I was thinking the same thing.
What was your highlight of the year?
- Thread starter Islander57
- Start date
Bod
Well-Known Member
Nice catch and good on you for the release of a fish you just a easily could have bonked on the head.By far was taking my girlfriend out and getting her her biggest Chinook ever, 41 lbs, caught and released! Day before caught and released a 40 with a guest, best two days of the season for me! Both gave me a nice kick splash on way back home too
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
High point of the summer for me was watching a group of humpies doing their bubble curtain thing: pretty amazing to see the surface of the water erupt in a mushroom cloud of terrified herring, then a moment later seeing five or 6 pairs of warty snouts explode out of the water, bait streaming out of their mouths.
Prairie Locked
Well-Known Member
An epic night of jigging with @Waterwolf2230 . Lol
TipUp
Well-Known Member
Our highlight of the year was running around in "Island Style", our new to us 25' pursuit. Was lucky enough to fish many areas this year including locally off Nanaimo, Bowen Island, Nootka, and Bamfield. Really happy with the performance of the pursuit, was able to fish offshore in comfort for a change.
T
The Jackel
Guest
SG is that you
casper5280
Crew Member
That is a very sweet setup Capt_Ed.
Islander57
Well-Known Member
Truly the highlight of the year for us. Back in July, we were fishing off of Texada Island. We had stopped at a small pinnacle I like to fish that always produces yellow eyes for us. We had just about finished when two humpbacks appeared about 500 yds. away. We watched them for a couple of minutes before they took the deep dive and we were happy to see them. Humpback sightings when we go over to Texada really picked up this year. Rarely a trip that we didn't see them. To our surprise, the two humpbacks surfaced right off the back of my boat. We had the engine off so we just sat back and enjoyed the show. I'm amazed by how gentle these giants are. 
AWESOME pictures Islander 57! We saw those whales several times this summer. They seemed to like the Powell River area & hung around for months. Lots of close encounters recorded.
The highlight of my year was taking my 10 yr old grandson out in July. He decided pretty quickly that he hated trolling & was really hoping for a good sized ling cod. (My daughter's family lives in Princ George & young Wyatt had been talking for months about catching a big ling with Grampa when they came down for their annual holiday) So we pulled up the riggers & pulled out the jigging gear. We weren't jigging for long before he brought in a nice rockfish and a big yellow eye.
We moved to another spot & within a minute he latched onto a 15 lb. ling. I've never seen him grin so wide! Made my whole summer.
The highlight of my year was taking my 10 yr old grandson out in July. He decided pretty quickly that he hated trolling & was really hoping for a good sized ling cod. (My daughter's family lives in Princ George & young Wyatt had been talking for months about catching a big ling with Grampa when they came down for their annual holiday) So we pulled up the riggers & pulled out the jigging gear. We weren't jigging for long before he brought in a nice rockfish and a big yellow eye.
We moved to another spot & within a minute he latched onto a 15 lb. ling. I've never seen him grin so wide! Made my whole summer.
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dmurph
Well-Known Member
Highlight for me was a fishing trip with the family to a new to us spot on the Sunshine Coast, we jigged salmon for the first time and my boy landed 13 that just fought like crazy, it was awesome. Also on this trip was figuring out this one back eddy off a point where the current was just ripping, I could see the calm water pooling around the point, it looked so fishy but seemed so risky to troll into as it came right up in depth, I got in there and hooked into 4 big springs on 4 passes. Had to be on it as water went from 200 to 30 pretty quick but I learned the fish were just hold on the back side of the hump in the calm shallow water. This was the defining highlight for me.
ab1752
Crew Member
Such a killer season but if I had to choose one it would be the run down from dent island to the sunshine coast one Sunday in early July. We pushed off from dent at 730 am in a gd fog bank into the yuculta rapids. What the heck is that thing doing here in july??? Anyway I relied on the nav and hoped like hell we cleared during the turn and just south of Sonora the fog cleared beautiful, warm and sunny. Dropped lines just north of Cortez and had a pair of nice 17 & 18 lb springs in the first half hour.
Picked up and dropped again off Sarah point for our 3rd of the day then ran down to Anderson bay where we also saw those hump backs on their way up the channel. Right about now is when the "no drinking on the run home" deal died a slow death making my brother in law the one holdout while the rest of us crushed everything in site. We tied up and shut down the wobbly canoe in fine style, clearly missing the ferry back to town.
It was just one of those epic summer days on our amazing Coast. Can't wait for next summer!
Picked up and dropped again off Sarah point for our 3rd of the day then ran down to Anderson bay where we also saw those hump backs on their way up the channel. Right about now is when the "no drinking on the run home" deal died a slow death making my brother in law the one holdout while the rest of us crushed everything in site. We tied up and shut down the wobbly canoe in fine style, clearly missing the ferry back to town.
It was just one of those epic summer days on our amazing Coast. Can't wait for next summer!
Sounds like Scotch Fir Point Murph. I left a cannonball there last September.
Stizzla
Crew Member
For me it has to be this week! In two sessions I must’ve played 30 fish. Mostly small but still exciting! These little 5-7 pounders were hammering spoons and popping clips that I buried all the way in. As people are saying, confidence is huge in the success of a fisherman and now I have lots of it! Thanks @Nolan!
Also this week, I purchased my first islander reel and am getting it in the mail today
Finally, a huge highlight was the people I fished with this year. In no particular order:
@Gham @Original @Nolan @carpeweekend @persistent @RogersonCrusoe @advTHXance. If I forgot somebody please let me know!
It’s been a great full first year of fishing and being part of this forum. Next year is going to be epic with more friendships formed, exploring new places, fishing for new species, and landing some trophy fish. See you on bragging rights in 2019!
Happy New Year!
The Stizz
Also this week, I purchased my first islander reel and am getting it in the mail today
Finally, a huge highlight was the people I fished with this year. In no particular order:
@Gham @Original @Nolan @carpeweekend @persistent @RogersonCrusoe @advTHXance. If I forgot somebody please let me know!
It’s been a great full first year of fishing and being part of this forum. Next year is going to be epic with more friendships formed, exploring new places, fishing for new species, and landing some trophy fish. See you on bragging rights in 2019!
Happy New Year!
The Stizz
island idiots
Active Member
For me, it was simple. Coming back to Sooke to fish a few days with my best pal.
On our old stomping grounds, Fah Cups and I had a great time. Just 2 buds out getting it done. Awesome!!
On our old stomping grounds, Fah Cups and I had a great time. Just 2 buds out getting it done. Awesome!!
Drink
Well-Known Member
Absolute 2018 epic year West Coast fishing with our annual trips to both Nootka and Bamfield. Sockeye fishing on the lower mainland outstanding as well. Feeezer is full, what can I say.
Keeping things in perspective on how precious our time is, my most signicant trip although sad but at the same time most cherished was our annual trip to Bamfield in 2017. Our American buddy from Arizona who loved the West Coast and diagnosed with prostrate cancer was absolutely determined in joining us for a final salmon fishing trip no matter what. He was in pain and fragile but each day of the 7 days he fished with joy and contentment. So proud of him for his courage and my buddies for their desire to please a true gentleman.He passed away 1 1/2 weeks later.
On our annual trip this year his rod and reel was in place, still catching fish and all we heard was get the lines in the water. LOL.
Words of wisdom boys as we all know, enjoy the moment, do what you love and keep loving who you love and tight lines for all in 2019.
Keeping things in perspective on how precious our time is, my most signicant trip although sad but at the same time most cherished was our annual trip to Bamfield in 2017. Our American buddy from Arizona who loved the West Coast and diagnosed with prostrate cancer was absolutely determined in joining us for a final salmon fishing trip no matter what. He was in pain and fragile but each day of the 7 days he fished with joy and contentment. So proud of him for his courage and my buddies for their desire to please a true gentleman.He passed away 1 1/2 weeks later.
On our annual trip this year his rod and reel was in place, still catching fish and all we heard was get the lines in the water. LOL.
Words of wisdom boys as we all know, enjoy the moment, do what you love and keep loving who you love and tight lines for all in 2019.
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dmurph
Well-Known Member
It was on the south western tip of Texada, just around the corner from Upwood. There had been a pretty good bite going on that died off for everyone once some wind and current really picked up from the channel between texada and Lasqueti
ab1752
Crew Member
The entire southern tip of Texada produced like crazy for us last summer. Away from the crowds at Epsom and upwood are cool bays that are quiet but effective producers. I spent a bit of time poking around the southern bays off thormanby and did ok but also donated a cannonball to the deeps fishing solo in a rising southerly aka "go home, dummy" conditions.
