Sandspit Adventures – British Columbia

For all experience levels and all ages, this is a great trip for the whole family, as well as large groups, offsite events, company retreats, etc. The guides are extremely well-known in the area, are some of the best in the region, and will customize your experience to make sure you have the trip of a lifetime!

You’ll enter the dry room each morning, after your chef prepared breakfast, get geared up, and head down to one of the 6 boats to start your adventure; Each boat fits 4 people, is equipped with high-quality downriggers, and all boats and equipment were recently upgraded amidst Covid-19. You’ll leave the dock and head west through Skidegate Inlet to Cartwright Sound (a 40 min. boat ride), where you’ll Salmon fish in the morning and switch over to jigging for Halibut and Ling Cod in the afternoon. The fishing is fast and of excellent quality. Be prepared for long, full, fun days of amazing bottom fishing for aggressive fighting Halibut, monstrous Chinook and Coho Salmon, easy-fighting but lengthy Ling Cod, Rockfish, and the occasional shark (don’t worry, your guide will handle the sharks). 

This is a trolling trip, utilizing downriggers with speeds around 2-3 miles per hour, but instead of the conventional setup, you’ll use Mooching rods and reels; Mooching reels are basically gigantic, ocean-worthy fly rods (10-12) and the mooching rods are 10 ft. 6 in. This is a unique opportunity to get the experience of fly fishing, conventional fishing, and the art of trolling all in one. 

All the fishing gear and tackle are included, so you just need to bring your sense of adventure (and some snacks if you get extra hungry). 

The fishing season is short this far North, but it’s nothing short of incredible! June through August is the typical season; The fish are slightly smaller in the beginning of the summer, but there’s more to catch. In August, at the tail end of the season, the fish are the largest, but there’s fewer bites. No matter what month you visit, 20 silvers and 20 kings a day is the average you can expect to hook. 

If you’re looking for an extra active and aggressive fishing experience, plan to come to Queen Charlotte around a full moon. This brings larger tides in, and with the flood tides come a plethora of bait fish, with large fish following closely behind. 

You’ll be on the water all day (6-12 hours depending on how good the fishing is and what you can handle) and when you keep fish, the guides will clean and preserve the meat as fast as possible and put it on ice immediately. Once you’re done fishing and you get back to the dock, you can relax! The guides will take your daily catches up to the lodge, where they’ll take special detail in preserving your fish, properly processing, filleting, vacuum packing, flash freezing, and boxing up for your flight home. Extreme attention to detail is taken and every package is labeled, dated, and species are noted; rest assured, you will go home with 50-60 lbs. of your hard-earned catches! While they do that, you can explore the property for edible native Salmonberries, go take a shower, go to the bar, nap, etc. Dinner will be ready for you at 7 pm each evening.

You’ll do this again, amidst the gorgeous scenery, for 3 days total.

Chinook (King) Salmon

King salmon, or Chinook, are the largest species of salmon. They’re blue-green in color on the back, with black spots on the upper half of the body and the majority of their tails, and are dubbed as being one of the hardest fighting fish you’ll ever experience in the Pacific Northwest. Featuring rich, fatty, dense meat, with a full fish flavor and a hint of sweetness, you’ll be able to relive your trip and impress friends and family for months after, each time you get to cook the King. 

Fun fact: In 2023, the lodge had their personal Chinook record beat when they caught a 62 lb. King Salmon! Listen to our podcast with Chad Whiteside, Owner at Sandspit Adventures, to hear the full story.

Coho (Silver) Salmon

Cohos are a favorite among fishermen; They’re spectacular fighters and incredibly acrobatic. They have dark metallic blue backs and silver sides and bellies. They’re mild in flavor, firm, dark, reddish-orange in color, and a must-have on the smoker or bbq. 

Ling Cod

Ling Cod are highly predatory fish with an enormous appetite. They’re typically found on the rocky bottom, have a large mouth with very sharp teeth, can grow up to 60 lbs., and are brown mottled in color. Lean, firm, with a mild flavor and white, flaky meat, cod is a favorite table fare.

Halibut

Halibut are known for their hard fight. They’re flat fish that live deep on the bottom of the most gravely areas. They’re extremely lean, mild, sweet in flavor, have a dense, firm, white, flaky meat, and are one of the most tasty fish to bring home. They can grow well over 200 lbs. and over 7 ft. long.