2025 Winter Harbour Reports

Heading up tomorrow with my daughters and father.
Looks like a healthy NW currently and forecast to continue.
Any action around Kains and Cliffe?
 
Heading up tomorrow with my daughters and father.
Looks like a healthy NW currently and forecast to continue.
Any action around Kains and Cliffe?
Couple weeks ago it was steady at Kains. Got our limit but it required work. Put in your time there and you’ll get your fish. Didn’t fish Cliffe as we were getting our springs at Kains.

Did some jigging around Pilley Shoal and there seem to be some fish around there too
 
Got back July 11, fished mainly the bumps off Lippy at the bottom at around 200 feet using skinny g spoons (herring aid and gold nugget). Also white glow hootchies worked , white and green hootchies brought up halibut . Limited on Springs and went to Brooks and picked up Lings. look for bumps with feed.

Good luck
 
I was just about to renew my Terrafin subscription..... was wondering about this SatFish.... looks great... think I will have to go with this.
Ya terrafin is stoneage compared , has some great features . There was days last year we filled the boat and others blanked because the detail / updates . Really helps get on the temp/chloro breaks
 
Just got back from 9 day in Winter Harbour. Got offshore most days. Fish everywhere. Small baits inshore monster sandlance offshore.
Small spoons at Cliff Lighthouse and the point.
Plugs and large spoons offshore. We got springs on small stuff offshore as well but had to work thru the pinks. Lingcod was great as well even thought the commies have been raping it all spring.
 
Just back from a scouting mission. Ya lings were plentiful, especially trolled up.

Good mix of fish out there whether you stay close or go long. Small packs of boats here and there and most seem to do pretty well.

Sounded like south was lots of coho and pinks to fight through, but big Chinook and loads of ground fish.

Sanlance/needle fish were in every fish we gutted. Wee-g and sex-e got all most all the action. Though a 26lb Chinook took on a turd while trolling for lings for me so that was fun.

Halibut seemed to be the challenge to find unless you went long or put in a lot of time.

Headed back out on Friday for 4 days.
 
The commercial guys have been hitting it hard most known spots have been completely wiped out. Sad to see that they are trying to ruin such a great fishery. Definitely have to work for lings but there still around
I heard 2 guys 2 boats 60,000 pounds each. Wiping out a fishery that many giude businesses and the public rely on. Not right. Poor management again.
 
Frustrating to hear about the ling cod, or lack there of. I’m heading up with 3 others on August 4th for 5 days.

I’ve read that it’s not worth bringing the crab or prawn traps, but wondering if anyone has tried lately.

We’re not looking to fill our coolers on this trip, as we get lots of fish in Sooke. We’re more interested in fishing a different area and maybe catch some fish we don’t usually find. Going to try for some squid, mackerel, sable fish, and shellfish. Also a couple cod and salmon to eat while we’re there.

On the dfo site, it looks like everywhere closed for shellfish harvesting. Looking for local knowledge of maybe an area that’s not.
 
Frustrating to hear about the ling cod, or lack there of. I’m heading up with 3 others on August 4th for 5 days.

I’ve read that it’s not worth bringing the crab or prawn traps, but wondering if anyone has tried lately.

We’re not looking to fill our coolers on this trip, as we get lots of fish in Sooke. We’re more interested in fishing a different area and maybe catch some fish we don’t usually find. Going to try for some squid, mackerel, sable fish, and shellfish. Also a couple cod and salmon to eat while we’re there.

On the dfo site, it looks like everywhere closed for shellfish harvesting. Looking for local knowledge of maybe an area that’s not.
I checked the “Can U dig it” shellfish harvesting app as I find it easier to use and it also shows a full biotoxin closure for the WH area. According to this app the whole NVI outside
area shows closed. A partial closure closer to Pt Hardy. I will be very interested in hearing how you do for sable fish.
 
I heard 2 guys 2 boats 60,000 pounds each. Wiping out a fishery that many giude businesses and the public rely on. Not right. Poor management again.
They must be compounding licenses as I believe each license is good for 20,000 lbs.
 
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