Vancouver Saltwater Salmon & Bottom Fishing Report
One of our favourite times of the year has arrived! May 1st marked the opening of lingcod and rockfish retention in the Gulf Islands. Over the past week we have had the chance to do some bottom fishing across the Strait, and it has been off to a solid start!
One of the most effective ways to target lingcod and rockfish is by jigging. Our go-to method is to thread a snap swivel or slide-o onto our braided mainline where a ball weight can be attached, followed by a bead and swivel. From the other end of the swivel, we attach our leader, which usually consists of 60lb mono, so it stands a better chance against lingcod’s sharp teeth. From there, our favorite jigs are the 4oz Gibbs Power Paddles. Gear aside, the most important part of jigging is the action itself! I find the most effective technique is to lower until you tap bottom, reel up a couple cranks, and proceed to do sharp and quick jigging motions up, followed by a slow and controlled drop. A lot of the strikes are typically on the way down, so if you just let it free fall, you often miss getting a good hook set.
Some solid Lings falling for the Power Paddles.
A productive time to target bottom fish is near slack tide. Less current means you’ll have more time over top of structure without drifting away, and you’ll also have a much easier time finding bottom at some of those deeper spots, especially if you’re using lighter jigs.
A big Copper Rockfish from this past week!
Remember to always have a descending device while targeting bottom fish as rockfish will experience barotrauma if brought up from the deep. Every now and then you’ll encounter Yellow Eye Rockfish which need to be released, and this can’t be done without some form of descending device. We use the SeaQualizer, which can be clipped to the cannon ball on your downrigger to lower the fish or clipped to a heavy ball weight on your rod.
Good luck out there!
Jake Comrie