Well, the world didn’t end so it’s been a pretty good week. And oh yeah, some fish have been caught as well.
Winter Springs are a hot topic this time of year for the saltwater angler. We have heard of some of the first good local saltwater salmon reports for winter chinook. Jason Tonelli will discuss this fishery in-depth in the Saltwater Report below.
“As predicted, things picked up just before Christmas. A few of our fellow guides, and one regular customer headed out to the harbour and was rewarded with some winter chinook for the Christmas holidays!
So far the fishing is just like it normally is this time of year. By that I mean you go out one day and get nothing, only to go out a few days later and get multiple shots at nice chinook. If you are a regular of our fishing reports you will know that the time to go fishing for winter chinook is simply when you have time. Don’t wait for the report and then plan to go, by then the fish have often moved on, if only for a few days before more show up. From now until April you can expect these aggressively feeding chinook to enter the harbour at any given time.
Now that the Christmas and Boxing Day rush has passed, we will again be focusing our attention on this exciting fishery! This is a great way to spend the day, cool crisp air, hard fighting chinook, and only minutes from downtown. If you would like to book a charter give Dave a call at Pacific Angler 604-872-2204. If you are heading out on your own, keep you gear close to the bottom and try spoons in the 3.0 to 4.0 inch range.
There has been lots of bait around so the 3.0 and 3.5 inch spoons in green/glow, Irish cream, cookies n cream, and black/glow (aka night rider) are top choices. We have good stock on these spoons in the shop right now, which is not always the case as the manufacturers often back order these spoons in the summer when they can’t keep up with demand. If you are not a spoon guy, of course an anchovy in your favorite teaser head will get the job done, but bait is truly not needed for these fish. In fact, most anglers will run a flasher and a 6 foot leader to a spoon.
In terms of tides, traditionally people will fish on the flood, but we have had success on the ebb as well. If you have a flexible schedule, concentrate on the flood up to the high slack and the first little bit of the ebb. Stay tuned for more reports as we are heading out on charters and some personal fishing over the next couple days. See you out there!”
On behalf of the Pacific Angler staff we wish you the best in your fishing endeavours and we hope to see you either at the shop or on the water. To check out the latest Pacific Angler news view the Pacific Angler Facebook page.
Happy Holidays,
The Pacific Angler Crew