Westport Report

S

Salmon Fisher

Member
Westport Report June 23-24, 2012. Took advantage of the clipped hatchery season and fished 6/16 and both 6/23 and 6/24. Gotta love Westport when the weather is good. 6/23 and 6/24 water was awesome.
Hope to do a couple more trips this summer, too.

6/23
Up at 4:15 am and running at 5:30 am. Water was nice, but a little rain.

Picked up 2 keepers 12-14 lbs south of the jetty on whole herring about 20’ on the DR. Good thing my buddy, Scott, rigged them up since spoons weren’t working after I released 2 nice wild fish on the Jim’s Red Scale breakaway flasher and 3.5 coyote yellowtail spoon at 36’. Later in the morning ran up off of Ocean Shores found a great bait patch, couple bites, picked up another cookie cutter king on whole herring. Released a small hatchery. Then it died, but weather was getting nicer, no rain, sun coming out. Buddies rod went off, he says, “Grab it, it's yours!”A nice fight on a 15 lb hatchery fish! Just didn't want to get netted though. About 8 small boat runs, was hilarious to me. Done by 1 pm.

Weather awesome in the afternoon evening, sun and in shorts and t shirts. Saw Murphy and the Painkiller Crew at the Hungry Whale as we iced up the fish in the cooler.

6/24
Up at same time and running to Ocean Shores with the fleet because that was where the fish were yesterday afternoon.
Stopped at pelicans diving and signs of bait. Nadda except a mauled herring.

Ran north to fleet off of the casino. Put back on yellowtail spoon behind red breakaway flasherat 36’. Running the 10.5' Shimano rod with Shimano mooching reel, want a fish on that set up!

3 minutes later, my rod is hammered! A big fish flashes underwater and then ZIIIING, it takes off. The breakaway is 75' up on the mainline, that's how fast and hard that fish ran. This is what I've waited for on the knucklebuster, feel the fish and really having fun.
I reel a couple of cranks and a run, Ow!, that hurts as the handle smacks my little finger. Work the fish is , it's nice. In the net, 18 # hatchery fish!

Put set up back out, not a bump except for a 3# hatchery coho keeper. We pull up and run back up current on the other side of the charters and now it's my buddy, Scott's turn to get his one chinook keeper. About 2 minutes in a nice chinook slams his anchovy rig and we bring a nice 14# hatchery fish in the boat. We are done, 9 am, flat water and all smiles.

Great water and weather kept getting better. Westport is a blast when everything comes together.
 
good work! and sounds like a lot of fun. never really fished westport all that much. but with the reports this year I may have to make the run..
 
A post like that is heroin to a fishing addict......I will be in the water soon new autopilot Raymarine spx-5r arrived last night.
Chris
 
A post like that is heroin to a fishing addict......I will be in the water soon new autopilot Raymarine spx-5r arrived last night.
Chris
 
Awesome report; thanks for that. Did you hear of anyone going out deeper for fish, or is everything still shallow?

I hope to get out there on the 8th. It's driving me nuts reading the reports and not being on the water.

Are those whole herring rigged with a hood, or with a half-hitch around the nose?
 
Herring rigged whole with a half hitch around the nose. Second day we used anchovy in a hood, fish would not leave them alone. Lots of anchovy in the stomachs of the fish.
Good Luck!
 
You can buy sea ice at Merino's cannery. They are open till 6 PM and only charge $1.50 per large scoop shovel. Go to the big door on the street that runs between the charter parking lot and Merino's. They will fill your cooler for next to nothing. For those of you who don't know, sea ice is ice that is made with salt water and is colder and lasts longer than regular ice. Sea ice is what the commercial fishermen use to pack their fish.
 
Way to go Patrick! Thanks for your giving us the report, sounds like a good time.
Hey, if you ever need an extra deck hand, let me know…. :wink
 
Nice report!
West Port has always been my favorite place to fish for salmon.
We have only made it out twice this year. We limited the boat both times just off buoy 4.
On a good incoming tide the bait has been balling up there.
I have been trying to use a knuckle buster for the first time, it can be a painful experience.
We have going real low tech, just mooching plug cut herring from top to bottom. We haven't had to use the down riggers yet.
On June 21st we were back at the dock by 9am with 8 fish on board.
 
Larry, Next time down, I may just mooch with that knuckle buster, too.
I was using a Jim's Breakaway Flasher by Q Cove, it really helps you feel the fish more. Standard flasher set up you get that flasher dragging in the water. It may help keep the hooks in, but it sure drags.

I was in Nootka Sound fishing and all the BC guys use knuckle busters and I heard/read that you are more in touch with the fish using them. So I finally bought one last year and you sure have to pay attention more with one, which is a good thing. It brings a little more challenge to angling.

Forrest, thanks for the tip on the sea ice, I didn't know Merinos had it, now I can get some. Just wish they were open early in the morning. Found that Westport Charters has bagged cube ice for $1.25. Deep Sea Charters is $2.00 just down the street!

Keep the reports coming, guys. I look forward to my next trip. I may PM you to see if you guys will be there, too.
 
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