Alberni sockeye

We fished 20 to 90 feet (alternating depths) As did everyone else. Tried all my tackle. Not even a bite. I have fished Alberni for at least 15 years and the last 3 years its been a waste of time. Why is that? Last year we counted 52 commercial boats from Pill Point to China Creek. But we hear the same tune every year. I am sure the wise decisions that are made on our behalf when sitting down with all parties doesn't take into account what we (sporties) contribute to Port ALberni businesses. But it don't seem to matter. It is a shame to destroy a prime spot like the Canal by not fishing BUT harvesting.

lets see 80 to 100 boats. at least.......4 to 6 fish.... how much does that work out per fish ????????????
 
I drove by the fish cleaning station in Alberni. I saw one fellow cleaning a fish so small it could have been bait. It's not looking good.
 
I dont know where your facts are coming from, Searun, but just for the heck of it, See how many sockeye came in yesterday by sporties. Today, out of the 60-80 boats out from Lone Tree to Nahmint we heard MAYBE 4-6 fish caught. So when you are suggesting "there are plenty fish around" you must be the only fisherman that knows how to catch sockeye and the rest of us dont. You cannot catch whats not there. And for the sporties they are not there.

I read the weekly technical reports from DFO and talk with our guys who are representing the rec sector nearly every day. The facts are you can't catch fish because they are swimming straight into the river. Even the commercial guys are having great difficulty getting their fish. The pattern is the fish are coming in fast moving waves, making it extremely difficult to get on top of them and target fish. The only guys knocking them dead are the FN guys fishing the river. Its simply a case of the fish are going directly into the river and not holding up where you can catch them on sport gear. If you read the technical data there are slightly more fish that have gone past the counters in the river than was forecast for this time. Also in the report is the pattern in years where the run will predominantly be comprised of 4 year olds, the bulk of the run tends to show up mid July. So we will have to wait and see if the current forecast (now downgraded to 1.3 million form 1.6 million) is correct.

To make matters worse, the water in the inlet remains cold (16 - 20 degrees). We need warmer water to slow the migration down (ie. +20 degrees). As long is the water remains cool, there is no impediment to migration into the river. Pray for hot weather!!

If you have been fishing Alberni sockeye for 20 years, then I suppose you will then remember this is precisely the same pattern that took place when 1.2 million swam right past everyone into the river - that year the commercial guys hired the FN guys to help catch their quota.

So far the evidence is there are lots of fish - we just need some hot weather to slow them down.

If you want to start getting all the technical reports, come join the Area 23 SFAC and get on the mail list. The tech report is way too long to post, but if you want a copy just pm me with your e-mail and I would be happy to send it along.
 
I drove by the fish cleaning station in Alberni. I saw one fellow cleaning a fish so small it could have been bait. It's not looking good.

LOL!
Escapement and FN catches looking On Track.
Commercial Ladz up and down.
Sporties On and Off.
Latest "outside" test sets indicating a predominance of smaller fish & jacks.

Not even July yet... ;)

Poised... :cool:

Cheers,
Nog
 
I read the weekly technical reports from DFO and talk with our guys who are representing the rec sector nearly every day. The facts are you can't catch fish because they are swimming straight into the river. Even the commercial guys are having great difficulty getting their fish. The pattern is the fish are coming in fast moving waves, making it extremely difficult to get on top of them and target fish. The only guys knocking them dead are the FN guys fishing the river. Its simply a case of the fish are going directly into the river and not holding up where you can catch them on sport gear. If you read the technical data there are slightly more fish that have gone past the counters in the river than was forecast for this time. Also in the report is the pattern in years where the run will predominantly be comprised of 4 year olds, the bulk of the run tends to show up mid July. So we will have to wait and see if the current forecast (now downgraded to 1.3 million form 1.6 million) is correct.

To make matters worse, the water in the inlet remains cold (16 - 20 degrees). We need warmer water to slow the migration down (ie. +20 degrees). As long is the water remains cool, there is no impediment to migration into the river. Pray for hot weather!!

If you have been fishing Alberni sockeye for 20 years, then I suppose you will then remember this is precisely the same pattern that took place when 1.2 million swam right past everyone into the river - that year the commercial guys hired the FN guys to help catch their quota.

So far the evidence is there are lots of fish - we just need some hot weather to slow them down.

