Quatsino Update

[Sitkaspruce]

For anybody heading out to Quatsino, here is a little update.

Went out for a day fish on Monday, fished the lighthouse and Lippy pt. Hit 18 fish, boated 12, 10 wild coho and two small chinooks. Had a first timer on board who lost 5 fish, including a couple of line burners. Saw about 6 fish get netted, all over 20 lbs. About a dozen and a half boats out there, most were fishing the highway.

The coho were nice fish, some pushing 10 lbs!! The first timer had a blast, the coho doing what they do best, cartwheeling all over the place. Anchovie and Purple haze hootchies doing the damage.

Heading back out next weekend, unless the weather or the fishing pick up here!!!!

Cheers

SS

 

[tortuga]

5 1/2 or 6"?

 

[bigredsnapper]

Did you launch at Coal harbour?

 

[Cuba Libre]

Hummm- Monday, Arnt you glad you didnt run up to fish with us afterall???? Any of the coho marked?




20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[Sitkaspruce]

quote:Originally posted by Cuba Libre

Hummm- Monday, Arnt you glad you didnt run up to fish with us afterall???? Any of the coho marked?




20ft Alumaweld Intruder

The funny thing is, if I had looked at the NEW notices on the internet, we would have been able to keep 2 coho, marked or not.[:0]

Coal Harbour launch sucks.The launch is crappy, the parking is crappy and they charge you $10 to launch an more for parking. Port Alice is free to launch and park. The same distance to the outside.

SS

 

[bigredsnapper]

Thanks for the info SS, Port Alice it is. Just talked to a guy at WH yesterday said they did well and some monster coho.

 

[Cannon Ballz]

Sitka,How much gravel do you have to travel on to go to Port Alice vrs.Coal Harbour? it doesnt look like a big difference.

Thanks-C-Ballz

 

[Sitkaspruce]

Both are paved, although Port Alice is getting a new pave job this summer. The road to Port Alice is windy and twisty, with a few hill thrown in. It is 30 k's from the highway turn off. Coal Harbour Rd is also windy and twisty, but is much shorter 15 k. It is equal distance from the Port Alice turn off to go to either launch. and equal distance to Kains Light from either launch.

SS

 

[saltybeaver]

Any more updates [8D]

 

[Sitkaspruce]

Was out on Sunday...boy was it lumpy!!!

Took the wife out for her first west coast appearance.
She passed with flying colours, no sea sickness (she was even lying down and reading), a little nervous when we were traveliing in 20' seas, but once trolling in the slop, she was good, played fish like a pro and wants to go again.

Fished Cliffe Pt. and the Lighthouse. The fishing for springs was very slow, none caught on the inside and the few brave souls who went out the the highway caught a few small teens. The coho fishing was great at the light house though, with lots of small 3-5 lbs, all wold that we caught. Came home with our limit of 2 coho each. Talked with a few others and they all agreed that it was very slow but it had to start picking up soon.

Might go back out again on Sunday.

Cheers

SS

 

[scott craven]

hey sitka,
you're a brave soul to be out in 20' seas !

 

[bigredsnapper]

Thanks for the update,I'm glad I'm not gonna hear "you should have been here last week". Maybe I'll be saying it when we leave!

 

[Sitkaspruce]

quote:Originally posted by r.s craven

hey sitka,
you're a brave soul to be out in 20' seas !

Hey RS

They were huge rollers, but with very little wind it was not to bad. A small chop on top. It was one of those... now you see them, now you do not type of days that are usually off shore. Most of our fishing was behind the island so it was not constant. The run to the island and back was where you had to really take it easy. The wife was nervous then. There was an old guy and his dog from WH out there in a 14' aluminum who fished for a couple of hours and a few times he went around the point. I though...here we go, but you could tell he had been there before. He caught his fish and left while some guys were still trying to get one in the boat.

Cheers

SS

 

[doubletake]

Sounds like the fishing is really picking up now, getting the boat ready! Apparently a big fella was weighed in...

http://www.fishtactics.com/WrittenReportPage?writtenFishingReportID=2024

 

[Neener]

Fished off Winter Harbour last three days. Very good. Limited out every day. Big springs at 35ft off kelp at Kains. off shore was great - 120 - 190, purple haze hooch & anchove. Lots of fish being boated. As Sitka said the seas were pretty big on Friday but mellowed to pool table smooth yesterday. Paradise.....

ps - Thanks Sitka - hope you did well today if you were out

 

[Charlie]

quote:Originally posted by r.s craven

hey sitka,
you're a brave soul to be out in 20' seas !

Probably shouldn't go here, but don't think you were out in 20' seas, but rather 20 foot swells</u>. Normally swells on the west coast run between 10' - 15' feet, so very possible to be in 20' swells. I have been in 15-20' seas several times and it isn't a nice ride and you better be in a very good vessel. I have actually been caught in 45 foot seas off Nootka and it took about a 50 knot wind to generate that sea state... and Yes, I did turn back to shelter. That was in a 42'er... and it wasn't pretty! It takes about 33 knots of wind to generate 20' seas and to be honest... that's just down right uncomfortable.

The following is right from the Coast Guard:

Swells refer to the actual size of the ocean waves. If there are swells of 10-12 feet, then there are large non-breaking waves that measure an average of 10-12 feet from the bottom of the trough to the top of the swell.

Seas usually refers to the overall conditions in the ocean, such as calm seas or heavy seas. Rough seas are some combination of high swells and high winds. Rough seas include the following warning levels:</u>
Small Craft Advisory: Observed or forecast winds of 18 to 33 knots - Small Craft Advisories may also be issued for hazardous sea conditions or lower wind speeds that may affect small craft operations. Issued up to 12 hours ahead of conditions. (There is no legal definition of the term "small craft".)

Gale Warning: Observed or forecast winds of 34 to 47 knots.

Storm Warning: Observed or forecast winds of 48 knots or greater.

Tropical Storm Warnings: Observed or forecast winds of 34 to 63 knots associated with a tropical storm.

Hurricane Warning: Observed or forecast winds of 64 knots or higher associated with a hurricane.

Special Marine Warning: Observed or forecast winds of 34 knots or more associated with a squall or thunderstorm and expected to last for 2 hours or less.

Source: US Coast Guard