We were out multiple times this week and the conditions were good for the run over to Gabriola and Nanaimo.
There was some good fishing offshore of Gabriola in 1000-1200 feet of water for chinook up to 25lbs. The fish were at a variety of depths, we hit some as shallow as 65 and some as deep as 160 but most of the action was in the 110 to 150 range. We spent considerable time fishing on the structure at Thrasher Rock and Grande area of Gabriola but we didn’t have great success in these areas and there was a lot of weeds. Offshore was definitely more productive and that would be our recommendation if you are heading out this weekend.
The action up around Nanaimo off Snake and Five Fingers continues to be good to excellent with chinook being taken to 30lbs. The average size has been good, right around the 20lb mark. Most of these fish seem to be whites or marbles. Again, fish have been hit from 70 to 175 but the most consistent action has been from 110 to 140. The bite in the afternoon/evening was particularly excellent this week with boats hooking 5 to 10 springs. Fish have been taken close to shore in 200-300 feet of water and plenty of fish have been hoked further offshore as well in 600 to 1000 feet of water.
- 20lb spring on the deck of the Satly Dawg. Caught on a spatter back hootchy and glow chartreuse flasher.
The top producers at Gabriola and Nanaimo have been spatter back hootchies with a 32 inch leader behind glow flashers. The top colors have been OG142R, OG140R, OG151R, OG144R. See the picuture below. Spoons have also been excellent with a 6 foot leader and a glow flasher. The top spoons have been Green/Glo, and Irish Cream in 3.5 and 4.0. We noticed the hootchies have been out fishing the spoons this week for whatever reason, so make sure you have some hootchies down there. A few fish have been hit on bait, but bait truly isn’t necessary for these aggresive fish. In these offshore fisheries the keys are keeping your gear working and covering water to find the fish. That means trolling fast and spoons and hootchies excel in this scenario.
- These Yamashita Spatter Back series of hootchies have been excellent this week at Gabriola and Nanaimo.
Closer to home there have been a few fish taken off the Hump on spoons and anchovies fishing 70-140 feet deep and even a few fish taken off the Bell Buoy. It was generally pretty slow locally so most boats have been heading over to Gabriola if conditions allow. There have been coho entering the Capilano so hopefully some slow down and hangout off W. Van but the river has been high and the fish haven’t started staging in good numbers yet. Usually we see this fishery start to pick up mid June so we will keep an eye on it and let you know when it picks up
We have our Grand Opening Sale this weekend in our new location at 78 E Broadway in Vancouver (on the corner of Quebec & E Broadway) so I won’t be guiding this weekend.
For information on the sale click here Great Deals at Pacific Angler we will have some good deals on salt tackle and we have all the hot hootchies and spoons in stock! Get them now while you can because they always get back ordered from the supplier around June.
Eddie is out guiding on Sunday in the Salty Dawg and will likely run to Thrasher if the weather is good.
I am back out on the water on Monday and Tuesday. Can’t wait to get back out there, it is prime time for this fishery!
See you at the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli