Tofino Sport fishing update July 7th, 2009
The first week of July has provided Tofino B.C. area anglers with a combination of weather and Saltwater fishing that couldn’t get much better.
Relatively calm seas and sunny days, along with Vancouver Island’s stunning coastline provided a great setting for saltwater fishing near Tofino. Chinook and Coho Salmon, as well as Halibut and Ling Cod were plentiful for those who choose to retain or release these local species. Chinook salmon action was best 4-6 miles offshore, with our vessels often connecting with 15-25 Chinook per day. Trolling near the bottom with Tomic plugs was the method of choice over the last 4 days for Chinook salmon, providing some great lighter tackle battles without Flashers and other terminal gear. Plug colors in the 602, 500, 111 and 152 were all popular, with this action and gear type likely to stay strong for many weeks to come. Coho salmon were also very plentiful offshore, with many large wild Coho jumping and twisting prior to release. Many trips caught 10-20 Coho Salmon offshore on various types of trolled gear, with some Coho already pushing 12-14 lbs in size. Tofino’s inshore area, among the islands and outer coast of Clayoquot Sound has been a highlight for Coho salmon, with Saltwater Fly-fishing action starting to peak. Light tackle Trolling, Jigging, Buck tailing and Fly casting has all been good to excellent for very strong numbers of Coho salmon, with action that would rival the glory days of the early 90’s. The abundance of Needlefish both inshore and offshore is an amazing sight, providing ample reasoning for these mixed stocks of transient Salmon to slow their southern migration for hours or days to feed in the Tofino area. Matching the Needlefish with small spoons, hoochies or sparse flies is a sure and simple bet to success right now.
Halibut and Bottom fish action has been great as well, but these species have received a little less attention with the Salmon action so strong.
Prime dates are still available for some great action yet this summer and early fall so check with us at 1-888-534-7422 to provide further information on how we can help you enjoy some great fishing with us yet in 2009.
2009 The Best Fishing in years for Tofino
Over the past few years, Tofino area Sport Fisherman have been fortunate to experience very consistent fishing, while some areas of the B.C. coast have had some tough times. The first three to four months of the 2009 Tofino fishing season have not only followed this recent trend, it has been nothing short of phenomenal. It has been many years since the first wave of transient Chinook Salmon have showed up in such full force, with very strong numbers and so large on average!! Fortunately the fishing has stayed very consistent since mid May, and is likely to continue through until the fall, with some very large and healthy Chinook and Coho Salmon landed and released.
For the Tofino area to see many Tyee class (30 lbs and over) Chinook salmon is not uncommon, but this normally happens in the peak of mature salmon migration in August, not at the beginning of the migration in mid May, and continuing through July. So far we have seen the normally consistent Halibut action that is common for April, May and June, to only compliment the Chinook fishery a short distance offshore. Many Halibut were caught while trolling deep for Chinook, on simple salmon gear set ups with Flashers and Anchovies, Spoons, and Needlefish hoochies. There is no doubt that the size and strength of these earlier season Chrome, Prime and Tasty Chinook salmon will rival the fight of a mature late season fish regardless of size. There have been accounts of Chinook salmon hitting the gear and not stopping until they almost spool the reel or bust off while heading south. Some of these long distance releases may be the relation the few 40 lb. Chinook already caught in the Tofino area over the last couple months.
Coho Salmon action has also been fantastic, with the outer coastline and inner waters of the sound providing an excellent fishery that we have been missing for a few years. The inshore waters of Clayoquot Sound and the outer coastline have once again become a great option for non-stop action in semi-protected waters, with smaller boats and light tackle or Fly anglers loving the ample baitfish and kelp beds that are like a magnet for feeding Coho and Chinook. The offshore waters are alive with Coho salmon in the top 80 feet of water, with the Chinook salmon dominating the action from lower depths. Alike the Chinook, the average size of the Coho indicates a strong ocean survival regime, with ample food source to pack on may more pounds over the next couple months. Fisheries forecasts of strong returns have been quite accurate so far, so with approximate numbers of nearly 1.5 Million Chinook, 2 Million Coho, 20 Million Pink Salmon as well as Sockeye and Chum, this is the season to get out and enjoy some of B.C.’s finest Sport Fishing in Tofino.
Clayoquot Ventures is excited to host a summer long Catch and Release Derby for Chinook salmon and Halibut! Our guide team is excited to see Clayoquot Ventures host this event, and in fact, the idea stems from their studies and efforts. After supporting the release of many large fish over the years, the Catch and Release Derby is just another way to add to the excitement of the catch and the thrill of the release to support sustainable fishing and tourism for the future.
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