Happy Holidays

We hope this post finds you in good health and looking forward to Christmas and the New Year!

The 2023 season was filled with exciting times, great people and wonderful memories. Fishing stories are often the best when told around this time of year with friends and family. It is amazing how tall the tales become.

The fishing on BC’s Central Coast was very good this year. We feel fortunate to have such a productive fishing area and such generous limits of fish available for our guests. Our largest Chinook for 2023 was a whopping 48 pounds and the largest Coho weighed in at 18 pounds. The abundance fish, the great weather and overall experience at the lodge has resulted in fantastic bookings for 2024. Lisa has been doing her best to schedule both new and repeat guests into their favourite fishing times. We certainly appreciate the patience required to juggle everyones travel plans into this seasonal salmon migration.

We have been quite busy this fall. Mother Nature created some interesting weather conditions for towing the lodge this fall and we are now at winter moorage in Campbell River. Preparing for the 2024 season has already begun with the refurbishment of our 11 Ironwood boats. We have been stripping out the interiors for new paint, rewiring and installing new 150hp engines. In 2023 we upgraded the GPS/Fish Finders in half the fleet and will complete all the boats this spring. We are also upgrading the trolling engines to the Mercury Electronic Fuel Injection models.

On top of the regular maintenance each season, our team has also been working away on our new website. This should be up and running in the new year and we will do our best to keep it updated with all of the most recent information.

Many of our seasonal crew have been checking in and all seem to be doing well. After getting in some personal fall fishing, our guides in particular are all looking forward to getting back out on the water and seeing so many of our repeat guests.

In January, we will be welcoming Lorna Landry to our year-round team in Vancouver. Many of our long standing guests would remember Lorna from when Lisa and I worked at West Coast Resorts. Lorna will be working directly with Lisa to communicate with guests and to expedite booking and travel information. Lorna has years of experience with our industry and we are thrilled to have her aboard. She also knows how to fish! Here is a photo of Lorna, Chloe (Now our Lodge Concierge) and I at Cheney Point, Milbanke Sound when Chloe caught her very first Tyee Chinook at age 5.

We are well into booking out our 2024 season. Should you have specific dates you would like to fish or require additional information please contact us anytime.

In the meantime, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

George

August 29th

As we approach September, the good times and great fishing continues at King Pacific.

We have been fishing the entire Milbanke Sound area from Idol Point, out to McGinnes Island and  Cheney Point. Over the past week we have seen a lot of action along the west side of Athlone Island, Cheney 1 & 2.  Very nice Chinook from mid teens to mid 20’s are common and just yesterday we had four Tyee over 30 pounds. Last trip, one of the largest Chinook of the season was taken and weighing in at over 40lbs. Cohos are regularly coming in over 10lbs now with many in the low teens.

All gear types are working well. Green  Spoons, White Hootchie,  Anchovies  and Cut Plug herring are the go to baits. Generally a little deeper from 60-80ft has produced good results.

Bottom fishing has been fantastic as our fleet has had a good chance to get around to all of the favourite spots. Excellent Lingcod and Halibut have been common catches.

The weather and sea conditions have been fantastic. Albeit, a little obscured due to the smoke from forest fires inland British Columbia. Its a constant reminder of the challenges people are facing with these fires and we hope all who are affected are safe. We are expecting some stronger Northwest Winds this coming weekend.

Thanks to all who have visited with us so far this season. We appreciate your continued support and we are very much looking forward to hosting guests until the 10th of September.

Our dates for 2024 are quickly filling in. Should you have specific dates in mind for next year, now is the best time for securing your favourite dates!

Take care,

George

Milbanke August 11th

Fishing continues to be great at Milbanke Sound!

Our fleet is a little wet today with small gusts of SE winds bringing precipitation. Still, the fish are biting and our guests are having a great time.  Several nice big fish over 30lbs have come in over the past few days with the largest being 38lbs. We’ve included a shot of Terry and Jaimie who have been fishing with us for years as a family group. Terry’s largest and first Tyee weighed in at 33lbs!

Coho have really been coming in and the largest to date weighed 13lbs. We expect these fish to continue with higher abundance as we move towards September. My guess is we will see Coho top 20lbs this year as the abundance of feed in the water is incredible.

Our regular spots at Cheney Point, Cheney. 2 and. Cape Swain are the real producers.  Most of our guests are using the green and white spoons, flashers. Pretty much any bait will work right now too and we have plenty of Anchovy and Herring.

Lots of fun happening around the lodge. Many guests have been entertained by Pat Deane (Affectionately known as Chief) with his renditions of Johnny Cash. Another one of our guides, Dave Collins, (AKA Opera) has been belting out his professional Opera vocals to the delight of guests and crew alike.

We are anticipating the fishing to remain strong well into September. For those of you who may still be looking for a fishing trip we have space open August 31-03September and 03-07 September. Our last trip is scheduled for the 07-10 September and this date is now sold out.

