Fishing Tips

Salmon Fishing Tips – Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, BC

Port Hardy has long been known as the best place on Vancouver Island to catch each of the 5 trophy Salmon species.

It is all about run timing in Port Hardy BC, because we are located on one of the largest salmon migration routes in British Columbia and Alaska. Every single salmon that migrates down the Inside Passage must go past us first. Sorry Campbell River, we have you beat hands down!

Chinook and Coho Salmon Hotspots – Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, BC

There are many great spots to fish for Salmon around Port Hardy, and you don’t have to go very far. Popular Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon fishing spots include Duval Point, Masterman Islands, back side of the Gordon Islands, and Castle Point. Pick one of these spots, put in the time, and you will catch your trophy salmon.

Chinook and Coho Salmon fishing techniques – Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, BC

Try fishing an Anchovy rig with a green flasher, or a spoon. Troll for salmon Between 40 – 200 feet deep. Remember to troll faster if you are using a Spoon or a flasher, usually between 2-3 knots. If you prefer to fish a cut-plug Herring, you will want to seek out a spot of your own away from the crowds, and slow right down to 1 – 1.5 knots. If you are going too slow on the Salmon tack, you may be heckled by other fishermen, and who wants to fish in a crowd anyway!!

Sockeye Salmon Fishing Hotspots – Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, BC

In August, when the Sockeye Salmon show up in Queen Charlotte Strait, try fishing off Port Hardy Bay. Run out past the Masterman islands, and drop down in 4- 500 ft of water , and work your way back and forth between Round island and Port McNeill. This is the Sockeye Salmon Freeway!!

Sockeye Salmon fishing techniques – Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, BC

Most fishermen use pink or green hoochies on a short leader, behind a green, blue or red flasher. Set your trolling tackle between 30 – 250 ft on the down rigger, and keep the speed between 2-3 knots. Sockeye Salmon are a fun fish to catch, and can really put up a good fight! Be sure to check the Salmon Fishing regulations for
Sockeye openings and closures.

Pink Salmon Hotspots – Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, BC

Pink Salmon show up in July and usually come and go all summer. Try Duval, Castle or Masterman points. Look for signs’ of fish on the surface, and get ready for some fast and furious action.

Pink Salmon fishing techniques – Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, BC

Try fishing an Anchovy, Purple Haze or pink Hoochie, or a Coyote spoon with a green flasher. Troll for Pink salmon Between 30 – 70 feet deep. Remember to troll faster if you are using a Spoon or a flasher, usually between 2-3 knots. Pink salmon are often caught incidentally while fishing for Chinook, Coho or Sockeye Salmon.

Halibut Fishing Tips – Port Hardy and Quatsino Sound, Vancouver Island, BC

Halibut Fishing General – Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, BC

Port Hardy BC is known as the Canadian epicentre for Halibut fishing. The cold, clean waters of Queen Charlotte Strait provide many excellent spots to catch trophy Halibut! Just Remember that Pacific Halibut do move around, so you will have to pay attention and do a bit of looking around. Use your GPS to keep track of where you get hits, and don’t be afraid to pick up and drift over a spot again, where there is one there is more! Select the slack tides as a good time to target Halibut.

Halibut Fishing Hotspots – Port Hardy, Vancouver Island, BC

When fishing out of Port Hardy Bay, the local hotspots are in the sand flats off the Pt Hardy Airport, Backside of Malcolm Island, Taylor Bank, and Morgan Shoal.

Halibut Fishing Hotspots – Quatsino Sound, Vancouver Island, BC

If you are fishing off Quatsino Sound, try for halibut 5-7 miles of the Cains Island Lighthouse in 250 – 400 feet of water.

Halibut Fishing Techniques – Port Hardy and Quatsino Sound, Vancouver Island, BC

Halibut are voracious bottom feeders, and will eat just about anything. The local guides on Northern Vancouver Island prefer to use Herring, octopus or salmon as bait. Usually the halibut bait is hooked on a jig, or it is rigged on a snelled hook set-up with a spreader bar. Most fishing guides will use at least 1 pound of lead to keep the bait on the bottom where the Halibut live.

Tuna Fishing Hotspots – Quatsino Sound, Vancouver Island, BC

We are sorry, but as the pioneer of Canadian Albacore Tuna Fishing, we are keeping this info to ourselves. You will have to book a trip to find out!!

Tuna Fishing Techniques – Quatsino Sound, Vancouver Island, BC

We are sorry, but as the pioneer of Canadian Albacore Tuna Fishing, we are keeping this info to ourselves. We can tell you this much….. we like to Fly Fish- hint hint…..You will have to book a trip to find out!