Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report: Chinook & Coho Update  Vancouver Salmon Fishing Conditions  It’s Friday morning, October 9th, and the wind is howling!  We had two Vancouver salmon fishing trips scheduled today, but powerful northwest winds forced us to cancel. With gusts hitting 37 knots off Point Atkinson, even Vancouver Harbour offers little refuge. The upside? Wind cancellations have been rare this season, and the weekend forecast looks far more promising.  If you’re heading out later this weekend, the big decision is whether to target winter chinook—also called feeder chinook—or mature chinook. Fortunately, anglers have a real shot at both, with encouraging numbers of fish in several productive areas.  Where to Find Chinook and Coho  The Capilano River mouth remains a top option, with good…

Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report: October Coho, Chinook & Chum Outlook  October has arrived in Vancouver, bringing the first Fall rains and a fresh shift in the local salmon fishery.  The rain is great news for river anglers and welcome relief for rivers that had been running low and clear.  Most fall salmon have now moved into the Fraser River, its tributaries, and other Lower Mainland rivers, but Vancouver saltwater salmon fishing is not finished yet.  A few chinook remain, and strong pushes of coho should continue over the next two weeks, even though peak migration for both species has passed.  There is still plenty to get excited about.  Anglers can continue to find excellent chinook and coho action off the Fraser River Mouth and Capilano…

Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report: Fraser and Capilano Chinook, Coho, and Chum Update  This week’s Vancouver saltwater salmon fishing report focuses on late-September action around the Fraser River mouth and Capilano River mouth, with chinook, hatchery coho, and chum still pushing through local waters, including some very big chinook!  The rain is finally here, and that should kick the next wave of salmon into gear.  As we head into the final week of September, fresh chinook, hatchery coho, and chum are still moving through the Strait of Georgia toward the Fraser River and Capilano River, setting up one of the most exciting late-season salmon fishing windows of the year.  If you haven’t made it out yet, don’t wait too long.  The Fraser River mouth and…

Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report  Tyee season is officially underway, with several chinook over 30 pounds arriving at the PA docks this past week.  PA guides have also landed Tyees on recent trips, and we expect more large white chinook as the run peaks toward mid-September.  There have also been some strong hatchery coho in the mix, along with plenty of chinook in the more common 12- to 18-pound range.  Overall, fishing has been excellent, and we should see a few more weeks of strong Fraser Mouth action for both chinook and coho.  Our most productive setups have been chartreuse and green glow flashers paired with similar-coloured teaser heads and 5.5- to 6-inch anchovies.  The best depths have been 35 to 75 feet on the…

Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report  Finally, the first week of September is here and that means big chinook off the Fraser Mouth.  Opening day did not disappoint, and despite some challenging conditions, our boats did well for chinook and hatchery coho.  Some fish definitely went up the river with the low pressure and recent rain, but the good news is there are plenty more chinook on the way.  In fact, peak migration for the biggest chinook of the year is mid-September, so there are plenty more slabs on the way!  If you haven’t made it out yet, there is still time.  Come by the shop for the hot flashers, teaser heads, and bait.  Better yet, book a trip with the experts and end  this season with a bang!   To book your trip give us a…

Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report  This past week we have been fishing Area 28-6 and 28-9 for chinook and coho.  We’ve worked hard on the bites, but the reward has been some very nice chinook!    These chinook are generally travelling quite shallow, testing out that lower salinity water, smelling out the North Arm and South Arm of the Fraser.  We are usually fishing 25 to75 feet on the downriggers.  Bait is also one of the most popular ways to entice these big chinook to bite.  We are running anchovies in Rhys Davis teaser heads with a 6 foot leader to a Gibbs or Oki flasher.   Want to see my top choices for flashers and teaser heads for the Fraser Mouth chinook fishery?  Check out this video!    The shop is fully…

Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report  Saltwater salmon fishing is in full Summer swing, and there are some very good options for anglers heading out of Vancouver right now.  The Gulf Islands are fishing extremely well for chinook, while locally we are starting to see more salmon showing up along the West Vancouver shoreline.  Vancouver Harbour & West Vancouver  Locally, chinook fishing has been a bit of a grind some days, but there are fish around if you are willing to put in the time.  We expect to see the local fishery continue to build over the next few weeks as more chinook move into the Vancouver area – the best is yet to come!  There was also an important opening on August 12, with Area 28-9, off the mouth of the Capilano, opening for chinook retention.  This means that both Areas 28-6…

Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report  It’s been a great first week of August down at the Pacific Angler docks.  On our 5-hour trips we have been into coho along West Van and South Bowen.  Area 29-6 also opened for chinook, which means we can now target chinook on our half day trips.    On our 8 and 10 hour trips we have been heading over to Area 17 when winds allow and the chinook fishing has been as good as it gets.  Double digits have been the norm, with plenty of chinook on the line, lots of double headers and big smiles.   When the fishing is this good, we often take a break from our productive flasher and hoochie chinook setups and put on the Tomic plugs!  Check out this new video on our…

Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report  Looking back at March, we had excellent winter chinook fishing right up until closing day on March 31st.  It was a great winter season, and all indicators are pointing to an excellent summer coho and chinook season.  Now that we are in April, chinook fishing is closed in Area 28 and 29.  The regulations are no fishing for chinook, which means you can’t actively target chinook.  This means no catch and release chinook fishing.  If you cross over to Area 17 it is open for non-retention of chinook (catch and release) and if you fish in Area 17-6 and 17-9 it is open for 1 hatchery chinook a day, 62cm or greater.  Coho are currently non-retention and will open for 2 hatchery coho per day, 30cm or greater,…