The Heat of August

August 18, 2021 – Nootka Sound Fishing Update

The mid-August fishery is still going strong. This has been a consistent year with just a couple of lulls due to heat waves. We hope you’re all staying cool and hydrated out there!

August brings predictable weather patterns with plenty of beautiful, sunny days for hitting the water. Anglers out of Moutcha Bay Resort and Nootka Sound Resort have really been enjoying themselves over the past couple of weeks. All species are within easy reach and we’re catching plenty of chinook as well as sizeable coho in the 7-8 pound range (a mix of hatchery clipped and wild fish) in coastal waters like Maquinna and Wash Rock.

There are many local fish still being caught north of us, which means we’re awaiting another good bump of returning chinook, including a big end-of-summer return of coho.

At this time of year, bottom fish tend to come up into shallower water and in greater numbers. Bottom fishing couldn’t be better right now, so if you’re looking to hook into halibut and ling cod, you’re in luck. There’s nothing like fresh-caught for the tastiest fish and chips.

We’re tending toward small spoons, coho killers, wee g’s, and 3.5 coyotes. If you’re staying with us, you can also stop by our Dock Shack at the Moutcha Bay Resort marina and have a look at the large variety of lures, hand-picked by our pro guide team and proven to work in our area.

Our fish processing team has been run off their feet over the last few weeks – well done to Jim and his team! Our freezers are getting worked hard. We’ve had great pleasure in hosting many new and returning guests on guided trips in recent days.

Albacore tuna are approaching closer and closer every day now, and we’ve heard reports of recent success out of Winter Harbour. The potential for tuna fishing is getting a lot of us excited and we’re watching the reports every day now. It should be any day now.

Fishing Tip:

When fishing during a heat wave, we’ve noticed that early mornings and late evenings were even more crucial than on a typical day. After the first hour of the day, anglers have the most success by fishing deep for Chinooks. In most cases, this is near or on the bottom rather than the typical 40-50ft range.

Bottom fishing remained strong through both heat waves, with the larger deep-drop jigs producing consistently larger lingcod and rock fish.

Tight Lines,

Nootka Marine Adventures