Quote:
Originally Posted by SNAPFisher
Awesome on new Merc. That is interesting on the 4-stroke. Thanks for the great info. I'm getting a 7.5 HP kicker added to my boat for next year. Plan to start up in Port Hardy. I'm curious, which location to you prefer, Port Hardy or Uculet? Or too hard to compare  |
Yeah surprising... I was considering going with the 175HP cause that's my boat max power rating. All the guys I talked to said unnecessary and they were very right!
Preference... that is a tough choice since they seem so different to me. Quite different areas to fish.
Port Hardy
- About 2 hours further from Ferry Terminal
- Port Hardy is a small, old town with no glamour what so ever. Limited dining options and hotels are sketch. We like the North Coast Cottages and the Bear Cove Cottages.
- Port hardy has a Free Government Launch at the Bear Cove Marina, nice docks with cleaning tables and a little fishing store right on the water for lures and bait. Lots of parking.
- You can fish within about 1-2 miles of the marina and catch all salmon species if you don't mind fishing in crowds.
- Drive a few more miles to the first island chain and you'll be salmon fishing all alone, which is what I like to do.
- The BOTTOM FISHING!!!!!! It really is amazing for giant ling cod and rockfish. You can no longer keep yellow eye rockfish. It seems there are so many sea mounts in this area and if you move around and find the fish you usually have a 20+ pound Ling cod on every drop.
- weather for the most part in the summer is dead flat calm
- Seems we always have at least one day that is too rough to even go out fishing though. When it blows out there you can still fish inside port hardy bay if you really want to since it is protected water.
- Watch out for shipping traffic between the islands, don't bottom fish in fog, they'll run you over.
- TONS of WHALES. We have seen pods of 50+ killer whales and they swim right under our boat when we fish for salmon. Lots of Humpbacks as well.
Ucluelet
- World wide destination since Tofino and Ukee have somehow his the world travel map. Very difficult to find accommodations unless you book in advance. Tons of accommodation options. Some really beautiful places to stay.
-Some great coffee shops and restaurants... some fancy and some more fun like Howlers. Nice Co-op in town for groceries and gear. They have tons of tourist stuff besides fishing... not that I ever do any of it.
- We launch and keep the boat at islands west marina, have to pay$$
- there is a free launch but no dock and no parking there.
-Government warf is cheaper but I don't like that mess of double parking and someone crossing your boat and tieing off to you.
- Ukee harbor super protected, serene.
- fishing right outside of harbor. I've caught big chinook minutes from the dock. So you never have to worry about fog or weather since always protection. Then if weather is calm the whole wide open ocean is yours to fish.
-Banks fishing can be crazy good for salmon and halibut
-Tons of shallow water rockfish and lingcod all around the rocks and kelp.
- Not as many whales, see them the odd time.
- Tons of room to fish, never have to feel crowded.
- You can keep wild coho on the inside.
- Three to 3.5 hours from the Ferry Terminal.
- Only about hour to 1.5 hours past Port Alberni and if UKEE sucks then fishing can be quite good up the inlet at Port Alberni.
- If you're there in August you can also pick some Golden Chanterelles that grow in the forests around there... just incase you get tired of fishing.
So I can't really pick. I love them both.
Weather is usually nicer at Ucluelet and warmer than Port Hardy from my experience.
If you have enough time you can fish both. Last summer I went with my uncle and we fish two days in Ukee and 2 days port hardy.