port hardy report

Okay Big Guy,
I really tried to give you a good assessment of local Pt hardy fishing in my opinion earlier today. I was fishing 4-5 days per week since July 7th on a well equipped boat. I feel comfortable stating that most boats that fish Duval, The Gordons, Mastermans and Castle Pt etc would agree it has not been a summer to brag about locally. A few hot days..... but in general fishing has been very spotty. Sure it could change any day , but most folks will have cleared out of town by the time it happens. Some of the charters have brought nice fish into the dock/ processor, but there have not been the long lines of incoming fish being delivered on a daily basis like prevous seasons. Just plan to work hard for any fish you get the way things have been going. I had a great summer, no complaints.... but I found most people with less capable boats were quite fruastrated with the low fish ##s at local hot spots to date.
 
Thanks for the honest assessment Seaswirl, much appreciated. I apologize, if my earlier posts have offended anyone.
 
Don't know about the Tuna, but cohoe and halibut fishing has been great out around the light house at Kains, for the past week. Two cohoe per day inside the surf line , possession of four. Reminded me of the great days in the late 80's in Campbell River. Fuel was $70 for 46 lt at Winter Harbour. Tight Lines,,,, BB
 
come on big guy, just tell us one hot spot then we will leave ya alone:Dtake care all

thanks the runt
 
New Guy here reporting for duty. Good evening, all.

I've read this thread with a bit of interest. Although I'd like to think I know my way around the inside of a spring salmon's mouth I'll admit free and clear that I just got back from my first fishing trip to Port Hardy and after 5 days of hard fishing, I and my friend returned with major skunk on our breath.

My biggest mistake (after hooking a nice spring my first morning) was presuming (due in part to the glowing reports I'd seen on this Forum) that there were good fish to be had in the Port Hardy area and all I had to do was keep putting in my time and it would happen again. I mean what about all those high-rez pictures of blood and guts I'd seen on this saltwater forum saying how "awesome" the fishing was in Port Hardy?

NOT!!!

I camped on the water, and my mistake No. 2 was never speaking to another fishermen for the entire trip, mainly because I never got close enough to any boat to chat with them. Imagine my surprise when I returned to the dock 5 days later only to hear people saying that Duvall and Gordons and Castle and Daphne had all been more or less biological deserts for springs and had been for all of August and the only people catching any consistent springs had been running 30 to 40 miles each morning to find them (or going to Winter Harbor where it seems the fish took a right instead of a left at Cape Scott this year).

Here's the thing: I've fished steelhead on the Skeena tribs for 30 + years and yes, I'll admit it, in the late 70's I learned never to give too many specifics to nobody nohow because the sheep would be in my pasture with miner's lights strapped to their fuzzy foreheads before I'd even gotten out of bed the next morning. Let them pay some dues on their own, I thought to myself --I did. That's my guiding philosophy when on a river-- tight quarters and long tongues don't get along.

But in the salt I've always been generous, sometimes to a fault. Lots of water, lots of depth, the more the merrier and if for no other reason, you'll soon see if there are any fish around if there are other hooks plying your waters.

Not only do I freely give information as to where and how many and how deep but I've even been known to admit to using fresh sardines when other people are using anchovies or hootchies. Uh oh, now you know how I got my first spring that morning off Bell Island....damn!

So here's the thing: all the above discussions are pertinent and everyone seems to have good intentions but it's a bit galling to me to hear a couple of chest beaters out there continually using the words "awesome" and "fantastic" and "couldn't get any better" when the truth was (and is) that this has been a majorly skinny season for many people like myself who visited Port Hardy this summer and a 30 mile run to B. Is. or H. Is. with a boat-load of paying clients and pounding the springs and the halis and the poor over-fished yellow eye and shortraker RF only to tell everyone how great the fishing in Port Hardy was and is rings far more of promotional boosterism and unseemly braggadocio then it does of sage generousity and good intentions in the fishing advice department.

Why not add in the posts containing all that spring salmon and hali blood and guts that the fish were not necessarily caught in the Port Hardy area, that one had to be prepared to run significant distances to get fish like that (and the fishers attempting this trick better be prepared to brave thick fog and errant cruise ships and gnarly rocks to get there?)

Not only would that have been a far more fair and accurate (and generous) report but it might even put more clients in their boats because of the crackers like myself who showed up without radar or sophisticated GPS then sat in pea-soup fog every morning for 5 days straight wondering when they'd hear the sound of rocks grinding into the thin skin of their fishless boats.

The other option would be to just not say anything at all; you know, quietly go about your business of catching fish in places other people don't know about and let the others draw a far more accurate conclusion from the reports of the hapless multitudes that stayed at Duvall and went home with runty pink salmon on their breath.

I hope this is taken in the constructive manner I'd like--this is a great forum with lots of good info and I appreciate the opportunity to join the discussion. Cheers.
 
My last trip to hardy took me two days to find the springs-- but knowing the guides were finding them kept my interest up.. and sure enough , it paid off.

It became pretty obvious to me early in the season that springs were hard to come by. But know that SOMEONE was doing well only made me more determined. And the halibut fishing was absolutely GREAT!!! as a fall-back. ( and all my butts were taken between Pine and Duval)

Dont believe me?? Well review Sitka Spruce's posts here. It was his first season fishing Port hardy-- but since he is a good fisherman ( and ex-guide) he figured it out pretty quick.

BTW-- his boat is not a large Pursuit etc. either-- just a 18ft Hewes tinny with a 115 Yami

So the lesson-- think about what is posted-- read between the lines-- there is a lot of information there if you choose to figure it out. And if you head out to Duval and there are only two boats fishing-- you just might as well go looking elsewhere.

And dont get ***** because someone is closed mouthed during a period when fishing is tough.




20ft Alumaweld Intruder
 
...And can't really blame guides to exaggerate a bit - they have an especially tough business to run and sustain this year...And who knows if it's ever gonna get better again...
 
you guys are out of line we're lucky the guides are saying anything on here and a couple guys like you yapping off are going to wreck these reports for the rest of us who are happy just to hear something from the hardy area it wasn't long ago hardy reports barely existed on here, so buying a gps and using the search option on this site will give you more information than you need, these guys fish out of hardy they catch fish out of hardy I just can't get your point
 
quote:you guys are out of line we're lucky the guides are saying anything on here and a couple guys like you yapping off are going to wreck these reports for the rest of us who are happy just to hear something from the hardy area it wasn't long ago hardy reports barely existed on here, so buying a gps and using the search option on this site will give you more information than you need, these guys fish out of hardy they catch fish out of hardy I just can't get your point
Click to expand...

Well, here is my point. I have to save money for the whole year to do 2 salt water trips each summer. I'm a decent fisherman and salmon wise I did better this year than most fisherman I talked to in Hardy. But truth been told had I known that I have to go 25-30 miles out to catch fish(which I cannot do) I would have stayed at home. I would have saved a whole bunch of money and everybody else would have one less boat to deal with. Hey, everybody wins. Trolling for 8 hours a day for two fish is not my idea of fun.
I posted my report in another thread and included all the important info in it. I hope that this thread will encourage fellow fisherman to post ALL kinds of reports, both good and bad. That way we can save each other some time and money.
I have no issues whatsoever with guide reports and appreciate them. I just wish they would include one short sentence in their reports. "Had to go out 25+ miles." Don't care which direction, don't care about GPS coordinates, and never follow other boats no matter who they are.

Cheers
 
We keep our boat in Hardy..hence fishing out of Hardy. When guides don't post you who are now bi**hing bi**ch...then when we do post...you again begin to bi**h. I have no obligation to tell you how far or short we ran...none at all...just sharing how we are doing out of Hardy.

I now see why many of the fellow hardy guides don't post at all...quite the good idea for the upcoming years.

PS-Dad fished Duvall 2 days ago as big weather...hit a Spring every 2nd pass...all between 20-30lbs. Pretty good fishing. My last Hardy report.

Cheers,
David

www.serengetifishingcharters.com
 
You can't win at this game David ......as you have found out. At least you tried to put some info out for everyone. It's been a tougher year for all of us and I see some of traParatus's points'........... I agree with him on this. Many of us are spoiled from better seasons and don't find getting 2 fish for 8 hours of trolling the same water the most thrilling thing we can spend all that money doing. That is our choice as we all know, no good complaining about it very much.

In your situation this is a livelihodd/occupation for your summer employment. We're talking apples & oranges here I think, if you had to switch places you might have a different opinion if it was all for sport and you wanted more action for your yearly vacation $$$ invested. Hopefully next summer will be more predictable for everyone so we can all be happy with more fish to go around. Let's hope this was a short term burp in the overall fish picture for Hardy prospects. We obviously all love to fish or we wouldn't be reading this stuff, but the fact remains there are other fishing opportunities if we run into a slow season in the salt. I may start doing a week in Baja again combined with less time in Hardy trolling to mix it up a bit instead of putting all my eggs in one basket like I did this summer. Fish till you drop guys. Enjoy
RR[8D]
 
Im starting to agree with david a biy here too, 20-30 miles is not that far!!!!!
I guess also that a good, great or fantastic day means different things to different people. A good day for me may not even involve fish, criusung up to cape caution in the fog, letting my kids take turns running the boat learning how to run on the gps and radar, gaining confidence in themselves is a fantastic day, throw in a couple of fish and some whales, and is as good as it gets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I dont think rating your day by how many fish u catch is the best way to look at things, the golden sandbox around port hardy may never be full of gold again, so finding ways to enjoy your time on the water other than loading the freezer for winter is key.

i look at it this way it costs me about $2000.00 per year for the membership at my golf course, for just one golf course, not all of bc, much more than the 40 for a fish licence, when golfing i incure ongoing costs , golf cart $5000.00, clubs every couple of years $2500.00, balls 500.00 year, plus gas to get there, etc etc ....
much the same as my fishing expenses, other than my boat being worth a bit more than my golf car.

oddly enough after 20 years of golf not once when i got done 18 holes did someone run out of the clubhouse and give me a side of beef, or some pigs and chickens??????

spending a great!, fantastic, good as it gets day with friends and family on the course was good enough to justify the expense!!!!!!

for some reason that never seems good enough for some
 
don't worry about a little whining David there are alot of guys that appreciate your posts and you have alot of friends on this site. It seems that alot of guys think a trip to hardy guarantees a posession limit and they forget this is fishing no matter where you are dangling the gear. sour grapes, very much. The best thing about fishing out of Hardy is the size of the area it's huge it's one of my favorite spots because you know theres always fish to be caught even if they're not biting at Duval or castle.
I had a great couple days fishing up there in july in a 16ft double eagle we were running 25 miles and slaying hogs we only saw one other boat the whole time and we came back with 5 nice springs and a hali limit, didn't see any other salmon carcasses at the cleaning table, a little research and planning goes a long way to having a great trip, who wants to fish with 50-100 other boats in the same spot anyways.
 
quote:Originally posted by traParatus
Well, here is my point. I have to save money for the whole year to do 2 salt water trips each summer. I'm a decent fisherman and salmon wise I did better this year than most fisherman I talked to in Hardy. But truth been told had I known that I have to go 25-30 miles out to catch fish(which I cannot do) I would have stayed at home. I would have saved a whole bunch of money and everybody else would have one less boat to deal with. Hey, everybody wins. Trolling for 8 hours a day for two fish is not my idea of fun.
Click to expand...

It will be a sad day when I have no fun while out fishing. I fish for the relaxation, the fun, the quest and me against the fish competition, not for the "I need to catch fish or I do not have any fun". I can never put a price on what I enjoy doing, whether it is fishing, hunting, hockey etc.

As for the reports that are out there, use what you can, but PEOPLE need to get out of the "There was fish here last year so thay have to be here this year" mind set and go explore. After all the ocean is not a boring place and has lots to offer to those who will spend the time looking for different places. If you are worried about the cost, then maybe you should just spend the money on Russian sockeye and stay home and golf....but then that is expensive as well.

I hope that David and others will keep reporting here as I will never get bored of looking at fish, whether they were caught in the harbour or "20-30 miles" away. It inspires me to try different places and know that there is some fish around, I just have to try harder or move around a little.

Now I will get off my stool and go fishing:D

Cheers

SS



Fishing001.jpg
 
I learned the hard way David and now your turn has come....
I saw more sheep this year than ever and it mostly has to do with guy's like us not keeping our mouths shut....
Next year will be a little different I hope.
And on another note....
The guy's that complain about distance, poor fishing, fuel, etc...do the most obvious thing and rent a guide....and quit complaining....
this my last post as well!

www.coastwidesportsfishing.com
 
quote:Originally posted by richmake

I learned the hard way David and now your turn has come....
I saw more sheep this year than ever and it mostly has to do with guy's like us not keeping our mouths shut....
Next year will be a little different I hope.
And on another note....
The guy's that complain about distance, poor fishing, fuel, etc...do the most obvious thing and rent a guide....and quit complaining....
this my last post as well!

www.coastwidesportsfishing.com
Click to expand...

Sorry that you guys feel that way, but that's your decision. To be refering to us as "sheep" it's pretty obvious that you have little regard for your fellow sportfishers. I've fished for years in Alberni canal with many hundreds of boats in the vicinity. The boats in Hardy waters are pretty scarce by comparison. Yet, you are the ones whining about sporties crowding you out in "your" locations. Your posts contain no information intended to help your fellow sportfishers, as you only see them as an impediment to your business. BTW, it's not complaining when someone posts that the fishing isn't that good at the time, it's just an honest fishing report. Most people want to read accurate timely reports, not just overly enthusiastic promo material.

I predict you'll be back because the forums are a free method of self promotion for you. Here's what reports look like from a guide who isn't just interested in pumping up his business. Look at fogduckers posts from Doug Lindores, Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing. Those are reports from a guide who's interested in helping his fellow sportfishers.

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9760&whichpage=6&SearchTerms=lindores

This will probably be my last post for a while, as I'm off to Barkley Sound for a couple of weeks fishing. I'll probably be heading to the north island after that. If I run into some guides on the dock up north, I guess I know not to bother inquiring about the fishing. Apparently sharing info with the "sheep'" is frowned upon in those parts among the guiding fraternity.
 
In case anyone cares. Got a good report today from some reliable local sources in Port Hardy. Goes along with David's last report, fishing at Duval Point has picked up substantially later this week. Keep an eye on the weather as there might still be some stormy weather on the horizon from this Gulf of Alaska low we've seen this week. :)We all knew it had to get good when the fish finally started hugging the inside shoreline at some point and heading South.
Who-ever is still interested .........GO GET THEM. Best of luck to those that have the time to chase some fish. !!!
 
Fishing anywhere can be spotty, I've had some luck in Hardy before, but I'd recommend getting a guide if you're new to the area. lately I've been staying in closer to shore, running 25 miles out gets pricey these days. good luck out there!
 
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