Bookings are coming in steady for 2024. Should you be thinking of a trip please contact us anytime!

George

 

Early August at Milbanke Sound

We are having  a great season at King Pacific Lodge!

Fishing continues to be very good and the weather has been unbelievable. Calm seas, sunny skies -mixed with short periods of heavy cloud, fog and rain. Ok, so. not always sunny. And, yes sometimes not always calm. Always fishable.

Most of our fleet fishing for Chinook and Coho have been having very good luck on the north side of Cape Swaine, Cheney Point and Cheney 2. Standard depths have been in the 35-55ft during the tide changes and 75-85ft during the running tide.  We have an excellent supply of both Herring and Anchovy baits however most of our action has been on artificial baits such as hoochies and spoons. Seems anything green/white or Chrome/Copper is working well. Best part is, we are only fishing 5-10 minutes from the lodge.

Bottom fish have been abundant. Excellent catches of Ling Cod seem to be regular along with some very nice Halibut. We venture about 30-40 minutes out for these fish and have been fishing 250-350ft.

We enjoyed watching some youngsters on the dock last trip catching squid! Our fish processing and washing creates un resistible treats fort the squid and they have been coming in thick around the lodge.  Squid have been swimming around the lodge and even Chinook salmon have been seen gorging themselves first thing in the morning.

Guests are reporting a very pleasurable stay at the lodge this year. The evening fire pit has been alive with excellent fishing stories. The meals created for our guests have been well received.

As always we appreciate the continued support of all our guests. We look forward to seeing so many more guests this coming season.

George

 

 

 

 

Mid July at Milbanke

Fishing continues to be excellent! The weather has been great, seas calm and we do not anticipate this changing in the coming days.

Most of our salmon effort has been along the west shore of Athlone Island. The north side of Cape Swain, Cheney 2 and Cape Mark have been the popular spots for both Chinook and Coho salmon.

Green/White spoons run behind a flasher and/ or Anchovy run behind a flasher seem to be the baits of choice for Chinook and Coho. Guests at lunch today, reported their boats playing over a dozen fish. While not all are kept, some very nice fish have been weighed in with Chinooks being in the 15-20lb range typically and Cohos in the 8-10lb range.

Bottom fishing continues to be really good for Ling Cod and for those venturing out, some really nice Halibut have been coming in.

There appears to be an enormous amount of feed within our immediate fishing area.  Needlefish and Herring seem to be abundant as the fish are gorging themselves on these baits.

Of particular mention are some nice big fish we continue to see.  Last trip we had many Chinook over 30lbs with one of the largest estimated at 38lbs released. The largest kept was 42lbs.

“Tyee” is a Chinook over 30lbs. Many “Cry’ees” just under 30lbs have been coming which don’t quite meet the Tyee status. Still. awesome fish!

As usual, our local. wildlife has been providing some entertainment. Yesterday we were visited by a pod of Orca, two Humpback and sound of sea otters cracking shells on the water is common.

We are pleased to have had so many positive comments about the food and accommodations at King Pacific Lodge. After a great day on the water we are very proud of the comfort we have been able to provide. Of particular mention is our new “Copper House” lodge located adjacent to the main lodge featuring private dining and accommodation for groups up to 1o.

We are having a great time and look forward to seeing all of the new and returning guests to King Pacific Lodge!

Tight Lines!

 

George

 

A great start to the season!

Welcome to 2023!  King Pacific Lodge opened at Milbanke Sound in late June and we have been having a great time. We are looking forward to the arrival of all of our regular and new guests!

The salmon have been biting, the weather incredible and our seasonal staff have been fantastic!

Chinook have been biting first thing in the morning and on the tide changes. The very day we opened a beautiful 42 pound Tyee was weighed in. This has been followed by several more in the 30’s and today we had a nice 44 pound Tyee. Generally, Chinook have been running 15-22 pound size range and it seems fish over 30lbs are on the dock several times each trip.  Coho have been showing in good numbers. These are ranging from 8-12 pounds.

We are seeing good environmental signs on the water. Baitfish are very abundant and the salmon coming in are full with mature herring, juvenile herring, needlefish and squid. Their bellies are full and the fish have been in great shape.

Salmon have been biting on our regular baits of Flasher/Anchovy or Flasher/Herring. Our go-to green spoon has been very productive as well. Depths have been ranging from. 35-50ft first thing in the morning and up to 90ft later in the day. Cape Mark, Cheney Point and the north side of Cape Swaine have been popular spots.

Many of the guests are tagging out on salmon right away and choosing to try for other species. Good luck has been found with Lingcod and Halibut. Lingcod particularly have been in excellent numbers.

We are all having a great time this year and are already booking for 2024. As usual, June fishing has been excellent and those dates for 2024 are already filling in.

Contact us anytime!

