We had a few slower days late last week with the Orcas making their fall rounds off the Fraser and seine boats pushing fish around off the South Arm. Luckily things picked up substantially on Saturday and Sunday and early in the week it was great fishing for chinook off the South Arm and decent at the T-10 as well.
A solid catch of chinook from a South Arm trip earlier this week.
So far, the Cap Mouth has been slow and particularly slow earlier in the week. It did perk up a bit the last 3 days, but usually we have seen a larger push of chinook to the Cap by now. It looks like there is a lot of rain in the forecast for next week, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Sometimes the low-pressure systems really gather the chinook off the river mouth, but too much rain and they can shoot right up the river.
If you are fishing the Cap Mouth, remember the rotation of boats is right rod to the rocks. So, if you are looking at West Van from the water, the rotation of boats would be viewed as counter clockwise. This way on the flood tide you can troll into the current, right rod to the rocks (starboard side), so you are in the zone as long as possible. Do not try and take the inside tack on the fleet of boats with your port side to beach (left rod to the rocks).
A chinook taken off West Van, likely headed to the Cap Mouth.
Keep a keen eye out for commercial traffic while fishing the Cap Mouth as well. Stay well W of the green marker, which is the fishing boundary off the Cap Mouth, when the freighters are coming and going. Also don’t be well offshore when they are around. Best thing to do when the freighters are around is stay close to shore and troll W. If you do this, you will be out of the shipping lane and out of harm’s way. The freighters aren’t there long, so you can return closer to the Cap Mouth in short order.
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli