After weeks of getting the boat and gear ready we departed Shoreline on Sunday morning. LiLi towed nicely except in places where the freeway lanes were "rutted" from tire studs that caused a little swerving unless I kept the speed down to 60 or less and everything was OK. With 50 lbs pressure in the trailer tires the V6 4Runner pulls it nicely at reasonable (60 ish) speeds, even full of fuel, ice and gear.
What was to be a brief stop in the Tulalip Cabela's ended up in the ladies' section looking for just the right color resulting in a little stress while heading to the border when we saw the Peace Arch wait time was 90 minutes to cross! We hadn't anticipated such a long wait so we chose the Douglas crossing which was just about 60 minutes wait time. The pressure was caused by our ferry reservation which required us to pull into the terminal no more than 60 minutes and no less than 30 minutes prior to sailing. It worked fine, however and we had an uneventful ferry ride to Nanaimo which for a 45 foot rig costs about $250 one way. When we booked our return trip reservation most prime time sailings were already booked so we had to settle for an 8:15 pm which would get us back home quite late. Book your reservations as soon as you can!
From Nanaimo we traveled North up the East side of Vancouver Island which is about 300 miles long and 50 miles wide. It was a surprisingly hot day at 92 F but the travel was uneventful. We arrived in Campbell River and enjoyed the fine hospitality of Gooddays Greg and his son Nick. We were treated to a dinner of oysters, spot prawns and salmon, YUM! A little fishing intel was also very much appreciated.
Monday morning we were refreshed and headed across the mountains through Strathcona park and took in the tremendous snow capped peaks and lake views. The road is pretty curvy so slower trailering speeds are called for. A couple of hours after leaving Campbell River we arrived at Gold River and found the boat launch. The local tribe operates the launch and provides a secure parking area for vehicles and trailers- our six night stay cost $60.00. The ramp itself is marginal at best since the floats are in disrepair and one side is too shallow for many boats. Users prefer the side closest to the road and line up for it, whereas the other is often unused. At low tides (2 feet or less) the ramp is dry and unusable. Once launched and the vehicle was secured we motored the hundred or so yards out the river into Muchalat Inlet to begin the 20 mile cruise to our destination- Critter Cove in Nootka Sound. Incidentally, there is a flying service Nootka Air close by the dock if you'd prefer to fly. Once mid day arrives the wind begins to pick up and creates some significant head on waves which slow progress and can make for a serious boat wetting! The 21 hardtop cruised beautifully through the chop, however keeping us comfy and dry.
Critter Cover http://www.crittercove.com/ is a fishing resort that features cabins on floating docks- pretty cool to have your boat tied up in front of your cabin! They are only open two months a year, however. There are a few other lodges in the area including Moutcha Bay and Nootka Sound Lodge as well as Cougar Creek campground which boasts a boat launch and dock you can reach by car in another hour or so from Gold River.
While salmon fishing had been red hot the week prior to our arrival it cooled down significantly our first two days there. We turned our attention to bottom fish and pulled out some very nice lings as well as an assortment of rockfish. Jigging is a hoot when you'e in a fishy area such as Nootka!
We got into our first salmon just inside the ocean near Friendly Cove http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootka_Crisis#mediaviewer/File:Vancouver-friendly-cove.jpg
Trolling a flasher and anchovy we quickly put three large springs in the boat. That area limits each fisher to retain only one fish over 77cm (about 30 inches- 16-17 lbs.). Because two of our first three fish were over 77, we were catching whopper fish only to release them because we were looking for a smaller one. Failing that, we headed home for dinner. Later that evening, we made a quick trip to Strange Island and within a minute or two were playing a perfectly sized keeper and were back at the cabin about half an hour from when we left. One of the highlights this trip was Lisa learning to run the net. After just a quick lesson she nailed the net job every time, even with huge, thrashing fish. Her only weakness is the fish were so heavy she needed a little help lifting the full net over the gunwale into the boat! Now I call her the Net Queen!
The ocean was very rough during our week though we did venture out twice briefly but it was much more comfortable inside, plus in the ocean you may only retain salmon under 77cm. We caught all our fish inside the sound.
At home on the dock we got to meet several Arima owners- Lorne (Blind Monkey), Ron (Fox Sea) and Gray who has a nice 17 skip who is not yet on our forum but is familiar with our group. Ron and his wife had moorage only so were staying on their 19 hardtop with Alaskan bulkhead- very inspiring! We also ran into Gooddays Greg and son Nick who made the trip a couple of days after us and spent the night at Cougar Creek.
One of the great things about Nootka is like it or not- you are unplugged. There is no cell service, no TV and no wireless. It was a great break for us to let go of our electronica and just be where we were in the moment. We evolved into a routine of waking at 4:30 am, fishing hard through lunch then returning home to process fish and take a nap, then have dinner and head out again for the evening bite.
