Well August is here and so are the BIG CHINOOK! Fishing at Port Renfrew Marina has been fantastic this month. Fishing along the shore has been excellent for tyee plus spring salmon. Lots of boats are reporting 10 to 15 fish days in the last week. Very calm seas have allowed even the smaller boats to get to the fishing spots west as far as Logan Creek. As we are writing this report we are getting news that fishing has got even hotter with more springs than ever today! More in the 30's and 40's!! August 8th saw at least 150 springs land on Port Renfrew Marina's docks. Many over the 30 pound range, usually 6 or more and at least one over 40 pounds each day. A lure of choice seems to be the purple haze teaser heads, the green and white glows.
Offshore halibut and spring salmon fishing is still very good with the 170 at the west end of the Swiftsure Bank being the current hot spot. Spoons and plugs are working well there, the favorites being the pearly whites with rainbow colors.
Coho have moved a bit off the beach much to everyone's relief as they can now keep bait in the water for more than 30 seconds. If you are looking for Coho you won't be disappointed. Some hatchery fish have been hitting the 17 pound mark already. This has the makings of an incredible fall fishery. Yahoo! Big northerns!
Notable catches:
- Shane Telford 39
- Dave Quayle 41
- Jesse Vanin 40 42
- Glen Clements 34 31
- Noel Armeneau 45
- Wayne Schiffner 33 31 34 36
- Kerry Rawlick 30 32 33 35
- Steve Beal 38
- Norm Baker 32
- Shannon 30 (could this fellow contact the marina as your e-mail address was lost.)
- Tony Pedro on Millertime Charters 40
- Graham Doe on Pacific Shores Charters 36
- Merv Pywell 32
- Simon Walden 33 36
- Bob McClintock 39
- Keith Cook 41.5
- Cory Kovacs 42
- Bill Cooper of King Coop Charters 30 32
Important Dates: Port Renfrew Marina will be having it's annual Labour Day Derby coming up on Sept. 5th and 6th. This will be our 12th derby and it is beginning to look like it's going to be a great one. The donations that have been coming in are very generous and we are very excited to see how much money we can raise for our local hatchery. As we said before this hatchery has not had an government fund increase since 1992 so it is very important to all of us that this event be a huge success. The tickets are $50.00 a rod and include a t-shirt, dinner, beverages and a live band. There will be raffles and hidden weight prizes. We are now selling tickets for a APS Outboard motor with the help of M & M Marine. It is a 9.9HP 4 stoke with a long shaft and retails for $2000.00. This outboard has identical fittings to a Yamaha. Tickets are available at the marina and are 1 for $10.00 or 3 for $25.00. If you are a business or individual who would like to donate to this derby please contact us by e-mail or by phone at 250 483-1878 or 1 866 565-2354. All donations are greatly appreciated and we thank each and every person or business that has given a donation. The very success of this derby depends hugely on the generosity of the donors.
Port Renfrew Marina is also having the Coho Derby on Oct. 3rd and 4th. This derby is winner take all. This year the tickets will be $25.00 with $5.00 from each ticket going to the hatchery. The way things look right now with the Coho this could be quite an exciting derby so please try and support this one also and help your local hatchery while having a wonderful time. Check previous years for winnings!
Please Note: If anyone is wondering, our ATM is still working and it seems that the problem has been resolved and we can rely on it for the rest of the season. Please note that we are a cash only business so please come prepared. Campfires are NOT now allowed at this time. Sorry for the confusion, we were told the campfires were ok and now they aren't. It is very important that you check the regulations for yourself to avoid a big fine.
Bud & Rex