halibut Archives - Page 9 of 10 - Queen Charlotte Lodge

Heading into one of the more exciting weekends of the summer, today we kicked off our 15^th Annual Kingfisher Derby and it’s the biggest ever! Sixty-four anglers are vying for $128000 in prize money. This is a catch & release derby where all Chinook salmon entered are officially scored, revived and released by derby weighmasters. The 3-day event concludes on Sunday at 7:00 pm when the prizes will be awarded for the three largest salmon released, plus daily winners and a single $10000 prize for the largest killed fish. Stay tuned for the results!

The past few days have been consistent with last week’s fishery – lots of feisty feeder springs in the 130-foot line offshore and the occasional larger fish showing up in the mix. The big fish this week was a stunning 36-pounder for first timer Trista B – a particularly good omen in this instance as Trista answered her boyfriend Andrew’s proposal with a resounding YES! It’s truly a celebration Tyee! Congratulations!

Our halibut fishery continues to be especially rewarding, whether you’re seeking some perfect “chickens and turkeys” for the table or you love the challenge of finding “Wally” the barn door out there. We’ve got it all in that department… the waters of Virago Sound provide lots of perfect structure for halibut and other groundfish. Several big keepers kept the Bell Ringin’ each evening. Joining the venerable 100-Pounder Club this week were Kevin C who managed to haul up a 110 and a 120-pound halibut! Brad H released a 148, Mike N battled a 122 pounder to the top and David C called up some real grit to raise a monster alongside the boat that taped out to 76 inches in length for a calculated weight of 234 pounds! It’s often amazing to go jigging because you just never know what you might hook up with down there. Well done David and Congratulations to you and your guide Jeevan for such an awesome achievement!

Up here in Haida Gwaii we’re fortunate to have such a long productive fishing season. While the makeup of the fishery changes as the weeks go by, we generally have pretty consistent action in comparison to most other locations. We refer to these waters as the gateway from the open North Pacific through which pass so many different runs of salmon on the return journey to their natal streams. Potentially every day we see salmon on their way to different river systems and the differences in strains can be noticeable. These days, in the early season, we commonly see lots of “feeder Springs” – powerful fighters and aggressive feeders, they’re generally in the 12-18 pound class. But it’s rarely just one run coming through at a time. This weekend we noticed an increase in the number of fish in the low twenties and we’re getting the odd Tyee (over 30) as well. And to top it off, really huge salmon can pass by anytime. In 26 years we’ve literally caught a 50+ pound salmon during every trip of the season. Every day we head out on the water we’re eager to discover just who’s swimming our way! With access to so many runs, we never know. That’s just another part of what makes fishing so exciting!

While most anglers manage to get their fill of salmon it was the bottom fishing that garnered all the recognition this weekend. Several nice halibut and lingcod showed up at the dock and the Bell Ringer was rockin’ every night. Quite a few halibut in the 30-50 pound size were taken and notable releases were a 77 pounder for Andrew M, a 90 for Curtis L and a 121 pound prize for Remo T. The big halibut this week scored 148 lb and Aubrey C was the successful angler, receiving her gold halibut pin and a place on the QCL Halibut Club board along with Remo. Lingcod are a popular catch for QCL anglers as well and we saw some wonderful 20-pound-plus fish at the scale on the weekend with the largest being a 32 for Anita A. Well done! We enjoy hosting derbies for many of our groups and this weekend saw the top salmon prize for the Annual Legends Cup go to Ken K for his stunning 33-pound Tyee, caught while fishing with guide Isaiah Dahl. Congratulations Ken!

Looking at the week ahead we’ve got a mixed bag of weather in the forecast, winds west to south to southeast to east and back to west by Friday. Tides are moderate with swings of 7-12 feet.

After a few days of steady southeasterly winds that kept us around Cape Edenshaw on the east side of our fishing grounds, QCL guests were happy to get over to the west side and try something different! This morning they were scattered everywhere! Quite a few moved offshore to pick up halibut and lingcod while many others focused on their favourite salmon fishing holes. Salmon action has been most productive fishing a little offshore in 120-140 feet of water and running anchovies at 60-80 feet. While most of the salmon catch are those feisty early season feeders, we’ve seen the number of fish over 20 pounds increase steadily. Tyees aren’t common yet but it’s only a matter of time!

