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.
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 involved 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.
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. Lodge costs typically run $375/day/person for all meals, fish processing and accommodation. Offshore fishing charter fees for the boat is $1450 CAD/day for up to 2 guests. Add $50 per additional guest to maximum of 4 guests. Fishing offshore involves running up to an hour or more offshore onto the banks to where the fish congregate.
Day trips to Barkley Sound depart from our home port Clutesi Haven Marina in Port Alberni. 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 day 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