Bamfield Off-Shore Fishing Trips
Some of the best Chinook (King) and Coho (Silvers) fishing is on the banks off shore from Bamfield.. We base our charters from Bamfield to take advantage of the off shore fishing . These fish are generally Columbia River origin fish, and some of the most productive fishing on the coast.
These multi-day trips depart from our home port Clutesi Haven Marina in Port Alberni. Our multi-day trips are planned around picking your party up in Port Alberni and travelling by boat to Bamfield where we will have guests stay in local fishing lodges. We depart daily from Eagle Nook Resort, out to fish for the day on the off-shore banks. On the last day of our trip, we will stop back into the Lodge in Bamfield and pick up our prior days catch. While staying at Eagle Nook Resort, your catch will be vac packed for easy transport home, or we can deliver your catch to be processed at St. Jeans Cannery where your fish can be smoked or even canned and shipped home later. Cost for these off-shore day trips is $1,450 CAD/day plus GST tax for 2 guests. We can take additional guests beyond the core group of 2, add $50/guest/day for additional guests.
Some folks prefer to fish the area around Bamfield as day trips from Port Alberni. For those trips, we depart at first light, run down the Alberni Inlet to Barkley Sound (1 hour) and fish for the day returning home in the late afternoon. Guests should bring a lunch, drinks and fishing license. We will clean and bag your catch at the end of our trip. Cost for the Barkley Sound day trips is $1,300 CAD plus GST for 2 guests. Add $50 per additional guest.
Our Grady White 265 can accommodate 6 guests, and the Grady White 232 can handle a max of 4 guests. We also have humps in Barkley Sound that do have both Halibut and Ling Cod. The best way to target hali’s is to anchor up and commit the time to bring the fish to you. While not as productive as going offshore for hali’s, Barkley Sound does offer opportunity to catch them if you put in the time.
These inside waters in Barkley Sound are protected due to many islands that break up ocean swells. If you are looking for a wild west coast fishing experience without big waves that can bring on sea sickness, Barkley Sound adventures are the best choice for you.
Offshore trips are the most productive in terms of fishing catch. This is because the west coast of Vancouver Island is a highway for all species of fish migrating down the coast to their home rivers. Typically fish will follow the 300 foot contour until they come across bait schools on the banks, where they will stop and actively feed. This creates opportunity for us to target them and load up on great fishing.
Our offshore trips are organized around multiple day (2 day min) adventures using Bamfield as our home base. We book guests into local lodges. One of our service features is we will pick you up in Port Alberni, and transport your group by boat down to Bamfield the night before our fishing. This saves you the time and effort driving out to Bamfield on gravel roads which can often be fairly rough.
We clean, and flash freeze your catch. There are vac pack services available at the lodges at an extra cost. Eagle Nook Resort costs $375/day/person for all meals and accommodation and fish processing. Fishing charter fees for the boat are $1,450 CAD/day for up to 2 guests. Add $50 per additional guest. Fishing offshore involves running up to an hour or more offshore onto the banks to where the fish congregate.
The offshore banks are also home to the most productive halibut fishing because they offer the sand and gravel habitat hali’s need to thrive. We can catch halibut either trolling near the bottom, or by anchoring up on a hali spot to jig them up.
We are always searching new hali spots to expand our opportunities because hali’s do move around a lot and it is important to be able to stay on top of them.
We also jig for ling cod using swimmer tail grubs. This can be a lot of fun because the lings slam the lure hard. You have to put in your time and try a few spots, but once you locate the fish there are some quality lings to be caught.
Because fishing offshore involves open ocean fishing, weather can be a consideration. That is why we recommend multiple day trips for guests wishing to target bottom fish – just in case we have a weather day.
