2025 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports

[codfather]

 

[M1SF1T]

Great intel on this thread!

I'll be up at Moucha campsites July 14-17. I'm going to trailer up and launch when I get there. By the looks of the photos here I'm going to have to get more/bigger coolers...

 

[salmonkiller01]

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

I have been fishing Nootka since 2006 and this was the first trip I did not stick to anchovies at 45-65’ Tried them for an hour. Who says you can’t teach and old dog new tricks.
3 weeks and we are back. Can not wait

 

[SeaSport]

Thanks Codfather, hope to see you around Critter s bit in the next few weeks!

 

[Flybylow]

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

Hi Mike, what is your speed running the small plug, it must be compatible with a hootchie on the other side at 3 or so mph? I always heard plugs need to run fast, I haven’t a lot of experience with them but definitely like playing a fish with no flasher. Thanks, George

 

[codfather]

Hi George, yes plugs, hootchies, spoons and most lures troll at the same speed.

I like 2.8 to 3.0 which gives me a 35 to 40 degree angle on the downrigger line when trolling.

You can't pull a cut plug at 1.5 mph and a lure on the other side, you would never catch a fish on the lures.

You can pull anchovies the same speed as lures and they both work.

Today I caught 6 Springs and 4 were on my 632 tubby tyee plug. It's the best fight you will ever have with a fish as it's you and the fish with no flasher.

It's been blowing the last 4 days so we have some good seas coming the next few days.

Good luck.