Archive for the ‘BC Salmon Fishing Charter’ Category
Offshore Charters began operation in 1995, when Wayne Richardson and his wife, Pam, decided to offer a reasonably priced, luxury BC salmon fishing charter experience on Vancouver Island’s rugged west coast. As a child, Wayne fished the Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound, Tofino and Ucluelet areas with his father and developed the skills and knowledge required to consistently catch large numbers of big salmon and halibut. For 15 years, Wayne has guaranteed his clients will catch fish, and no one has had to cash in on that promise yet.
The West Coast of Vancouver Island is one of British Columbia’s premier destinations for saltwater fishing. Each year, millions of salmon travel along the outside (West Coast) of Vancouver Island on their way to their spawning grounds. The areas fished by Offshore Charters are among the best places to intercept them. Thanks to abundant feed and ideal water conditions, huge Spring (King) salmon and large, acrobatic Coho (Silver) salmon come in waves along the West Coast during the peak season between the beginning of June and the end of September. The area is world-renowned for providing stellar salmon fishing during these months. There are also limited Sockeye (Red) salmon openings in June and July. Halibut, red snapper, lingcod and many other types of bottomfish are plentiful throughout the area and can be taken year round.
In addition to these outstanding fisheries, the area boasts many other forms of marine wildlife. It is common to see humpback whales, orcas and grey whales during fishing trips, and guests are advised to bring a still camera or video camera to capture lasting moments of these magnificent creatures.
Guests of Offshore Charters fish from a 2007, 26-foot Pursuit Offshore, which cruises at 27 knots and is fully appointed with the latest in angling equipment and safety technology. All equipment is new or near-new, meticulously maintained, and designed to ensure your comfort, safety and success while fishing. This boat was designed for fishing and is extremely easy to fish from.
As part of your package:
- All fish are cleaned and iced when caught, then taken to a local packer to be packaged
- Lunches, snacks and beverages (alcoholic and other) are provided while fishing. If you have food allergies, or any specific dietary restrictions, please let us know in advance of your trip.
- WE DO NOT LIMIT YOUR FISHING TIME. This is one of the biggest advantages to booking your BC salmon fishing charter through Offshore Charters. We love to be out on the water catching fish as much as you do, and we will not limit your fishing time as other guides do, nor will we charge you extra for it. Even if we have caught our limit of fish for the day we will stay on the water at your request to eco-tour or just enjoy a cold drink in the sunshine.
- Lodging for multi-day trips is arranged through local resorts and prices vary according to the quality of the resort and its availability. All of the resorts we use offer outstanding accommodations, superb guest services, modern amenities and gourmet meals. To take advantage of potential price discounts, please book your trip as far in advance as possible.
Please phone 1-604-230-3061, or contact us here, to arrange your BC Salmon Fishing Charter today.
We are heading into April, when the first of the migratory feeder chinook begin to make their way into Barkley Sound to feed. Early indications are that these fish will be large and plentiful this year. On March 6th, a 29 pound chinook was caught near Fleming Island, setting a new record for winning fish in the annual Sproat Lake Loggers Derby. It’s still the biggest fish caught in the Barkley area this season.
Fishing for salmon and halibut has generally been good, with many recreational fisherman and guides catching their limits of feeder chinook in the 10 to 14 pound range.
I also wanted to make all my clients and prospective clients aware that the Ucluelet Salmon Fishing Derby will be held from the end of May until the first week of September, and first prize this year is a whopping $40,000 cash!! Other prizes have yet to be announced, but if you’re interested in getting in on the action you can follow the updates at Ucleulet Salmon Fishing Derby.
Predictions for this year’s salmon return are running higher than last year’s fantastic return. Early run Chinook returns for the Columbia River are estimated at approxiamately 470,000 fish and these fish should be showiing up in our waters sometime in May through June.
Estimated late run Chinook (July and August) are estimated at 750,000 – 800,000 fish.
2010 is shaping up to be an incredible year for salmon fishing in the Barkley Sound, Tofino, Ucluelet and Alberni Inlet areas, and we encourage you to book your trip as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Contact us by phone at 1-604-230-3061, or email us here.
Here’s a quote from a recent article by Dennis Newman on the website “Natural Orergon” regarding the 2010 Spring Salmon return estimates for the Columbia River:
When the chinook salmon return on the Columbia River next spring, get ready for massive numbers of fish.
Wildlife officials say they’re expecting about 470,000 chinook for the spring run. If that prediction is accurate, it would be the biggest return of spring chinook since 1938 (emphasis mine).
The announcement was made by Oregon Fish and Wildlife, Washington Fish and Wildlife and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
The Columbia runs start showing up on the West Coast of Vancouver Island in June, and this news bodes very well for this year’s Spring fishery. You can read the whole article by pressing the link in the title, here:
Massive Salmon Run Predicted for Columbia River
Here are the main things to look for when choosing a salmon fishing guide:
1) Make sure the the guide has years of local area fishing experience. You want your guide to know all the hot fishing spots and that he’s able to navigate the local waters safely.
2) Make sure the salmon fishing guide has salmon fishing experience. Anyone can take you out in there boat for the day, charge you a lot of money, and bring you back to dock with no fish. Don’t let it happen to you. If you’re an experienced salmon fisherman you know the questions to ask before you book your trip. If you’re inexperienced, read up on basic techniques and strategies (lots of info on the internet) and talk to your prospective guide about them. Ask for references. A good guide will show no hesitancy giving them to you.
3) Make sure the boat is seaworthy, well-maintained and designed for fishing. You want to be safe while you’re out on the water and you must be able to fish comfortably and effectively from the boat in all weather conditions. Insist on getting pictures of the boat if you are booking your trip from out of town.
4) Make sure your guide has all the necessary equipment. At a minimum, the boat should be equipped with radar and VHF radio for safey reasons. For fishing, basic equipment includes: a newer-model electronic fish-finder, electric downriggers, good quality rods, well-maintained reels on which the lines are frequently changed to prevent breaking, and a large, varied selection of lures, flasher, rigs, plugs, baits and other necessary tackle. There should also be both a large landing net and gaffing hook for getting fish into the boat.
In closing, don’t be afraid to ask your prospective salmon fishing guide questions about all aspects of his service. He should answer your questions gladly and do his utmost to secure your trust.