20 other boats I watched launch and retrieve yesterday are doing it wrong. Maybe he should offer lessons to the rest of us?

Seriously though, I agree there are some very simple ways to eliminate any such confusion. Signage for one - could be as simple as a can of spray paint, "launch" on one lane, "retrieve" on the other.

 

[Dogbreath]

Have caught many a Sockeye inside of Nootka in fact back in another century we used to keep them; second last trip I caught one @ Wash Rock and had him in & out of the boat in record time.

I was So Proud of the 'unique aquamarine coloured Coho' I C & R'ed that it took me over 24 hrs to realise it had been a Sockeye.

 

[doug78]

Just finished quick trip at cougar creek, 3 fishing days.
Got 7 springs (one off our limit and lost a couple in the final hour...)
4 Ling's, 1 hali, 3 china rockfish, 2 vermillion and 1 quillback.

All salmon caught inside between the wall and camel rock, anchovies. 50-70 feet deep. Speed between 2.4 and 2.8. Don't be afraid to shorten those leaders.

Spent a total of 16 hours offshore on Friday/sunday and slowly got the fish. Got super lucky on Sunday we fought through the fog from critter cove all the way out and were rewarded with clear skies by 9 am offshore. Couldn't see shore until 2 when we headed in.

Was a grind but we left happy and I was super pumped to be back at cougar creek for the first time in a few years. Good to see the hosts and have a visit. Thanked them for taking care of it for all these years(over 20 now), can't wait to go back for a longer trip so i can enjoy some more time in camp.

Road is good until the tahsis/cougar fork then it's a mixed bag dropping into cougar.

Starlink users beware, the magnificent trees make it pretty sluggish. But I used it to get my weather reports and that got us outside twice.

 

[Hot-Streak]

Just finished quick trip at cougar creek, 3 fishing days.
Got 7 springs (one off our limit and lost a couple in the final hour...)
4 Ling's, 1 hali, 3 china rockfish, 2 vermillion and 1 quillback.

All salmon caught inside between the wall and camel rock, anchovies. 50-70 feet deep. Speed between 2.4 and 2.8. Don't be afraid to shorten those leaders.

Spent a total of 16 hours offshore on Friday/sunday and slowly got the fish. Got super lucky on Sunday we fought through the fog from critter cove all the way out and were rewarded with clear skies by 9 am offshore. Couldn't see shore until 2 when we headed in.

Was a grind but we left happy and I was super pumped to be back at cougar creek for the first time in a few years. Good to see the hosts and have a visit. Thanked them for taking care of it for all these years(over 20 now), can't wait to go back for a longer trip so i can enjoy some more time in camp.

Road is good until the tahsis/cougar fork then it's a mixed bag dropping into cougar.

Starlink users beware, the magnificent trees make it pretty sluggish. But I used it to get my weather reports and that got us outsid

Thanks for the report. Headed to Cougar Creek monday and fishing with friends boat. They will pick me up at the ramp daily as they will stay at a lodge. Should we be trying go out first light to mittingate winds?

Also is it worth it to bring a hali anchor? or will drifting work?