 

George

 

 

 

Bring on 2023: Looking Forward to Excellent Fishing

 

We hope this post finds you in good spirit, good health and as optimistic about 2023 as we are!

2022 was a fantastic season for us at King Pacific Lodge. Our guests enjoyed excellent fishing and the weather really could not have been better!

As we look forward to next season, we often reflect on how challenging it must have been for so many during the past few years. We feel fortunate to have operated after two years of our Covid related closure.

Our new “Copper Lodge” proved to be a huge success and many guests are requesting this new accommodation unit for their future trips. Building this facility was a challenge and it has certainly paid off.

On top of our regular maintenance we are building several new boats to add to the fleet. We want to have the safest, most comfortable boats on the water and our commitment is to keep improving.

So many guests, staff and suppliers supported us and to all – Thank you.

Should you be thinking of a personal or corporate trip for 2023, we would love to have you fishing with us! Please reach out anytime as space for 2023 is soon to be in short supply.

From all of us at King Pacific Lodge – we wish you the very best for the Holidays!

George & Lisa Cuthbert

 

 

 

2022 Wrap Up: Fantastic Fishing, Great Guests, and a Caring Crew

That’s a wrap for 2022!

Thank you to all of the fabulous guests, crew and service providers who made our 2022 season a success!

We are currently onsite at St.Johns Harbour awaiting to tow the main lodge south for the winter. The boats are all ready to go into our winter refit and we are already servicing our fishing tackle, rain gear and equipment for next season.

Fishing continued to be great well into September and we continue to enjoy great weather and calm seas. September provided exceptional Coho fishing and there were quite a few nice Chinook around as well. Hot spots were Cheney Point, Cape Swaine and Ivory island. As we entered the last part of August we started to see a lot more herring bait balls in the ocean. At the cleaning table we also noticed a lot more herring. Still, popular baits were Hoochies, Anchovy and Spoons.

Wildlife including Humpback and Killer whales, Sea Otter and seals are still a common sight.

As we reflect on such a fun season, so many guests and crew tell us they are already looking forward to next year. We will be continuing to make King Pacific the best salmon lodge on the coast!

Should you be thinking of a trip for next year be sure to stay in touch. We would love to see everyone again in 2023!

George Cuthbert

 

 

 

Aug. 23 Recap: Whopping, 38-lb Tyees and the largest Coho Yet

The bite is certainly on at King Pacific Lodge!

This past week has produced some truly exceptional fishing. The weather has been beautiful with flat calm seas. We have been accessing all of our favourite fishing areas and having tremendous success.

Chinook and Coho salmon have been abundant very close to the lodge and within Louisa Cove, Cheney Point, Cape Swain and Cape Mark. For those who like a little adventure we have also been running out to McGinnes Island. Halibut and Ling Cod have been coming in steady.

Anchovy & Flasher and almost any type of spoon has been working the best. Generally,  the fish are between 40 and 80ft depth.

Highlights of this past week include several nice Tyee over 30 pounds. Just this morning a nice 38lb came to the dock along with the largest Coho of the season at 15 pounds. As we enter September I expect the Coho to be averaging about 13 pounds and some should be as high as 20. There is already an amazing abundance of Coho and this should be one of ourbest seasons for these beautiful fish. 

As one would expect for this area, Humpback whales, Sea Otters, Seals and some Sea lions are an added pleasure to experience on the water.

All is good at King Pacific Lodge! The food, camaraderie, and overall experience here at Milbanke Sound makes this for great memories. Should you still like to fit in a trip this summer we are still booking into early September. And, should you already be thinking of next year we would love to book you into your preferred time period.

Tight lines

 

George

Mid-August Recap: Catching Chinkooks, Cohos, and Waves

Hello Anglers

Fishing continues to be really great at King Pacific Lodge.

Popular spots over the past couple of weeks have been Cape Mark, Cheney Point, Cape Swain and Ivory Island. The majority of Chinook salmon have been taken on Flasher Anchovy and seemingly any type of shiny spoon in the 4-5inch range. We continue to see an abundance of needlefish bait and so the Anchovy and spoons have been working well. Depths have come up a little and most are fishing the 40-50ft range.

Coho salmon are increasing in abundance and size this time of year. We are already seeing 15 pound Coho and Ivory Island and Cheney point have been the hot spots.

We have seen an abundance of interesting wildlife this week including Humpback Whales, Killer Whales, Sea Otters and even a Grizzly Bear on the shoreline.

This is a great time to say Thank You to all of the guests who have visited us this season! So many of you hung in there with us and supported our business through the two years we were closed due to Covid. We very much appreciate being able to operate in this beautiful part of the world and to provide these experiences to you.

If you are still thinking of a trip this year we would love to see you! Early September can be an incredible time of year to try fishing Milbanke Sound. And, if this year is not possible please contact us soon for 2023 availability.

Tight lines

 

George Cuthbert