Doubleheader
Well-Known Member
This rain brought 15#ers and coho into every possible spot.
2025 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports
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Yesterday and the day before out of Moutcha Bay. Fishing Camel Rock the Wall and near Critter Cove. Got some nice chinook, mostly on a 5" slim Fishinator plug, Herring Aid type colours. Also my Neon Army Truck AP Herring. 30 to 70 feet. I've never been there before. I'll be back. Got my wife into her first salmon! 18.5lbs! Good start! Met up with some friends who were in the Yurts, very nice accommodations. Just hanging out after fishing on the deck. Awesome! Saw sea otters and a couple of bears. Got to change a trailer bearing in my campsite too. Added bonus.....A great adventure.
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salmonkiller01
Well-Known Member
O ring on fuel cap. Also has the threads on an old one fail( pot metal) let lots of water in
tubber
Well-Known Member
Weather looks good enough to me. Happy birthday! The guides there know.
Drewski Canuck
Active Member
SHOUT OUT TO BEN AND THE MOUTCHA BAY CREW!!!
We started with a bang at Hoise Point on the first morning on a rental boat from Moutcha Bay Resort. 4 Springs in 3 hours with a few that got off. Sound then went dead til the evening when we faced the wind at 3 cove bay to fight a good Spring to the boat but could not finish the deal.
Next day was tough with one Spring and one very nice 8.5 # coho at the lighthouse. Had spent the morning at the wall with about 30 other boats but no one was getting any action. Outside was rough when we got there, and most of the hits was on anchovie in a chrome green or chrome purple teaser head. Alot of torn bait and the hits were happening but not really aggressive and just the two to show for.
Third day we were at the Wall again, and did pick up one, and then tried different spots until we hit Hissnit at 5 and had a double header of mid 70s springs, and landed an 83 cm as well. We had to be in by 7 with the rental boat and fish processing was cut off at 7 meaning we had to cut things short even though there was a solid bite going on.
Last day was planned for a bottom fish / halibut charter, but winds blew up pretty strong ending that idea. Ben was our guide, and he was top notch all the way. I had a 67 year old friend from Florida with me who had no experience fishing single action reels, which is what was on the Charter Boat. Moutcha Bay is taking delivery of a fleet of 31 foot North Rivers and we were on one of the new ones for the day. These boats are easily north of 1/2 million and had all the features you could dream about.
Early on I asked Ben to take care of my Friend who was finding the single action reels a challenge, and Ben followed through, and then some.
I have to say that Ben was very supportive of my friend who is an avid avid fisherman who has fished Billfish and the Redfish Tournament circuit in the US, but Salmon are a different strategy, especially with barbless hooks.
Ben was able to explain how we fight the fish, and why we keep the rods high and back away from the side of the boat for netting, and how the netting of bigger fish is done successfully. We easily churned 15 coho to get our hatchery coho for a limit and we ended up with a couple of good Springs to top it off as a 9 fish day.
Size of the Springs is down, and alot of what we caught were hatchery marked Springs which is very different from other years.
But the bonus is the best Coho fishing for mid August I have ever seen at Nootka. Lots of our Coho were in the 8.5 - 10 # range and the prize was a 12 pound double weighed with different scales Coho.
Now that the fish farms are getting pulled, the PRV virus should clear up, and we should see the Conuma and Thasis Springs start to rebuild especially the 4 - 7 year class fish. There was a 28 # spring taken off of Hoisse point the day before we arrived, but the biggest fish we had was 24 # and most were 14 - 19 # for most of the other fishermen.
Ben, I hope your boss realizes what an asset you are to the Nootka Marine Group crew. But please do try and rig some 3/0 & 4/0 circle hooks on your flash flies and spoons and you will understand what I was telling you on landing success rates.
Drewski
We started with a bang at Hoise Point on the first morning on a rental boat from Moutcha Bay Resort. 4 Springs in 3 hours with a few that got off. Sound then went dead til the evening when we faced the wind at 3 cove bay to fight a good Spring to the boat but could not finish the deal.
Next day was tough with one Spring and one very nice 8.5 # coho at the lighthouse. Had spent the morning at the wall with about 30 other boats but no one was getting any action. Outside was rough when we got there, and most of the hits was on anchovie in a chrome green or chrome purple teaser head. Alot of torn bait and the hits were happening but not really aggressive and just the two to show for.
Third day we were at the Wall again, and did pick up one, and then tried different spots until we hit Hissnit at 5 and had a double header of mid 70s springs, and landed an 83 cm as well. We had to be in by 7 with the rental boat and fish processing was cut off at 7 meaning we had to cut things short even though there was a solid bite going on.
Last day was planned for a bottom fish / halibut charter, but winds blew up pretty strong ending that idea. Ben was our guide, and he was top notch all the way. I had a 67 year old friend from Florida with me who had no experience fishing single action reels, which is what was on the Charter Boat. Moutcha Bay is taking delivery of a fleet of 31 foot North Rivers and we were on one of the new ones for the day. These boats are easily north of 1/2 million and had all the features you could dream about.
