Bella Coola to Shearwater

[Dark]

Goodday All

I'm heading to Shearwater from Edm, I will be boating from Bella Coola To Shearwater for the last week of june. Any advise on fishing areas? We will be cruising up the dean channel so any info for this route would be appreciated. How about crabs or prawns any hot spots.
I know we are a little early for salmon but there must be resident fish.

Thanks in advance

 

[OneWay]

You'll be about the right time for the big slugs returning to the Bella Coola area. Lots of places to fish in protected inside water around Return and Johnson Channels, like Dearth Island, Donald Point on Chatfield Island, Big Bluff at the entrance to Roscoe Inlet. Idol Point on Dufferin Island is always a good bet. Further out, try McInnes Island across Millbanke Sound, or closer along Wurtele Island, at the Ivory island Lighthouse, Cheney Point, Cape Mark. Big whole herring in a teaser head, and big white 7-inch Tomic (#203, 600, 602)plugs trolled at 60 feet in 120 feet of water. Flasher and a J-82 cuttlefish, green and white, splatterback hoochies will work too.

For crabs, try shallow eel grass areas along Troup Passage. If going to Big Bluff, drop your traps, then slip through narrow gap between Chatfield and Cunningham Is. and fish around small island all the way to Big Bluff.

 

[Dark]

Thanks a million, this will give us a start. I have some of the 7" atomics already and numerous hoochies. The wife and kids want to fish hali's big time, me I just want to fish. We have fished Bamfield, Ucluet, QCI west coast and and the Sunshine coast.We really like Bamfield and the QCI. It was a toss up between Rupert or Shearwater hope I made the right choice. We will be staying at Whiskey Cove right beside Shearwater. I will report when we get back.
Again I can't thank you enough.

 

[Striper Sniper]

Hey Dark, please don't forget to post a report when you get back. A friend and I have rented the Whiskey Cove cabin for the second week of August so we will be interested to hear what you have to report. Thanks, SS

 

[OneWay]

Oooo! Oooo! Oooo! Still my beating heart! Second week of August! Super prime time. Fish the south end of Hunter Passage in Cultus Sound or at Purple Bluffs. Cut plug or whole herring in a teaser head dead slow at 36' to 50' at first light on an incoming tide, then switch to big hardware (#6 to #8) rainbow stripe or brass Clendon Stewart or Superior spoons; 7-inch #158, 600, 602 Tomics — crank along with the tide at 3 to 4 knots (pick up and go to head of run rather than troll against tide). Work right tight against the rocks and kelp beds, in and out of all the small inlets and cracks. Use big lures unless you want a boatload of trophy coho....they'll hit the big stuff too — almost anywhere. Deep water off Cultus and bluffs are good for halibut too. St. John's Harbour, Cape Mark, Cheney Point etc are good but there are three our four big charter companies that work those waters...it's just too crowded.

 

[SeaWolf]

Striper, I told you so, bet you can't wait now.
One Way, I familiar with most of those places as this will be year #7 up there. For the most part I always fished Milbanke as you mentioned, Ivory mostly for Coho and Idol Pt. We fished the kelp beds either side of St John usually with good success and Cheney always the gong show. The south end of Cultus is the inside to Superstition Point I beleive. I'm not quite sure where Purple Bluff is, I went to the North Side of the Sound and the Bluffs look purple but is that the right place?
Dark, this all good info. The fish plant in McLoughlin Bay sells Salt Ice for the trip home.

 

[walleyes]

Just a question boys,, but how far a run would that be from Bella Coolla to the good fishing grounds and a decent lodge to stay at.. And what type of water is a guy looking at rough or not so bad...

 

[STLHED]

I stayed in Bella Bella a few years ago and had a blast. We fished the last week in June-first week in July. I would say there are better spots for hali but the chinook fishing was world-class. We had the best luck at Cheney PT but found fish in other locations. The only downside is that is was bit of a hall from Bella Bella (Shearwater Resort) to the open water. I understand that fishing inside is much better later. As for your timing....your NOT too early.

The natives were harvesting lots of shrimp and crabs but we didn't want stop fishing kings. I'll try to figure out how to attach some pic....it will get you excited. STLHED....

 

[SeaWolf]

Never made the run from Bella Coola, have run up from Port Hardy twice and this year me and Striper Sniper (another Albertan that likes to shoot things) will make the run to Shearwater. I would guess as with any large Mainland Inlet, summer weather is dictated by daytime heating of the interior plateau. So running in the early am or just prior to sunset will be your best bet and the middle of the afternoon your worst choice. For a DIY trip Shearwater is the place, for an all-inclusive, St John's, Big Time, and West Coast all have lodges in Milbanke Sound. A lot of logistics for a place with little or no fish to speak of .

