It's now mid-September and for Port Renfrew Marina this is typically the time when Chinook salmon fishing drops off but it is somewhat early for the Coho to be in the bay. There have been only a few spring salmon brought in since the last report although Hugh Hamer caught a 40.5 spring at Camper on Sept.14th. Hopefully they are moving into the rivers. The time of year and other factors such as weather and the surprise showing of Humboldt squid have possibly been some of the reasons the fishing has been sporadic. The Humboldt have been a bit of a nuisance since they are eating the salmon but they are surprisingly tasty. It's not fun being sprayed by them though! There seem to be less of them at this time so they may be moving on.
Coho fishing is still excellent offshore in the Swiftsure Bank area. There seems to be acres of them! Some wild have been seen in the 20 pound range but the average is 10 to 12. Many hatchery Coho in the high teens have been brought in giving us expectations that they will be of some size by the time of the Coho derby, Oct. 3 & 4th. Hoochies in glow white and coyote spoons especially the green/white/black and white/green have been working well. Depths vary everyday so listen to VHF channel 6 for the chatter on what is happening.
Halibut fishing is still good offshore but again they seem to be getting caught at different spots everyday. Feeder springs usually 10 pounds and under can be found out there also.
Notable Catches:
- unknown 36
- unknown 35
- Hugh Hamer 40.5
Important Dates:
- Port Renfrew Marina will be having it's Coho Derby on Oct.3 and 4th. This is a 2 day derby with the one biggest fish that is "Winner Take All" The entry fee is $25.00 five of which goes directly to the local San Juan Hatchery. The winnings for the biggest Coho is then dependent on how many entries there are. See previous year's derby results for possible winnings. This derby gets many people entered so show up early if possible for camping and moorage.
- This year Port Refnfrew Marina will be closing on Oct.12th. Please be sure to make arrangements with the office regarding storage if needed or make sure you have removed your unit and boat on or before that date. If you are wanting power for the winter make sure your cord can handle heavy rain and all connections are water tight to prevent a breaker from going. Contrary to rumor we do have a caretaker there for the winter who will be keeping an eye on the ones left for the season. Also we are asking, please be sure to leave your campsite clean, any campsites left with such things as garbage, chairs, buckets, awnings, wood strctures or broken things will be charged $100.00 for cleanup.
Bud & Rex