2017 Chinook Salmon - how was your season ?

[scott craven]

With the Chinook season starting to wind down, I thought it would be interesting to rate your season,
Show location first followed by :
1) Excellent
2) Good
3)Average
4) Poor

 

[scott craven]

Oak Bay/Victoria
Average to poor
April/May there were some good days with a few limit days
Overall size down with average around 12 lbs.
it really tailed off in Late July/August.

 

[CIVANO]

Port Renfrew
Slow first trip in July
On fire August 15th trip. 4 of us got 8 one afternoon 15-25#

 

[advTHXance]

West coast of Haida Gwaii June/July/August

Fishing started off great in June but tapered off pretty rapidly as soon as the commercial troll fishery opened up. Halibut fishing was good-to-great most days up there. Chickens were a dime a dozen and almost every guest that wanted their turkeys got them. The weather was pretty crazy at times - lots of wind, rain and high seas. I wore my sunglasses more for protection from the rain than the sun.

 

[RiverBoy]

Campbell River
good to excellent
i found the fish are really going deeper and deeper following the bait.
my WCVI experience not so rosy. my annual mid july trip was a disaster with only two smallish chinook caught in three hard days fishing. Bamfield late August considerably better, but i am concerned about WCVI.

 

[tinboatrobb]

Late August. McCauley point. 4 fish on one weekend. So far 6 fish in the boat this year. Poor

 

[RogersonCrusoe]

Sidney.
Winter fishing until May was awesome. After that, poor. Many skunk trips for me with the biggest being 14 pounds. There were a couple weeks in July that were amazing for some, but I was on holiday

 

[Chovy1]

Spent most of my time around Cliffe Pt. in WH. Late June and July was really good quite a few limit days. Fishing started slowing down in August. Got plenty for the freezer. Some beautiful days out on the water out there. It's not always about the kill count. Rather be sitting on a boat fishing, than sitting on a boat working! Can't complain though at least it's not an office.

 

[SteelyDan]

Good

 

[Tangled]

Comox to Campbell river
Good to very good
Limits on most trips may until yesterday

 

[ILHG]

Northern Haida Gwaii - Mid June: Very slow, had to work hard and only caught small feeders. I didn't know Salmon came that small up there. No mignatory fish at us spots. However the Hali fishing was Excellent.

Western Haida Gwaii - Mid June: Chinook fishing was great at times but not much for real size. Lots of cookie cutters. Very early Coho that we're showing up ~7lbs. Hali fishing was Excellent


My summary is that the northern parts of Haida Gwaii were rough. It's been 2 seasons in a row with below average days in the the northern waters for me. Don't get me wrong I still got limits and loved every second of it. Just gave me that terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that things are not as they should be.

Halibut fishing was A+. Caught big Halibut and never spent more than -15 min with out a fish. However I went deep this year. (~600'). Honestly my Hali fishing was over before it began. I don't like to release Halibut so kept what was legal. Just blessed with the size. Smallest over was 40lbs & biggest was 70lbs.

 

[Prairie Locked]

Area 14-13, I'd say overall was good to excellent.

 

[profisher]

May-June -good
1st Half July- poor and windy
2nd half July - good
August - good to excellent
I have to admit my late summer success is due to having some gear that is dialed in. I can't remember when I fished all 3 rods with the exact same flasher and teaser head colours...the hot combination was so hot I had no choice but to run all of them the same. It has made for some quick August trips.

 

[Whitebuck]

Ilovehaidagwaii, how many days on the water did you actually do up north?

 

[ILHG]

Ilovehaidagwaii, how many days on the water did you actually do up north?

It was 9 days I believe. (I know 8 for sure)It was 2 separate trips

That said my season review was for a small window of the year.

 

[Gear'n'beer!]

Area 19 was pretty poor for me for salmon. Very good for halibut to be honest. I'm new to fishing waterfront as I have moored in sooke since I moved down here and am doing something different as a lifestyle choice. I can fish before work, go to work, and fish afterwards but it has been a bit tough for me. I do know guys who have done well but it sure isn't me.....which is hard for a guy who used to guide in CR, knights and tofino.

 

[Chero]

May-June -good
1st Half July- poor and windy
2nd half July - good
August - good to excellent
I have to admit my late summer success is due to having some gear that is dialed in. I can't remember when I fished all 3 rods with the exact same flasher and teaser head colours...the hot combination was so hot I had no choice but to run all of them the same. It has made for some quick August trips.

Agree with Profisher August was excellent once dialed in, I went from 51/2 ft leader back to the old 7 ft leader for chovies and was getting into fish consistently close to filling license for the first time in years. A little harder netting fish solo but is worth the trouble. Coho fishing as a bycatch has been poor though when previous years were better and that was probably due to the shorter leaders with bait. Spent 3 weeks at Pedder Bay in the 5 th wheel and I must say that the staff are awesome despite being extremely busy. Crabbing for the most part has been poor for me though.

 

[michael_reiber]

Ladysmith/Gulf Islands: May and June there was excellent fishing.

Bamfield: Late June fishing was good

Overall we had a great season

 

[Whitebuck]

Great thread

 

[tubber]

Ukee: good, but below average for there, for me. I actually didn't mind honing a few things.