2025 Port McNeill, Telegragh Cove Reports

[Macdeep]

Pretty quiet here for a couple of weeks. We are coming next week for 10 days - mostly on the mainland side. I think I'm current on regs for coho, chinook and halibut but hoping to hear about how its been. Any recent reports from this area?

Lots of whales around. I haven't been out fishin yet (just whale watching) due to the regs, but gotta do a shake down on the boat soon so I'm ready. Will likely get out early next week around the backside of Malcolm, so will put in a post with the results if I get out.

 

[Macdeep]

3 hours yesterday afternoon - end of the ebb and start of the flood. Wind set down decently despite the forecast.

Fished Mitchell bay and Doneagle. Marked a few fish, a bit of bait and one bite at Mitchell, a few marks but no bites off Doneagle. A half dozen boats off Doneagle.

DFO checked me at the McNeill dock in the evening despite the skunking.

The brown algae bloom was in full effect. Lots of seaweed and eel grass in the water. Lots of halibut carcasses at the dock.

 

[Eden Island]

3 hours yesterday afternoon - end of the ebb and start of the flood. Wind set down decently despite the forecast.

Fished Mitchell bay and Doneagle. Marked a few fish, a bit of bait and one bite at Mitchell, a few marks but no bites off Doneagle. A half dozen boats off Doneagle.

DFO checked me at the McNeill dock in the evening despite the skunking.

The brown algae bloom was in full effect. Lots of seaweed and eel grass in the water. Lots of halibut carcasses at the dock.

We were fishing about the same time in Fife, on the Eden Island side. Couple of coho about 6 lbs. One for my daughter and one self released at the boat. Half a dozen boats near Gore Rock across the channel.

 

[blueugl]

Fish myself at Doneagle easy limit springs got a hali and a ling double headers 2 mornings on springs kept the bigger one both times lost a couple others stopped to look at TC amazing yellow cedar beam construction there is a open walkway to the end of the boardwalk a must see.

 

[Salish Seadog]

Any new reports? Just got into town for the week and hoping the wind holds off later in the week

 

[Eden Island]

Any new reports? Just got into town for the week and hoping the wind holds off later in the week

Picked up a 10 and 12# Chinook off the top end of Malcom at low tide Saturday. 70 ' in 125' of water. Anchovies. Released a pink 5-6#. 10 boats fishing within a mile of Malcolm Pt.

 

[Macdeep]

Buddy of mine got all his salmon at doneagle during the flood on white hoochies earlier in the week.

Lots of fish excited people in the local tackle shop chatting about fish all over the place.

Sounds like a good summer season.

Anyone know if the fuel dock in TC is open/ going to open this season?

 

[Capt_Ed]

Buddy of mine got all his salmon at doneagle during the flood on white hoochies earlier in the week.

Lots of fish excited people in the local tackle shop chatting about fish all over the place.

Sounds like a good summer season.

Anyone know if the fuel dock in TC is open/ going to open this season?

Fuel not likely at TC this summer. Not in the next couple weeks anyway

 

[Tydey]

Fuel not likely at TC this summer. Not in the next couple weeks anyway

Thanks for the heads up, is Port McNeil the spot to re-fuel then?

 

[Eden Island]

Thanks for the heads up, is Port McNeil the spot to re-fuel then?

Port McNeill has gas, diesel, ice and bait at the fuel dock.

 

[Salish Seadog]

Just got back from 3 days at telegraph cove. We fished only for halibut in pretty much all of the spots mentioned around this area and only managed 1. Anyone else having success here or wrong time/fished out?

I’ve had limited success trying to learn the ropes to catch halibut so if anyone has any help they might offer I would be very very appreciative.

We didn’t anchor and maybe that’s limiting me from doing well but generally we were able to set auto pilot and troll in place where we jigged. We used a spreader bar with an assortment of squid/octopus jigs and bait on the hook from salmon belly/octopus/squid even anchovies. We tried trolling the bottom and even sent down a bag of salmon/ling cod heads to chum the water while jigging and nothing much to show for it.

