As we really got rolling early season up in Prince Rupert and the Bella Bella home base set up for Spring and Summer, it was time to hunker down forSpring on the BC Central Coast.
With the new Big Coast BV30 under construction up in Rupert, it was time to run a whole smorgasbord of boats and Mercury power.The two main rides in early season were of the borrowed variety, including a rocket ship of a 30-footer and a 22-foot Bridgeview nostalgic ride aptly named The Gary.
If you’re truly a boat guy, and most of us are, the Bridgeview BV30 Center Cabin is a coastal rig to be appreciated. It’s a heavy duty rig with a 10 1/2 foot beam and a hull design Built for The West Coast. The boat was built in Prince Rupert by Don’s son James, VP at Bridgeview and lead on the boat building program. And make no doubt, it’s a burly ride built to handle all the conditions the West Coast can throw at it.
Topping off the BV30 CC are a pair of Mercury Sea Pro Twin 500hp outboards. That’s right…1000hp from Mercury Marine and a top speed of 63 Knots! That’s enough to staple you to the back of your seat and make you go tee-haw!
The second rig we ran early season was The Gary, faithful steed of Jackson Raden’s dad Gary and a Bridgeview 22-foot original. It’s a beauty welded aluminum craft, Mercury Marine powered and highly fishable. It’s been years since I ran a single/kicker combo but The Gary was a blast and definitely brought some fish to gunwale.
With a base at the Bella Bella Cannery, the incredible boating and fishing accessed in Great Bear Rainforest is truly incredible. From McInnes Island North of Milbanke Sound down to Hakai Pass in the South, this area of the Central Coast is located in Heiltsuk Traditional Territory and remains a nautical paradise worthy of all our stewardship efforts.
Bottomfishing in this region can be incredible and offers up a ton of variety, but the crown jewel is some of the amazing salmon fishing to be found throughout the season. Early season runs like the Bella Coola and Atnarko Rivers get the season kicked off in late April and a variety of Chinook salmon runs make their way Southbound through Great Bear from Spring to Summer.
All in all, it was a cool experience running a variety of boats in 2023 and Bridgeview Denny Island and the Bella Bella Cannery made for an incredible home base…to do what we do on the West Coast.
