Vancouver Island - Toquart Bay - Report

My family has recreational property and a cabin in the Ucluelet area.  The place is called Salmon Beach near Toquart Bay and the Broken Islands.  I was just there a couple weekends back with my kids and wife.  I took my yak thinkin I'd get a paddle in one day, maybe drag a line if lucky.  I ended up having an amazing day.  I started the early morning paddling amongst grey and/or humpback whales feeding on the herring spawn.  Multiple times I had the giants surface so close I could smell their breath.  Sure a eye-opening experience being that close to the giants in their environment.  2.3 km from the beach, my sounder was showing some promising structure and a lot of fish.  So I figured I'd try my luck.  I drop a chrome zzinger only to have it taken by a nice sized Black Cod (or Sea Bass) about 10 feet under my yak.  I spent the next three hours catching 30+ Black cod and some keeper Ling pushing 36" plus some big Yellow-eye and other random colored Cod. 
I sure wish I had a fishing partner this weekend.  I had my camera with me but filled the memory card with videos of the whales in my first hours on the water.  After catching and releasing some beauty photo worthy fish (including the big lings) I decided to sacrifice and erase one of whale videos.  The resulting photos that I was able to capture with some free memory were a bit disappointing as they didn't do the fish size/beauty justice.  I attached a couple photos and a video of the whales.



P.S. Sorry to NWKA3 for not registering fish for points.  I was confused and believed that in order to register a fish, a hawg trough HAD to be used.  Since I had forgotten mine...

Cool video. Being out with the whales is something special indeed.

That is a China Rockfish in the picture. Rockfish are neither cod nor bass, they are actually related to scorpionfish.

Thanks for the report BB.  I've been up there (sans kayak) and it is some really beautiful water.  Hope to fish there someday. 

Man, that looks like a fantastic time! Let me know if you want a fishing partner next time! 

That is a China Rockfish in the picture. Rockfish are neither cod nor bass, they are actually related to scorpionfish.

I've heard quite a few people (including the grocery store fish department) refer to rock fish as rock cod. 

What a great report -- and the video is one of those magical moments. Thanks for sharing.

Man, that looks like a fantastic time! Let me know if you want a fishing partner next time! 

Ditto on that!. I'd love to take trip up there this summer...I'd be interested in a late July camping weekend excursion.

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That is a China Rockfish in the picture. Rockfish are neither cod nor bass, they are actually related to scorpionfish.

I've heard quite a few people (including the grocery store fish department) refer to rock fish as rock cod.

Paging Bsteves!

What a great report -- and the video is one of those magical moments. Thanks for sharing.

Nice job! Looks like some amazing water

Thanks for sharing!!!  I would love to get out there with you sometime!  I just cannot imagine being out there with those whales.  What a treat!!!

I'm no bsteves, but here is a little bit of taxonomy:

Sea bass:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serranidae

Interestingly the White "Seabass" off California is a huge croaker. This family includes groupers and the kelp/sand basses off California.

Cod:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadidae

This family includes Pacific cod etc.

Rockfish:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpaenidae

In the genus Sebastes, we have our magnificent rockfishes (Sebastes means magnificent).

There are tons of names for fish for sure, I just find it confusing when people talk about "cod" when they aren't talking about cod. Sorry to hijack the thread.

Looks like a nice trip, BB.  The smell of whale's breath is godawful tho....but cool to see them so close.
T2

Man, that looks like a fantastic time! Let me know if you want a fishing partner next time! 

Ditto on that!. I'd love to take trip up there this summer...I'd be interested in a late July camping weekend excursion.

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I’d definitely be interested in that.  My only concern at this point is that I am in the process of house hunting and my wife is due with my second child mid June, so I can’t confirm I can be there 100% but even if I am unable to make it, I can arrange for a lot for a few campers.

I should have known to not throw a blanket term like cod out there…Especially when I know better. 

I sure would have liked to have a partner this last Saturday also as these photos are the best I could get of my by-far biggest Sea Run Cutthroat ever.  I caught it on a black rooster tail with a chrome blade in the Nanaimo River.  I hooked it while drifting in my yak but my net was too small to try to CPR the fish without harming it so I waded to finally land it. 

I should have known to not throw a blanket term like cod out there…Especially when I know better. 

Its all good, sorry for the hijacking again.

Heh tqsuared I agreed completely, whale breath smells terrible, almost as bad as sea lion breath!

Backwoods, that is an enormous sea-run cuttie! I didn't know they could get that big

Awesome report and OMG what a piggie cutthroat!

That's a great area up there.  Been up that way to surf and can't wait to check it out from a kayak! 

-Spot-