Epic Adventures in the Pacific Northwest!
Kayak Fishing off the Coast of Vancouver Island, BC
Eagles, otters, bears, and some of the best fishing in the world! Five species of salmon, rockfish, ling cod, halibut, and so many other species of fish that are considered delicacies for the people of the vast Pacific Northwest.
Earlier this year I was asked to take part in a fishing trip to Sea Otter Lodge located about two thirds the way up on the pacific side of Vancouver. Keith Stevenson (Yakfishaholic) of Kayak Angler Magazine put together this trip inviting several brands and social influencers for a week’s stay to not only fish from a kayak but also collaborate and share ideas in their respective areas.
Day 1
When there is a chance to experience an epic adventure like this it was very easy to go all in! We all booked our individual flights, and met up in Comax, a city on the south end of Vancouver island on Sunday and Monday with a few of our crew getting held up in airports because of delays and arriving on Tuesday. The first group piled into a sprinter van and took the four hour drive of which more than half was on gravel with very scenic and mountainous terrain along the way. We then loaded kayaks and gear on a couple of taxi boats for another half hour journey to the Sea Otter Lodge which is nestled in a small bay surrounded by several small islands.
In all we had marketing reps from Bixpy Motors, YakAttack, Kayak Bass Fishing, Kayakjak Outdoors, Vibe Kayaks, Hookup Baits, Kayak Angler Magazine and podcasters and social influencers from Kayak Fishing Obsessed, Aggressively Average Anglers.
We met our hosts, Skip and Susan, and their helpers who were very welcoming. It was a beautiful sight with the crystal clear water, trees, and rocky shorelines. We unloaded our gear and soon after enjoyed a delicious meal of seafood chowder, fresh baked rolls, clams, seared ling cod over pilaf rice, vegetables, and rhubarb crisp with ice cream for dessert. Scott, our chef and his crew certainly filled us up!
We then prepared our fishing equipment and geared up the kayaks for the next morning’s adventure on the water. It was good to get some good rest after a long trip to get here.
Day 2
After a light breakfast and some warm coffee four of us set out for some deeper water to find rockfish and halibut. There was a brisk wind out of south west with rain most of the morning. We were in about a 100 feet of water and the navigation was difficult with the rolling swells and wind. There were only a couple of fish caught but we found out some things that would help us in the days ahead. After a few hours we headed in to warm back up and meet the second group coming in after a sack lunch that had some of the best bread I’ve ever tasted in sandwich. We spent the afternoon working on more of the kayaks and getting them ready. A light rain and wind continued. We hung out at the lodge and few more guys headed out for some evening fishing. We ate another incredible supper of prime rib, mashed potatoes with moose gravy, vegetables, shrimp, and chocolate otter cake for dessert.
The group that fished gave some encouraging reports of catching some of the smaller rockfish in a bay nearby. With both fireplaces going the lodge became plenty warm along with some great conversations about kayak fishing and the products we use.
We are looking forward to more fishing on day 3.