BC Coastal fishing 2019 - the countdown has started!

[Ken07AOVette]

140 days to 3rd week of May.

I am looking at May for 2 weeks, July 10 for 2 weeks, August for a week or so.

I am also looking hard into fishing Alaska for Halibut, am doing this without fail in '19.

Plans for the boat are fairly minimal, other than researching a new high windshield which will give me a hard cabin and real door, with actual heat.

Until I get that finished, I am going to be likely finishing the last 3 plastic windows with new Strataglas. I bought a 2000 Honda Generator for heat while out in the rain and cold, hope I don't have to use it. I am redoing the rain cover, liked it but last year was just a first run, I know what to change now.

I am trying to change out the main hold hatch so I can store the generator out of the way, possibly swapping out the trim sensors, other than that is is business as usual for me.

I am thinking of an inflatable for shore excursions and emergency use, with a new cabin it will be very easy but quite crowed right now on the roof.

Garmin has a new live fishfinder/sounder than looks very promising, actually shows fish swimming around under the boat. What we have now is absolute crap, I can see great bottom detail but if a whale swims under the boat nothing shows. Crap for a $3800 fishfinder.

Your winter plans for the boat and summer plans for fishing?

[58thecat]

Keep the tarp on the ol'battle barge until the lake opens up....I learnt a long time ago if you keep throwing money at it she will continue to eat....they are a very needy item kinda like a woman

[justinO]

Seems like a long time away but I can't wait. Hopefully regs don't get hit to hard

[Jamie]

I am concerned about the ability to keep Chinook this year...

I see the central coast guys are advertising that they have the highest keep rates. But I cant find anything official. Those South guys might be in a world of hurt with the whole Killer Whale thing.

Perhaps Serengeti can chime in?

My plans are once again to go out to Haidia Gwaii and stay at Sandspit Adventures. Best deal on the Coast I tell you!!!

[Drewski Canuck]

Word at all the meetings is it will be ugly this year. Even on the west side of the Island where there are hatchery runs.

Poor Fraser returns for Springs and Coho, REALLY POOR Skeena runs for the third year being forecast already.

DFO has this dog and pony show advisory committee of all user groups, and the only user group that can get hammered is the one that brings in all the money to BC: Sport Fishermen. Commercials and FN have priority, and Ottawa is full of whale lovers, so just look out.

A lot of Lodges already got hit hard last year with cancellations up north when the limits where cut back, and I doubt many can hang on for a second year.

Thing is from the Alaska Pollock fishery, The Pacific Salmon Commission now gets the heads from all the by catch that the Pollock fisherman must now keep and are counted against the Alaskan Commercial quota. The data is critical to run predictions through DNA testing as well as marked fish, so DFO is already getting forecast info and it appears bad again this year.

Now that everyone realizes there are too many seals and sea lions, and a cull is underway in the US, we may see some meaningful measures to increase the survival of returning fish. Hopefully Mr. Trudeau and the DFO managers will strap on a pair and follow suit in BC.

Drewski

[justinO]

Yea scary times ahead. A few serious issues need to be addressed ASAP

[Ken07AOVette]

I hope there aren't any friendly fire incidents when some cull/kill happy yahoo's start sending bullets skipping across the chuck.

Hmm... if there is a cull on does that mean we can now carry rifles in the boats? Or is that just a certain group?

Going after trap thieves this year may bring new challenges if they are all packing.

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

I hope there aren't any friendly fire incidents when some cull/kill happy yahoo's start sending bullets skipping across the chuck.

Hmm... if there is a cull on does that mean we can now carry rifles in the boats? Or is that just a certain group?

Going after trap thieves this year may bring new challenges if they are all packing.

Why couldn't you have a gun aboard already?

[bessiedog]

So.... just wondering.... are there recipes for sea lion and seal?

I got an Innu friend who says seal flipper is the worst food man could ever devise....

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Jamie

Why couldn't you have a gun aboard already?

I do not think it is legal to carry a firearm on a pleasure vessel, but haven't really looked into it. Although we did take them on little boats on hunting trips up north, I am not sure about coastal waters. I would imagine they would question my reason for carrying a rifle. I have been boarded several times, that is a line of questioning I don't want to be involved in, I think. I am certain that would get my name saved for use at a later date in their system.
I think it would be real heavy duty bad to go into Alaska with a firearm.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by bessiedog

So.... just wondering.... are there recipes for sea lion and seal?

I got an Innu friend who says seal flipper is the worst food man could ever devise....

Seal meat recipes
Steps: Add baking soda to a pint of cold water and soak the seal meat in it for 30 minutes. Remove the excess of fat and cut meat into portions. Coat meat in seasoned flour and fry in bacon fat.

sounds delicious lol

Found this

It has that kinda gamey, iron-y, almost kind of organ meat flavor. But when it's fresh, it has a little taste of the sea. It's super lean, but oily, it's really a paradoxical kind of flesh.

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

I do not think it is legal to carry a firearm on a pleasure vessel, but haven't really looked into it. Although we did take them on little boats on hunting trips up north, I am not sure about coastal waters. I would imagine they would question my reason for carrying a rifle. I have been boarded several times, that is a line of questioning I don't want to be involved in, I think. I am certain that would get my name saved for use at a later date in their system.
I think it would be real heavy duty bad to go into Alaska with a firearm.

The Alaska thing is a no brainer. Unless of course you have the proper permits to do so. I found it such a pain to take my Guns to Alaska that I didn't. I just borrowed the guides gun both times. Possible though as I did take it to Wyoming.

If you wish to carry a gun on a boat, more power to you. If they ask why, tell them PIRATES!!! 100% your call.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Jamie

The Alaska thing is a no brainer. Unless of course you have the proper permits to do so. I found it such a pain to take my Guns to Alaska that I didn't. I just borrowed the guides gun both times. Possible though as I did take it to Wyoming.

If you wish to carry a gun on a boat, more power to you. If they ask why, tell them PIRATES!!! 100% your call.

If and when you are boarded for any reason, and we know it happens, there is always the question 'why'. If you do not have a serious answer it gives them probable cause to detain or possibly seize for investigation. Bag of worms I don't want to open.
If it gets to the point we have to carry firearms to fish, I will be selling a very nice boat. No interest in a firefight on the ocean. I would love to carry something for dispatching big halibut in Alaska, but am not going to keep anything over 100 lbs anyway. 75 is the butterzone if I were to guess, my last one was great.

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

If and when you are boarded for any reason, and we know it happens, there is always the question 'why'. If you do not have a serious answer it gives them probable cause to detain or possibly seize for investigation. Bag of worms I don't want to open.
If it gets to the point we have to carry firearms to fish, I will be selling a very nice boat. No interest in a firefight on the ocean. I would love to carry something for dispatching big halibut in Alaska, but am not going to keep anything over 100 lbs anyway. 75 is the butterzone if I were to guess, my last one was great.

I was responding to you questioning if you COULD have a gun. Not if you SHOULD have one. I see no reason on a fishing trip to take one. Unless of course you want to, then more power to you. Why we are scared of LEOs for doing something 100% legal is a issue though. Thats another conversation though.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Jamie

I was responding to you questioning if you COULD have a gun. Not if you SHOULD have one. I see no reason on a fishing trip to take one. Unless of course you want to, then more power to you. Why we are scared of LEOs for doing something 100% legal is a issue though. Thats another conversation though.

Is it 100% legal to have a firearm in a boat in coastal waters when you are not hunting?

That's what I was getting at.

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Is it 100% legal to have a firearm in a boat in coastal waters when you are not hunting?

That's what I was getting at.

Sure, why not? Same as a Vehicle. Unloaded is the only rule. If your in that boat that is. Same rules apply to a gun in a truck if you leave the vehicle. You can drive all around town with that gun in the back window. Same thing with your boat. This isn't about hunting or not hunting. It's about transporting a non restricted firearm.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Jamie

Sure, why not? Same as a Vehicle. Unloaded is the only rule. If your in that boat that is. Same rules apply to a gun in a truck if you leave the vehicle. You can drive all around town with that gun in the back window. Same thing with your boat. This isn't about hunting or not hunting. It's about transporting a non restricted firearm.

Wow you are missing a huge point.
There is 1 reason to be packing a long arm in Canada on a boat. Hunting. If you are unable to say you are hunting, you have it for another purpose, protection. If you are not on land (hunting) or gold mining etc you are carrying the firearm for a purpose you can not quantify, on your fishing boat. Recipe for trouble.

You transport from home to hunt or range or gun store. As much as we all want to say 'cause I can' there still has to be 'just cause' for LEO.

Trainwreck already, thanks pal lol

[RavYak]

I doubt the garmin livescope would be much use in that deep of water.

I am hoping to get out west again. Still searching for my first kayak halibut.

Regs and salmon returns seem to have been getting worse at an alarming rate. It seems like a guy needs to go get his fishing in out there while we still can.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by RavYak

I doubt the garmin livescope would be much use in that deep of water.

I am hoping to get out west again. Still searching for my first kayak halibut.

Regs and salmon returns seem to have been getting worse at an alarming rate. It seems like a guy needs to go get his fishing in out there while we still can.

It says rated to 200', for shallower spots near walls and for groundfish it would be awesome but yeah, I want to see more reviews for sure.

I feel the same, the time is now. I am going to get in as much as possible before it's taken away completely. You can't go into many forums without boat owners talking about total loss insurance claims in summer 2019 lol.


It seems everytime I get into something cool the roof falls in and I miss all the good stuff. Drones- go ahead and fly anywhere the year before I got them, now you have to have insurance, be gubmint certified, halibut and salmon used to be much better bigger more, last year they cancelled spring retention after what, 100 years of recreation fishing?

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Wow you are missing a huge point.
There is 1 reason to be packing a long arm in Canada on a boat. Hunting. If you are unable to say you are hunting, you have it for another purpose, protection. If you are not on land (hunting) or gold mining etc you are carrying the firearm for a purpose you can not quantify, on your fishing boat. Recipe for trouble.

You transport from home to hunt or range or gun store. As much as we all want to say 'cause I can' there still has to be 'just cause' for LEO.

Trainwreck already, thanks pal lol

Ken. You asked if it was legal. I said yes. I am not missing any point. You don't need a excuse. You just need a PAL. If your scared of our laws, thats another story. And who says there is ONE reason. Maybe I want to do some plinking? Perhaps I want to clean my gun while I am trolling along or god forbid anchored for Halis. Perhaps I want to practice my Dry firing or my shoulder mounting of said gun. WHO KNOWS? We are talking about NON RESTRICTED not restricted here. You know all this. You used to hunt. Carry one, don't carry one.. Its up to you. You obviously don't want any sort of perceived hassle but lets not put any more restrictions on ourselves than what our Gov is planning on doing. A for a train wreak of a thread, don't ask a question if you don't want the answer. SHESHHHHHHH Go plow some snow or something. LOLOLOLOL

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Jamie

Ken. You asked if it was legal. I said yes. I am not missing any point. You don't need a excuse. You just need a PAL. If your scared of our laws, thats another story. And who says there is ONE reason. Maybe I want to do some plinking? Perhaps I want to clean my gun while I am trolling along or god forbid anchored for Halis. Perhaps I want to practice my Dry firing or my shoulder mounting of said gun. WHO KNOWS? We are talking about NON RESTRICTED not restricted here. You know all this. You used to hunt. Carry one, don't carry one.. Its up to you. You obviously don't want any sort of perceived hassle but lets not put any more restrictions on ourselves than what our Gov is planning on doing. A for a train wreak of a thread, don't ask a question if you don't want the answer. SHESHHHHHHH Go plow some snow or something. LOLOLOLOL

Stop drinking. or

[Serengeti Charters]

WCVI may get dinged a bit on Chinook this year, and maybe on the inside from Campbell River down. Haida Gwaii will likely be same regs as well. Rupert will likely be non retention for most of the season again as well. Lucky where we are to be honest, but you just never know with DFO, they don't base so many of their decisions on science. Time will tell, at least they are putting more resources into habitat protection and the US just announced almost tripling their hatchery production (for the whales which don't even get me started on as that is BS), which benefits fishing for us as well.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Serengeti Charters

WCVI may get dinged a bit on Chinook this year, and maybe on the inside from Campbell River down. Haida Gwaii will likely be same regs as well. Rupert will likely be non retention for most of the season again as well. Lucky where we are to be honest, but you just never know with DFO, they don't base so many of their decisions on science. Time will tell, at least they are putting more resources into habitat protection and the US just announced almost tripling their hatchery production (for the whales which don't even get me started on as that is BS), which benefits fishing for us as well.

Thanks David- I hope they at least release the non-retention dates so we can plan trips around them.

[Serengeti Charters]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Thanks David- I hope they at least release the non-retention dates so we can plan trips around them.

That's another pile of BS from DFO, they won't give any details till April like last year I'm almost certain!

By the sounds of it you'll still have a blast up there, it's not all about keeping, as long as you can put some fish in the freezer and eat it once or twice a week for the year that's enough, like I tell my guests if you're not going to eat it let er swim!

[GMX]

I’ve got to change a O ring in my steering column and a through hull fitting so I can put my boat up for sale this spring. On dads boat I have a little work to do on the trolling motor and fish cleaning table I might put another fish finder on the back deck so the guys watching the rods can also watch the depth. After that maybe tie up a few more anchovy and herring rigs and impatiently wait for July. I’m ready to watch my oldest boy fight salmon and halibut again pretty funny when he hooks into a spring.

Hopefully ironnoggen chimes in with some good news on the cull.

[58thecat]

I am not too far from my 590, great to sling across your back if fishing on land and packs away easily, legal, you bet.....why....because....its legal of course.

I also carry a few folders from time to time

[Robins36]

I’m also planning on a west coast fishing trip. We have some family members on Vancouver Island who are managing a campground near Port McNeill. So if anyone has some knowledge of the local guides around there, it would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully the dates work out and miraculously Serengeti will have an opening for a day trip!

Last year, I fished that same area and hooked some nice sized Chinook.

Daryl

[Serengeti Charters]

I think as of right now only day trip dates are early June and maybe one end of July ! If doesn’t work out I can point you in the right direction!

[Robins36]

Originally Posted by Serengeti Charters

I think as of right now only day trip dates are early June and maybe one end of July ! If doesn’t work out I can point you in the right direction!

Thanks! I will be sure to get in touch when we get the dates lined up.

Daryl

[akaShag]

tagged for interest.

Doug