Descending Devices

If you’ve enjoyed catching Halibut before, you’ve probably caught some other scary looking fish from the bottom. One of these species is the Yelloweye Rockfish, sometimes incorrectly referred to as red snapper. When these fish are reeled up quickly from the bottom, their swim bladder expands and protrudes through their mouth. It kind of looks like a big tongue. Barotrauma is physical damage to body tissues caused by changes in air pressure and affects rockfish caught in deep water and brought to the surface. These old fish are declining in terms of population numbers and limits have been reduced this year. We are trying to preserve this species and help with conservation efforts. However, it is very difficult to release these fish and reverse the pressure effects. Each of our guides are now equipped with a descending device. A rockfish descending device is a tool intended to lower a fish back into the water at a slow rate in order for the swim bladder to decompress to a normal state. Our guides have already been able to test the devices and have seen great results. During your trip, you may be able to see the descending device in action and know that we are doing our part in conservation efforts for this species.

Fishmaster Chelsea

Enjoy Miracle On Hali-Hill… this wonderful fishing story from FJ Hurtak, one of our long time friends and a Driftwood guest.

In June of each year, I look forward to my salmon fishing trip to Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). For about ten years now I have been booking with the Queen Charlotte Lodge. I have tried other lodges in the area and some are very good, but QCL offers me exactly what I want, that being a converted tugboat called the MV Driftwood, which is anchored right on the fishing grounds in one of the quiet bays. This boat accommodates up to 12 guests on board, and all of us who are fortunate enough to stay there, enjoy the longest fishing day on the coast. Like the QCL 5-Star main lodge it also features a private chef, but the Driftwood has a crew that are such characters, they remind me at times of the cast on the old tv series Gilligan’s Island. Always friendly, always helpful, but just a tad bit off the wall. The fact they are like that is probably why I, and so many others who stay there actually fit right in. It’s the perfect place for the keenest of anglers with a sense of humour, who just can’t bear to leave the water after a great day’s fishing.

The fishing is always good but depending on the various runs of salmon and when they are passing through, some years have been better than others. It’s never ever boring though, even on days when the fish are not biting very well, because on any given day you are going to likely have up close and personal visits from killer whales, Humpback whales, eagles, sea lions, and a myriad of different kinds of sea birds. Some days the sunsets are spectacular as well. For me, every day spent there is an adventure and I have acquired many fond memories over the years, one of which would be impossible to forget, because the chances of it happening again are pretty much 0 and none. This is the story of the Miracle on Hali-Hill.

On a dead flat calm morning, my fishing guide, Lance Mercer, suggested we try for halibut at a place the locals call Halibut-Hill. It’s quite a distance from the preferred salmon fishing grounds, but on days when the water is calm and the weather is nice, it is usually only a 25-30 minute boat ride from where the Driftwood is anchored. Fish 75 to 150 lbs are not uncommon, and according to Lance, this was THE place we had our best chance to hook a monster. Water depths range from 250 to 300+ feet so when fishing with a heavy weight and a spreader bar set-up it can be quite tiring just to reel the line up from the bottom repeatedly. The guides here back-troll and drift this spot trying to avoid snags on the bottom, but the bottom and subsequent structure, is where large halibut spend much of their time feeding, so it’s worth taking the chance. The possession limit in this region for halibut is 2 and only one of the two halibut in your possession may be over 83cm in length, and the maximum length for retainment of a fish is 133cm. The previous day in another location I had already boated my ‘under 83’ so today we were looking specifically for the ‘over’. We had plenty of action almost immediately and I caught a beautiful 11 lb. red snapper (delicious eating fish) and we hooked several smaller halibut in the first hour. We were using two heavy halibut rods and had one out on each side of the boat. We had just elected to drop the baits close to the bottom, and put the rods in the rod holders to give us a break from constantly holding the rod and jigging. Suddenly, the front rod right behind Lance was hit with a solid bite. “Fish on Lance… Grab the rod!” I shouted. Lance had just set the hook and said it felt like a heavy fish. Without warning, I almost instantly heard a loud crack on the back rod right beside me. I turned quickly, just in time to see my rod and reel leaving the boat as the apparent bite was so hard it had snapped the rod right out of the holder and tilted it downwards. In an effort to save the tackle, I dipped my arm into the water and took a wild swipe at the rod, narrowly missing it, as it plunged to the ocean bottom.

Lance looked at me and said, “Don’t know what might have hit that bait but whatever it was it had to be huge, but let’s not cry over spilled milk. Take this rod and reel this one in.” I was still in a state of shock from losing some very expensive tackle but I complied and was soon battling another fish. Several times the reel’s drag screamed out line and as every fisherman knows that’s music to the ears because it’s very likely of the large variety. The standoff continued for several minutes but I was gradually making progress and I knew I was winning and tiring this fish out. As the minutes ticked by it became basically a dead weight with not much fight left in it. As is so often the case though, the really big fish do a final run for freedom once they spot the boat so I was careful. Slowly but surely I continued reeling with the rod tip up and I allowed no slack in the line. Then we finally saw it! It was over 5 feet long! Both our jaws dropped in amazement! BUT it was NOT a fish, it was none other than the rod and reel I had lost 15 minutes earlier, and I had it hooked on the line just below the rod tip. Both fish had somehow gotten off, and even though we had drifted at least 1 to 2 km across the open ocean I had managed to somehow snag the line in the process and get all my tackle back. Both of the rod’s baits were stripped clean. Lance ‘high fived’ me and chuckled “You got your over today F.J.”

Just another day on the magic waters of Haida Gwaii.

F.J. Hurtak is the author of the books ‘Elk Hunting in the Kootenays’, and ‘Hunting the Antlered Big Game of the Kootenays’, and is also a very avid fisherman.

Well, this morning we said goodbye to our last group of guests for the 2016 season. It’s been a whirlwind for sure! Our busiest season ever and it was fantastic! Sure we had to work a little harder for the fish at times this summer but our guests and guides made the most of it. At the end of the day there were lots of fish to go around. On Sunday, our final fishing day was one for the books; greasy flat water with just a hint of breeze, bright overcast skies and fish catching opportunities all over the place.

The bulk of the action recently has been offshore and we’ve enjoyed exploring the tidelines and contours in the 200 to 500-foot zone. We’re finding loads of beautiful 10 – 15 pound Coho and the occasional Chinook out there, from the surface down 60 feet or so. And while we’re out there, we get lots of little surprises like random feeding humpbacks popping up alongside the boat or pods of Dall’s Porpoise zipping around below. We’re always discovering great underwater structure that harbours awesome lingcod, halibut and cod fishing opportunities. We set a new record for the number halibut over 100 pounds this season and with a little help from some enthusiastic jig anglers we’ve established a very healthy lingcod fishery. Even in this past week we saw halibut released scoring 102, 102, 115, 134, and 160 pounds with several nice ones in the 30 to 60 pound “keeper” class.

Inshore fishing for Chinook salmon turned on nicely this weekend with some snap bites coming on with the morning tide changes at Cape Naden and Parker Point. There weren’t a ton of them but certainly enough to get everybody interested, even a couple of nice Tyees in the mix! Now we crunch the numbers and we’ll be back with a bit of a summary very soon! Stay tuned.

Rounding the dolphin I knew today was going to be a great day. The sun was shining and the water was as calm as a lake, just the kind of day we dream about when we head out to go fishing.

We started the day fishing Bird 2. You could really cut the kelp hard in water conditions like today, and after a few passes by the west bay kelp bed we had our first Chinook on, and what a scrapper! After a 5 minute fight it was in the net. A few more passes and a couple of pinks later we decided to go bottom fishing. It was slack tide so it was perfect time to jig up some lingcod and halibut. We went to the pinnacles off of Green Point where the bottom fishing has been spectacular, producing very good numbers of lingcod as well as some very large halibut. It wasn’t long before we had our first halibut on the line. Within an hour we had all 3 of our halibut and a lingcod in the boat… a perfect morning. Everyone was in great spirits going to the Driftwood at lunch. The day was filled with laughter, amazing weather, good fishing, good times with Reggie the eagle, sea lions, killer whales, and humpbacks. I’m always looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings!

Randy “The Hitman” Zinck

August has proven to be a jackpot on the fishing grounds! The arrival – maybe a little later than “normal” – of large numbers of salmon feeding on an abundance of baitfish just slightly offshore, has treated QCL anglers to more fantastic fishing. While it’s still fishing, and not always “catching”, the opportunities out there are keeping guests pretty busy! The makeup of this fishery includes all five species – with Chinook dominating, Coho and Pinks filling in, plus some random Chum and even Sockeye showing up! Here’s hoping that they don’t move through to quickly!

Meanwhile, back near the rocks and all the usual fishing holes, we’re still getting a good supply of Tyee-class Chinooks that keeps the party going at the Bell Ringer every night. Twelve-year old Jake L was the rockstar last week with two 31-pounders and he released a massive Chinook that taped out to 67 pounds! Congratulations Jake! That’s our largest salmon so far this season! These fish and a number of other nice Tyees were caught over at Cape Edenshaw, a most productive destination after a week of prolonged northwesterly winds pushed so much bait onto that shore! Luke “Skywalker” and his guest Ron R found a nice 44-pounder over there, Bill G released a beauty that taped out to 43 lb., Kevin H sent back a 32 and his Dad Tom released a 37 just 2 hours before!

Back on the west side of the grounds, Parker Point, Bird One and Cape Naden continued to produce big Chinook action on the weekend. Several nice Tyees in the 30’s were taken and a number were released. Conrad H was back up for the annual fishing derby with his brothers Willy and Gerhart, and they all got some very nice fish. These guys always release their Tyees but for the first time, out of more than 200 Tyees caught over the years, they were unable to revive a nice 39-pounder. We’re sure this salmon will be enjoyed by many friends and family this winter! Congrats! Fishing with guide Kingsley, Emery B did manage to release his 39-pounder, caught out in 170 feet of water on a small 2 ½ inch spoon! You just never know where the big ones are going to turn up! Fantastic fishing guys!

The big salmon of the weekend was a stunning 44-pounder caught by Leanne R with guide Gaelan off Bird Rock. The Tyee bell was ringing mightily on Saturday night when that one came to the scale. However it may have been slightly overshadowed by the 20 clangs of the bell when James J showed up to declare his monster Halibut that was taped out to 203 pounds by his guide Matt Burr! Not far behind was Willy H who released a 34 lb Chinook and a 185 lb. Halibut on the same day! So many great memories shared up here at the Lodge!

Hard to believe it’s already August and the 2016 season is going strong! Cape Naden continues to be a steady producer of Chinook and has shown to hold some Tyees on every trip. Jeanne D, “fishing Grandma,” was absolutely thrilled to be back to QCL with her family but even more thrilled to have released a 34 lb Chinook on the first day. Well done Fishing Grandma! Then on Tuesday she shared the thrill when her daughter-in-law Terry also released a 34 of her own! Kudos to QCL guide Jackson Jane with his awesome C&R skills! On the 99 with Robbie C, Bill M returned the fish of a lifetime to the water after landing an amazing 63 pound Tyee at Cape Naden on Tuesday. That’s an incredible catch Bill! And thanks for sending her back! Congratulations!

Among a number of flashy Tyees caught last week were a pair of 37’s that were released as well – by Claude B and Chris L – Well done guys! We’re seeing greater numbers of Chinooks overall these days and the average size has bumped up measurably too. Several of those 40-plus beauties came to the boat last week with a number of them carefully turned back.

On his first visit to QCL, 14-year-old Carson B tangled with a huge Chinook that gave him quite a tussle but he played it perfectly and his guide Ryan Winger was able to release it easily after taping it out to 48 pounds! What a start to your salmon fishing habit Carson! Great job!

Although we’ve had moderate northwesterly winds for over a week now, many guests have been able to go out and haul up some great halibut catches. Last weekend Rob C released a huge, human-sized halibut that taped out to 210 lbs with the assistance of veteran QCL guide Oliver Massey. His arms may still be tired from that one! Myles and Reid F have been coming up to QCL before they could even walk but they teamed up to land their largest halibut last week, a chunky 101 pounder! Well done boys! Dad’s proud! Casey P released a 146 pounder, Alan D a 121, John F a 101 and Mike S turned back a 148-pound giant! It’s sure exciting to see a huge halibut beside the boat but it’s even better if you’ve got a nice keeper in the box! Fortunately there seems to be no shortage of nice chickens & turkeys in the 15 to 50 pound class! Quite a few of the guides have been exploring new bottom fishing spots this season and it looks like it’s paying off!

As we roll through the final days of July we’re seeing some big fish popping up in all the usual places. Bird 2, Klashwun Point and Parker Point have turned out some stunning catches this week. Doug R started off the trip on Friday with a nice 39-pounder while fishing with veteran guide Ran Rainville. Augustin D had quite a battle with a 51 pounder up at Klashwun Point but got it to the boat with some expert boat handling by guide Brian Bowles. And Kendall and Hans had a fantastic first day with the ultimate double – a 34 lb. Tyee and a 62 lb. halibut – while fishing with their guide Ryan Kelly!

Guests who choose to stay on the Driftwood may not have all the amenities of the Twin Creeks Spa and the Bell Ringer and Luke’s Limousine service, but they happily trade all that for something pretty special. They get the whole fishing grounds to themselves after all the lodge boats have left the water. There’s something magical about sitting in the glassy calm behind Bird 2; the eagles are harassing the gulls, bears often come down to the beach and the humpbacks love to cruise right alongside the ship, scooping up needlefish along the way. But fishing the point and that tack along the wall inside B2 is some of the most productive water on the coast! DW guests Brent S and Matt M confirmed that once again as they enjoyed a little after dinner fishing derby on Saturday night. Matt hooked up with a big beauty sometime after 9:00 and played it to the boat with Driftwood guests viewing from the deck. Brent got the whole thing on video and then assisted with the netting, measurement and the release. The stunning Tyee Chinook scored out to 57.4 and swam away strongly after some revival time from Matt. Beautiful job guys! Congratulations Matt and welcome to the 50 Pounder Club!

There was a large number of QCL guests and guides gearing up for an early 5:30 departure this morning, leaving Naden Harbour and heading out into the damp fog of Virago Sound. Except for a light residual NW swell from yesterday, the fishing grounds were fairly flat which made for a nice change of pace from the previous four days of strong northwest winds.

The early morning tide change brought on a Chinook snap bite on most of our major fishing points. With larger tides it’s these snap bites most QCL guests are relying on to fill their Chinook quota. Patience, skill and luck all play a factor but with the right combination a few of these black mouthed salmon can be had at each tide. Coho salmon have moved offshore into the deeper water, following large schools of needle fish. If one is willing to search out different depths in 200 plus feet of water…you might be rewarded with a nice supply of Coho chrome in the 7 to 12 lb. range.

Some interesting news to hit the QCL VHF radio waves over the past few days is that DFO is searching for a humpback whale which has a fishing net and a buoy attached to it and it may be located in our waters. Out on the halibut grounds today while we were looking for a couple of chickens, we saw a DFO zodiac tracking a humpback whale. I wondered if this was the whale in danger but the boat eventually left and the humpback breached right close to ”One-Fourteen.” Definitely no fishing net on this one and what a show!

The flat waters made for comfortable bottom fishing and most QCL guests were able to get one of their two Halibut for the trip. With light winds forecast for the rest of the trip, guests and guides should be able to fish close to the kelp and rock structure in search of that Chinook of a lifetime or a screaming smiley!

Till next time… Keep your tip up, line tight, and hang in for the ride!

Jeff ‘Smurf’