2024 Ucluelet Reports

Doubletyee said:
Just heading to Ukee and want to try mooching squid. Question do most people bounce bottom or use a float. How deep of water and how deep off a float? I have probably bought 10 different types of squid jigs so hope one works. Do you catch the squid the night before or during the day? How long will they live in a bucket?
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I only did a few times last year, so no expert. If you use a small painted or anodized jig, like a 1 or 2 oz Gibbs minnow (barbless treble) you can catch a salmon while jigging for squid.
Live is good, but the day old dead ones flutter around better some say.
Float works to spread gear and vary depth with a bobber stop. Mooch near bottom. 25-70 feet. Can get crowded, give the guides room to work and don't plug up obvious trolling tacks.
 
Bunch of boats down past Food last year. Are there Squid there as well or just off Flo? We bobber fish tidewater at home for Springs, it would be fun with a live Squid here. Our favorite is when you aren't paying attention and you finally look up to 'where's my bobber?' and realize it's 'fish on'. Splash the boat this afternoon. Yea!!! jc Tuna Maru
 
Late start this morning do to a software issue with my chart plotter, so didn't leave the doc until 8:30. Wasn't sure how the update would work, so just ran to Great Bear. About 10 other boats doing the troll with one fish on as we deployed gear on my wife's favorite 114' contour line. A Spring or Coho on every pass until we finally limited on Springs at almost 2:00. 8 Springs and 2 Coho on with 4 nice high teens to 20 Springs and 2 mid-sized Coho in the bag. One rod with a Herring Aide Skinny-G at 75 took all fish other than one feeder Spring. Bait was really tiny 1 to 1 1/2" Herring that stuffed every fish, but Wee-g's and small AP's didn't get touched. Even the water laid down as the day progressed. If the week to come is anything like today, I'll be a really happy camper. Be safe on the water.
jc Tuna Maru
 
Nicer weather and slower today. 5 chances with 2 nice Springs in the bag, 1 feeder released. 85' was the depth today. People fishing Anchovies did better than we did. One thing we learned was really interesting. Water temp yesterday 59.6 to 61.4 (sorry, we use that wierd Fahrenheit scale). Today, started at 61.2 (three quick bites) then went to 65 on the outgoing current flow and our bite disappeared. After a couple of hours, we then went to Sail Rock to troll with one other boat through the low slack. They were fighting a Spring when we arrived, but nothing after that. About an hour later, we decided to quit for the day, but my wife wanted to make one more pass at Great Bear. When we arrived, we saw an incoming rip just starting to develope. As we crossed the rip to the ocean side, the temp dropped from 65.4 to 61.2. We immediately got a 20+ Spring and was bit again as soon as we reset. Unfortunately, we didn't stay with the head of that Current, but ran back to the start of our troll. I think the bait and the fish were pushed in with the head of the flow and if we had stayed with it, we may have had more chances. Just something to think about. Back at it tomorrow. jc
 
Yesterday went out to Mara at noon for a couple hrs and picked up 1 Spring and a Hatchey coho in about 30 mins. Lost 3 screamers. Went back out this morning early with about 8 other boats. Only got one shaker released before we got tired of the nasty swell. Moved over to Great Bear for one pass with no bites. Didn't see anyone hooking up at either spot. Did one more pass from Mussel to Foods. Released one shaker and called it quits as the wind and swell was getting worse. Pulled crab trap just to release 10 females. Not the best day today. Ha.

This week should be better with less wind and swell.
 
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I will second the tough conditions today. That south wind made things really uncomfortable. Windy really missed it. We started at Great Bear in really ugly maybe 3' disorganized swell with windchop on top and 'sheepies' everywhere. Made trolling uncomfortable at best. Saw a couple of fish landed, but nothing for us in the 2ish hours we stayed. Went to Chrow then across the channel and did Food to Beg for naught. Made it an early day, but did hear back at the dock that many that stuck it out at Great Bear, got their fish. Always tomorrow.
By the way, never jigged for squid in the harbour. Anyone be nice enough to suggest a location to try? I've heard in years past, the fuel doc at night, but don't have a clue.
Be safe on the water. jc Tuna Maru
 
For squid go down to Whiskey Dock by the Aquarium or any dock with a lot of light in the water. Jig off the floating section. Get there early to get a spot. It gets busy. Just got 8 with my kid. Gonna head back after dinner for evening gong show. These types of jigs work best. When the come keep your jig still till one grabs it then quickly haul it up. If you get a bunch above your jig yank it up and get a few at a time.
 

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Thank you. We are in a house just a couple of blocks away. I have plenty of jigs, have to give it a try. If it's too busy on the doc,I'll go grab the boat. Thanks again. jc
 
Jean Paul Carufo said:
I will second the tough conditions today. That south wind made things really uncomfortable. Windy really missed it. We started at Great Bear in really ugly maybe 3' disorganized swell with windchop on top and 'sheepies' everywhere. Made trolling uncomfortable at best. Saw a couple of fish landed, but nothing for us in the 2ish hours we stayed. Went to Chrow then across the channel and did Food to Beg for naught. Made it an early day, but did hear back at the dock that many that stuck it out at Great Bear, got their fish. Always tomorrow.
By the way, never jigged for squid in the harbour. Anyone be nice enough to suggest a location to try? I've heard in years past, the fuel doc at night, but don't have a clue.
Be safe on the water. jc Tuna Maru
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JC were you in the small aluminum cc with 2 gusy on board?
Was rough. I got a couple out there and called it early but dang... some some people puking for sure.
 
Took a couple friends out at 3:30pm today. 45 mins at Great Bear with no action. Picked up and ran out to Mara. Within 10 mins had a mid teen on but lost it. 1.5 hrs later 4 more lost which 2 were screamers. Finally boxed one 12 lber. Had to stop on the way back in to get our limits on Black Rockfish to try to make up for the loss. Haha.
 
Incredible day today at Great Bear. Fog made for an 'interesting' ride this morning. 93 and 83 on the riggers with a WestCoast Sex-y E Herring Aide glow was crazy. 8 Springs and a very nice Coho by 10:30 for 5 beautiful fish in the box. All 20's and the Coho was probably 14. Most fish on the Ally Rock end of the troll. Moved to Chrow on the way back to try to see if we could scare up some more Coho and 100' in to our first troll another nice Spring at 40' on the wire that we had to put back. Decided at 11:30 to call it a day.
Amazing thing witnessed early in the fog. We were paralleling the only other boat at Great Bear when I saw both their rods go down and I yelled 'double' at them. They were both in their wheel house. They came out and had a big Spring on one of the rods. As the gentleman was fighting his fish, a Humpback, that was feeding around Ally Rock, showed his tail maybe 10' off their stern, fouling their line and breaking everything off. Really scary thought about what 'might/could' have happened. Pretty amazing sight though. That thing was as close as it could have been and not made contact with their boat.
Hopefully tomorrow is as productive as today.
jc Tuna Maru
 
Took my kid and got another 30+ squid at Whiskey dock at 7pm before dark. After I put him to bed thought I'd try squiding at 52 steps to avoid the crowds. Got down there at 11pm. Setup an LED construction light off the side of my boat. Turned on the sonar and let the fun begin. Got 68 in about 30 mins.

Can't wait to try drift mooching for salmon. If anyone has any pointers how to do it let me know. I'm thinking just use a banana weight and leader. Hook the squid mid body to let is spin.
 

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nez_fer said:
Took my kid and got another 30+ squid at Whiskey dock at 7pm before dark. After I put him to bed thought I'd try squiding at 52 steps to avoid the crowds. Got down there at 11pm. Setup an LED construction light off the side of my boat. Turned on the sonar and let the fun begin. Got 68 in about 30 mins.

Can't wait to try drift mooching for salmon. If anyone has any pointers how to do it let me know. I'm thinking just use a banana weight and leader. Hook the squid mid body to let is spin.
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You could always fish them under a bobber. Slide a bead on the line then your bobber, then another bead. Tie to a 1 to 2oz trolling weight then your leader. Let out enough line to your preferred fishing depth and double over a rubber band to lock it on your line above the top bead, then snip the excess rubber band leaving just enough to stay locked on your line. It will act as a bobber stop as the line pays through your bobber stopping the lead at your preferred depth. Then you just wait until your bobber dissappears and it's 'fish on'. Super fun and easy way to fish squid. Especially live ones. Enjoy. jc Tuna Maru
 
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