Westview Marina & Lodge
The Alaskan winter chinook/king troll fishery is scheduled to close early because the fishing has been so good and they have caught their allocation. Alaskan winter & early spring commercial chinook troll fishery is a good yardstick to measure expectations for the upcoming West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI) sport fishing/catching. Alaskan troll will be closing at least 2 weeks early because of the significant upturn in chinook abundance. Grant Hagerman, Fish and Game’s assistant troll biologist for Southeast Alaska, said “Looking back it’s the highest fall catch we’ve seen for 20 years, basically, since the 93-94 winter season, so it’s pretty significant.”
West Coast Vancouver Island chinook/springs/kings – On an average year a 2.5% to 3.5% return of mature salmon to the hatcheries, rivers and stream is the norm. The normal math is 1 million fry in the water = average returns of 30,000 chinook. 5% is the best we have seen over the last 10 years. Recent Department of Fishieries (DFO) reports have announced that they are projecting a 10%+ return this year. That translates to a serious upturn in returning chinook. 1.2+ million chinook passing and returning to WCVI. That is very good news and it correlates with the Alaskan increase in Chinook abundance reported above.
Esperanza Inlet/Nootka Sound - Will see at least 100,000 of these chinook returning to its rivers, stream and volunteer/federal hatcheries in Area 25. In addition these stocks are going to be 88%+ four & five year old salmon. That translates into much larger chinook this 2016 season - 25-35 lb.Tyees will be a regular occurrence on the Marina daily leader board.
Coho/silver salmon Area 25/125 opens June 1 - Stocks remain moderately strong, which means limits of 2 per day of hatchery marked or wild coho on inside waters (Area 25) with possession of 4. Same goes for outside waters (Area 125) except only hatchery marked fish can be retained. All in all still a great and fun fishery, especially on calm inside water which we have lots of here in Espernza Inlet & Nootka Sound.
Ling Cod - “One of the best tasting, ugliest fish you ever wanted to catch. Stocks continue to remain very strong and abundant in our area. One small regulation change took place last year - minimum size is now 65cm/26in. No big deal, it is hard to find a Ling in our area under that. That change brings Area 25/125 in line with other WCVI areas on minimum size, limits still 3 per day, 6 possession of these delicious flaky white meated fish.
Halibut - more good news. International Halibut Commission scientists are reporting the size and quantity are on a steady increase for the west coast of Vancouver Island halibut. Yes that means Hali fishing is now (April), and especially through all of May and early June will remain very good on inside waters and close in shore. Why? Because we’ve had an excellent herring spawn in the mouth of both Esperanza Inlet and Nootka Sound. These huge spawns draw the halibut inside and close off shore to feast on the herring. Catching hali in 90ft of water is the norm this time of year mid-April, May and early June. As summer rolls in the abundant halibut move out further off shore to the summer feeding and breeding grounds. They are very catchable off shore too.
Late April, all of May and early June is some of the best fishing/catching of the season. We get the first shot at the thousands of chinook that are headed south to the USA. They are already starting to pass and stop in our local inlets and sounds, gorging themselves on the huge school of bait fish that are here now. Limits are already attainable for chinook, hali & ling.
John & Cathy Falavolito, 250-934-7672, 1-800-992-3252 or john@westviewmarina.com