Early on I asked Ben to take care of my Friend who was finding the single action reels a challenge, and Ben followed through, and then some.
I have to say that Ben was very supportive of my friend who is an avid avid fisherman who has fished Billfish and the Redfish Tournament circuit in the US, but Salmon are a different strategy, especially with barbless hooks.
Ben was able to explain how we fight the fish, and why we keep the rods high and back away from the side of the boat for netting, and how the netting of bigger fish is done successfully. We easily churned 15 coho to get our hatchery coho for a limit and we ended up with a couple of good Springs to top it off as a 9 fish day.
Size of the Springs is down, and alot of what we caught were hatchery marked Springs which is very different from other years.
But the bonus is the best Coho fishing for mid August I have ever seen at Nootka. Lots of our Coho were in the 8.5 - 10 # range and the prize was a 12 pound double weighed with different scales Coho.
Now that the fish farms are getting pulled, the PRV virus should clear up, and we should see the Conuma and Thasis Springs start to rebuild especially the 4 - 7 year class fish. There was a 28 # spring taken off of Hoisse point the day before we arrived, but the biggest fish we had was 24 # and most were 14 - 19 # for most of the other fishermen.
Ben, I hope your boss realizes what an asset you are to the Nootka Marine Group crew. But please do try and rig some 3/0 & 4/0 circle hooks on your flash flies and spoons and you will understand what I was telling you on landing success rates.
Drewski
Doubleheader
Well-Known Member
The reason you’re catching mostly clipped chinooks is because the Conuma hatchery has 100% clip rate now. There were plenty of fish farms up here in 1995, wasn’t hard to catch a limit of fish all over 30, and 40’s weren’t uncommon with the odd 50 hitting the dock. Milking 15# 3 year olds for 30 years and this is what ya get. At least we have a fishery still, I would guess it will become a hatchery only retention fishery soon, once the other big hatchery systems are up to 100% clip rate. I still can’t think of another place on the coast where you can catch a limit of mature springs every day from the end of May through the end of august. It’s staggering how many fish go by us!
MacDuff
Active Member
Good time of year to head offshore for lings. Lots of accommodation options in Tahsis.
Chasin' Dreams
Well-Known Member
Hey KB sorry just saw this. No I wasn't. I will be this week though for 2 or 3 days.
Chasin' Dreams
Well-Known Member
I will most likely be fishing out at Esperanza on the 21st and 22nd. Do you fish on the 21st or leave in the morning of the 21st?
Chasin' Dreams
Well-Known Member
Yes. At my house
Pretty sure Port Eliza stays open into September for Coho and some Tuna trips.
kingblazer84
Crew Member
Brockandahardplace
New Member
Did 15-17 at critter cove, what an awesome place to Moore/stay. Lots of rain made the water murky and the fishing funny, but we still landed our limit in 2 days. Most fish in the mid teens, some going real gold/green. White/pink hoochie with a white uv/glow flasher was our winner, and no bananas was good too. guys around us seemed to like small cop car spoons. 
Chasin' Dreams
Well-Known Member
Sending you a message.
Chasin' Dreams
Well-Known Member
Esperenza: Fished for a few hours on Thur and a couple hours on Fri. Lots of fish around! If you want Springs on the inside have fun getting your gear to them without hooking a Coho first lol. The Coho are stacked! Some good sized Coho around too. Still Springs on the inside and lots on the outside. Some guys have been going all the way out to the highway for the Springs in more numbers.
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Big thanks to those who provided me some information prior to our trip!
Stayed at moutcha bay for 3 nights, fished Wednesday and Thursday.
Fished camel rock in the morning and got our springs, most were 10-12lbs but got a couple nice ones at 17lb and 18lbs…. Anchovies worked best for us.
Water was definitely coloured from all the rain before we got there.
Afternoons were spend on the outside were lots of willing coho are around, landed a couple nice coho in the 10-11lb range, white hootchies and no bananas spoons worked.
Weather was absolutely perfect, sunny and warm with no wind.
I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience for my kids, I was promising them calm waters and we definitely had that.
Already looking forward to next year!
Stayed at moutcha bay for 3 nights, fished Wednesday and Thursday.
Fished camel rock in the morning and got our springs, most were 10-12lbs but got a couple nice ones at 17lb and 18lbs…. Anchovies worked best for us.
Water was definitely coloured from all the rain before we got there.
Afternoons were spend on the outside were lots of willing coho are around, landed a couple nice coho in the 10-11lb range, white hootchies and no bananas spoons worked.
Weather was absolutely perfect, sunny and warm with no wind.
I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience for my kids, I was promising them calm waters and we definitely had that.
Already looking forward to next year!
Mausermike14
Active Member
Hi everyone, I’m going to do a later season run up to Nootka (sept 7-15th) is there any chance of springs still around? The coho fishing should be great, but just any tips and places to try for chinooks would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
Thanks
salmonkiller01
Well-Known Member
Springs will be around for another few weeks for sure Need some rain to push them up the riverHi everyone, I’m going to do a later season run up to Nootka (sept 7-15th) is there any chance of springs still around? The coho fishing should be great, but just any tips and places to try for chinooks would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
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