Testimonials

Here's what some of our satisfied customers have said about us:

Great trip out of Kitimat on a charter with James McGillivary up the Douglas channel. James was an awesome guide, who was excited as we were when we landed fish, and was just as disappointed when we lost one. Halibut fishing was hot, starting with a double header. Lines tangled while bringing them in, loosing one before coming to surface. The one we got  to the boat was oversized and had to be released. The next hit was a 105cm Halibut that we successfully landed and were able to keep. After landing the fish, and a few photos as I went to lean over the side of the boat to wash my hands the rod beside me folded over.  We brought the Halibut to surface, and it looked to be  the same size as the 105cm we just caught. As we were preparing to gaff the fish, it ran peeling off line catching the ladder at the back of the boat and broke off. We caught two rock fish, and were able to keep 21 Dungeness crabs out of the traps we set. Any one looking to book a fishing trip out of Kitimat contact James.

- Kevin Noble

 

June 2023 trip of a lifetime with James McGillivary 

Passion. Perseverance. Profession. These are just three words that describe James. This guy is the real deal.  A fisherman through and through (I think he has scales). This guy knows fish. And boy does he have the Kitimat area dialed in.

My brother and law and I spent 4 days fishing with James. We hit the water June 28. Each day was a truly life changing fishing experience. Our first day witnessed over a dozen chinook, two beautiful halibut, a trap of crab, rockfish, a coho and a pink salmon. Day 2 we decided to slow our roll a bit and get out of the wind. We got to catch up, see the beauty of the region and catch fish at a more leisurely pace. Full transparency, my wrists could not handle another nonstop day. What was on deck for our last 2 days will forever be engrained in my mind. We spent the night preparing for two days in what is referred to as the ‘outside’. 

The outside for those unfamiliar is where the Douglas channel meets the open ocean. Should you continue further, the next stop would be Japan. This area is incredible. Islands, whales, orcas, eagles, and fish. Did I mention the fish?

The outside is home to several species, but our target was ling cod and chinook. The lingcod fishing experience was the best and most exciting day of fishing I have ever had. You drop you jig down 60-100 feet and hold on for dear life. These things are freight trains. James masterfully managed the boat while we put a beating on these fish. We limited out in 2 hours with fish ranging from 15-30 lbs.

We settled in at the end of day 3 on a remote island where we made a campsite, had a wonderful fire, and enjoyed a dinner of lingcod tacos. We chatted, told some fishing stories, reminisced and hit the sack. We had unfinished business on day 4.

Day 4 we aimed to get our final chinooks. This would round out our limits for all species. We landed over 8 that day, or more (I lost count). I landed my biggest, at 25 lb fish. My brother-in-law landed one of similar size. Of course, no fishing story would be complete without the one that got away. But yes, I did manage to lose a >30 lb fish that did two acrobatic leaps and tore the hook right off the spoon. Yes, these fish are strong!

All in all, I can’t count how many fish we caught but it was in the hundreds. Between two guys, we went home with 130 lbs of cleaned, frozen and vacuum sealed fish. The value of this fish is worth more than the flights to and from Kitimat for two guys. Unbelievable.

In summary: get out on the water with James. This guy will show you an experience you only thought possible in your dreams. The action is intense. The comradery second to none. The sheer beauty of the area will last a lifetime.  James, it was a pleasure to share the boat with you. We cannot wait to be back.