Fishing in the Queen Charlottes - Fishing Report Aug 30 - Sept 3, 2011

Sundancefisher · #1 09-04-2011, 08:57 AM

Just got back from fishing and wow was it ever good again. The Chinook numbers were about half the Spring numbers but still about 30-40 or more depending upon the boat. I think the main reason we caught fewer was there were TONS of COHO! We also caught more Chum salmon this trip than all previous 11 trips combined. Surprisingly enough I did not see as many pinks as I was thinking we would see. Our boat only caught a few. We did not catch any sockeye this year. One boat caught a steelhead. Bottom fishing was tougher due to waves and wind and very high tide. Water was RIPPING! Still...I managed a nice 10 and 17 pound hali...a bunch of mid twenty lings...and a batch of nice sized black rockfish. Even the weather cooperated insofar as having all the east side of Langara Island open and the whole shoreline of Graham. We had only a half day of rain...and lots of sun. All in all a very well rounded trip. Now I just need to pull out some photos and look forward to next year!

Cheers

Sun

Sundancefisher · #2 09-04-2011, 09:40 AM

photos

Who can tell me which species of rockfish the lone pretty one is? I have a guess.

Badback · #3 09-04-2011, 10:29 AM

What time is supper at?...lol...Right on Sun....

Sundancefisher · #4 09-04-2011, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badback

What time is supper at?...lol...Right on Sun....

I am sashiming a coho right now...got to get some wasabi though...

fishmonger · #5 09-04-2011, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

photos

Who can tell me which species of rockfish the lone pretty one is? I have a guess.

Canary...

Speckle55 · #6 09-04-2011, 02:33 PM

Very Nice Trip .. Sundancefisher

Serengeti Charters · #7 09-04-2011, 05:33 PM

Beauty catch...love it. And yes, it is a Canary.

Sundancefisher · #8 09-04-2011, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serengeti Charters

Beauty catch...love it. And yes, it is a Canary.

Yup... It is a nice canary. Amazing all the different species out there. I am trying to start a picture collection.

I have

Black Rockfish
China Rockfish
Copper Rockfish
Canary Rockfish
Quillback Rockfish
Yelloweye Rockfish

Would love to get a tiger rockfish, Vermillion, Yellowtail, and Brown to round out my collection

Erik · #9 09-04-2011, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

The Chinook numbers were about half the Spring numbers but still about 30-40 or more depending upon the boat.

??? Is this a typo? You know that Spring and Chinook are the same thing?

I think that maybe you meant that you made a trip in the spring? Not clear. Sorry.

Erik · #10 09-04-2011, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

. We did not catch any sockeye this year. One boat caught a steelhead.

It's almost impossible to catch sockeye, as they feed almost exclusively on krill (hence the redness of their flesh). If you were to catch one on the ocean you would consider yourself very lucky. It can be done, but only when they run so thick that you snag them. In the river they are caught using a technique called flossing, which is essentially snagging them by side-hooking via quick retrieval while bouncing along the rocks/gravel on the bottom. Steelhead at sea are also a rare catch, one that I always enjoy seeing. They are such a pretty fish.

Sundancefisher · #11 09-04-2011, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik

??? Is this a typo? You know that Spring and Chinook are the same thing?

LOL...

I fished in June and late August...when referring to Spring...I meant the Spring catch...not Spring the other name for Chinook, King etc.

I saw more Chinook to the boat in June versus this last trip.

I ended up taking my limit of Chinook, 2 large Chum (gone to the smoker), 2 nice coho, Lingcod, Halibut and Rockfish.

Got the halibut before the Monday closure.

Sundancefisher · #12 09-04-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik

It's almost impossible to catch sockeye, as they feed almost exclusively on krill (hence the redness of their flesh). If you were to catch one on the ocean you would consider yourself very lucky. It can be done, but only when they run so thick that you snag them. In the river they are caught using a technique called flossing, which is essentially snagging them by side-hooking via quick retrieval while bouncing along the rocks/gravel on the bottom. Steelhead at sea are also a rare catch, one that I always enjoy seeing. They are such a pretty fish.

Steelhead are a rare catch. The one caught was about 15 lbs.

As for Sockeye...it is not as hard as you think. I actually have caught them every trip except this one. Usually at least one a trip...sometimes 3 or 4. I usually catch them when fishing in about 200 feet of water, slow trolling a cutplug for deep running chinook.

If you check with a guide...they are not as uncommon as you would think...but when comparing to the numbers of Coho and Chinook...they are fewer where I fish.

If you go to Port Alberni during a sockeye run...you catch plenty trolling a hoochie. Go give it a spin..although I find the fight there about as exciting as reeling in a wet sock. Still...they are also great sashimi.

