Vancouver Winter Chinook Fishing Report
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! Those who have found the time to get on the water sure have been enjoying the great winter chinook fishing around Vancouver. The fishing this past week has been excellent, with lots of fish right in Vancouver Harbour and Howe Sound as well.
On our recent trips we have kept close to home as there really hasn’t been the need to leave the Harbour. There are fish along West Van from the Cap Mouth up towards the Pink Apartment, out in the middle of the freighters and along the Mile Markers and the Bell Buoy.
Lower and upper Howe Sound have also been very good, so at this point, pick a spot and they all seem to be holding fish this year. I feel like every year the winter chinook fishing keeps getting better and I have to say it again this year, it’s some of the best I have ever seen. The pure biomass of chinook out there is undeniable, and although there are chinook stocks of concerns in some areas, the ones that frequent our waters in the winter are clearly doing very well again this year. A lot of these fish are hatchery chinook from WA and the unmarked ones are likely hatchery as well, from our local hatcheries. Mark rate on most days has been at least 50% and if BC clipped all their chinook the mark rate right now would be closer to 80%.
You know the fishing is excellent when you come back with 8 winter chinook! Clearly the hatchery programs are working well and ocean survival and productivity in local waters is on the uptrend!
For productive gear, not much has changed from last week’s report. The green and chartreuse Gibbs and Oki flashers with glow tape have been outstanding. In particular STS, Salty Dawg, Lemon Lime, Chartreuse Phantom, and Green Onion Glow to name a few. For spoons, the Skinny G and Kingfisher spoons in 3.0 and 3.5 have been excellent. Again, sticking with the green and chartreuse shades with glow on them such as Irish Cream, Trailhead, Outfitter, and Yes Bananas (glow back).
If you want some advice on some spots to try and what to use, stop by the shop for some friendly, expert advice. We have our Boxing Day Sale on right now and there are some great savings on all your favorite saltwater gear. There are some nice jackets and bibs on sale if you need to get some new winter gear.
If you can’t make it down, you can now shop online! Our sale items are in store only at this point, but look for some clearance deals online in the first week of January for the online shoppers
See you in the shop or on the water,
Jason Tonelli