![]() ![]() Here’s a brief overview of its five protected sounds and Port Hardy, the furthest north post on the island and another good option. But literally the whole west coast is excellent. We released 50 salmon for two rods and kept limits of Chinook, coho and halibut. That said, the best day of salmon fishing I’ve ever enjoyed occurred in the furthest south port, Ucluelet, with Kerry Reed of Reel Adventures Sportfishing (reeladventuresfishing. I’ve fished them all, and each offers amazing fishing and wildlife viewing, but the further north you go, the higher the cost and quality of experience. From north to south, remote to popular, Vancouver Island’s protected sounds are as follows: Quatsino, Kyuquot, Nootka (Esperanza Inlet), Clayoquot and Barkley. For those like me who like to drive and stay somewhat in control of their own travel, all of the island can be reached in a long day’s travel from just about anywhere in the Northwest. That isn’t to say there aren’t unmatched opportunities further north in Canada and in parts of Alaska, but for convenience, cost and extremely high quality combined, nothing beats the west coast of this 300-mile-long island. What’s more, being located smack-dab in the middle of the West Coast’s salmon superhighway, combo trips generally provide a bountiful harvest of both salmon and halibut, with lingcod and rockfish providing additional variety.Many Vancouver Island trips result in bigger trophies and bigger bags of ocean fish for the freezer than more expensive trips to the north. If Alaska halibut fishing is on your radar, fishing out of Sitka is hard to beat. Similarly, the west side Biorka Island can also be productive. The entire west side of Kruzof Island from Salisbury Sound in the north to Cape Edgecumbe in the south is a productive area. However, as long as weather permits, halibut fishing is generally more productive outside the Sound. Halibut are caught both inside Sitka sound in protected water as well as outside the Sound in the open ocean. Note that halibut will rise off the bottom to eat both baits and jigs sometimes it pays to bring your offerings 5- or 10 feet off the bottom periodically. Others drawn to the scent but will bite the jigs.įor Alaska halibut fishing, regardless of whether you fish bait or jigs, anchored or drifting, it’s important to fish your offering on or close to the ocean floor, as that’s where halibut spend most of their time. The bait draws in fish due to its scent drifting down current. Many boats will fish both jigs and bait at the same time. Some popular jigs include the Kodiak Custom Halibut Jigs, large lead-head jigs in the 8- to 16-ounce range adorned with 8- to 10-inch rubber grubs, and metal jigs such as large Crippled Herring jigs. ![]() ![]() Halibut are caught on a variety of baits including herring, pink salmon parts, octopus and squid rigged on circle hooks. ![]() In the Sitka area, most halibut are caught from anchored boats. Halibut fishing can be done from either an anchored boat, or while drifting with the current. Unguided anglers may harvest two halibut per day of any size. Halibut are plentiful and generally range from 15 to 50 pounds, although halibut in the 175-pound range have been caught in the area. Generally, guided anglers may harvest one halibut per day that is either 50 inches long or less, or 72 inches long or greater. Nootka Sound area has 7 wild salmon rivers and three hatcheries, including the large federal salmon hatchery on the Conuma River, between Tahsis and Gold River. By May, halibut fishing in Sitka is picks up and the fishing continues to get better all summer long and into fall.Īlaska halibut fishing regulations for the Sitka area fall into to two categories: Guided anglers, and unguided anglers. They spawn very deep water in the winter, but begin migrating back to their usual summertime haunts in spring. Pacific halibut are abundant in Sitka’s saltwater.Īdult Pacific halibut spend the winters in very deep water, sometimes beyond the continental shelf. With a generally small human population, the pristine ecosystem supports large numbers of both predator and prey species. The North Pacific is a very productive area. Alaska halibut fishing is the best in the nation. ![]()
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