I see guide boats coming back with limits everyday in hardy and just can’t get it right for some reason. I don’t have any friends that have fished for halibut so really shooting in the dark without an experienced hand.

 

[Macdeep]

Just got back from 3 days at telegraph cove. We fished only for halibut in pretty much all of the spots mentioned around this area and only managed 1. Anyone else having success here or wrong time/fished out?

I’ve had limited success trying to learn the ropes to catch halibut so if anyone has any help they might offer I would be very very appreciative.

We didn’t anchor and maybe that’s limiting me from doing well but generally we were able to set auto pilot and troll in place where we jigged. We used a spreader bar with an assortment of squid/octopus jigs and bait on the hook from salmon belly/octopus/squid even anchovies. We tried trolling the bottom and even sent down a bag of salmon/ling cod heads to chum the water while jigging and nothing much to show for it.

I see guide boats coming back with limits everyday in hardy and just can’t get it right for some reason. I don’t have any friends that have fished for halibut so really shooting in the dark without an experienced hand.

Yes anchoring can make a difference.

The hardy guides are most likely headed to nahwitti bar and beyond. But there are spots within reach near Hardy and McNeill. Location makes a difference as does anchoring.

 

[sam_n_leo]

I would agree the Hardy guides are probably fishing more productive areas, so it's not apples to apples. We were having success earlier in the season and we were jigging, no anchoring. However I haven't fished halibut since June. I think it is just a bit of luck hitting the spots at the right time. And the currents were extremely strong the last few days so that would not have been in your favour.

 

[Tydey]

Any recent reports? Heading up Saturday for a few days before carrying on to winter harbour. With all the hali talk, would Georges Bank still produce Hali’s? Or is it best to hopefully pick them up on the troll hitting all the spots on the backside of Malcom? Wondering if the run to fife is worth it right now? Bit of a nostalgic trip, grew up fishing TC and now heading up with our first born son to show him the place where I got hooked on fishing.

 

[Eden Island]

Any recent reports? Heading up Saturday for a few days before carrying on to winter harbour. With all the hali talk, would Georges Bank still produce Hali’s? Or is it best to hopefully pick them up on the troll hitting all the spots on the backside of Malcom? Wondering if the run to fife is worth it right now? Bit of a nostalgic trip, grew up fishing TC and now heading up with our first born son to show him the place where I got hooked on fishing.

We were up a few days ago. Coho in Fife - maybe 6# average. Spring, coho and the odd pink at top of Malcolm and Bere Pt. Coho were more like 8# there and our springs 10 and 12#. We were fishing with medium anchovy - one rod deep [10-15' off the bottom] and one 50-70'. We did not fish the south end or the banks.

 

[sam_n_leo]

Not to start any rumours about the fuel situation in Telegraph Cove... but I saw a job post in Facebook, they were looking for a fuel dock attendant.

 

[Eden Island]

Not to start any rumours about the fuel situation in Telegraph Cove... but I saw a job post in Facebook, they were looking for a fuel dock attendant.

Gas is not available yet, but will be "soon". Their advice is to call 1-800-200-4665 to check. Closest alternative is Port McNeill, or possibly Alert Bay.

 

[Salish Seadog]

I would agree the Hardy guides are probably fishing more productive areas, so it's not apples to apples. We were having success earlier in the season and we were jigging, no anchoring. However I haven't fished halibut since June. I think it is just a bit of luck hitting the spots at the right time. And the currents were extremely strong the last few days so that would not have been in your favour.

Thanks for your replies, I know there were some pretty big tides. I think next year I’ll stick to hardy and/or earlier in the year.

I’m not asking for honey holes just technique. Is this generally what to do? Drift and jig or anchor and jig? I have taken a halibut charter over on uclulet side to learn but we just trolled up all the halibut we caught for easy limits but wasn’t necessarily what I wanted to learn.