Originally published in 2013, this 2012 Prince Rupert fishing report was updated in September 2026 with refreshed photos, videos and presentation.
For our 2012 Prince Rupert fishing trip, Neal, Oak, Travis and I (Ryan) were back together for another week of fishing on the North Coast. After a winter of planning, preparing the boat and getting our gear ready, we were eager to get back on the water.
Over the years, we’d been steadily refining our fishing techniques and making improvements to the boat. Each trip gave us an opportunity to put those changes to work and learn something new. In 2012, we continued that approach with another boat upgrade, plenty of salmon and bottom fishing, and a memorable performance by Travis that would earn him the nickname “The Codfather.”
The Boat
One of the best upgrades we made for the 2012 trip was adding a Reliable 30 × 60 fish kill bag to the stern of the Striper. Until then, we’d been using a large Costco XL Igloo cooler to hold our catch, but its bulky shape took up a lot of valuable space.
The new bag was compact when empty yet held roughly twice as much fish as the cooler and gave us plenty of room for ice and a full day’s catch of salmon, halibut and lingcod. I mounted it across the sloping engine hatch, with the back of the bag hanging slightly over the stern, and secured it using rope loops attached to stainless-steel cleats. This kept the bag out of the way of the kicker motor, swim ladder and stern rod holders.
We filled the bag with sea ice and seawater to make an ice slurry, which kept our catch cold throughout the day. It was a substantial improvement over the old cooler and freed up a surprising amount of deck space. You can see the bag mounted on the stern in our fishing videos below, and I cover the installation, capacity and long-term performance in my FishinBC.COM Fish Kill Bag Review: Reliable 30 × 60.
Salmon Fishing
We fished three areas during our 2012 trip: Edye Pass, Dundas Island and Work Channel. Each of these places holds special memories for us, and we enjoy returning to familiar fishing spots and recalling the experiences we’ve shared there over the years.
Deciding where to fish depends on where the salmon are holding, but the weather also plays an important role. If conditions make it difficult to reach one area, we’ll often head somewhere else. Having several favourite fishing grounds gives us options, and checking the marine forecast is an important part of planning each day’s fishing. For more on that, see our article, How to Understand Marine Weather for BC Fishing & Boating.
We caught plenty of salmon in the teens and twenties, with our largest fish of the trip weighing about 24 lb. Over the years, we’ve learned that successful salmon fishing often comes down to paying attention to the small details and making adjustments as conditions change. I share some of those lessons in my article, Salmon Trolling Tips: Small Details That Catch Big Fish. For a broader look at our techniques, see our Complete Guide to Salmon Fishing.
Halibut and Lingcod Fishing
With the new halibut size restrictions introduced in 2012, we had to adjust to the over-under limit, which allowed only one of our two halibut in possession to exceed 83 cm. We spent time fishing a productive halibut area that was holding plenty of smaller fish, so we were happy to bring home our limit of chickens. For more on how we target these fish, see our Complete Guide to Halibut Fishing.
We also spent time drift fishing at one of our favourite lingcod holes, and the fishing was excellent. We brought home our limit of tasty lingcod, with Travis having a particularly memorable trip. His success with lingcod and rockfish would become one of the highlights of the week and earn him a new nickname. For more on our techniques, see our Complete Guide to Lingcod Fishing.
The Codfather
Throughout the trip, Oak had been providing a running commentary on Travis’s remarkable ability to catch lingcod and rockfish. During the week, Oak came up with the idea of “IronCod Status,” awarded to anyone who managed to catch and land a cod every single day of the trip.
Travis accomplished exactly that, becoming the first member of our crew to earn IronCod Status. He also caught the biggest lingcod of the trip, and with Oak’s commentary keeping everyone entertained, we decided Travis deserved an even grander title: “The Codfather.” We’ve continued documenting our crew’s achievements in our Fishing Records.
Your Turn: Prince Rupert Fishing
Every Prince Rupert fishing trip seems to produce its own stories, and in 2012 the lingcod fishing certainly gave us a few to remember. Between the fishing, familiar places and good times with the crew, it was another memorable week on the North Coast.
Have you fished for salmon, halibut or lingcod around Prince Rupert? Share your favourite fishing memories, catches or tips in the comments below. If you’re planning a trip and have a question, I’d be happy to hear from you.