 

[Striper Sniper]

Hey SeaWolf, save your energy for that Hali fishing trip this weekend or am I going to have to bring it in for you.... :0) SS

 

[OneWay]

quote:Originally posted by SeaWolf

Striper, I told you so, bet you can't wait now.
The south end of Cultus is the inside to Superstition Point I beleive. I'm not quite sure where Purple Bluff is, I went to the North Side of the Sound and the Bluffs look purple but is that the right place?
Dark, this all good info.

Yes, Cultus is very close to Superstition Point, back towards Hunter about two hundred metres or so.

Purple Bluffs are named on the Chart just a bit of a run Northwest (about 10 minutes) from Cultus. Look at chart 3786, bottom right corner, east of Goose Island on edge of Simonds Group. The big fish that make their way down from St. John's Harbour go past Purple Bluffs, then Cultus Sound around the corner onto Spider Island and into Hakai Pass. Why fish in a crowd at Cheney when there are hundreds of other spots....

 

[Dark]

Wow great info guy's, In the past I have been the crazy Albertan that couldn't catch fish for days straight, than I would get a few pointers from the locals and wamo fish in the boat. Again thanks for the input, I will post when we return.
Walleyes, is that you from the AB Outdoorsman web site?

 

[Dark]

Stlhd do you know of any areas we might drop our prawn traps?
My prawning skills are lacking, in the past I've caught more slime eels and octopus than prawns.

 

[walleyes]

quote:Originally posted by Dark

Wow great info guy's, In the past I have been the crazy Albertan that couldn't catch fish for days straight, than I would get a few pointers from the locals and wamo fish in the boat. Again thanks for the input, I will post when we return.
Walleyes, is that you from the AB Outdoorsman web site?

That would be me...

 

[Sushihunter]

If you are boating in and around Shearwater - make sure you have a good selection of spare parts with you.

You do NOT want to be at the mercy of the Shearwater repair guys!

I worked there in '96 and heard stories about insurance companies hiring tug boats to tow boats south for work because of the high prices at Shearwater.

Make sure your boat is in good shape before you go, and carry a spare prop and other items.

 

[SeaWolf]

quote:I will report when we get back.
Again I can't thank you enough.

Dark, How about a report?

 

[Fish Nutz]

I will be working on Princess Royal island and staying on a converted troller with an attached crew boat we will be anchored about 30km north of Klemtu just wondering if anybody can reccomend any nice close spots as all my fishing will be done after work with not much time to run anywhere.

Thanks

 

[Dark]

Sorry for the delay.We stayed at whiskey cove B&B fishing was so,so we managed to catch 10 springs
largest was about 26lbs. Anchovy seemed to be the ticket at about 65 ft all our fish were caught on the outside by cape swain except for one which we caught just outside troup passage, after dropping our crab traps. We did catch some huge yellow eye, and cod just before cape swane in the mouth of the Seaforth you can see the area on the charts the area with all the pinnacles. Halibut seemed to be tough for use to catch we caught 6 biggest about 40 lbs. We caught most of them at the narrows in the burke channell, and one at Magregor bank or the north end of Milbanke Sound. Crabbing was ok but we had to run about 10 miles to the traps and then run to the outside for salmon which is a long haul. I was told by the owner of the B&B (Vern)that we were doing better than the Shearwater boats with regard to salmon. Same old same old should have come a week later. Crabing was ok but finding larger crab seemed to be an issue.Total milage on the boat 540, which equals about 1500.00 in fuel. Lots of whales both killers and Humpies I think. Beautiful area, the road into Bella Coola is interesting. All in all I'm glad we went but me thinks there are areas to fish in BC without driving the old boat 3 or 4 hours out of the day. Fuel prices weren't to bad 1.44/l for boat gas. As for diesel at one stop the were charging 1.57/l.
Next year it's back to the QCI or perhaps Port Hardy.
Again thanks for the info

 

[SeaWolf]

How did you find Whiskey Cove, we are booked there in August.

 

[Dark]

It was very nice Vern & Carol are excellent hosts. Nothing like walking down to your own dock in the A.M. They supply bottled water and fish bags. They also have lots of freezer space. Vern is the scotty warranty repair man to so no worries about a breakdown. Good luck and don't hesitate to ask if you have anymore questions.