Sundancefisher · #13 09-04-2011, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

I am sashiming a coho right now...got to get some wasabi though...

Sashimi coho was delicious. I marinated part in thick terriaki then cooked on the bbq.

YUMMMMMY

Erik · #14 09-04-2011, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

LOL...

I fished in June and late August...when referring to Spring...I meant the Spring catch...not Spring the other name for Chinook, King etc.

.

Gotcha, caught it afterwards. Sorry.

Erik · #15 09-04-2011, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Steelhead are a rare catch. The one caught was about 15 lbs.

As for Sockeye...it is not as hard as you think. I actually have caught them every trip except this one. Usually at least one a trip...sometimes 3 or 4. I usually catch them when fishing in about 200 feet of water, slow trolling a cutplug for deep running chinook.

If you check with a guide...they are not as uncommon as you would think...but when comparing to the numbers of Coho and Chinook...they are fewer where I fish.

I worked on that ship in the background of your photo as a deckhand for three seasons. In those seasons I saw maybe a half dozen sockeye each season and there were 16 boats with 32 guests on board covering May-Sept. They certainly aren't a rare fish, just a rare catch.

Nice photos by the way. The sunset shots sure bring back memories of sitting on the back of the CP in the evening while the guests were at dinner.

Sundancefisher · #16 09-04-2011, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik

I worked on that ship in the background of your photo as a deckhand for three seasons. In those seasons I saw maybe a half dozen sockeye each season and there were 16 boats with 32 guests on board covering May-Sept. They certainly aren't a rare fish, just a rare catch.

Nice photos by the way. The sunset shots sure bring back memories of sitting on the back of the CP in the evening while the guests were at dinner.

Those were sunrises...simply spectacular this trip. It was looking east from Marchant towards Lucy.

As for Sockeye...I suspect it is just how the guys fish in those boats or not fishing in the same area. I can personally attest that sockeye do take cut plugs. Langara Fishing Lodge seems to have no problem catching them...on a trip...sometimes 15-20. Many people put them back also because they are often not as big as coho or larger chums. Still...I would and do keep them. I have some still to eat. Biggest is about 11 lbs.

mayuan · #17 09-05-2011, 08:41 AM

I noticed that you had a couple of flounder in the pic there. How did they taste?

I was just below the Queen Charlotte’s this year and it was the best fishing I have seen in a long time. I limited out on the Coho, but didn't have any Chinook strikes. I managed to get a 49lb halibut this year too.

Sundancefisher · #18 09-05-2011, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayuan

I noticed that you had a couple of flounder in the pic there. How did they taste?

I was just below the Queen Charlotte’s this year and it was the best fishing I have seen in a long time. I limited out on the Coho, but didn't have any Chinook strikes. I managed to get a 49lb halibut this year too.

They were also halibut. Lots of chickens get caught when the west side is too rough to fish.

Last I ate a flounder...it was good. Kind of blander than hali.

Rockymtnx · #19 09-05-2011, 01:58 PM

Looks like it was another great trip.
Thanks for sharing your pics with us.

Erik · #20 09-05-2011, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Those were sunrises...simply spectacular this trip. It was looking east from Marchant towards Lucy.

As for Sockeye...I suspect it is just how the guys fish in those boats or not fishing in the same area. I can personally attest that sockeye do take cut plugs. Langara Fishing Lodge seems to have no problem catching them...on a trip...sometimes 15-20. Many people put them back also because they are often not as big as coho or larger chums. Still...I would and do keep them. I have some still to eat. Biggest is about 11 lbs.

I am surprised to find that they take cut plugs; all this time I have lived with the idea that they were completely ignorant to larger bait. I suspect it is the depth of water in which you are fishing which makes the considerable difference in the success rate between the Langara Lodge and the CP, since you use downriggers and the CP is exclusively mooching with banana weights. The downriggers can reach depths where most sockeye would be, driving past Langara along the Salmon highway for waters further south.

Sundancefisher · #21 09-05-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik

I am surprised to find that they take cut plugs; all this time I have lived with the idea that they were completely ignorant to larger bait. I suspect it is the depth of water in which you are fishing which makes the considerable difference in the success rate between the Langara Lodge and the CP, since you use downriggers and the CP is exclusively mooching with banana weights. The downriggers can reach depths where most sockeye would be, driving past Langara along the Salmon highway for waters further south.

We have had schools of sockeye under the boat and taking bait. And many guides catch them on bait using mooching gear. Langara is almost exclusively mooching.

Hoochies work really well for them also. Not sure about jigging spoons. Never tried for them specifically but I caught lots of coho this trip.

Next year...if the chinook and coho are as abundant I plan to use my fast sink fly line. I also want to spend a day on one of the remote rivers chasing cutts and dollies and the odd salmon depending upon the season.

Scott h · #22 09-06-2011, 12:35 PM

Looks like you had a great trip!!
I'm glad to hear the weathers been good up there, but I hope they get a good drop of rain in the next while, as that will help pop the mushrooms up. Nothing beats a tailgate lunch of sitka loins fried up with a big bunch of chanterelles

.
Only 2 more weeks !!

Sundancefisher · #23 09-06-2011, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott h

Looks like you had a great trip!!
I'm glad to hear the weathers been good up there, but I hope they get a good drop of rain in the next while, as that will help pop the mushrooms up. Nothing beats a tailgate lunch of sitka loins fried up with a big bunch of chanterelles

.
Only 2 more weeks !!

No shortage of rain in the Queen Charlottes. Like I tell my buddies on my trips each year...this is not a suntanning vacation...it is a fishing vacation!

Serengeti Charters · #24 09-06-2011, 05:02 PM

Sockeye will take anchovy or herring occasionally, but they do feed on krill and shrimp as their main diet so if targetting them use hootchies that match that accordingly and you will be MUCH more successful. Caught about 12 sockeye on chovies this year actually.

As for those rockfish, that is a canary, gorgeous fish and decent eating...vermillion usually are on sand banks/ slopes like yelloweye but are usually farther offshore...one place we go we catch quite a few...love their dark red color...amazingggg!!! Tiger rockfish quite often on top of a shallow rocky area...with the big lings below them chomping em up...tiger rockfish by many are thought as the best eating rockfish, even better than yelloweye...yummmm!!

goose · #25 09-08-2011, 12:52 PM

Hey Sundance, what do you have to do the rest of the year for your wife to let you go salmon fishing twice a year,LOL. Looks like you had alot of fun.

take care
Goose

Brandonkop · #26 09-08-2011, 05:51 PM

Beautiful Canary rockfish, I caught a couple of them down here in California off my Kayak a few months ago. Down here they are catch and release only along with Yelloweye and cowcod. There are many more species of rockfish down here to catch thought. I love fishing for them. Thanks for the great report and nice pics.

So far I've caught the following Rockfish down in california:
Vermillion
Copper
Olive
Black
Canary
Brown
Kelp
Gopher
Black and Yellow
Blue

Around Vancouver Island I remember catching mostly
Quillback and Coppers I believe.

Here's some pics of these gorgeous fish:
Black and Yellow

Brown

Vermillion

Copper

Four different rockfish and a ling

Another Vermillion I caught

Some other creatures caught while fishing for rockfish
Greenling

Cabezon

Ling Cod

So if you're looking into expanding your numbers after you've caught allt he Canadian species come down to North California, there are 30 some types I believe.

Brandon

Sundancefisher · #27 09-08-2011, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandonkop

Beautiful Canary rockfish, I caught a couple of them down here in California off my Kayak a few months ago. Down here they are catch and release only along with Yelloweye and cowcod. There are many more species of rockfish down here to catch thought. I love fishing for them. Thanks for the great report and nice pics.

So far I've caught the following Rockfish down in california:
Vermillion
Copper
Olive
Black
Canary
Brown
Kelp
Gopher
Black and Yellow
Blue

Around Vancouver Island I remember catching mostly
Quillback and Coppers I believe.

Here's some pics of these gorgeous fish:
Black and Yellow

Brown

Vermillion

Copper

Four different rockfish and a ling

Another Vermillion I caught

Some other creatures caught while fishing for rockfish
Greenling

Cabezon

Ling Cod

So if you're looking into expanding your numbers after you've caught allt he Canadian species come down to North California, there are 30 some types I believe.

Brandon

Nice cabazon. We have caught a few bigger than that one. I may be coming to you for a few pics :-)

pope · #28 09-08-2011, 09:04 PM

Nice stuff!
We will be there Sept 11 to 18, mostly around Sandspit - so will hopfully have some pics of big fish!

Tofinofish · #29 09-09-2011, 09:58 AM

Great report SDF.

Glad to hear the big Coho are still thick in the North as there must be a major body of these big hook nose demons all up the coast!

We are seeing 20-30 per day offshore, and the Saltwaater Fly program is unreal....big slab Ho's hitting flies with a vengeance.. Will try and post some pics here soon but limited time as we are still in peak season on the WCVI.

If you need any custom tied saltwaater Flies for next year, we will be going on full production all winter. I just received another beauty batch of Polar Bear, approx half a hide ready to be died, tied, epoxied and stripped in front of a hungry salmon.

Enjoy the Sashimi!

J.

BigBuck$ · #30 09-09-2011, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

photos

Who can tell me which species of rockfish the lone pretty one is? I have a guess.

Vermillion Rockfish would be my guess, sounds like you had a great trip.