The ClubHouse Reports

July 13-15, 2008

Hi all, it is Tuesday night, just got up the hill from a straight shift out at Coho Point. We left the dock at the crack of 9 am and fished all day, the weather was awesome. This seemingly strange way to fish has been working for the Mount group I am guiding, as we wheeled into Coho Point, dropped the downriggers to 60 feet and grabbed a 38 .5 lb chinook. The luck angler was Chris Riley,all the way from England. This was his largest fish ever. Unfortunately the fish was gill hooked and as such had to be retained. What a fight though...screaming all over the surface. The water was dead calm, the water extremely clear, and seeing that fish scream around twisting and turning, trying to slack line its self to freedom was awesome. Well done Chris.
 
Robert Shinbo and Sharron are back and landing big fish again. Fishing unguided on the Sunday the 13th they had a double header up at No name Point, a 45 lb slug for Robert and a 23 for Sharron. Robert hooked up at 5 30 pm and said he did the drag up on his 45 lb fish, placed rod in holder, to net Sharrons fish, what a guy. Robert said the giant was screaming line while in the holder, a lot of line, what a hero!
 
Looking back to July 6 to 10 we had some decent chinook fishing, including 12 tyees . I was guiding Mark Heine and Chris Glud and we pounded Coho Point for the trip. Chris Glud landed our biggest chinook at 32 lbs. I must say what a fisherman Chris is becoming, now a seasoned veteran, landing eleven of twelve chinook he hooked!  
 
The July 10th to 13th trip was slower for the tyees but a monster 62.5 lb chinook was caught and released by Rick Reicker.This fish was taken at Coho point and from a long distance I saw it released by Andrew Wood, I thought he had a full sheet of sheet metal in his grasp, that fish looked huge and the pictures do it justice, our largest fish of the year. The setup was a downrigger at 80 feet on a large fresh jigged herring, wow, well done. I had a pair of 18 lb fish in the well, gee, I guess they are the good eaters haha. I was guiding Rob McAdams, one of my favorites, along with Dale Douglas from Victoria, and we did manage to grind out a 32 lb fish for Dale, again 60 feet, tight into Little Coho .We pounded the area, and the chinook fishing was off for the big guys, but would hit flurries of action with springs 14 to 20 lbs, dragging deep, 110 on the riggers, in 180 feet of water chasing needlefish. I think Rob set the all time cigars smoked in one day record ,I swear it was like 12 one day! Ty was a close second haha.
 
The largest retained fish of the trip was 40 lbs, taken by Bob Babitsky. This fish was self guided well done. Todd Scharf found a 39 lb fish with Peter Stalenhoef, taken from Coho , Curtis Burks snuck a 33 lb fish in self guided, Robert Dominick had a bitten 36 lb fish with Chris Jarvis as guide and coach. The chinook had large bite marks and rakes from a whale or lion, quite a crowd had a look at that one on the dock.
 
The coho are now here in some numbers, and they are averaging 8 to 11 lbs currently. Some teeners are showing so this is some good news. The hot spot seems to be down towards Pillar Rock and the Cabbage patch. Fish these fish shallow and have some fun. The pinks have slowed a touch thank goodness, what a run this year, paved with pinks in Dixon Entrance this season.
 
Well off to my bunk, tomorrow comes quick. A big flood tide all morning will find me at Coho Point surprise ,surprise, tolling slowly off the pin working needlefish balls and diving ducks. This is fun fishing and a few slugs always seem to sit right off the rock. A few humpback whales are providing a show as well, and the orcas are cruising in and out the area almost daily. Langara is alive right now  and it is a great time to be here fishing.

See you soon!

Screamer, Mike Tonnesen
Head Guide, The Clubhouse