Dan Findlow, Dan Hamhuis, and Manny Malhotra with a couple Port Renfrew coho
Port Renfrew’s September fishing is quite good. There are still a few chinook/spring salmon around, but they are becoming fewer and farther between. But the coho fishing is excellent, with salmon int0 the teens being caught all over. There are jumpers in 10 feet of water in the San Juan River mouth, right out to 600 feet out front of the bay.
The current fishing regulations for Port Renfrew are a little complicated, but DFO has provided this helpful map. You can keep 4 coho in the Port San Juan bay right now, of which 2 can be wild. Outside the bay, you can keep 2 coho, hatchery only. Starting Oct 1, you can keep 4 outside the bay too, but only 1 wild.
Halibut fishing is now closed for the season.
Port Renfrew Marina is holding its annual winner take all coho derby on on Sept. 29th and 30th. Tickets will be available at the marina the day before the derby. The cost is $25.00 a rod with $5.00 of each ticket going to the San Juan Hatchery. This is a fun derby and goes to a good cause, come on out and catch some coho!
The photo below is a late post … from the end of August, posted by Chris Brotherston. His dad Tom landed the 32lb fish in the photo, and that’s Chris and son Logan holding it. It was caught at 40 feet in 85 foot depth, anchovy, green head, and an old faded orange hot spot flasher 6.5′ leader. 