Westview Marina & Lodge
Westview Marina & Lodge
WestView Marina & Lodge is truly blessed to have such productive fishing/catching in one of the most beautiful environments on the west coast of Vancouver Island Canada. WestView's location is no more than a long day drive accessible from most places in BC, Washington, Oregon and Idaho. It is also seaplane accessible from Vancouver & Seattle.
Salmon super highway
Why is salmon and bottom fishing so good in Esperanza Inlet/Nootka Sound? Let’s first address salmon. Location, location, location - There are literally thousands of migrating schools of chinook (spring/king) and coho (silvers) salmon coming down Vancouver Island on the “super salmon highway”. Yes that is the 60 fathom/300ft continental shelf contour which comes off Brooks Peninsula and moves south. There is no other port closer to the highway than the mouths of Esperanza Inlet and Nootka Sound - Tahsis.
These salmon tend to stop to gorge themselves on bait fish, which are very plentiful in the area. Lots of protected fishing waters close to the open ocean and lots of migrating salmon makes for the best and most productive salmon fishing/catching on the entire west coast and that includes Alaska.
Add to the salmon formula a highly successful local salmon enhancement program that has been in place for six years. River and stream rehabilitation projects, volunteer hatchery programs and a collaborative agreement with the local federal hatchery have resulted in the release of approx. 6 million salmon fry to local waters annually.
In total, the projection is that 2.5 million chinook salmon will be returning down the west coast of Vancouver Island this season. We are perfectly positioned to intercept them.
All of the above adds up to lots of salmon to catch in inside and outside waters from May to September.
Halibut, ling cod, yellow eye rock fish and other bottom fish are abundant in our local area.
Why? The answers are quite simple. To start with the same huge balls of bait that attract all the salmon are also available to most all the bottom fish. Every day in our 5 month season there are reports of halibut, ling cod & rock fish being caught while trolling for salmon. There is also a substantial herring spawn in the mouth of both Esperanza Inlet & Nootka Sound. This annual event draws lots of halibut into the area for easy catching.
The daily and possession limits are very generous here. That converts to lots of bottom fish in the box when you target them. Local possession limits - chinook 4, coho 4, halibut 2, ling cod 6, rock fish 6. That is a lot of fish.
Excellent season ahead
The 2016 season is stacking up to the best ever for fishing/catching of big salmon. For those of you who have been around a while, this is a repeat of 2004 when Gene Gilden caught a 58.8lb chinook. Also during that season 30lb+ were on the board every day as the largest salmon of the day. In fact is, it was not unusual to have multiple 30lb+ & 40lb+ each day.
We are booking up for reservations earlier than we ever have been in our 24 yrs. So if you need moorage, lodging, eco or fishing charters, please make them soon so we can meet your request.
John & Cathy Falavolito, 250-934-7672, 1-800-992-3252 or john@westviewmarina.com