WCVI starting to kick the year off

[Sculpin]

Well my son and I had plans of catching our mothers some fresh halibut . Good idea with mother nature co-operating and all but our fisherman skills didn't prevail.

This post is more about the great time we had out on the West Coast, scenery, our lot, and sharing the good times and the memories of why we love it so much. All just a 2.5 hour drive from home.

Late Friday night arriving at the turn off to Toquart / Salmon Beach.



Our lot with our rammer trailer still intact after the winter. It don't look pretty but I have a title saying I own the dirt!



Launching the Sculpin at the Salmon Beach boat ramp.



Heading out with Salmon Beach in the background. Beautiful conditions. Averaged 27 mph the whole way out (that's smooth for WCVI)!



Fishing balls deep trolling for halibut.

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We fished hard for the flatties for many hours on Saturday and a couple of hours on Sunday. We jigged and trolled and hit our usual spots etc. It was hard going. We didn't try for salmon as we have all summer for them.

Sail Rock. This place is great in June for Springs.



Jake jigging for em.



I do work for some of the Federal Fisheries Vessels and here is a shot of the Neo Caligus that we have done work on. Kind of cool being out there with her. She alloy too boot!



We caught probably in neighbourhood of a couple dozen junvenile ling cod while trolling for halibut and hooked up many rock fish as well. We ended up keeping a half dozen niced sized rock fish for the weekend.



Anyways we had a blast and got sunburned pretty bad but that is what it's all about. Had a great time and was a reminder of why we bought our lot to begin with.

[Sculpin]

Well we headed out again last Friday night to Salmon Beach to fish the waters off of Ucluelet.

Saturday was a bit of of sleep in day and we hit the tide bad and had to wait to launch the boat. I tied some leaders etc. while Jake went and got the keys to the boat out of the trailer (that I forgot). When he got there the boys decided to browse our lot and Jake took some shots of them. I'm guessing a spiker and and two.



Great Bear Rock. If you look close you can see two eagles sitting on top.



Definately not as nice as last Saturday out there but not snotty either.



Saw this what I am assuming is a weather buoy out there on the bank. Measures wind speed, wave height etc. I'm told. First one I've seen.



On to the fish..........

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We trolled alot on the SW corner looking for halibut. We were using glow bud hootchies with glow green flashers which have worked for us in the past. I decided to switch up and try "the turd". Well no halibut but those springs sure like cruising close to bottom this time of year and Jake was the first to hook up one.



Nothing beats the smile that comes to ones face after fighting and landing a Spring salmon. This one went 11 lbs. Perfect eating/smoking size. First Salmon of the year on the Sculpin.



Second hook up was mine using the turd. First fish for me using this particular lure.



A nice 12 lber for the smoker.



We didn't give up once for the hunt of the flatties. Pounded every hump and hill on the SW corner. We spotted 3 sea otters out there near a hump and missed a picture of them. We decided to try jigging around this hill and thought we had a small chicken but turned out to be a great big Yellow Eye.

Jake hoping for a chicken.



The result. We weighed it and it was just shy of 10 lbs.



Troll and jig troll and jig. Getting to know the area alot however is a good thing. If we don't do any better in the halibut department it's off to Tofino to our old faithfull spot.