Well after seeing the forecast for this last week decided to make a last minute dash to the island and check out Ucluelet again. Only trouble was no accommodations. After searching found one room available at Little Beach Resort on Wed and Thursday night so booked and decided to stay at Port Alberni Tuesday night and Friday night.
Day 1
Got out Tuesday and on the water past China Creek on Tuesday around 4 PM. Hooked up with a nice chinook right away on a green and white spoon. Then a few releases that didn't hook up and nothing. Some people came out in the evening and hooked up a few. Found out later guys at the launch said bait was working for them.
Day 2
Wednesday morning drove out to Ucluelet and thought we would check in before going out on the water. When we got there though had to wait till 9 till someone was in the office. Went to pick up a few things and then gave them a call. They said we didn't have a reservation. That Expedia cancelled our reservation. Well that sucks. My wife checks her email and Expedia sent us an email stating the Little Beach Resort Cancelled our reservation. So anyways I don't know what happened, but you may want to stay clear of Little Beach Resort.
My wife started calling all the hotels in the area and finally after about ten one said they had a room for Wednesday and Thursday so we grabbed it or all 5 of us would be stuck sleeping in the boat.
Headed down to Islands West and launched... half way out of the harbor the alarm starts beeping. I check the oil and its full, burp the tank, engine seems fine but at high revs it alarms. So we just slowly go out to the lighthouse and troll around out there. It was an absolutely beautiful day to be on the water! Sun was shining, no fog, barely any wind. Salmon fishing was a little slow for us but we managed the odd one here and there with spoons. Then we switched to bait and did a bit better in the Little Beach Area. Trolling along the beach both rods went off with black rockfish, so we stopped and picked up a bunch of nice rockfish before going back to trolling. Got a couple more Chinook in the evening. Nothing huge though. Started the big engine up and went slowly back home, but noticed it beeped at lower RPM.
Day 3
Woke up early since I thought I may have to drain the fuel filter. Popped the cap off the Merc Optimax and found out I had an OptiFAIL! Looked like the belt had started to shred and lost the bottom ridge already. Looked around the assembly and noted and angle to the alternator. Pushed on it and it moved. Touched the bolts and one pulled right out. It sheared right off. So that was it for my dreams of heading offshore and going in search of fish all over the banks. Oh well still had the 9.9Hp Merc kicker so headed out and right off the bat when i throttled up it started sputting and the oil light was on. I stop and turn it off. Take the head off and check the oil. It's full of oil. I figured it was just because the engine was cold. So I take off again and nothing happens so at 5 mph to the light house area and trolled around there all day. Picked up a few wild coho and a few more chinook all on anchovies. Also stopped by for a few more rockfish since my younger brother enjoys the action from the rockfish. This evening nothing happened for us. No evening bite for us.
Day 4
Head out for our last day of fishing and start early on the beach on Friday. Nothing... and we don't see anyone catching anything. So I just start trolling out... way out and picked up a small chinook. Then look at the map and figure South bank wasn't much further. Weather was awesome so we headed out. Searched around and started marning some bait on the bottom. Nothing was hitting the bait though. So switched to a hoochie right on the bottom and a spoon at 127 feet. Picked up a few wild cohos and then some chinooks. Then I picked up my FIRST HALIBUT even on the green/glow splatter back hoochie on the bottom rigger. That was pretty cool. In the afternoon around 4:30 pm to 6 pm the bite went nuts and our biggest Chinook was 20 pounds, by brothers biggest. The wife lost another big one as well, but probably just a mid teener. We were glad we hit the bank and headed back at 6pm since it was still a little unerving being out there with a 9.9hp. Although I figured I still had the big one as back up if needed at low rpm.
He was pretty excited after getting the 20 pounder my brother ripped off his shirt and did a backflip off my boat into the ocean then hoisted his fish like the Stanley Cup!
Ok now I better get to cleaning the fish!
