Vancouver Saltwater Salmon Fishing Report
Well I hope you checked those bilge pumps and float switches like I mentioned in last week’s report! Sure enough the fall monsoons are here. With well over a 100 mm of rain falling this past week, the rivers are up and the last of the migratory salmon are making their way into the local streams. If you want one last kick at the can, I have caught chum and coho in late October down at the South Arm, but for the most part your efforts are likely better spent in the river if you want to chase chinook or coho. Speaking of chum, it looks like we are in for the worst chum return since they started tracking the test sets back in 1995! So if you get a chum out there, probably best to release it at this point. I did get an email from DFO saying to expect chum non-retention notices for non-tidal and tidal portions of the Fraser River later this week, so probably this afternoon. These notices will likely also encompass all tributaries, like the Stave for instance. I am not sure if they will close chum out in area 29-3 and 29-4 off the Fraser Mouth, we will wait and see, the recreational angling pressure out there is almost non-existent this time of year anyways.
So, I know what is on your mind, what about winter chinook? Well there have been a few caught by the eager beavers out there. So if you are looking to get a chinook fix, this is your best bet. There have been some good days actually, just enough to get your hopes up, then a bunch of slower days in between. Well it is only October 18 after all, so you we shouldn’t be too surprised! As usual for this fishery, keep your gear close to the bottom, look for bait, cover water, and don’t wait for the report. These fish move around a lot, so a report that is 48 or 72 hours old is ancient history. I need something to write about this winter, so I am not going to go all in on winter tactics just yet. You will have to wait until November for that. In the meantime, head down to your dock and make sure your boat is still floating after all this rain!
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli