So through work I won myself 3 days at Painters Lodge in a couple weeks. I've never been fishing around the Campbell River area, I'm pretty stoked about the trip. What's the fishing like Mid-August?
Agreed, things can be slow on the inner side, at times, however, there are lots of cool things to do in the area and the accommodations are first class!....First off...do some research on the area and understand the tides. They will play the biggest role for you to be successful. If you have the coin book a guide before you arrive.....they are really in demand from the guests after arrival.
If you are planning on doing a lot of fishing, I would take your own frozen bait along (easier to transport)and everything you need to "cure it" at the hotel.....Good bait, right size and success will improve. Bring your own gear. Some of the gear at the hotel is a bit "used" and having your own pole will be helpful.
The pinks are flooding by Port Hardy right now, so you will have some good action on small pink hootchies (maybe sockeye, too)....Take some coyote spoons in green glow and the red/silver fishscale, as well as army truck hootchies (the ones with the silver flash insert)
If the fishing is slow, take one of their cruises to the narrows for a fun ride thru the narrows on a big tide, or do one of the whale watching trips.....(can be very good right now with lots of salmon migrating thru the area). If everything else fails, take the free shuttle to the Aveda Spa at April POint on Quadra Island......Book a massage or spa treatment with one of the specialists and you won't be dissappointed.
Last, but not least, take your favourite beverage with you......The hard bar drinks are pricey......HAve fun.........Ortho
Turns out it's not at painters lodge, we're going to Ucluelet at the Canadian Princess. So it'll be way off the coast fishing. I'm expecting better fishing over there.
Anytime I ever hear a guy say, "I never get sea sick"... I always get the puke bag ready. Lots of guys can run their own boats around without getting sick.... it's when you're a passenger the trouble starts.
So I just got in... Great trip, got sick once on Monday cause I had a few drinks with the boys and didn't get any sleep due to vodka redbull. Not to mention the waves were like 15 ft at times. Today, was totally fine, no sickness at all.
Today, caught 2 Coho, 1 Spring, 1 Halibut, and one 15lb Lingcod.
That's an excellent haul for those boats, if everyone on board did as well as you, I bet the staff worked their ass off. Where were the boats able to get to?
seems rather slow for salmon though, went out last weekend further south and coho were following my cannon balls down...couldn't get down to the springs that's how amazing it was!
I don't mean to be critical but those Chinook salmon are just babies and our future. The big bank is a rearing ground for them. I only see 1 adult salmon in the lot.
I remember (a long time ago) being with a great guide in Ukee and we hooked into what must have been a 50+lb ling... when I got it to the boat he simply looked at me and said.. "if you're brave we can get a picture before I release it". I'm like, "WTF are you talking about, I'm taking this home"... He replied, "Not if you want a ride back to the dock you're not". He then went on to explain why it's essential to return HER, then spent a good hour educating me on the subject. Since then I've be very selective in what I keep, and what goes back, moreover I've tried my best to master releasing fish without touching or netting them. Some days I come back with an empty box, but I never come back ashamed of keeping something I shouldn't have.
I don't judge those that don't practice the same thing, but I do try to educate them.
That is a great attitude, I wish more people didn't judge. But alas this is the internet, and really a place where people pretend to be what they think they should be, or what they think others would think highly of.
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