If you want to start getting all the technical reports, come join the Area 23 SFAC and get on the mail list. The tech report is way too long to post, but if you want a copy just pm me with your e-mail and I would be happy to send it along.

Good to hear the facts Sir, you bring balance to this discussion. More will come!
 
Its easy to get itchy feet. I'm no different, but keep needing to remind myself as NOG wisely says...its not July yet! My biggest worry is really that the water in the river and canal doesn't warm up enough to slow those fish down and we have another year like 2011 (I think that was the year they rocketed into the river on a 1.2 million fish return). The other way to look at it is this bodes well for getting a lot of spawners in the lake...great if you are a fish looking for sex.
 
Thanks searun for shedding some light on this. This same discussion happens every year early in the sockeye season and the answer is and always will be the same. Water conditions have to be right to hook socks in the inlet. Be patient young grasshoppers. A July like last year and you will be sick of sockeye by the 15th...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Searun how does one go about getting on the mailing list?
thank you for any help.

If you pm me with your e-mail address, I will ask our Chair to add you to the Area 23 list.

Fingers crossed for HOT weather. All this cold rain ain't helping.
 
We're out here at china creek and and this will be day 2 of no sox, only catch we've seen are from guys running out to bamfield area.
 
FYI

Somass_Sockeye_Bulletin_4.jpg
 
without pulling out the calculator, seems like a few in the lakes and the rest that aren't are destined for a net of some kind???
 
Painfully slow today...lots of rain so the fish are ripping right into the river. Test seine boat was getting a few, but not big numbers from what I could see.
 
talked to FN fellow who claimed they got 5000 last week gill netting. Seems like a lot but I don't know what a usual haul would be for one of the guys in the canal.
 
All the round table talks ,corridors and assigned pieces for a supposed monitored and accountable fn fishery don't mean squat for the rec sector if the water conditions weather and fish don't align early enough for us. Why is that you ask. Because sox are not on the priority access list to rec fishing. they are a commercial fish by agreement. This means that we do not get much of a realistic shot on years wen fishing is tough to begin with. Once the fish school up and hold, and if enough calender days have passed it will go straight into a commercial mop up and that will leave little opportunity for the rec fleet to realize any glimpse of what we had all hoped for on a run estimate of this size. The next 2 weeks will tell the story but I think enough time has gone by that the big fleet will dampen any chance of consistent off the wall fishing we had hoped for.

This would not bother me so much if DFO did not let FN and commercial fleet hammer the crap out of the springs (which are a rec fish by agreement) on the years where numbers would provide for very good fishing . Seen it too many years in a row over there in Port. Always a reason like weather or unpredicted success rates to justify it at the end of the year. Left a bad taste in my mouth and I don't even go over much anymore as it is always the same. Hope this year turns out differently but I doubt it.

On a positive note: 3 weeks till I do make my Julia pass trip. But that is for another thread. Good luck to those who go give the sox a try. Hope they stack up for you.
 
After reading all this stuff so far, I don't even care if I get over there or not...

Sadly they don't care if you come or not either. The folks in port have never done much to stand up and fight for the lucrative business a good rec fishery provides that town. Before I get flamed by some of the local guys I want to be clear I mean the port chamber and the com unity on a whole. Not the few of you that try.
 
Have any of you guys ever wondered why it seems only in the last 4 or 5 years with great numbers of sockeye returning that we talk about why the fish just seem to run straight up river and into the lakes ,why didn't they before ?? Is it because weather has changed so much over the years with colder water temp coming from the lakes ,lots of snow melt ,lots of rain ?? ,sure isn't any of that this year ,hardly any measurable rain fall since April ,snow has been off the mountains since March, I'm thinking that there is a another reason that the rivers are still high and cold and it isn't all to do with Mother Nature . Does anybody know who monitors the flow of water out of Elsie lake into Great Central lake and who monitors the flow out of Great Central lake into the Stamp river ? I know it use to be B.c hydro but I thought it changed hands about 5 or 6 years ago to the FN . The reason I'm asking is the first week of June I watched Elsie lakes water level drop 10 feet in 6 days ,so someone is cranking the tap open to flood the river system and drive the sockeye straight through and straight into the river, I'm just wondering who is in charge of the dam at Great Central ,and if it is the FN now I know why the fish are being driven straight into the river system ,I don't have all the facts but I am curious to find out what's really happening
 
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