2024 Port Alberni and Alberni Inlet Reports

[Adrenafin]

Double black hooks, and bubble gum mini hootchies working best for me. Best depths seem to be 50 to 65 feet. 8 in the boat by eight this morning.

 

[capman]

I'm going to fish Bamfield at the end of July, do sockeye runs end by then? I'm thinking of going one day to the China Creek area to fish for sockeye if the run is still there.

 

[SpringVelocity]

most likely done.

 

[coriba]

How far back do you put your dummy flasher and what leader length do you use? From what I’ve seen and read, it’s all over the place.

 

[Adrenafin]

Dummy should be the same as your set back from the cable, around 6=8 feet. Leader length 19 - 27 inches 1.7 mph
Landed 12 and lost a bunch by 8:15 this morning all around leaning tree.

 

[S-357]

Dummy should be the same as your set back from the cable, around 6=8 feet. Leader length 19 - 27 inches 1.7 mph
Landed 12 and lost a bunch by 8:15 this morning all around leaning tree.

Where abouts is leaning tree ?

 

[Adrenafin]

Where abouts is leaning tree ?

South of China creek on the eastern side just past Underwood cove

 

[S-357]

South of China creek on the eastern side just past Underwood cove

Ok thanks!

 

[chille51]

Just want to confirm my interpretation of the current regs in the inlet right now, based on the maps on DFO website. Basically, the inlet is open for sockeye all the way up to Bilton Point/Coleman Creek until August 1st? Including Nahmint Bay? And technically also open for springs and coho, not that I expect to encounter them in any sort of numbers this early. Not counting the Somass river portion which we won't be going near.

 

[High Time]

SOMASS SOCKEYE BULLETIN # 5 – 2024 Date: July 4, 2024
For more information please contact the DFO office in Port Alberni at 250-720-4440
Somass Sockeye Stock Assessment Update
Pre-season forecast:
Somass (Great Central and Sproat): 500,000 Somass in-season re-forecast: 675,000
Henderson: Outlook 15,000 – 25,000
Escapement to June 25: Stamp: 100,616 Sproat: 28,127 Total: 128,743
Test Fishery: Seine vessel Nita Maria operated June 30 – July 1
Abundance estimate: 65,000 outside Ten Mile Point & 65,000 inside
Catch Estimate: ~ 189,607
Somass First Nations – 61,514 Maa-nulth First Nations – 13,766
Area D Gillnet – 41,661 Area B Seine – 46,452
Recreational – 18,759 Test boat – 7,455
Weekly Fishing Plans (All fishing plans are subject to change):
Fishing plans are developed to minimize disruptions across the various fisheries. Please be respectful of
all groups while participating in the fishery.
First Nations
Tsu-ma-uss (Hupacasath & Tseshaht) – FSC hook & line open 7 days a week. Tseshaht community drag seine
open from 5 am to 6 pm Friday July 5 and Saturday July 6 and from 5 am to 12 pm Sunday July 7 at Paper Mill
Dam (PMD) pool. Hupacasath limited fleet community EO gillnet fishery open daily from 6 am to 6 pm Friday July 5
and Saturday July 6 from PMD to Hoik Island. EO gillnets are open 12 pm Sunday July 7 until 12 pm Monday July
8, with possible extension, from PMD to Hoik Island. PMD pool remains closed to hook & line.
Maa-nulth – Open 7 days a week for hook & line and gillnet fisheries within the Southern Maa-nulth Domestic
Fishing Area (MDFA) (Barkley Sound to Sproat Narrows). The harvest plan includes the contracting of designated
Area D Gillnet vessels displaying green Maa-nulth identification flags to harvest Sockeye within the MDFA, which
includes fishing areas normally restricted to commercial gillnet vessels, including Uchucklesit Inlet, Rainy Bay, San
Mateo Bay and Numukamis Bay.
Commercial
Area D Gillnet – Open 6 am to 8pm Tuesday July 9, with a possible extension, from Polly Point to Pocahontas.
Polly Point to Hocking Point closed from 6am to 12 pm.
Area B Seine – Open 10am Sunday July 7 until 10pm Wednesday July 10, with the possibility of extension.
Boundaries from Bilton Point / Coleman Creek to Polly Point with a “seine free zone” closed area near China Creek
(Dunsmuir to Hocking Point). Possible opening of the seine-free zone as early as Monday depending on fishing
success.
Recreational
Tidal opened on May 1. The daily catch limit is four from Alberni Harbour to the A23 surf line (Cape Beale to
Amphitrite Point) and two in the tidal portions of the Somass River. Finfish closure around Uchucklesit Inlet from
Bilton / Coleman Creek to Chup Point / Hissin Point to come into effect June 30. See FN0404: RECREATIONAL
Salmon - Sockeye - Barkley Sound, Alberni Inlet, and the tidal portion of the Somass River - Area 23 - Opening
Sockeye non-retention starting June 30 for San Mateo Bay and the entrance to Alberni Inlet. See FN0531:
RECREATIONAL - Salmon - Sockeye - San Mateo Bay and the entrance to Alberni Inlet - Subareas 23-3 and 23-4
- Sockeye Non-retention
Freshwater open from May 1 to July 23 in a portion of the Somass River at Somass Park. Catch limit is one Sockeye
per day. See FN0405: RECREATIONAL Salmon - Sockeye - Portion of the Somass River at Somass Park - Region

 

[Birdman]

thinking of headng up tomorrow, wondering what the hot depths have been?

 

[Adrenafin]

Fun day in the canal this morning. Had my cousins family on board for sockeye madness. This young fella had an uncanny ability to call which rod will fire next. 14 in the boat by 10 but got too warm to stay out much longer.

 

[Breakin"even]

Good day today, went 7/8 today, With one downrigger out of commision for part of the day.

 

[Maverick burak]

Nice where were you fishing and how deep

 

[chille51]

First morning on the water, first time fishing Sox ever. 0 for 6. 16 y/old nephew wanted to horse thenm in so lost a couple at the side of the boat, and a couple more lost soon after the hit and before they broke the surface. All the action was between 5-7am for us then the bite definicely stopped. Saw a few other boats with nets out later in the morning, but also talked to folks at the dock who have been here for a few weeks, and they said it definitely slowed down compared to a couple days ago. So I'm reasonably confident our lack of results is not entirely attributable to rookie mistakes, though I'm sure they are a factor. Will try the evening bite and back out tomorrow morning.

We were fishing from China Creek west towards Macktush, both sides and up the middle too.

 

[Breakin"even]

Nice where were you fishing and how deep

70" and go slow.

 

[chille51]

70" and go slow.

Not really specifically directed at you Breakin"even, but one thing I have been wondering as I figure out this fishery. When someone is stacking rods, maybe on top of a dummy flasher or two... when they say a depth, are they talking on their counter to the ball, or are they adjusting for the spacing of all the gear on the line. Could be 20' or more difference depending how they set up, especially to the top rod. Wonder if there is any standard here?

Anyway, starting to figure this out after getting skunked yesterday morning. Got out for evening fish last night, and pulled one 6lber (according to the scale at China Creek). Then up early this morning and bonked 6, lost about the same. Main thing I did different was shorten up my setbacks from the riggers line, which I thought were already short compared to what I am used to. Could have just been a better bite this AM.

 

[salmonkiller01]

Not really specifically directed at you Breakin"even, but one thing I have been wondering as I figure out this fishery. When someone is stacking rods, maybe on top of a dummy flasher or two... when they say a depth, are they talking on their counter to the ball, or are they adjusting for the spacing of all the gear on the line. Could be 20' or more difference depending how they set up, especially to the top rod. Wonder if there is any standard here?

Anyway, starting to figure this out after getting skunked yesterday morning. Got out for evening fish last night, and pulled one 6lber (according to the scale at China Creek). Then up early this morning and bonked 6, lost about the same. Main thing I did different was shorten up my setbacks from the riggers line, which I thought were already short compared to what I am used to. Could have just been a better bite this AM.

When we fished north of Campbell for sockeye our set back was 6 feet and that did the trick. We were running longer and were getting skunked. Stacked 15 feet apart

 

[chille51]

I think I'm shortened up to about 6 on the bottom rod and 4 on the top, stacked only 10' apart. As Molly Hatchet sang - Flirtin' with Disaster! But it seemed to work this morning.

When we fished north of Campbell for sockeye our set back was 6 feet and that did the trick. We were running longer and were getting skunked. Stacked 15 feet apart

 

[Hoochies Galore]

Any recent report for sockeye? Heading up Thursday.