Vancouver Winter Chinook Report
The winter chinook season is here. The weather will tell you that much; cooler temps, lots of rain, and those low-pressure systems that bring in the SE winds. Good thing it’s a long season and we can pick our days. This weekend looks like a wet one, especially on Sunday, but that’s why the winter chinook angler invests in some good rain gear and layering pieces!
I saw a break in the weather earlier this month and luckily it was on a Sunday, so I grabbed the family and we took off to Lower Howe Sound for some winter chinook fishing. The seas were calm, I was down to a t-shirt, and the fish were biting. We ended up with the 3 in the box and had plenty of time to hit Smitty’s in Gibsons for a bite to eat. Sometimes it all works out, and this was one of those days.
A nice mid-November winter chinook to start the season for the Tonelli family!
The fish seemed to be on the brighter chartreuse gear and the Gibbs Bon Chovy and Lemon Lime flashers with the Yamashita OG140R Chartreuse Splatter Back Hootchy put the meat on the deck as usual. 
The Gibbs Bon Chovy and Lemon Lime flashers with the Yamashita OG140R hootchy is always a top producer for Vancouver winter chinook.
Chatting with my network of the Pacific Angler guides, other Vancouver Sport Fishing Guides Association members, and our regular customers, I am stoked to report the fish are around. There have been legal fish in Vancouver Harbour, off the Fraser Mouth, in lower Howe Sound and in the Gulf Islands. This past week there seemed to be fewer legal fish (62cm or greater) than the 2 previous weeks, but I am sure this will change. It’s very encouraging to see so many juveniles, this bodes well for later in the season and future years.
That’s a wrap for this week’s report, heading off to the Sport Fishing Institute’s Big Splash tonight. Maybe I will see some of you there.
Jason Tonelli