SALTWATER FISHING REPORT Well, finally the weekend anglers have some luck on their side! The winds look pretty ideal this weekend and this soggy Friday is going to be replaced by some sun. We are also happy to report there have been some coho around; a mix of wild and hatchery. As some of you may already know, the Capilano River Hatchery gets back around 12,000 coho every year. These fish generally stage off South Bowen and then swing into Vancouver Harbour along West Van and then eventually head up the river. This past week there have been fish caught off South Bowen from Cowan to Roger Curtis and there have been some fish caught off Point Atkinson in towards Pilot Cove, also known as “Fisheries” because of the fisheries research…
Archives
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report: June 26, 2020
First off, I want to thank everyone for all the emails and texts I received regarding last weekend’s special report on the 2020 Chinook Measures. Never have we received so many emails and so much positive feedback. So, thank you. I would also like to report we, and by that I mean you and I, are starting to make a difference. DFO called me and some FN have also reached out to me. They weren’t too happy about what I had to say. I was happy to have a constructive talk with both parties. I explained to them although I respect FN priority access to stocks, I do have a problem with a management regime that closes one user group down when their area specific impact is…
2020 Chinook Measures – Our Response
As many of you know, I have taken it upon myself to be involved in the management of our public fisheries as best I can. I am currently a Director at the Sport Fishing Institute of BC, I am President of the Vancouver Sport Fishing Guides Association, and I am Chair of the Lower Fraser Valley Sport Fish Advisory Committee which is part of the Sport Fish Advisory Board process to DFO. At this time, I am taking all those hats off and writing to you as a fellow Canadian who is deeply concerned by the DFO 2020 fisheries management measures to protect Fraser chinook, announced yesterday afternoon. These are my views and mine alone, and it is time someone said something, because enough is…
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report: June 12, 2020
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report I am pleased to report that once again this year we are seeing some really nice size fish. This time last year we got into some fish in the twenty pound plus category, a lot of them hatchery, and I wasn’t sure if that pattern would repeat itself. Well it did, and some of the spots that produced last year are producing these hefty fish again this year, almost to the day and tide. That’s why you keep a detailed journal, it pays off with big fish like this in our local waters. For the most part these fish are suspended, and we are seeing then on our sonar from 80-140 feet and are adjusting our depths on the riggers…
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report: June 5, 2020
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report Hard to believe it is June and I am writing this report while I am taking a break from working on the fleet. Usually I am doing this in April, not June, but it feels good to be down on the docks and getting boats ready for trips. If you are thinking of booking a trip, now is a good time. The chinook fishing locally and over in the Gulf Islands has been very good. You can’t keep a chinook right now, but just being on the water and fighting this powerful fish on single action reels and 10-foot 6 medium action rods is a lot of fun. Crabbing is also very good so there is a good chance you…
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report: May 29, 2020
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report Fishing has been pretty good this past week, as is usual for this time of year. There are lots of places producing fish, like Howe Sound, South Bowen, and Thrasher Rock. Sometimes it is hard to say where to go or which spot is producing the best, but this week it was pretty clear that Thrasher was the place to be. There were still some good amounts of fishing being caught locally, and some big ones, but Thrasher has been on fire for about 2 weeks now. Hard to say what it will be like this weekend, it can go from hot to cold in a tide change, but chances are it will still be good for a few more…
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report: May 22, 2020
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report Looks like there is a mixed bag of NW and SE this weekend, so be on your toes if you are heading out. Fishing continues to be pretty solid in Howe Sound and around Bowen. Gabriola was the standout this past week though, with multiple reports of big fish and lots of them. In most cases about 70% of the fish were hatchery. It goes without saying it is extremely frustrating we can’t retain these fish! With the Fraser in full on freshet mode, that dirty water is well throughout the Salish Sea. It made it over to Thrasher and that means the fish are shallow, 80-140 on the riggers. The hot depth there on Monday was 127 for our…
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report: May 15, 2020
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report Well what can I say, its mid-May and there are a lot of chinook around including some big hatchery fish. We are still waiting to hear from DFO if they will accept some of the SFAB chinook management proposals. We might see some decisions early June. In the meantime, we have been heading out a few times a week and doing some DNA sampling for the Avid Angler South Coast Stock Assessment Program. There are a lot of options for chinook right now. There are fish in Howe Sound, off South Bowen, the Hump, the QA, and over in the Gulf Islands. Productive depths have ranged from 60 to 220 and it really depends on the water clarity and what…
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report: May 8, 2020
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report Look out, here comes the sun! What I should be saying is here comes the NW. As usual, the high-pressure system and heat of the sun brings in sustained NW winds and it looks like this weekend will be no exception. You never really know with the NW, it can be 5-10 or 20-25, so it can often be a game time decision on where you can or can’t fish, or if you even want to attempt it. As far as chinook fishing, for those that have been going out it has been pretty good. Fishing has been consistent the last 3 weeks off South Bowen from Cowan to Roger Curtis, 80-140 on the riggers. If it is blowing…
Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report: May 1, 2020
Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Report It’s pretty nice and sunny on this Friday morning but looking at the forecast for the weekend it looks like we are in for some wind and some rain. Likely going to be a bit chunky if you were thinking of crossing, so I think the bottom dwellers will be safe for a few more days. As many of you know, May 1st is opening day for lingcod and rockfish in some areas. Make sure to check out the regulations for areas that are open and for rockfish conservation areas. We have a great selection of bottom fishing rods, reels, combos, and a huge variety of different lures. Give us a call if you have any questions on how to get…