Back from Port Hardy

[Mike_W]

Got back early yesterday from a week of fishing in Port Hardy Had a great trip although the springs were missing and could not find any the first few days although after looking over the maps and tides we found em!!!

All and all a great trip between the three of us caught our limit in springs and coho also managed our day limit in Halibut and bottom fish!

Cheers,

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Oh yeah no guides either .....bringin it home for Alberta!!!

[Mike_W]

Few more
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[Rockymtnx]

Looks like you guys caught lots and had a good time.

[sheephunter]

Great pics...congratulations. That is a hawg of a snapper! Bet that was some great eating.

[Jamie]

I would like to do a unguided thing as well. Do you guys have your own equipment,Boats Ect Ect?

Jamie

[FiveO]

Man am I jealous, looks like a wicked trip.

[Walleyes]

Great job guys,,, you have some dandys there... And very nice pics also...

[Chet]

Great pics and great fish... Congrats!

[springfisher]

that is a huge snapper, was this at a lodge or did you rent a boat and guide yourself???

[Mike_W]

All fishing was done in my fathers boat and unguided.
We bring our own gear and tackle. Actually this year we added electric downriggers.........Best investment ever!!!!!!!!!!!! The hand crank type was too much last time.

Lots of time spent doing research and preparation all paid off when we got back in to the docks with a load of fish and you have yankees asking you "what charter did you use, our charter didnt put up on fish like this"? We would reply "none! ....were from Alberta!!"

In regards to the snapper / yelloweye it was a dandy never seen one that big myself.

Highlight of the trip was the pod of dolphins doing laps around our boat as we bottom fished and the whale that surfaced two meters from the boat while we were stopped having lunch one day.

Great trip ...think its going to be a annual thing now!!

Question to someone who might know the 3rd and 4th pic notice how it is really grey instead of silver? Why is that?

FYI out of the 12 springs we harvested only 3 were females all the "big guys' were in fact guys!!!

Cheers

[drake]

Awsome fish man......I lived in Port Mcneill just south of Hardy this past winter. The North Island sure is pretty. Im going back in a few weeks to go to a wedding, and do some fishing. Were you guys fishing on the west coast? Or the mainland side of the island??. Don't suppose you got a GPS point on where a guy can run a few Halibuts down?......lol. Anyways, congrats on the great trip, and fantastic pics!

[John Spartan]

Mike, nice pictures! Gives me even more incentive to go.

Putting together two fishing trips for next year - one for family and another one for the guys at work. Should be fun!

[Unregistered user]

The dark coloring happens when they get ready to run the rivers, were you fishing near a river mouth? Great fish by the way, you must've had a blast. Campion Explorer?

[Reeves1]

that is a huge snapper

Yelloweye Rockfish. No Snapper in those waters.

[sheephunter]

Right you are but locals would give you a strange look calling it anything but snapper. Delicious either way!

[Hilgy]

Ya your right Sheep. Most of us on the Island call them Red Snapper.

Drake,

Try Nootka for halis you should be there at the right time. Also the big bank or 26 mile bank what ever you want to call it off Bamfield has great chickens.

I will be fishing off Nootka in a couple weeks. taking a couple buddies from work. They have never been on the Ocean, should be a laugh.

Hilgy

[Mike_W]

I know that typically springs will get dark as they run but we were way out in open water....almost out of the queen charlotte straight! So that’s why this surprised me so much ...beautiful fish.

Anyone who fishes Ucluelet and thinks they know what a salmon fights like....you don't!......Well you do, just not a fresh salmon. We fished Ucluelet two summers ago and managed some pretty nice fish, 28lb being the biggest. Not one fish in Ucluelet fought as hard as the 15 lbers we were catching in Port Hardy. I don’t know what it is we figured it to be that when the fish get down to Ucluelet they are starting to get tired because they have been running for a while now. The fish in Port Hardy are fresh, fat and full of energy and boy can they run, every fish was 5 - 10 minute fight before we landed them which is the best part. Nothing sounds better than ZZZzzzzzziiiiinngggg........ZZZZzzzzzzzzzingggggg. Well maybe a bull elk bugling 50 yards away but it is for sure a close second!!!!

All the best,
Thanks for the comments

[SNAPFisher]

Mike, thanks for the great post and awesome pics! Glad to hear that you planned it out with your family and pulled it off. I hope to be doing the same in the upcoming years. I'm headed to Rivers Inlet next week for some hopeful great fishing.

Cheers!

[Mike_W]

Snap,
Rivers should be great right now have fun at the wall!!!

I also forgot ...yes Campion Explorer.

[vicky]

hey guys i live in the Vancouver area of bc but mike that was some nice catch i went to port hardy 2 weeks ago caught my self some nice halibuts and red snappers but no salmon at all:( also like to say we have the exact same boats campion explorer 552 :lol: im heading to port hardy again this Thursday's coming up cant wait:D


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Calm Open Pacific Ocean

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[WildCats]

"Try Nootka for halis you should be there at the right time. Also the big bank or 26 mile bank what ever you want to call it off Bamfield has great chickens."


Leaving for Bamfield Thursday morning!! Lot's of chickens on 26 last year and did well at the egg. Lots of smileys over 20 lbs also and more coho than you knew what to do with.

WC

[moosehunter3-0]

nice fish!

[vicky]

where is the best place to buy a spear gun for big fish like halibuts ect on vancouver island island any good place in nanimo?

[dss44]

Great meeting you Mike. too bad the Chinook did not co operate. It was real hot for us..but just slowed down inthe past 4 days. Should pick up though.