LiLi the boat performed amazingly well, and with the new Garmin 741XS networked to the motor I was able to track fuel usage. With the 4 blade 15" SS Solas, we could cruise at 20+ mph achieving 3.5 mpg at a rate of 5.7 gph, certainly more thirsty than the 19 Ranger with the 115! I gulped during a speed run at WOT when I saw the fuel usage was 16.7 gallons per hour at 38 mph, especially when doing the mental math and realizing that fuel on the West coast of Canada is around $6.00/gallon so the sprint was costing about $100/hour. We kept her at a pace and trim to operate at 6 gph or less the rest of the time.
The radar worked nicely and along with the chart plotter helped us weave through the islands to the fishing spots a couple of days when the weather socked in.
We ran into Gray again (we met last year at Critter) and learned he was having main motor trouble so was completely dependent on his kicker. Since he was heading out on Sunday as we were, we offered to tow him the 20 miles back to Gold River from Critter. The water was calm and we both wanted to make the trip in less than 4-5 hours so we discussed a plan to pull his boat at planing speed. The gutsy 150 was able to lift both boats onto a plane and we cruised at 10.5 mph for 2 hours back to Gold River while consuming 8.3 gph at a rate of 1.3 mpg. We were able to get the boats loaded onto the trailers and spotted a pretty Arima who's owner is Pescadore on our site! I took a pic of the three boats but Pescadore is in the distance and a little hard to see.
The trip home was very pleasant- we were packing two possession limits (8 springs) and a few large lings, and we had the glow of a very enjoyable, relaxing trip to share. All was uneventful except one minor scrape with the law... but we were soon on our way.
The 8:15 pm ferry out of Nanaimo got us to the mainland and fortunately the border was a breeze at almost midnight, but by 2 am we were happy to arrive home and dragging into bed at 3:00 was a blessing to end a great trip!
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Great report Mark. Glad you enjoyed yourself and were able to get out of those cuffs! Looks like you had a beautiful ocean in those pictures, gotta love Nootka! So apart from the extra fuel burn are you 100% satisfied with the upgrade from Lili 1? The 21 sure is a beauty.
I heard that officer can be influenced by TUNA. :biggrin:
Nicely written report. :applause: No Critter Cove pics, eagles whales, ???
We're hoping to get up there next year and will carry some tuna just in case :wink:
Rob, Lisa is thrilled with the 21 so I'm happy, despite the fuel and wind yaw. Forgot the pic of one of her favorite features- the table on which we had a snack of lox and bagels ready to enjoy.
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Greg, It's funny but when we had no wireless and no cell signal we kind of forgot about our phones so really missed a lot of pics! Most of the ones we took are posted here. Click on the link for Critter, though.
Oh yeah that looks great!! No Brut flutes? :wink:
Here's a couple pictures of the Critter Cove facilities for those who have not been there.
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That fish cop looks mean !! :whistle: I hope I don't run into him ! :hoboy:
GoodDays Greg
Mean? I'd say down right nasty!!! :jester:
Greg, thanks for adding the pics, big omission on our part. We weren't in the ocean long enough to try for hali's, and believe it or not eight days goes so much faster than you can ever imagine when you're having a good time!
I forgot to mention that we weren't totally unplugged... we brought along our Bose that can run on it's battery or plug in and it accepts iphones so we spent lots of time with our favorite tunes and over the course of 8 days we got way deep into our libraries. It was really sweet!
Great Report and a Great time..Nice Fish..
good On Ya Mark.. :applause:
about the Fish FUZZ.. Don't Worry...
:biggrin: He's harmless..
for your latest adventure..
(http://www.arimaowners.com/gallery/5/52-220714195753.jpeg)
Don't want to step on your story- but I bet you recognize some of these areas. I'm having fun just remembering... :biggrin:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v367/Kodak45/Boats/P1060336.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v367/Kodak45/Boats/P1060277.jpg)
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All was cool as I read the report, however, when I got to Mark's last pictgure, I was unsure of which of the two in the picture was the more nefarious... Still wondering.
BC must run on the theory that it takes one to catch one :shrug9:
Pretty sure a good time was had by all. Maybe I will have the opportunity in the near future to join in on that trip.
StreamFixer
WOW :bigshock:
It looks like you two had a great time. I'm glad to see you are making new memories on the boat and hope they continue. :applause:
I leave a week from Sat for this exact trip. Have a 21 SR HT also. Thanks for sharing this gave me a great idea of what to expect as i am a Nootka virgin.
Great report Mark :applause: Now we'll have to get together for some Bibimbap and Hite so I can get the real low down.
