Got back from a week long trip to Nootka Sound at 2:30 Monday morning so didn't have enough energy to post a report yesterday. A pretty good trip despite the obstacles. The first day fishing my sounder just quit working so had to go without for the entire trip. Also, after a few days of not catching fish we came to the conclusion my boat was running hot and basically scaring the fish away (I just ordered the Cabela's black box). After compensating for these problems we starting catching.

The most popular technique in Nootka is trolling an anchovie in a green/chartruese hood behind a green/chartruese flasher. Every half hour or so we would change out the color of the hood or check our offering. Other lures work as well, but 90% if the people are using this technique. The hardest part of fishing Nootka is picking your spot and timing your trip for when a fresh group of fish are in the Sound. Our time coincided with a lull in the fishing, but fishing was hot the week before our arrival and picking up when we left. Even though it was slow, Nootka slow is nothing like Elliot Bay slow and the accomplished fisherman almost always brought fish back. There are also about 10 different locations to fish within a 10 mile area. Some days it would be the Light House, the next Strange Island. As with anything, experience counts and the guys who fish Nootka a lot did well. The good news for newbies like me is that other people went out of their way to help me out, point me in the right direction and try to get me into fish. One guy we met took me out on his boat a couple of times and another sat down with me to go through the techniquest that work in the area. On the whole, the people we met were first rate and made the trip worthwhile with or without fish.

A couple of other things worth mentioning.....we did this trip as a do it yourself venture and saved a lot of money compared to something like Critter Cove. We towed my boat from Seattle, launched in Gold River (leaving trailer) and drove the truck in to Tuta Marina. Travel time was 10 hours including border crossing, 2.5 hour ferry crossing and the run from Gold River to Tuta. The fish in Nootka are big. Most are in the 20 to 30 lb range and there were several over 40 caught while we were in camp. Bottom fishing inside and outside the Sound is amazing. We never went outside for bottom fish because we could grab 3 limits in an hour minutes from our camp. The regulars called the fish we caught babies compared to those in the open ocean, but compared to the Puget Sound they were monsters. Finally, shrimping is marginal (nothing compared to Hood Canal), although it was fairly easy work dropping the pots at the beginning of the week and checking them once a day all week long.
JMS

Thanks for the report. Sounds very doable. Where did you stay?

JG,
We stayed at Tuta Marina & Campground. The individual campsites are nice (no hookups). The dock is getting a little rough, but thats the only complaint I have (still plenty functional). The other camping option I know of is Cougar Creek, but after seeing both would choose Tuta. Cougar Creek has a nice campground, but when it gets busy its crowded and people have to raft their boats together along the dock. Tuta has moorage, campsites, hot showers, pit toilets, freezers for fish, bait, gas and ice. I think it cost me $31 a night Canadian for moorage and the site which comes out to a bit more than $20 US.
JMS

Thanks so much for the quick answer------- was moorage on bouys or tied to the dock?

Dock

I agree that Nootka is great! I fished it 2 years ago and I did very well. I met a friend who was already up there, and he was a novice salmon fisherman. I parked at Cougar Creek, not Tuta (?) and we stayed at Critter Cove. Actually I stayed on my buddies boat (I was on a TIGHT budget) and he stayed in the rental room with his fishing partner. I wasn't impressed with Critter Cove, for the money, it was pretty pricey! In 9 days of fishing my buddies caught 2 kings, and in 2 days I caught four, so experience does help, but the scenery is beautiful and the locals are very helpful. I also caught my fish using the same set-up LittleFish used. Hope this helps.