CH Report: Steady, Hot Chinook Fishing! - August 17, 2021

Hello again from Langara Island and The Clubhouse. It's a windy day here with northwest gusts to 25 knots, the theme of the day. Fishing continues to be good for Chinook, out on the west side as well as along the Graham Island shoreline.

Over the last ten days in here we have spent a lot of time on the West Bank, Cape Knox area, as well as Lacy. I will give a general report here as to what my boat has been up to, along with some photos. Keep in mind, I am not reporting every tyee as we are spread out around the island fishing at this time. A lot depends on how seafaring your guests are at times as the west side can be very swelly, in a huge wind event from the southwest or northwest.

The winds let up for Liam Pattemore and father Reg, and we had great success out at Lacy. One morning we were into steady hot Chinook fishing, peaking with a triple header, highlighted by Liam's 35 lb chinook. Of course this fish was released, a couple pictures below show some big smiles and a nice day on the water. Reg tangled with a large halibut as well, on the salmon rod, 130 lbs which has to be released. Oops, guide fishing to deep over the reef. We also had our Coho as well, big morning out at Lacy.

Guide Screamer with long-time guest, Liam Pattemore and his 35lb release!

Reg Pattemore hauling up a massive 130lb halibut on the salmon rod out at Lacy.

Reg's 130lb halibut release. Next up was the John McLauglin trip, a fun trip with dads and sons. I had the boys out most of the time and we had a heck of a good time, catching Chinooks in the bowel, and pretty much laughing for four days. Below are a few pics of the boys and some low twenties Chinook.

The McLauglin's enjoying some fishing, some laughs and great company.

Colton Mclauglin and his low twenties trophy chinook as Screamer calls it!

‍The trip saw most fish in the 18 to 25 lb size, but plenty of action for sure. There was decent halibut fishing too, with the better sized west side halibut 35 to 45lbs. Dan brought one in at an even 60 lbs from the East side. Coho are suddenly scarce, puzzling.

While waiting for the next bite, it's always a good idea to get some puppy time in! The trip ending Aug 16 I had out new guests to us Dan Massart and his guys Sean and Alan. This was a fun trip for sure with some great fishing, highlighted by Sean grabbing a 36 lb chinook out in the Fish Bowl, early into the first afternoon of fishing. We all had steady fishing, some boats hotter than others but all guides had decent Chinook aboard. Below are a few pictures of our top fish of the trip.

Guest Sean and guide Screamer posing with this beautiful 36 catch and release. The fishing was steady every day of the trip, and this allowed us time to get out for halibut, where Dan grabbed this 44 lb specimen. Pictured below. We grabbed a 30 as well but we did have to spend a morning at it, releasing several large lingcod and smaller halibut along the drift.

Angler Dan with a 44lb halibut!

Out on the halibut grounds, the lingcod were feasting on halibut. An interesting sight for sure!

‍Overall this was a fantastic trip, the fish cooperated. We did have to fight plenty of kelp. Massive kelp and weed were forming islands on every conceivable tack on the west side. At times guides having to pull all lines and just drive around looking lost lol.  Nothing worse than hooking on to a large ten foot long piece and cranking it in. The storms offshore really created havoc for several days when it came to fishing the west side. Below is a pic of the Cape Knox area, all suds, was it Laundry day for the guides? Must have been some serious offshore winds.

Strong offshore winds created some serious suds at Cape Knox. Today the winds beat us down out west, so we fished the Boulder Bay Area, and I was surprised at the steady chinook action in calm waters, what a nice change. The chinook were mostly 18 to 21 lbs but plenty of them. I do know Korey was out with the Kaltenegger's, and they pounded all morning in the Bowel and did scoop up a 33 lb fish, well deserved.  Brent did stumble on a 30 lb chinook off Boulder, no details yet but a nice fish to report.

A choppier day on the water with long-time guests, The Kaltenegger's in guide Korey's boat.

‍So, all in all fishing continues to be good. We are not seeing a heap of tyee or anything close to that, but those that are targeting chinook are getting it done, most chinook  18 to 21 lbs hitting the dock.  The coho are few and far between, veteran DJ is often out searching everywhere with minimal luck on coho, but relaying that he finds chinook in all quadrants.

For our self guide guests coming up, the fish are shallow, at boulder often ten feet down,  out west 40 feet seems the average depth. Most of us are using cut plug herring, DJ is on the metal hard, although Tomic plugs produced today for his guests. Again, off the rigger, shallow.Tucker and his gang are fishing Coho Point, and finding chinook to 21 lbs, ssshhh, the lions are backing off, it's been ok. Paul and Jackson are hitting Pop off point daily, and they are getting it done, the one place I do not fish! Lol. There are fish in that kelpy messy bay for sure.

That is about the story tonight, time to go put Lucy to bed and get ready for tomorrow, until next time, thanks for checking out our report here at The Clubhouse!

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Back to channel 9,

Mike Tonnesen,

Head Guide, Clubhouse.