Salmon fishing in Masset b.c.

D

Dan McNally

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Jul 4, 2006
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C Dory Year
2005
C Dory Model
22 Cruiser
Hull Identification Number
cd0222641405
Vessel Name
Shannon- Colleen
Planning a trip to Masset B.C. possibly in late June early July for salmon and halibut has anyone done this trip? If so do you have any suggestions regarding places to fish? I have never fished there before and would like some input from someone who has experience in the area. I have fished at Langara Island but that is about 35 miles west of Masset so a bit out of reach for day fishing in a 22 foot cdory. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Dan McNally of the (Shannon Colleen)
 
Dan,
I did that trip in 2009 and you can find the thread by searching the fishing forum. I have no more recent info since then. It was a wonderful trip and we were lucky that the campground owner found one of the locals who was willing to rent us his private dockspace for our entire trip. It really made the whole trip much more pleasant. I would have considered a return trip but my fishing buddies were not up for the long drive again. Good luck.
 
Ken,
I am in the early stages of planning this trip, before posting here I contacted Brian and Deb at Hidden-Island resort and I am waiting for a response. I see that there is a fish packing facility called Seapac QCI in town did you use them to ship your fish home? I am guessing that you fished northwest from Masset for the most part. I have fished Langara Island several times as a guest of West-coast fishing club but I think that is too far to run every day in a c-dory. It was great fishing and the reason I am looking at Masset as a place to fish out of. I fished in early June every time I went and we had good fishing with all of the fish being over 30 lbs.

Dan
 
Dan.
We did use them for some of our fish. Unless the Canadian export rules have changed, you have to be very careful when you package your catch. You have to package so that your catch can be identified as to species and size. Since I had taken my own freezer, I wanted to bring my fish home with me rather than shipping it. I used Seapac because they are authorized to cut the larger fish in smaller pieces, vac-pac, and freeze then they give you a piece of paper indicating all the smaller pieces came from one legal fish. We have for many years taken a small 6 cubic foot freezer on fishing trips. This has worked well for us. When you hear from the resort be sure to ask if he can find you dock space to rent. The launch ramp is pretty marginal and launching and retrieving each day would be a deal breaker for me. We did make a long day of it once with a run to Langara-quite an operation with the lodges there. We carried 10 extra gallons of fuel but didn't end up using any of it. I really enjoyed the trip and consider it one of my grandest adventures. Hope you end up going.
 
Ken,
I did check on getting a slip with Deb doing the leg work for me. she stated that she could make that arrangement for us but the slip would only be available until the 18th of July. That is a bummer as I wanted to start my fishing on the 20th. I see that they have a free launch ramp in the area that looks past prime and I really would rather launch one time and have a slip for our activities. Have you made use of the government wharf how does that work?
What are your fishing plans for the summer, you going to return Island West again this year? I have heard this year has potential but I can not make Island West this year do to a full calender for the month of August. I have fish there enough that we get the fish we target but timing seems to be so critical and August seems to be the time to be there.
Dan
 
Ken,
Just picking your brain a little more, how far is it from hidden island to the marina? You must have driven your truck back and forth from the boat daily is this correct?
Dan
 
I took the camper off of the truck while we were there. The marina is only a mile or maybe less from the campground. In fact everything in the town is less than two miles from the campground. Check my photo album for shots of the marina and launch ramp. I have other plans for the summer and will not do a fishing trip this year.
 
Booked the campsite at Hidden Island today. We will be there starting the 3rd of July. Still working on getting a slip to keep the boat at, it would seem that you have two options other then launching every day, first be lucky enough to find a private slip, or combat moor at the government dock.
 
yea........Masset has a population of 884 in 2011 and the total population of Haida Gwaii 4761, one person to around 3/4 of a square mile......very crowded place. I really hope you enjoy your trip, I am thinking about doing that in another year or so, but either boating over from Prince Rupert or Kitimat.
 
Leon, I thought about doing the run from Prince Rupert to Masset in the boat but some in the party raised concerns about an eighty plus mile run in open water. I am sure I will be back in future years and most likely will start my trip from Prince Rupert.
 
No personal experience except that of monitoring weather reports and forecasts over a number of years, but:

If you're considering running over from the mainland coast, you might want to take into consideration that Hecate Strait is quite shallow much of the way. I read that (often fairly strong) winds can kick up some pretty nasty seas. You might want a relatively unusual mild forecast to run it in a small power boat.

Have met small boat folks (28-footers) in Prince Rupert who planned to cross, and were driven back more than once over the course of a week or two of trying, then had to scratch it from their plans. Met others in similar boats who don't try Hecate Strait - they go up into AK, around the top of Prince of Wales and down to Craig, then further south from there, and cross the Dixon Entrance down to Haida Gwaii.
 
Great advise New Moon, this trip will be an adventure without big water crossings. I will do it in small building block steps, the first step is to get familiar with the local area.
 
I have been across Hecate Straits in the Cal 46 several times. It can be a lumpy, because of the shoal water and wind. We never saw anything dangerous however. Any of the areas in this part of the world, you need to watch your weather. You could make the trip slightly longer going thru Edye Passage and staying in Refuge Bay--we once heard two packs of wolves on each side of the bay howling back and forth...

One thing not to do is go directly form Alaska to Masset. We had inquired about clearing customs there, and were told the story of one hapless sailor who tried, and ended up paying for the agent's time and flight over from Prince Rupert--somewhere over $1200!
 
To all "brats",
I enjoyed the time I spent in Masett this July the fishing was fun with no weather related problems. The Kings did not cooperate but limits of large for the time of season silvers kept us busy.
I was unable to get a slip and had to put the boat in and out every day at a marginal free ramp. I was able to find a slip for rent for our next trip, the person next to us a the camp site owens one and rents it out. Pat stated that he usually has his boat in the slip for about a month a year and the rest of the time it is available. He said his slip can accommodate a boat up to 30' and rents for 150.00 a week in Canadian funds. That is cheap with the exchange rate, add to that the idea of staying on your boat instead of renting a camp site and it seem like win win proposition. If you need contact information I can send you it in a p.m.
 
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