Salmon trip to BC

[Magnum Slayer]

Want to start planning a selfguided salmon fishing trip next year on west coast just wondering if anyone knows some good spots. I have a 21ft 08 custom weld storm that I will be taking on the trip so rivers are good too. Thanks for any input.

[alwaysfishn]

What part of BC? Island, lower mainland, Northern BC?

[Sundancefisher]

Depends upon where you are going to be and when you are going to be there. For instance...at Langara you have various runs going by from April through November...each of those runs are heading somewhere specific. If you are at the end of the road as far as salmon migrations are concerned (down a fjord, inlet etc.)...if it is a late run you must arrive at the right time. Early in the year the salmon are not down the island yet.

In the ocean the boat should be okay...but how high are the sides? Can you post a boat picture? Depending upon the boat design you should be good for calmer water fishing almost anywheres. I have been in plenty of 19 foot boats on the coast but they are designed for ocean fishing.

Also do you know how to salmon fish in the ocean? Mooching, down riggers, spoons, plugs, jigging spoons, buck tailing etc. Sometimes...getting a guide can help. If you have not fished an area before but are going to be around for a while...hire a guide to take you out in the boat and actually try and help. Learn, learn...learn I say :)

[Pudelpointer]

I second the boat concern. You really want a deep V for off shore fishing (which is where a lot of the great fishing is that is somewhat close to civilization). If all I had was a shallow running boat I would look at somewhere along the inside passage (such as Bella Coola), north Island (out of Hardy) or in the inlets on the west side of the island (lots of closures and no-salmon fishing areas though - at least when I used to fish out there).

Timing becomes more of an issue the further south you are.

If you really want an adventure, you can drive a 4x4 (only needed for the boat launch) and trailer to the head of Kuyuqout Sound and run out to the mouth, where there is a PP (no facilities) with an amazing beach you can camp on. We used to go with a 14ft tiller, deep V with lots of freeboard (I would consider that the absolute minimum), but we were super paranoid about the weather. Make sure you have the means to receive weather reports (marine radio).

The village of Kuyuqout is just on the north side of the sound. Not much there, but there is a restaurant and store and fuel. Even a lodge. Around Canada day was always good for us.

[billie]

Check the regs wherever you end up. We just got back from Kuyuquot sound 2 weeks ago and chinooks are restricted to 77cm (about 14lbs) max inside a one mile zone from the surf line (outside rocks) as of July 15. Not a great place out there for a small boat. The hali fields we went to were also well out off shore but there may be others. You can still fish and catch inside but 77+ must be released. Personally I don't think you should in case you get bleeders that will not survive.

Like PP says, watch the weather!

[NewAlbertan]

My suggestion - head towards Rupert. lots of options, Kitimat, rivers, and other stuff - ask 'the google' - but that area will provide fish, for sure...

[Itsmyfishingshow]

skeena river in terrace just before town on the opposite side of the highway.
the northern exposures in rupert for an ocean guide. dont go the ocean withought a guide

[billie]

Check the regs wherever you end up. We just got back from Kuyuquot sound 2 weeks ago and chinooks are restricted to 77cm (about 14lbs) max inside a one mile zone from the surf line (outside rocks) as of July 15. Not a great place out there for a small boat. The hali fields we went to were also well out off shore but there may be others. You can still fish and catch inside but 77+ must be released. Personally I don't think you should in case you get bleeders that will not survive.

Like PP says, watch the weather!

Sorry MS, that didn't sound right. I didn't mean to suggest you would not read the regs just that there are some changes going on at Kuyuquot (and likely elsewhere for conservation reasons). The coho are hatchery only also, wild coho must be released.

[DanaS]

I second Terrace. It is a great hub for many options. The Skeena can be a tough river and you may want to consider a guide for a day there as well. I have no boat, but I have seen some ugly conditions. Terrace gives you access to Skeena, Kitimat, Douglas Channel, north to Nass or West to Rupert. I went for the first time in 2002 and have been back every year since. Lots of fish. Skeena has some monsters. Not as much fishing pressure as you would see on the island or the Fraser river. I usually go the last week of July, the first week of August. i couldn't get my dates this year and went the first week of July. Skeena was high and very difficult to fish. Not too many boats on the water as the conditions were scary.

[NewAlbertan]

I can think of a dozen places right off the highway before one even gets to Terrace to fish quality fish. Plenty of random camping, lots of fat eddies, and all sorts of options. Kitimat guided ocean is a good bargain too. Don't forget to set crab traps and spend some time checking the hotsprings too.
If one has the time/$, all the way to the Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Is.) is amazing. I'd leave the trailer behind for the ferry ($), and lodge it on the island. Trip of a life can be had there.

[Jimmyjjj]

Just a thought. There is a BC hunting forum: http://www.huntingbc.ca/ You might want to ask there. I am originally from BC however I don't know the coast very well, but I bet there will be someone there willing to help too.

[mike_samoil]

river are flooded out better wait till the end of august, best of luck though, some what hard for the fish to see the hook in chocolate milky water

[fishmonger]

If you want to fish for variety, I would say QCI all the way. Salmon, halibut, ling, ground fish are all plentiful. Limits are different vs Vcr Island as well (for ling and ground fish). Great crabbing and shrimping as well. Only downfall is the 7 hour ferry run (can be costly). If you can swing that, camping is easy and can be cheap (free in Rennell). The fishing is normally spectacular. You don't need to run off shore out of cover to hit 100 lb halibut (we do it EVERY year!).

Have been going to QCI for over 10 years...non-guided beach camping...have yet to come back disappointed.

My 2 cents.

[Scott h]

Want to start planning a selfguided salmon fishing trip next year on west coast just wondering if anyone knows some good spots. I have a 21ft 08 custom weld storm that I will be taking on the trip so rivers are good too. Thanks for any input.

The suggestions for QCI will give you a bit of an edge timing wise over a lot of places. Due to it's location it happens to get a ton of different runs going past the islands, so it's not as likely you will hear "you should have been here last week". Virtually any time from mid June to mid Sept are considered prime time. July and Aug being the best. The drive out from Calgary is around 15-16 hours to the ferry terminal in Rupert. You can book onto a night ferry (load at 9 pm) and get a room with 2 sets of bunks and a shower for an extra $60. Next thing you know you get a wake up call, a cup of BC ferry coffee, and drive off the boat onto Haida Gwaii. My dad does that exact trip every summer to our "cabin" in Masset and he's 84. He gets his fish done up at Sea Pac in Masset and drives back with a freezer in the back of his truck.Having a quick look at your boat on the net it looks like it should be just fine for fishing the "chuck" if you use you head and common sense.
If you have any specific questions regarding the area please feel free to ask and I'll try to help you.
Oh and by the way......... the fishing was and still is great this year