Steve from Seawind Fishing Charters reports some red hot salmon and halibut fishing over the Easter weekend.

Fishing west of Bonilla Point, he caught a whole bunch of halibut, average weight 30 pounds, with 3 in the 50-70 pound range.

On the way back in, he dropped a line along the Beach, between the Rockpile and Owen Point, and caught 11 salmon in the 15-20 pound range, including 5 double headers!

That should get the fishing blood boiling … time to get out to Port Renfrew!

On another note … Port Renfrew took the lead today on the WFN Ultimate Fishing Town Challenge. It is only Round One, but Port Renfrew is looking like a solid contender to make it into Round Two. Cast your votes!  You can vote up to 4 times a day (every 6 hours) and from as many email addresses as you have access to.  So vote now and vote often, let’s see if we can Port Renfrew’s fishing on the map!

There are limited fishing reports to pass along for Port Renfrew this week. The Marina is closed until May 1, so there is limited ocean access. You can put your boat in at the Pacheedaht ramp in the river, just be VERY CAREFUL about the currents, as the river is flowing pretty strong and you can get your boat pulled up onto the rocks. As well, be cautious about breakers in the river mouth … if there’s a solid west swell running, that could end a fishing day in a hurry … a wet, cold, dangerous, and expensive end!

For the few that have got out there, the report is that the crabbing is excellent, there are feeder salmon out front, and you don’t have to go too far for halibut. Sombrio remains a hot spot … whether the long run west from Sooke or the shorter run east from Port Renfrew.

Image posted to WFN by Bob Parker

In other news, the WFN “Ultimate Fishing Town” contest has closed the nomination round and it appears Port Renfrew led the nomination with 145.  Honey Harbour Ont was next at118.   Pretty good showing for this fishy little west coast village!  Voting starts on Tuesday April 12th — each email address can vote 4 times a day (every 6 hours), so vote it up if you want Port Renfrew to win.  If Port Renfrew makes the cut, the final round of voting starts May 10.

WFN’s Ultimate Fishing Town challenge is on again, and Port Renfrew has been nominated … 60 nominations and climbing!

Check out the nominations to ready why people think Port Renfrew should be Canada’s Ultimate Fishing Town.

Submit your own entry, to get Port Renfrew on the map as a prime Canadian fishing location and also to help with $25,000 for the town’s many needy causes.  Below is my entry.  If you agree, then post your own!

*****

Quite simply, THE.BEST.FISHING.I’VE.EVER.HAD

The fishing in Port Renfrew can be so good that it frankly spoils you for fishing anywhere else.  I have had so many Swiftsure Bank days with non-stop action from start to finish for halibut, spring salmon, and coho salmon …  so good it is all you can do but laugh.  It gets to the point that your boat-mates start begging you to take their turn on the rod, because they are tired of all the reeling.  No lie!

Port Renfrew is known for both quantity AND quality of fishing.  The southern Vancouver Island  fishing leaderboards are inevitably topped by Port Renfrew salmon and halibut … I’d guess 70-80% year-to-year of the top fish caught in this region are from Port Renfrew’s waters.  Have a look at the Port Renfrew Marina’s “Over 40 Pounder” club … if you dream of catching a 40-pound plus salmon, or maybe even a 50-pounder, this is the spot to do it.   Not to mention 25-pound trophy coho, and halibut towards 200-pounds.

Be aware, though, that this is a pretty hardcore fishing town … not really a latte kind of place.  This town is Stanfield sweaters and pick-up trucks, sunburned noses and camp-fires, fish guts and full coolers, big smiles and faraway looks from anglers who‘ve had a fishing day as good as it gets.

But it is also a fantastic place to visit … sandy beaches, great nature watching, excellent fresh water swimming nearby (with rainbow trout too!).  Not to mention some pretty good surfing beaches and windsurfing and kiteboarding too.  And all this a two hour drive from Nanaimo or Victoria, with just a ferry ride in between for the Vancouver folks.

I think Port Renfrew is the ultimate fishing town because there’s nowhere else I can think of that is better!

No fishing reports to pass along this week … but pretty sure they are coming soon!

Meanwhile, a fishing video from Des at Vicious Fish Charters. Some west coast fishing fun to get the blood pumping for the 2011 season, coming very very soon.