Depends a lot on weather and size of your boat
2025 Winter Harbour Reports
- Thread starter Admin
- Start date
Knot Working
New Member
We have a 2052 Trophy W/A
TroySchmidt
Active Member
Family and I are on day 2 of 7 of our trip up in WH now. Fishing for lingcod and springs in brooks today was absolutely insane. Had 6 peoples limits of lings and springs by 10:45 this morning. Even picked up a spring on a lingcod jig while jigging. Only took 1 hour of fishing to pick up the other 11 springs. Couldn’t keep both lines in the water. I think the longest a piece of gear stayed down before getting hit was 2 minutes and that is not exaggerating. Fastest fishing for springs I have ever seen.
Weather looks nice tomorrow- we’re planning on making a run for tuna in the morning if anyone wants to join! Call name on the VHF is “Fishin Magician” or feel free to PM if anyone wants to buddy boat.
Weather looks nice tomorrow- we’re planning on making a run for tuna in the morning if anyone wants to join! Call name on the VHF is “Fishin Magician” or feel free to PM if anyone wants to buddy boat.
TroySchmidt
Active Member
Excellent day out for tuna. Got 20 to the boat and only 20 miles from the lighthouse. Just south of kwkauitl canyon and east of the south end of the pencil. 62 to 64 degree water where we were trolling for the day. Will try and upload the pic when I’m in better WiFi/service
Last edited:
TroySchmidt
Active Member
Traveling home on the ferry now. Had a few minutes to write a report from my fams trip this year. Overall report: excellent fishing all around. Had 6 people on the trip and filled all 6 peoples limits on halibut, springs, lingcod, as well as a few bonus coho, rockfish, and one day where we got 20 tuna! More detailed report below:
Day 1: ran north all the way to cape Scott for bottom fish. Weather was a little lumpy but totally fishable. Honestly, I expected better for how far of run it was. We came back with 7 lingcod (most of which pretty nice size) and 1 halibut we jigged up. Also hit 2 springs and a couple coho trolling off the topknot RCA on our way home. Not a killer day but a solid start nonetheless
Day 2: ran south to brooks bay and this was the right decision. Focused on limits of lingcod first then springs and had both (18 lingcod and 12 springs) by 10:45 in the morning. One of the lings tipped the scale at 50 pounds. It was absolutely red hot from the moment lines hit the water till we got our last fish for the day. Even got a spring on a lingcod jig while jigging for lings. Springs came on the highway fishing spoons.
Day 3: Tuna run. Was a little nervous about it as we had heard spotty reports lately and a lot of boats only catching 1 to 5 fish or so per boat. Weather looked great so we gave it a shot. We had an excellent day and ended with 20 tuna to the boat with 13 of them coming before 8:30 in the morning. We were fishing only about 21 miles off the lighthouse.
Day 4: blowing 40 knots offshore so we slept in and visited San Joseph bay beach and Ronning’s garden. Both were super cool!
Day 5: went south again looking to finish off our limits of lingcod and springs for the trip. We finished off both but had to work for them a bit harder this day. Had to fight the humpys and coho more today but we ground it out and got all of our springs by mid afternoon. Again, fishing the highway towards the north end of brooks bay.
Day 6: weather looked promising again so we made another run for the blue water. Tuna gods must have flipped a switch as we didn’t touch a fish all day! Not sure if the strong winds earlier in the week changed water conditions but when we got back and saw some temp shots from when we were out there it looked like the warm water totally moved and apparently the fish did too. Never saw as warm of water as we did the first day out for tuna.
Day 7: went looking for halibut as this is all we needed to finish everyone’s limits. Anchored up and had our halibut in about 2 hours including one right at 102 cm and one at 94. The others were right around 90 cm. Perfect eaters.
All in all a fantastic trip and we enjoyed every moment! Good luck all!
Day 1: ran north all the way to cape Scott for bottom fish. Weather was a little lumpy but totally fishable. Honestly, I expected better for how far of run it was. We came back with 7 lingcod (most of which pretty nice size) and 1 halibut we jigged up. Also hit 2 springs and a couple coho trolling off the topknot RCA on our way home. Not a killer day but a solid start nonetheless
Day 2: ran south to brooks bay and this was the right decision. Focused on limits of lingcod first then springs and had both (18 lingcod and 12 springs) by 10:45 in the morning. One of the lings tipped the scale at 50 pounds. It was absolutely red hot from the moment lines hit the water till we got our last fish for the day. Even got a spring on a lingcod jig while jigging for lings. Springs came on the highway fishing spoons.
Day 3: Tuna run. Was a little nervous about it as we had heard spotty reports lately and a lot of boats only catching 1 to 5 fish or so per boat. Weather looked great so we gave it a shot. We had an excellent day and ended with 20 tuna to the boat with 13 of them coming before 8:30 in the morning. We were fishing only about 21 miles off the lighthouse.
Day 4: blowing 40 knots offshore so we slept in and visited San Joseph bay beach and Ronning’s garden. Both were super cool!
Day 5: went south again looking to finish off our limits of lingcod and springs for the trip. We finished off both but had to work for them a bit harder this day. Had to fight the humpys and coho more today but we ground it out and got all of our springs by mid afternoon. Again, fishing the highway towards the north end of brooks bay.
Day 6: weather looked promising again so we made another run for the blue water. Tuna gods must have flipped a switch as we didn’t touch a fish all day! Not sure if the strong winds earlier in the week changed water conditions but when we got back and saw some temp shots from when we were out there it looked like the warm water totally moved and apparently the fish did too. Never saw as warm of water as we did the first day out for tuna.
Day 7: went looking for halibut as this is all we needed to finish everyone’s limits. Anchored up and had our halibut in about 2 hours including one right at 102 cm and one at 94. The others were right around 90 cm. Perfect eaters.
All in all a fantastic trip and we enjoyed every moment! Good luck all!
Attachments
Bearded wonder
Well-Known Member
Where abouts is the “highway”?
TroySchmidt
Active Member
Roughly the 300’ contour the whole way down the west coast. The migration route where salmon run down the whole coast. If you look at a chart for the brooks Bay Area you’ll see tons of pinnacles, humps, and Rockpiles right around this 300’ contour. We were trolling right around these humps and pinnacles near the 300’ contour
submerged
Active Member
We were at The Outpost from the 5th-8th. We didn’t kill it fishing but got a couple nice springs to take home including a 30lber. Also got some lings and rockfish. We fished the highway twice, but apparently had the wrong gear the first time. (Spoons not plugs) Second trip we used plugs and got the 30lber but otherwise just hooked coho. Apparently we needed to be further south by Brooks.
Lots of blue sharks around. Never seen so many. Also quite a few sunfish, and seemingly endless otters.
We made the trip to Drake for prawns but didn’t even get one. Only a pacific cod and some hagfish.
Overall a good trip with great weather. The outpost gets a thumbs up. Everyone was super friendly.
Lots of blue sharks around. Never seen so many. Also quite a few sunfish, and seemingly endless otters.
We made the trip to Drake for prawns but didn’t even get one. Only a pacific cod and some hagfish.
Overall a good trip with great weather. The outpost gets a thumbs up. Everyone was super friendly.
Attachments
sly_karma
Crew Member
Just back from our annual three day WH adventure. We were blessed with good weather and water conditions, and many, many fish. We had our limits of springs, lings, hali and wild coho in the first two days, and spent most of day three looking for some hatch hoes to round out the card. Not completely successful, but had a hot session of C&R fishing with a lot of springs in the upper water mixed with the coho. Lots of short fun fights up top with fish appearing to be in the mid-teen class.
Conversely, I took a beauty 10+ lb coho that hit at 177 ft and fought deep and hard. On that day, we were quickly approaching the limit on springs and were starting to get fussy about aize and so had decided to gaff release this smaller fish. Right at the boat the guide realised it was not only a coho but a clipped fish, and quickly switched the gaff for a net. Completely unexpected, we sure let out a victory yell for that lottery fish.
We took lings and hali on a lovely calm morning close to Solander, mostly with pipe jigs but also one rod rigged with spreader bar baited with herring on a pair of big single J hooks. Interesting drift in 150-200 ft water that transitioned from lings on the hump to smaller hali as it transitioned to sandy flat. When all you can keep is a single chicken each, this is a way better use of time than traveling to a known hali spot and the anchoring up rigamarole. The lings weren't huge there - biggest was 24 lb - but most were that nice 15-20 lb size. Getting them and hali on same drift was supremely efficient, and before long we scooted to the nearest point on the 60 fathom line and started pulling in springs.
Salmon were prolific out on the highway this week, drop whatever gear you want to 150-180 ft and troll briskly. We used a plug and a flasher/hoochie, both did equally well. Fish in the teens to low 20s as seems to be normal for this time of year at WH. We gaff released some in order to keep average size up. Fish were hungry, not much observed in stomachs at the cleaning table, the occasional herring and one lone needle fish.
Back in the Okanagan now with a year's worth of fish to freeze. I can dick around freshwater fishing without any pressure to provide meat for the family. It's a long distance fishin mission, but we love our annual trip to WH. Already booked for same weekend next year.
Conversely, I took a beauty 10+ lb coho that hit at 177 ft and fought deep and hard. On that day, we were quickly approaching the limit on springs and were starting to get fussy about aize and so had decided to gaff release this smaller fish. Right at the boat the guide realised it was not only a coho but a clipped fish, and quickly switched the gaff for a net. Completely unexpected, we sure let out a victory yell for that lottery fish.
We took lings and hali on a lovely calm morning close to Solander, mostly with pipe jigs but also one rod rigged with spreader bar baited with herring on a pair of big single J hooks. Interesting drift in 150-200 ft water that transitioned from lings on the hump to smaller hali as it transitioned to sandy flat. When all you can keep is a single chicken each, this is a way better use of time than traveling to a known hali spot and the anchoring up rigamarole. The lings weren't huge there - biggest was 24 lb - but most were that nice 15-20 lb size. Getting them and hali on same drift was supremely efficient, and before long we scooted to the nearest point on the 60 fathom line and started pulling in springs.
Salmon were prolific out on the highway this week, drop whatever gear you want to 150-180 ft and troll briskly. We used a plug and a flasher/hoochie, both did equally well. Fish in the teens to low 20s as seems to be normal for this time of year at WH. We gaff released some in order to keep average size up. Fish were hungry, not much observed in stomachs at the cleaning table, the occasional herring and one lone needle fish.
Back in the Okanagan now with a year's worth of fish to freeze. I can dick around freshwater fishing without any pressure to provide meat for the family. It's a long distance fishin mission, but we love our annual trip to WH. Already booked for same weekend next year.
Umos
Well-Known Member
Great report. I will be up there w the wife and kids this weekend for 6 days. Would love to repeat your success, and maybe throw some Tuna in as well
shermanator70
Member
i'm near telegraph cove area but thinking of heading over to winter harbour for a day or two this weekend. Anyone have an idea what the fishing is like at this time of year over there. It's very slow around malcolm, etc currently
Umos
Well-Known Member
We just got back from a family trip to WH. Tons of nice coho, and we managed to find Springs trawling deep along the 300 line. Decent bottom fishing still if you head North or South a bit.
Not sure if one of these pastes will work, but here’s a little vid of our trip.
file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/53/03/01F91B22-F52B-4BB0-BF84-EBCE8172F864/Winter%20Harbour%202025.mov
Not sure if one of these pastes will work, but here’s a little vid of our trip.
file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/53/03/01F91B22-F52B-4BB0-BF84-EBCE8172F864/Winter%20Harbour%202025.mov
Enniberg
Well-Known Member
Great video!
Similar threads
