What was your highlight of the year?

For me it was during a trip I had with a couple from Comox. They were so cheerful and had a great positive vibe the whole weekend, despite being met with gale force winds and horizontal rain on the first day. They only wanted to retain 1 chinook for their housesitter, so everything else we caught that could go back did go back. Day 2 the fishing was dead, we drove all up and down the coast searching for them, and finally late in the afternoon we hear some chatter on the radio that a couple fish got picked up close to the lodge. On a whim, we decide to run the 45 mins back up towards the lodge and try our luck before calling it a day. Wouldnt you know it, we show up and shortly after, the rod goes off, and right away you know its a decent fish. After a quick look at it under the water it looks mid-high 20s so Im ready to shake it off, but as it comes to the surface it just keeps growing in size... and by the time it breaches the surface im absolutely sure its a tyee. Grab the C/R net, scoop, *ping* out flies the teaser head and at that point i wasnt sure if Id gotten it in the net or not. Luckily we did, so I tape him out in the net, do some math, realize what a chunk weve just landed, call the lodge, get the manager out for a photo op, fish goes back in the water, healthy kick off and back down to the depths he/she goes!

42lb wild caught on a green haze bulletroll teaser head at 42' on the rigger, measuring approximately 42.25" x 28.25". And the best part is it couldnt have happened to more deserving guests!!
 
For me it was bringing my new boat home for the first time and planning how best to outfit it. to best house my gear and such. Then, very shortly after, taking some Austrian friends out for their first time salmon fishing and having a real barn burner of a day off Sooke catching (mostly wild) coho. The look on their faces was well worth the trip even if we didn't catch anything. Then it was pure awe when the orca pod came past the boat.

I wouldn't say fishing was lights out for me this year, but I learned a bunch and only lost one cannonball and two sets of gear. I'd call that a success any day of the year. Happy New Year everyone.
 
A solo trip out to where I was the only boat fishing. Couple of stops out then fishing in the sunshine and calm seas.

1 Coho on the fly rod!
A Sockeye
a 40+ pound spring
and a halibut just the right side of legal
Couple of lines too (I think now my favorite eating fish)

Great day on the water.
 
A solo trip out to where I was the only boat fishing. Couple of stops out then fishing in the sunshine and calm seas.

1 Coho on the fly rod!
A Sockeye
a 40+ pound spring
and a halibut just the right side of legal
Couple of lines too (I think now my favorite eating fish)

Great day on the water.
You hit for the cycle that day!
 
This year was the first year I had a good tuna trip in three years! That one day was awesome. This coming from a guy who can fish tuna of our coast often and has been doing so for for many years. The fish have just not been there much the last few years.
 
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For me it was a trip to Port renfrew. I almost exclusively fish in sidney, so it was a treat to get out to some more open water. We targeted sockeye and it worked out along with a 24lb spring on the off camper on the way back in. The two of us caught our limits of springs and sockeye over the weekend. The picture below was after day 1.

Other highlights include a trip to the Tyee pool in Campbell River and being rowed around by a buddy, and meeting some new fishing buddies around Sidney. @Stizzla and @persistent and I are having a blast with the winter springs right now.

Screenshot_20190101-184027.png Screenshot_20190101-184015.png
 
1. Built my new laneway house
2. Got married in it and moved in
3. Caught a bunch of sockeye (with blue flashers)
4. Had my new baby girl
5. Bought my dream boat

2018 is a year I'll never forget.
 
As far as fishing goes I only got out twice in 2018 and both times were great.
Trip one we managed a 22 and a 17 and I was with a friend that hadn't fished for over ten years. Good times.
Trip two was just me and my two kids. It was awesome.
I put them to work making lunch while I got the boat ready to go.
They helped at the dock and picked out there own gear with a little help and we picked up a 10lb spring and a 6lb sockeye.
The best part was I just handed them the rod and watched the show as they tryed to help each other.
 
For me it was like this;

1.0. Two trips to Nootka Sound. Awesome service as usual at Critter Cover. Enough fish with a 27 off Bajo in 8 foot seas one morning on chovy at 40 feet. Beano Creek was also good to us to with a double one day of 25's.

2.0. Fished off Vancouver for 40 days between Aug 20 of Oct 15. Mostly off North Arm. Less fish than last year but still great weather and enough fish. Cracked a cold one each day at Wreck Beach and went for a swim. Where the F*ck can you do that in our world.

3.0. Lastly was the 4 days I spent at Front Site outside Las Vegas in Oct combat handgun training. A blast. Huge facility with a thousand people a day being trained. Organized, safe, professional good people. Attended by families and lots of professional civilized folks. Went down with a buddy. I learned a lot. Check it out. Well worth the trip. Here's the link for those that might have an interest. If you're a hater, still consider going down, it might change your view of the world.
https://www.frontsight.com
 
2.0. Fished off Vancouver for 40 days between Aug 20 of Oct 15. Mostly off North Arm. Less fish than last year but still great weather and enough fish. Cracked a cold one each day at Wreck Beach and went for a swim. Where the F*ck can you do that in our world.

Did you beach the boat on the the sand? Or tie up to the log booms behind the beach?
 
2018 was a great year for our family. The top highlights were the awesome boat/camping trips with the friends and family (Nootka, Broughtons and all over the Salish Sea), lots of great fish, made lots of lures and last but not least is seeing and hearing of others awesome fishing stories using my creations. My gopro made a video of the year....can't tell what's work and what's play! Tight lines for all in 2019! https://gopro.com/v/rDD4GmzDdDXbm
 
Did you beach the boat on the the sand? Or tie up to the log booms behind the beach?

I drop anchor 200 ft right off the beach. It might get down to 4 feet on a normal lower tide. Its constant depth generally for 300 or so feet off the beach. I tilt up the motor and just slowly chug in. On a super low tide it's not doable. You have to be out be the swim marker boueys. Just watch the tides. It's not risky. I probably draft 18-24 inches approx. My boats 23 feet in length. I do occasionally moor at Cowards Cove off the log booms if a Westerly is blowing.
 
This is one of my first post here but highlight this year has been getting a boat late in the fall and learning to troll for salmon from some of the nicest people in and around Victoria BC. I was lucky and happened to come onto a really good deal boat unexpectedly. I have a spot for it in Victoria harbour and realizing that winter springs are a great way to learn the ropes. Had some funny misadventures with some great people I met on a local fishing Facebook group.

Best so far has been a 10.6 lb winter spring..... to me its a monster! Also have had the fun of crabbing and prawning. I am lucky to live in Victoria were I am a 7 minute drive to the Boat club and a 5 to 15 minute boat ride to the fishing grounds. I am looking forward to fishing the rest of the winter and getting ready for Hali and Ling in the spring.
 
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