Vancouver Salmon Fishing Report, September 2nd, 2022
Well, it’s official. The Sep 1 chinook opening was very good! Our guide boats did very well opening day and we had multiple reports from customers who also were into a lot of fish. It was decent at the Bell Buoy for those who kept it close to the harbour, Iona Jetty down to T-10 was good and South Arm, aka Sand Heads, was excellent.
I just checked in with our guides this morning and it sounds like the fishing was very good again today. How long will it last? That’s hard to say. Currently there is a mix of red and white springs. At our cleaning table it seems to be about 50/50 so far. The run of reds usually peaks late in the third week of August, so by next week we will definitely see fewer reds and more whites. The peak of the run for the white chinook, headed to the Harrison and Vedder/Chilliwack, occurs about mid-September. That means there are plenty more fish on the way. These fall run fish are some of the biggest of the year and there are always a few Tyees encountered in September, so be ready. Fishing should be good for a few weeks yet, but if the rains show up and the orcas move in, that will change in a hurry. So far there is little to no rain in the 14-day forecast so that is good.
Some nice Fraser mouth chinook from this morning!
A few tips on hooking up Fraser mouth chinook. First off, they like bait. Show up with some anchovies and smaller herring, brined up and ready to go. I really like fishing herring in a Rhys Davis Anchovy Classic teaser head for the red size, aka small, and a Rhys Davis Bullet Roll teaser head for the green size aka small/med. These have a deadly roll and do as well or better than anchovies in my opinion. You also get a few more per pack in most cases, and at a few bucks a bite, that can add up. It is not uncommon to go through 2-4 packs of bait on a good day off the Fraser, so bring lots. I like a salt brine and then I will take some of the brined bait and put them in a Ziploc add some Pro Cure Chartreuse Bait Brine to really make the baits stand out.
5.5 inch anchovies on the left, fish well in a Rhys Davis Anchovy Classic head. The small herring on the right fish well in the same teaser head and if you want a slower roll, give those herring a try in the Rhys Davis Bullet Roll. Deadly!!!
Secondly, these fish are shallow. After fishing 250-300 on the riggers the past 6 weeks over at Entrance, it’s nice to be fishing shallow. Hot depths on the riggers are 25-70 with 37, 47, and 57 being some of my favorite if I am running 3 riggers. If I am stacking, I will run a 20 to 25 foot spread and run 57 and 67. The odd day you will find fish deeper in the 70’s or 80’s but usually shallow is the way to go. These fish are up in the top part of the water column, getting used to that fresh water and trying to smell their way to the mouth of the river. They aren’t on the bottom feeding on all that bait you see on your sonar.
Some of the top producing gear.
Above is a picture of some top producing flashers and teaser heads. On my shallower rods I like flashers that have more UV and reflective qualities, no glow needed. The first three from left to right are great choices. Twisted Sista, Betsy, and Derby Winner. On my deeper rods I like chartreuse and green flashers with some glow on one side and reflective tape on the other. The other three flashers in the picture from right to left are Lemon Lime, STS, and Salty Dawg. Pair these flashers up with some chrome teaser heads on the top rods and glow green or glow chartreuse teaser heads on your bottom rods and you will do well. For leader length I like a 6 foot leader of 30 pound test.
These past few seasons I have been running tandem 4/0 singles, no trebles, and love it. I have found my hook up to landing ratio is about the same. I will never go back to the trebles. They are a real pain when releasing smaller fish or wild coho. They also get caught up in the net. I find with the single hooks I can release fish easier, faster, with less damage to the fish and no tangles in the net. That all adds up to getting my gear back in the water faster, and that means more fish on the line. It’s a win for the fish and for the fisherman, give it a try….
Quick coho report. It’s been good off West Van for coho, so if you get your chinook limit, head on over for some coho action. Adam got a limit of chinook and then a limit of coho today, all before noon! Check out our Instagram for the photos @pacificanglersportfishing
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli