2025 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports
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Murry
Active Member
Hi
What website are you using for the weather..
I don't recognize it. I've been using Windy.TV, but always looking for a second source.
We're up here in Tahsis.
Cut Plug
Well-Known Member
Heading up tomorrow for the J&J. Thanks for the inspiring update!! Any insight you want to offer for bait size/gear for springs? Thanks for adding to the excitement and anticipation. We love the event anyway but if the salmon fishing holds it’ll be that much more fun!
Hot-Streak
Well-Known Member
My plans have changed... for the better. Wife's friend mentioned they might want to go to Seattle that weekend. I jumped on the chance to swap them out for a buddy who wanted to go to Nookta for the first time. Now instead of a family trip with 2 kids and 4 adults, its just me and my buddy and his friend. Instead of a minivan we will have a truck to pull his Hewescraft 18ft ProV. The new plan will be hard core fishing for the days we are up.
My wife was indifferent about going so I gladly changed up the plan. We will look for weather and figure out what/when we will go for lings vs salmon.
Given there is power up there should be bring a freezer? or is that overkill for 3 days? I assume cooler with ice will be fine too.
Very excited now. Anyone up there 18th to 21 July feel free to shoot me a message!
My wife was indifferent about going so I gladly changed up the plan. We will look for weather and figure out what/when we will go for lings vs salmon.
Given there is power up there should be bring a freezer? or is that overkill for 3 days? I assume cooler with ice will be fine too.
Very excited now. Anyone up there 18th to 21 July feel free to shoot me a message!
Fishin
Well-Known Member
That’s exciting news I’m sure you guys will have a blast! I will be up on July 17th definitely will have to say Hi, Cooler with ice would be fine you can get bulk flaked ice at the shell in Campbell River on your way up I have seen some people bring a smaller freezer up at the campsites. I send all my catch to the processor and pick up when I check out little pricy but worth it for me. Feel free to send me a message!
salmonkiller01
Well-Known Member
I am thinking of heading to Nootka Friday to fish off shore Saturday. As the weather looks stellar! Will be my second solo trip to Nootka. The ultimate clear the mind get away! Going to tie up at friendly for the night
TheHurtLocker
Well-Known Member
We just got back from Esperanza. Like the Codfather said, the weather off shore was incredible. We had 4 days of still weather. Running off shore at 30 mph 
. Fishing was off the charts.
. Fishing was off the charts.Attachments
TheHurtLocker
Well-Known Member
codfather
Crew Member
Cut Plug, I can't offer you any advise on bait size sorry.
I haven't used bait on my boat in the last 36 years guiding out of Nootka. Some say it works but not for me.
I am a plug guy first then spoons or hootchies also.
The last 4 days I had a 3" Tubby Tyee 632 on my side. I have had that plug on my side for the last 5 years and it catches lots of fish and always the biggest. There is nothing like catching a fish on a rod with no flasher. My guests love it when that rod goes off and the line starts screaming. The reason for the 3" size is because the bait has been so small over the last few years. Back in the good old days we used 6 and 7 inch plugs.
Then on the other side I had a 602 glow pearl hootchie and the back rod had a small spoon on it.
I will change those two up but never my plug. But they have all been about the same so they have maintained there spot in the line up so far.
All I can say is if the bottom is 90 feet deep have your downrigger at 110 due to the angle of you line. I let my rigger down until it hits the bottom and bring it up 2 feet.
Good luck.
Mike
I haven't used bait on my boat in the last 36 years guiding out of Nootka. Some say it works but not for me.
I am a plug guy first then spoons or hootchies also.
The last 4 days I had a 3" Tubby Tyee 632 on my side. I have had that plug on my side for the last 5 years and it catches lots of fish and always the biggest. There is nothing like catching a fish on a rod with no flasher. My guests love it when that rod goes off and the line starts screaming. The reason for the 3" size is because the bait has been so small over the last few years. Back in the good old days we used 6 and 7 inch plugs.
Then on the other side I had a 602 glow pearl hootchie and the back rod had a small spoon on it.
I will change those two up but never my plug. But they have all been about the same so they have maintained there spot in the line up so far.
All I can say is if the bottom is 90 feet deep have your downrigger at 110 due to the angle of you line. I let my rigger down until it hits the bottom and bring it up 2 feet.
Good luck.
Mike
Murry
Active Member
EstevanPoint
Well-Known Member
We cut a few fish open today with micro herring in them. Same as the last few years. Coho killers, 2.0 Kingfishers, annd skinny gs are working well. Can’t really go wrong right now.
SeaSport
Member
What speed are you pulling that tomic at, and your running a flasher as well with the squid?
salmonkiller01
Well-Known Member
Left Thursday night in the rain and got to Gold River at 1am! Slept the night at the ramp(thank god for the diesel heater). Woke at 5 and went and launched the boat waited till 5:30, no ramp attendant, says open at 5:30, about 6:10am I read the door sign and was able to use their wifi and go to the website for the nation and pay and park outside the gated parking and off!
Headed to Nootka Island and tied up at friendly cove, tired and need a warm food and a nap
Brutal spot to try and sleep, constant motion from the swells. O well time to fish.
Tried anchovies and a spoon nothing. Then remembered Codfather about a white hootchie on bottom. 30 min later limited out on springs Just between wash rocks and maquinna pt. 120’ contour on bottom.shot out to one of my ling spots and 45 min later got my limit
Slept at cougar creek docks and had some good rest. 12 hour sleep!
Saturday was my off shore day. Headed out and holy lingcod! Limited out in 2 hours.
Started trolling for halibut released a small one 30cm and got a nice 90cm one.bottom fishing complete
Went back to maquinna and start trolling. 45 min later, limited out on springs!
Cleaned all the days catch and headed home.
What an awesome place for much needed relaxation
Headed to Nootka Island and tied up at friendly cove, tired and need a warm food and a nap
Brutal spot to try and sleep, constant motion from the swells. O well time to fish.
Tried anchovies and a spoon nothing. Then remembered Codfather about a white hootchie on bottom. 30 min later limited out on springs Just between wash rocks and maquinna pt. 120’ contour on bottom.shot out to one of my ling spots and 45 min later got my limit
Slept at cougar creek docks and had some good rest. 12 hour sleep!
Saturday was my off shore day. Headed out and holy lingcod! Limited out in 2 hours.
Started trolling for halibut released a small one 30cm and got a nice 90cm one.bottom fishing complete
Went back to maquinna and start trolling. 45 min later, limited out on springs!
Cleaned all the days catch and headed home.
What an awesome place for much needed relaxation
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CRmark
Member
Saturday was a daytrip to Nootka. Launched boat at 5:30am (attendant was at the ramp and opened up already) and straight out to a couple lings spots. Water was great with a 1.4m 15sec swell according to windfinder (and no chop). A bit slow until we encountered a school of Black Rockfish mid-column on the second pile. Then it was non-stop lings with several well into the 20’s. Half hour later off to Maquinna Pt.. Got there early flood and was slow with 2 coho in a couple hours and few other fish/nets seen. Moved up to Beano where there were just 1 or two boats, found a school of bait and chaos ensued with a couple of double headers, including 3 screamers. Springs 14lb to 17lb. Back in Campbell River by 6pm with limits of lings, springs, black rockfish, a vermillion and a couple of coho.
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Cut Plug
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the reply Codfather. We didn’t get it until now due to no cell at Critter but the advice for small bait and squid hoochies sure paid off! We had great success on a larger squid sized hoochie on one side and a coho killer on the other. The squid hoochie was the ticket on Friday and the coho Killer yesterday. The fish caught on the squid hoochie were full of squid and on the coho killer full of really tiny bait. Like 1.5 in tiny. No surprise there. Right on the bottom was definitely the trick. It was an awesome weekend and your advice helped make it that way! Looking forward to trying plugs next year. Thanks again for the super helpful advice
Cut Plug
Well-Known Member
Saturday was offshore and our first attempt as a couple trolling for Ling’s. That was super fun and successful. It’ll be hard to get the missus to ever jig againThanks for the reply Codfather. We didn’t get it until now due to no cell at Critter but the advice for small bait and squid hoochies sure paid off! We had great success on a larger squid sized hoochie on one side and a coho killer on the other. The squid hoochie was the ticket on Friday and the coho Killer yesterday. The fish caught on the squid hoochie were full of squid and on the coho killer full of really tiny bait. Like 1.5 in tiny. No surprise there. Right on the bottom was definitely the trick. It was an awesome weekend and your advice helped make it that way! Looking forward to trying plugs next year. Thanks again for the super helpful advice
codfather
Crew Member
Sorry for the delay, I've been busy with a couple groups.
SeaSport, if I had to pick a number it would be 2.8 mph. And I would sooner go a little faster than slower.
The main thing is to get the right angle on the downrigger line. I like it to be 35 degrees when being pulled thru the water.
Now that will change with the size of cannon ball and the depth that you are trolling.
I use a 15# ball with a dummy flasher on it and at 50 feet deep I'm at 30 degrees. At 100 feet it's at 40 degrees.
When I fish on the Highway I'm using a 20# cannon ball trolling in 300 feet of water and my downrigger counter says 400 feet of line out because I want to be 2 feet off the bottom.
The main thing is that all lures being plugs, spoons or hootchies are trolled at the same speed to make them work and trigger a strike because of the erratic motion of the lures.
So when in doubt I speed it up instead of slowing it down.
salmonkiller01, I'm glad you had a great trip and dropped the gear to the bottom. We have had the needle fish and sandlance on the bottom for the last couple years so that's where the fish are mostly. The big schools of anchovies and herring we use to have are slim to none when we fished close to the rocks at 35 to 40 feet.
Good luck
SeaSport, if I had to pick a number it would be 2.8 mph. And I would sooner go a little faster than slower.
The main thing is to get the right angle on the downrigger line. I like it to be 35 degrees when being pulled thru the water.
Now that will change with the size of cannon ball and the depth that you are trolling.
I use a 15# ball with a dummy flasher on it and at 50 feet deep I'm at 30 degrees. At 100 feet it's at 40 degrees.
When I fish on the Highway I'm using a 20# cannon ball trolling in 300 feet of water and my downrigger counter says 400 feet of line out because I want to be 2 feet off the bottom.
The main thing is that all lures being plugs, spoons or hootchies are trolled at the same speed to make them work and trigger a strike because of the erratic motion of the lures.
So when in doubt I speed it up instead of slowing it down.
salmonkiller01, I'm glad you had a great trip and dropped the gear to the bottom. We have had the needle fish and sandlance on the bottom for the last couple years so that's where the fish are mostly. The big schools of anchovies and herring we use to have are slim to none when we fished close to the rocks at 35 to 40 feet.
Good luck
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