2019 Fishing Outlook and Specials
2019 FISHING FORECAST AND LIMITS
FOR KYUQUOT SOUND
CHINOOK (KING) SALMON OUTLOOK AND LIMITS:
The outlook for salmon fishing in Kyuquot this year looks quite promising and is one of the bright spots along the coast of BC (no surprise there). Local wild stocks have been trending upwards for the whole of the North West Vancouver Island. Hatchery returns were above predictions in 2018 and are expected to repeat as a moderate to strong return. Last year they predicted 158,000 Hatchery Chinooks to return and over 180,000 actually returned to their home rivers. This year they are estimating 195,000 to return to West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI)!
Another plus for WCVI chinook is that this is the first year of the new Pacific Salmon Treaty between Canada and the US. The new treaty includes reductions in the Alaskan and off shore, Northern BC commercial chinook fisheries which will provide more fish running down the west side of Vancouver Island. Historically, many of these fish were intercepted in Alaska and northern BC troll fisheries early in the season before they got into more southern waters. That will be significantly reduced in 2019!
That’s the good news! The not so good news is that early runs of Fraser River chinook here in BC have been struggling. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans have taken measures through regulations to allow as many of these fish as possible to pass through their migration route and return to the Fraser River and its tributaries. Southern and Eastern Vancouver Island have been hit hard with periods of non retention of chinook and limits reduced to 1/day and 2/possession at other times.
Fortunately for us at Walters Cove, our limits for chinook HAVE NOT CHANGED!!!!
Our limits for chinook will remain at 2/day and 4/possession for the whole season.
Our inshore areas (Area 26) which includes Spring Island, Thornton, Lookout, West Rock, Double Rocks, etc., are OPEN ALL SEASON LONG! This is great news!
Off shore fishing remains open for all species except Chinook salmon from now until July 15 when it will open for retention of Chinook for the rest of the year. Up until July 15, our off shore areas will still be fished for coho (expecting a large run of coho this year), halibut and bottom fish.
You can view the DFO site and all the measures taken in all areas to protect the early Fraser River runs here at this link:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/salmon-saumon/2019-chinook-quinnat-eng.html
Coho fishing last year was some of the best we have seen in a few years and this season it looks it should be even better! Local stocks are either at target or near targets and with the Columbia projecting over a million fish with marked hatchery fish comprising the bulk of it, our coho (silver) fishing should be fantastic again!
Limits remain the same of 2/day, 4/possession. Both wild and hatchery fish can be retained inshore and offshore there is retention allowed only of hatchery marked fish.
HALIBUT OUTLOOK AND 2019 LIMITS:
Halibut stocks continue to be healthy and face no conservation issues. Canada is given a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) each year (in total pounds) that is determined by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. That TAC is then allocated amongst First Nations, Commercial and Recreational fisheries. The sport fishery (recreational sector) is allocated 15% of this Canadian TAC. In order to stay within our TAC and not have the fishery closed down during the year when we reach the TAC, Canada has tried something never done before! We are allowing anglers to decide on their possession limit based on the size of the fish each angler chooses to keep.
The daily limit is 1 halibut/day.
The possession limit is up to each angler. Should you want to keep the smaller (many say better eating) fish, you can retain 2 halibut total in possession as long as they are both under 90 cm (about a 20 lber). These are commonly referred to as chickens.
If you want to keep something larger, your possession limit will be one fish if it is between 90 cm and 126 cm (about a 60 lber). These are commonly called turkeys!
LINGCOD AND ROCKFISH
Kyuquot is well known for its prolific bottom fishing for ling cod and rockfish. There are no changes to these limits from last year.
Lingcod - 2/day, 4/possession
Rockfish - 3/day, 6/possession (only 1 per day may be a Quillback, China OR Tiger rockfish). Yelloweye remain as non-retention. The only change this year is that is MANDATORY to release rockfish with a descending device.
The full regulations for Areas 26 and 126 can be found here:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/a-s26-eng.html
Last Minute Drive In and Fly In Specials
Drive In - 4 day , 3 night June 30 - July 3. Save $300 - $2895/person CDN plus tax
Fly In - 4 day, 3 night Aug 25 - 28 . Save $300 - $3895/person CDN plus tax
Fly In - 5day , 4 night July 24 - 28 Save $400 - $4795/person CDN plus tax.
Try This Great Halibut Recipe!
Looking for a way to clear your freezer from last year’s catch to make room for this year? Try this fantastic halibut recipe:
https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/broiled-miso-marinated-halibut