Finally after some relentless Northwesterly winds that hampered our fishing, the weather changed to hot sunny calm days. It feels more like summer!  These fish seem to like this weather as well as the fishing has also improved. The Hump off Bowen Island has had some slow days but is still pretty productive on overall.  On my last trip we hit our first fish in the first 10-15 minutes of getting the lines down and bagged a nicer fish in the mid 20′s shortly after. Both fish hit spoons. The 4″ Homeland Security @ 120′ and 4″ Kitchen Sink @ 90′.

My previous trip also produced at 120′. That seems to be the range of depth. The most consistent depth reported seems to be 110′. A lot of fish are taking anchovies but spoons work best for me at the moment.

We decided to run across to the Gulf Islands to catch the slack tide and hit a couple  of fish within the first 10-15 mins there as well! The range of depths over there is from 130′ to 180′. At first I had a couple of Spakleback Hoochies in the regular and double glo but for me spoons were the ticket over there as well. That’s not to say that they don’t work but they just weren’t working for me. Those hoochies are pretty much standard issue there and I will continue to offer them  on future trips.

As well as the spoons I mentioned, the trusty Green Glo and Irsh cream I replaced the hoochies with also had their share of fish on bringing our total tally of fish on into the double digits. Some of the fish were undersized but most of the fish are in the low teens to 20lbs+. There have also been 2 fish in the 30lbs range that I’ve heard of so far. Definitely a good time to sharpen the hooks and get out there!

Tight lines, Eddie

Captian Eddie and the Salty Dawg were out this weekend searching for chinook salmon off Bowen Island at the Hump.  While there was a lot of pressure from the fishing derby this weekend there were not a lot of fish landed.  However, Eddie did manage to get his clients into a couple nice chinooks, landing the one below.

The result of a good day on the water.

You can expect the fishing to be good to excellent from May to the end of June for chinook salmon.  At the moment “The Hump” has been productive however things will shift over to “Thrasher Rock” in a couple of weeks.  We’ve already started to hear the first good reports over there which is great to hear.  This is one of our most enjoyable fisheries as the fish come big and are the hardest fighters of the year.

The Vancouver weather forecast is calling for sunny conditions from today until Sunday.  The daily high temperature is forecasted to range from 20 to 23 degrees Celsius with daily low temperatures ranging from 11 to 13 degrees Celsius.  So it looks like this summer like weather will last for another 6 days.

The marine forecast for the Strait of Georgia is looking good for this week with the strong northwest winds dying down by Tuesday morning. The wind will then be coming from the southeast ranging from 10 to 15 knots on Tuesday and dying down to light by Wednesday night and staying that way until Friday.

Uhhh, flat calm seas and sunny conditions…absolutely perfect conditions for a full day Thrasher Rock trip.  The Salty Dawg still has availability for both Thursday and Friday so make sure to give the shop a call at 604-872-2204 to book your day out!

Happy Fishing,

PA Team

Well, it is May and that means one thing. The spring chinook are here and it is time to get out in your boat or book a Vancouver salmon charter for some of the best chinook fishing of the year! The sunny days bring on the NW winds that can be annoying when trying to get out to S. Bowen or Gabriola, but those who have made it out have been getting into some fish. Many of you have seen or heard of the 31lb slab caught on Soloway in the back end of April, off the Hump. We also heard reports yesterday of a fish of similar size somewhere over at Gabriola, so there are some pretty big slabs out there right now which of course adds to the allure of Vancouvers local salmon fishing!

The chinook salmon fishing at the Hump off S. Bowen has been decent of late. The best depths seem to be in the 80-110 range with some chinook being taken as shallow as 60 and as deep as 160, but most around 100-110. The algae bloom is in full force and the heat we are going to get this weekend will get the Fraser River freshet going. So expect the water colour to be dirty in our local waters. That means glow flashers, glow teaser heads, and glow spoons will all be working well. We have good stock on all the top glow flashers, including double glow flashers, a huge selection of glow teaser heads, and of course all the top glow spoons like Irish Cream, Glow/Green, Yellow Tail, and Homeland Security. We also have good stock on anchovies right now, including some nice 5.5 inch ones. Some of the nicer ones I have seen in awhile.

The North Shore Fish and Game Club Derby is this weekend so if you want to enter give Derek Hardy a call at 604-444-9117. This is a great event with some awesome prizes and lots of good company. Unfortunately I am out of town this weekend so I won’t be able to enter, Eddie is guiding all weekend on the Salty Dawg so he won’t be able to enter either. Hopefully the winds won’t be too strong and some nice chinook get caught. Last year the fishing was excellent!

I was out last Saturday and the wind was brutal and the pursuit of a good chinook was tough. A sharp contrast from the fishing I enjoyed a few weeks before. We had to hide in behind Bowen for a little while but we did manage to spend a fair amount of time on the Hump but were unable to find any fish. A few other boats were out that day and the odd fish was taken but it was a little slow. Eddie has been out a few times this week and has found a few chinook at the depths and lures mentioned earlier.

Things seem to be picking up over at Gabriola right on schedule. There have been chinook taken offshore in 800-1000 feet of water and 120-180 on the downriggers. The usual hootchies and spoons are working; Irish Cream, Glow/Green, Yellow Tail, Night Rider, Kitchen Sink, Homeland Security for spoons with a 6 foot leader to your flasher and for hootchies, the glow green or glow blue spatter back are working well with a 30-34 inch leader to your flasher.

Eddie will be guiding on the Hump this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and I am out of town for a week so I won’t be heading to Thrasher, but can’t wait to go there when I get back! Our days are filling up fast for this exciting fishery so if you want to book a day over at Thrasher Rock on Gabriola Island, for some of the best chinook fishing of the year, you should give us a call right now! To keep up-to-date with everything Pacific Angler check out their Facebook page or sign up for the Pacific Angler Newsletter to receive the famous Friday Fishing Report.
See you on the water,

Jason & Eddie,

The seas were a roll’n this past weekend.  However, Eddie, the Salty Dawg and his guests braved the winds this past Saturday and put in a good effort getting a few hits, and pulling up a mess of crabs and prawns.

When the winds have allowed the “Hump” has been the hot spot for winter chinook salmon.  On Sunday afternoon during the high slack tide we heard of a few fish being hit.  This fishery will continue for the next couple of weeks and then transition to Thrasher Rock, across Georgia Strait.

The Vancouver weather forecast is calling for sunny conditions from today until Thursday and then rainy conditions from Friday to Saturday and then back to sun on Sunday.  The daily high temperatures will range from 13 to 16 degrees Celsius, making for some very comfortable fishing.

The marine forecast for the Strait of Georgia is calling for northwestern winds ranging from 5 to 15 knots today and Tuesday.  It is looking like the winds are picking up on Wednesday, potentially getting up to 20 knots.

The tides are picking up as we get closer to a full moon on April 25th.  Vancouver salmon fishing has been good this past week in the afternoon during the high slack tide as well as during the bottom of the ebb in the morning.

If you would like to book a charter with Pacific Angler make sure to give Vancouver’s largest tackle store (78 East Broadway) a call at 604-872-2204 or come by and talk to one of our friendly staff in person.

Happy Fishing,

Dave

This past week has been a good one for the local Vancouver fishing scene.  The Vancouver harbour has finally perked up a bit with a few legal winter chinook being caught.

The Vancouver weather forecast is calling for cloudy conditions with periods of rain throughout the weekend and into next week.  The daily high temperatures will range from 6 to 10 degrees Celsius, while the daily low temperatures will range from -1 to 6 degrees Celsius.  One word can be used to describe February, dry.

The marine weather forecast for Straight of Georgia is calling for northwest winds over the weekend.  You can expect some stronger winds on Saturday (25 to 30 knots) but then backing down on Sunday and then turning to a southeast wind.  If you are going out fishing this weekend definitely make sure to check the latest reports as conditions can change rapidly on the ocean.

There is still lots of bait in Vancouver Harbour and in the last few days there have been some fish being caught on the flood tide, finally!  It is not red hot but I was glad to hear of a few fish the other day on the morning flood.

The water is still clear and anglers are using small spoons in 3.0 inch size in a variety of green, black, and glow colours, like Irish Cream, Cookies Cream, Green Glow, and Flaming Hans.  We had a few days “on the other side” this past week that were a lot of fun.  Mostly small fish but lots of bites and a few nice ones that we kept.  The action died  off over the weekend and some colleagues headed towards Thrasher in search of fish as well, but not much too report.  Such is winter chinook fishing, hear one day, gone the next!

We haven’t heard too much from Howe Sound either, a few fish here and there for the anglers willing to put in the time.  Crabbing has picked up, there are some nice ones in the traps these days.  Prawning has also been decent.  The winds don’t look too bad this weekend and there is a nice high slack in the morning so it would be a good bet to try local waters and set some crab traps.

- Jason Tonelli

To check out the latest Pacific Angler news view the Pacific Angler Facebook page.  To receive the entire Vancouver Friday Fishing Report every Friday morning at 9AM click on the link – Pacific Angler Newsletter.

On behalf of the Pacific Angler staff we wish you the best in your fishing endeavors and we hope to see you either at the shop or on the water.

Jason, Dave, and Eddie

The Pacific Angler guides have put in some serious time over the last week, fishing both locally as well as within the Gulf Islands.

Local fishing has been quite challenging with very few legal fish being taken.  Fishing across the Georgia Straight was strong last week with some great reports.  However, early this week we heard this trend had switched with the winter chinook moving into the Vancouver harbour.  The crabbing and prawning has continued to be strong.  If you enjoy shellfish then an 8 hr charter to Howe Sound in search of crabs, prawns, and winter chinook salmon is definitely worth while at this time of year.

The Vancouver weather forecast is calling for rainy conditions for the remainder of the week and Saturday but then a mixture of sun and cloud on Sunday.  The daily high temperatures are quite mild, ranging from 7 to 9 degrees Celsius.  The daily low temperatures range from 0 to 5 degrees Celsius.  The marine forecast for the Straight of Georgia is looking favourable with a southeast wind ranging from 5 to 15 knots until Friday and then switching to northwest ranging from 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.

If you would like to book a charter with Pacific Angler please do not hesitate to contact our booking manager, Dave, at our retail location on 78 East Broadway (604-872-2204).

Happy Fishing!

Fishing this past week has remained steady with some great opportunities for the first ever BC Family Day long weekend, which we have renamed BC Fishing Day.  Because you can bet we are all going to take advantage of having the store closed on monday.  The question will be where?

It looks like we are going to get a break from the rain this weekend as the NW winds move in and push the clouds out.  The Vancouver weather forecast is calling for a mixture of sun and cloud on Friday, cloudy conditions on Saturaday and Monday, and sunny conditions on Sunday.  You can expect the daily high temperatures range from 6 to 8 degrees Celsius and daily low temperatures to range from 0 to 3 degrees Celsius.

Those same NW winds that bring in the sun also bring the wind right into Vancouver Harbour.  This can make things a bit rough, especially when the ebb tide is pushing hard into the NW wind.  Thankfully the marine forecast for the Straight of Georgia is calling for 10 knots on Saturday and then light winds on Sunday and Monday.  If you are planning on doing some saltwater fishing this weekend make sure to check the most up-to-date marine forecast as predicted forecasts can change rapidly.

The saltwater fishing in Vancouver Harbour and up Howe Sound has been pretty tough for about a week now.  No shortage of bait, just a shortage of fish! When the winds have allowed, anglers heading over to the “other side” have had much better success from Nanaimo down to Point Roberts.  Hopefully those fish move up the Strait and into the Harbor!

Pacifc Angler saltwater guides have both written reports based on their fishing this past week.  They also look into what we can expect over the next week.

Jason Tonelli:

This week the local saltwater fishing has been in a word, challenging.  There is no shortage of bait as anglers have seen bait balls off W. Van, QB, the freighters, and Bell Buoy.  There have been a few fish caught but for the amount of anglers out it has been very slow.  We have heard basically the same from Howe Sound, lots of bait, not too many fish.

We do expect this to change as there have been lots of fish encountered further south and over on the Island.  It should only be a matter of time before this fish show up in Vancouver Harbour and off the Bell Buoy, QA and South Bowen.  The fish that have been taken locally have been on small spoons like the Irish Cream 3.0 inch and Flaming Hans 2-3/4 inch.  Try a 6 foot leader of 20-25lb test behind a flasher.  The Purple Onion flasher and the Kinetic UV Jelly Fish Yellow Green Mist have been working well.  Jason is heading out on Friday and Eddie is heading out on Saturday so keep an eye out for the Salty Dawg on the water this weekend.

Eddie Matthei:

I don’t have much to report and I haven’t heard much on the radio either. Although we came home empty handed the last time out, the weather could not have been nicer. Seemed like we were fishing in early spring or late summer.

Sunset trolling!

Out of the 5 boats fishing that day only one reported a single undersized fish.  The fishing was extremely challenging.  On a positive note I should add that I trolled towards some active Herring Gulls and the sounder lit-up with bait balls. That was supported by lots of small herring breaking the surface all around the boat.  It is possible that the winter chinook salmon are simply full on natural feed and therefore it is harder to fool them.  I have noticed, from past fish I hit and also reports from fellow fishermen, that the fish have been hitting when there’s little to no bait around.  On a previous trip I was just about to leave and area that showed nothing on the sounder only to hit 2 decent fish and one really nice fish.

To keep up-to-date with all things Pacific Angler and the local fishing scene check out Pacific Angler Facebook and on Twitter.  If you have any questions or to book a trip please do not hesitate to drop by our shop @ 78 East Broadway, Vancouver or give our friendly booking manager, Dave, a call @ 604-872-2204.

Happy upcoming BC Family Day!  From the staff at Pacific Angler we all hope you get a chance to get out on the water with family and friends…we definitely will.  In fact Pacific Angler has renamed the holiday BC Fishing Day.

Salmon fishing within the Vancouver Harbour has been tough as of late.  However, the guides have been spotting lots of bait so the winter chinook salmon should stick around once they come into the harbour.  When the weather conditions have been favourable the Salty Dawg has been making it to the other side of the Georgia Straight.  Fishing has been good over there with a few legal fish being taken.  Pacific Angler saltwater guides, Eddie and Jason, have been doing well with their favourite 3.0 spoons such as Kitchen Sink, Cop Car, etc.  Our guides have been finding that running a rod without a flasher has been productive with the clear winter water conditions.  The crabbing and prawning has been good, which is typical for February.

This weekend would be perfect opportunity to get a group of friends, family or coworkers together for a full day of fishing in the Gulf Islands.  Fishing for winter chinook salmon has been good and the scenery is amazing on a clear and sunny day.  The Vancouver weather forecast is calling for sunny conditions on Sunday!  Friday, Saturday and Monday is forecasted to have cloudy conditions.  The daily high temperature has been pleasantly mild this week and will continue into the weekend, ranging from 7 to 8 degrees Celsius.

The tides are looking excellent for the weekend with a beautiful mid-day high slack tide.

If you would like to get out on the water make sure to call Pacific Angler’s booking manager, Dave, at 604-872-2204.  Please also feel free to visit Pacific Angler, Vancouver’s largest fishing tackle store, at 78 East Broadway.  Our expert staff will be glad to help you pick out all of the go-too lures, flashers and accessories.

Eddie and Jason were out this past week in search of winter chinook salmon in the Vancouver harbour.  Unfortunately, the local Vancouver salmon fishing has remained tough.  While both Eddie and Jason fished extremely hard they returned to the dock with little to show.  Fortunately, the crabbing is picking up.  A big pull of crabs is always a great way to end the day.

It will be a matter of time until the local Vancouver salmon fishing starts to pick up.  Hopefully, with some great tides this week and stable weather the fishing will turn around.

The Vancouver weather forecast is calling for cloudy and rainy conditions all this week.  Not a big surprise for Vancouver in February.  The daily temperatures are quick mild with daily highs ranging from 6 to 8 degrees Celsius and daily lows ranging from 2 to 6 degrees Celsius.  The tides for this week are looking perfect for either a 5 HR or 8 HR charter starting at 8:00 AM.

If you have questions or would like to get out on the water to experience the true West Coast please contact Dave Fauquier, Pacific Angler’s dedicated booking manager.  The very first BC Family Day is coming up as well.  The staff at Pacific Angler have dubbed it BC Fishing Day!

Happy Fishing!