There are several great fishing spots around Port McNeill in the month of August and you don’t have to go far for the popular chinook, coho, and sockeye, with lots of larger chinook on the move this time of year. Spots include “The Wall”, Sointula Island, and Wells Pass. This year salmon fishing has been great. The average size is 28-35 lbs, with some nice 40 lb ones being brought to the dock.
Try a green jelly phantom series flasher with #4 Bob Marley spoon. It has quickly become one of my favorite combos to use this summer.
When fishing anchovies, give a try to the eye of the tiger teaser head with yellow green maverick flasher from Gibbs/Oki Tackle.
Halibut fishing hot-spots in August, or “Fogust” as we call it on the island, are the sand flats off Port Hardy. You can also try the sand flats in behind Alert Bay.
These spots hold 30 to 60 lb halibut and a couple of popular methods for these areas are bottom trolling with large spoons, whole herring, or jigging with Gibbs Delta muddraker and salmon bellies. Just remember that halibut do move around, so you will have to pay attention and do a bit of looking around. Slack tides are best when hunting the mighty flat fish.
On another note, I would like to leave you all with this message. Please ensure you write a letter about all the fishing closures on the island. This directly affects not only you as an angler, but all the small businesses in the coastal communities as well.Your right to harvest or catch your own fish is at stake here. So do your part and please write a letter to the fishing minister.
In the meantime, please be polite and professional to our DFO staff as they are only doing their jobs.
Until next time, tight lines and tips up and we’ll see you all out on the water real soon!
Steven Cahill is a Field Tester for Gibbs Delta Tackle, Oki Tackle and freelance writer as well as Owner of Hook’n Them Up Fishing Charters located in Port McNeill Toll Free:1-855-805(FISH)3474 Cell 250-230-0579 www.vanislefishing.com