Halibut fishing charters in Port Renfrew offer all the excitement an angler could want. Catches of up to 100 pounds can happen (although we have to be careful of legal limits), and our clients have taken many trophy photos with fishermen holding fish almost as big as themselves. Halibut loiter on the sea floor so you need to go out deep to catch them.
Halibut fishing charters Port Renfrew
Halibut Fishing Charters in Port Renfrew
On Vancouver Island, halibut fishing charters are typically closed down in January. That’s when the big fish go out to spawn before coming back to the coast. After the females lay their eggs out on the continental shelf, they come back closer in to feed and rest. These first few months of the year are when you’ll find the biggest fish closer to Port Renfrew.
Hindsight’s halibut fishing charters in Port Renfrew usually start up again in March, when these monster fish are still plentiful around Vancouver Island. The weather can be a big factor to determine if the boat can go out each day this early in the season. Early in the season, around April or May, you’ll find halibut closer to shore.
By the time the weather warms up in late May and early June the halibut start migrating. A huge biomass of halibut swarm these waters, and the halibut fishing is incredible! We’ve had days where our entire boat of anglers caught their limit of halibut without even trying, just by using plugs or spoons to troll for salmon. We’ve found these fish over 100 feet down in 200 feet of water. We even had one lucky angler pull in an 70-pound monster from 60 feet deep.
Halibut Fishing Through the Season
Most of the specimens you see off Swiftsure bank average around 20 pounds, with absolutely fantastic flavor. There’s nothing like eating your own freshly caught fish of any type, but these halibut are the sweetest and cleanest taste you can find.
If you’re looking for a monster trophy, we offer halibut fishing charters around Port Renfrew. Quinn knows a few spots where you can still find the big ones. You can count on this being an all-day event, as these bigger fish are wily and tougher to catch. Allowable sizes change every year, but the last few years they have maxed out at around 70 pounds, which is the biggest fish most anglers catch in a lifetime and offers plenty of fish and chip meals!
Although the 100 to 200 pound monsters are out there, you can expect a battle to bring one of them in. The big ones are female breeders and you can’t keep them. You will just get to take a photo for your memories before gently releasing the fish back to the bottom, where she will get to stay in the ocean making more halibut to catch next year and in future.
Quinn usually knows when the halibut fishing is good around Vancouver Island, though, and he can tell early on whether it’s going to be a successful day or not. It’s rare for anyone to spend a day with nothing to show for it.
Fishing with Hindsight in Port Renfrew
Halibut fishing with Hindsight Fishing Charters is an all-inclusive way for up to four anglers to have the trip of a lifetime. It’s important that you get your Canada Saltwater Fishing License before you arrive at Port Renfrew. Once you’re here, forget about all your worries and just have a great time catching your limit of trophies. We supply all the gear and bait needed to pull in your catch, and it will be cleaned and bagged for you, ready to fill your freezer at home. We highly recommend ‘cryovac’ for freezing your fish before you leave.
We offer day trips in the summer, and for the ultimate fishing experience try one of our halibut fishing packages that include a stay at our Fishermen’s Guesthouse. The accommodation has three bedrooms, sleeps a total of eight guests, and we supply everything you need – from bedding and towels to gear for cooking that freshly caught fish.
Quinn MacDonald and the Hindsight are your ticket to the best halibut fishing charters in Port Renfrew on the Swiftsure banks and beyond.
