Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing
With the big full moon this past week, anglers on the salt have probably noticed big tide swings and short bite windows. Many anglers will notice that this bite window coincides with the top and bottom slack when the tide starts to back off and push less water, allowing easier hunting by the salmon.
You may be seeing arcs and bait while wondering why you aren’t getting them, only to hit a few quickly, then die off again. This is usually right around the slacking tide changes, something that seasoned anglers have experienced before. Making sure your gear is down and fishing properly will be key during these short windows, so check your gear often for any smaller under-sized fish that may have latched on. If fishing plugs, make sure they are tuned and fishing right.
This week should also be the start of the herring spawn in False Creek, allowing anglers a short reprieve from the common winter depths. The fish are still often found near or along the bottom, but depths can start to shallow up. Experimenting along different contour lines can often be the key, with anglers only a hundred yards or so away being on top of fish while others aren’t. S
Small to mediums spoons, along with hoochies can be the trick for this fishery, as the mature herring are usually a little larger than the more common baits found throughout the winter.
Bumping up to 3.0 from 2.5 sized spoons may be an option, as well as running your standard hoochies. While most of the time we do encourage smaller spoons, this would be the time to see if larger ones will be eaten.
The water is still pretty clear, with the Fraser melt not quite happening yet. Glow/UV combo flashers are a good choice, along with Kone-Zones for those who like to fish ‘naked’. Green, Chartreuse, Purple, and Herring-Aide flashers are all great choices, with popular options being (but not limited to) Madi, Chartreuse UV/Glow, CB-55, and Salty Dawgs. That said, experiment and see which combinations work for you.
A successful sunny day on the water earlier this week for Mike and crew!
Prawning has continued to be good to great for those dropping traps, with mixed reports on the crabbing front. Dropping traps for shellfish can be a great option for those hoping to get a full seafood feast of salmon, crabs, and prawns. With lots of different trap options for both prawns/shrimp and crabs, come on into the shop and let one of our expert staff help walk you through the various options. With stackable and foldable options, this can be a great bonus to a day on the water.
As we near the midway period of March, remember that license renewal is April 1st, but can be done a few days before.