I never use the Peace Arch crossing when I am towing. I use the Pacific Highway crossing also known as the Truck Crossing (SR-543). The wait times are usually shorter and the US side coming back is much easier to navigate with a trailer in tow.
Alan
Comp, the LiLi glow is all your doing! Thanks so much.
Nord101, good luck on your trip, hope you have ferry reservations! Do pay the tribe for the "secure" parking! The Nootka regs are a bit complicated and vary depending on where you are. Get the measuring stickers on your boat, have a good copy of the boundaries and what is legal/not legal in each area. The fisheries police are very present as are the Coast Guard so make sure your safety equipment is up to standards.
Be sure to hang out on the docks and find out what others are doing. Also, the Critter crew members know an awful lot about where/what is working and tipping is always a good way to make new friends!
You'll probably meet some ArimaOwners.com guys there!
Mark
Alan,
I went to Hae Nam Calamari and BBQ House today and it was stunning! No Hite though as I still had a lot of fish to run the sharp knife through.
Agree about the Pacific Highway crossing but now it's called Douglas and it is 543- the new road is great and the reader boards on I-5 are very accurate so follow their wait times to choose your crossing.
We came back via Peace Arch near midnight and it was just passport?, got anything? No, and goodbye!
Nice! Critter Cove looks perfect - along with everything else...
Where do you catch the ferry to go to Nanaimo? I used to travel to Victoria and Nanaimo frequently in the 90,s with a motorhome and boat from Taswassen and it seemed we just got in line when we got there with no problem. Maybe things have changed? thanks John
It's still Tsawwassen, you can get to Victoria or Nanaimo from there. Also the anacortes ferry goes to Victoria as does the black ball out of port Angeles.
Corky it is still much the same. But with a reservation you know you will get on the ferry without having to worry about having to wait for the next one. Highly recommended with heavier longer rigs like motor homes, pickup and campers pulling boats during peak times of the year. :twocents:
H-T
Sweet. Great pix of the Lady holding her hog! Good for you guys, living the dream. Congratulations. :smile1:
It was great meeting Mark. Also saw the 21 with the wood pilothouse windows there and saw Good Days Greg's boat out by Camel Rock. I am back there next week for round two :party:
Mark, great report! You are making me think it's time to try to visit that wonderful place.
Bruce
Bruce it is magnificent! You can stay in a cabin or in a campground and fish your butt off! The cool thing is you can do really short runs in the boat (like 5 minutes and be into big fish, or a run out to the ocean is half an hour plus however far you want to go after reaching the open water. Soon you can start picking up coho after you've got your limit of springs.
Lorne, say hi to Ron (Fox Sea). He's going back up, too.
Bruce, and other optimistic Nootka dreamers:
Lets plan on taking a Flotilla up there next July. This week was recommended as the hot bite time- some times it is..... :shrug9:
But wouldn't it be fun to have the corner table in the restaurant filled with AO members eating fresh cinnamon rolls and comparing fishing stories? :arms:
One morning at Camel Rock there were 5 Arimas !! Sounds like we definitely have the beginnings of a solid flotilla !!!
Next time slide by and say hello !! I always wave at Arimas and would be more than happy to share tips and just BS. !!
GoodDays Greg
I would love to be part of the flotilla for next year. Wonder what a reasonable budget would be a for trip for two? Please post or pm me with some of your figures for past trips.
The Critter cabins run about $175/night including tax and easily hold two people, so three nights is about $500 or $250/per person.
Bring your own camp stove and food and $0 travel expense there.
Fill your fuel tanks at Costco in the USA and you can fish close by and never put Canadian fuel in the boat.
We get about 12 mpg towing so have to buy fuel for the truck in Canada- that was $135 Canadian for a 20 gallon fill up.
We brought 3 ice chests- one with our cold food and two big ones that were packed with blocks and bags of USA ice. The big ones' ice lasted the 8 days.
I've heard that Cougar Creek is $10/night plus a launch fee and possibly moorage.
If you're serious, you need to make reservations for next year very soon! It may be possible to get a spot at Critter Cover this year if there is a cancellation...
Thanks Mark, so approx $250 per nite. Plus Food, ice, gas, secured parking for the rig and fishing license. Curious about the ferry cost's involved?.
The other thing would be camping if one wanted to take a camper and boat? Where would you do that and how far are you going to be from the fishing grounds?
Thanks.
I'd previously mentioned the $10/day launch/security fee and for our 4Runner + 21' Sea Ranger (45 feet) the ferry was $250 each way.
The camper could go to Cougar Creek (perhaps someone can confirm this) or, I understand that Moutchka Bay resort has a campground that is very nice but I haven't seen it. Brook (Grizzle) has stayed there for an extended time so he knows it very well. It's not as centrally located as Critter but I think it's probably a 10 minute boat ride from there.
The license is so cheap- $31 for 5 days!
Cougar creek campground. It a provincial site managed by Nootka watershed society. 12 bucks a night includes moorage. Can get really crowded at peak times.
Moutcha bay resort - camping is more expensive but has full services
There are other sites and resorts in Nootka sound
Google away
Good Days greg
Thanks for such a trip report, Mark. I appreciate the details. It looks like a great trip. I haven't been to Nootka in about 10 years, but I hope to soon. Such a beautiful location. Can't wait to be there again!
Looks like you had a great trip on our west coast Mark. You got some nice springs in your photos how big was the biggest ?
Magnificent trip, and we're still tired from it!
We didn't catch any monsters by your standards, but 18-25 covers the ones we caught. Compared to our normal fare in Puget Sound, they were all mountable! Plus, they absolutely filled up our freezers!
You have to get after the lings up there. Such a healthy population and when the salmon slow down it is a really fun jigging scene. You just never know what you will be pulling up next! My wife's favorite fishing is for lings!
I need to meet someone with a larger boat to get to the outside to fish the bottom lings etc :wink:
Not really!
Head toward the ocean from Critter and on the left there's the Villaverde group of islands. Around there are some underwater islands- position your boat on top of one and let the current pull you down the side and jig as you travel across it. You'll catch everything!
Cool thanks for info! I fished the lighthouse a few times so must have gone by that area .
Blind Monkey, you don't need a larger boat !! Any Arima is capable if fishing out there ! Grizzle has a 16. Look up some of his posts
GoodDays Greg
Thanks Greg, we were all over the inside however did not venture outside, maybe next week :smile1: Hope to see some of you folks out there.
Mark, Good to meet you and your wife at Critter Cove dock. We did well also the week we met you, the next weekend we went back for 3 days and had a hard time, storm came through and fish quit biting.
Nootka is a great place to relax, fish and visit with new friends you meet. It would be nice to do a group gathering on Nootka but not sure where you would have it as it is usually pretty busy.
And yes, we do stay on our boat for 7 nights moorage at Critter Cove. 19 ft SR Hardtop Alaskan Bulkhead. We have a removable camper back in case the weather gets bad, that gives us another room if needed.
Tom and Sherry
Foxsea
Thanks for the note, Tom and hope to see more of you here. It really is impressive that you and wife can share the quarters of an Arima hardtop for 7 nights- you must be very much in love!!!
And have your systems worked out. I'd be curious how you managed food and all the gear you would require for cooking and sleeping and how you handled all of it.
I'm sure others would be interested as well, would you mind posting how you lived dockside in a 19 hardtop for over a week??? You can either start a new topic or just tag it onto this one....
Mark
Did you fab that roller on your bait table? How and how's it work? Looks like a paint roller. Thx
Actually it looks a LOT like a paint roller because it is!
It works great but looks funky. Gray (the fellow I towed in Canada) has his table lifted up at least 6 additional inches so he was able to mount a skate roller under the table and the height allows it to ride up onto the cowling.
Funny, though, the paint roller actually works as good as it looks bad! If I know how to load a video I'd post it here.
I was up there at critter during the same time as you but with 3 day trip and coming from Spokane was little gassed and did not socialize much. Next year I will make sure to go over to the Arima side of the Marina. I have the 21sr with the custom wood hard top Great post and pictures
Just hang out here and you'll know the other Arima owners' names by next year!
I am going back sept 5 through 9 th hope to be able to send some pictures. Will be staying at Mootcha Bay only place that is still open in that area. Silvers should be still going strong hopefully some springs will to.
You are quite the traveler! I thought those were long days just from north Seattle. You must have left your boat up there?
My son will get 2weeks off from North Dakota he will help drive. It is 612 miles to gold river on the odometer from my house, add in the ferry ride and border it's like 17 to 19 hour trip. It's worth for 5 days of fishing 3 days you never get caught up with sleep and you are like a zombie. I do need to learn to fish Washington waters but only have so much time off a year and want to go where you know there fish and it guaranteed to be open every year.
What dedication! Nootka is the place to go. Good luck with the fishies.
T-minus 12hrs tell its time to start the journey to Critter Cove, buddy just got back yesterday and said the big fish have arrived in ungodly numbers. 3 of 4 on Thur were over 25# he was done by 10am. Will share report when i get back next weekend.
We use a place near Bligh Island that usually caters to Kayakers but fits us in on the 3rd week in July. We send a down payment by January. It has a kitchen, several bedrooms, fireplace and moorage for 6 boats. Critter is about 15 min. away.
It is rather rustic but inexpensive.
I'm not sure what his 2015 looks like but I can ask if there's interest.