Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Reports
Well it finally does feel like winter chinook season now. Halloween has come and gone, the docks are frosting up at night, and you can see your breath in the morning as you head out in the darkness of 7:30 am. As per usual, the fish are moving around a lot, here one day, gone the next, as they search our local waters for herring and anchovy.
There have been a few fish up in Howe Sound, we haven’t heard much from Vancouver Harbour, and there have been a few fish over in the Gulf Islands. Prawning has been decent as well, and remember to release all egg bound females.
A couple of Eddie’s go to setups for early season winter chinook.
As per usual, keep your gear relatively close to the bottom. The water is fairly clear in the winter and the bait fish usually stay close to bottom in an effort to hide from predators like birds and salmon. Unfortunately for them, the chinook can easily intercept them at these deeper depths. Be prepared to fish deep, with 18 pound cannonballs being the norm, not the exception, and make sure you have at least 300 feet of cable or braid on your rigger. Flashers and spoons are the go to as the popular glow finishes work well down deep where it is dark and you can troll fast and cover a lot of water with artificial vs. bait.
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli