2012 Vancouver, Howe sound and Sunshine coast reports thread

[mikeyman]

One hit for us, a 22lb red. Didn't see any action from the other boats, seems really spotty still.

[salmon slayer]

Yes it was. Next week i am heading over to Barkley for a week.

[Blackmax]

One hit for us, a 22lb red. Didn't see any action from the other boats, seems really spotty still.

For local Vancouver a 22lb salmon is not spotty,thats a great day out for most of us. I think its time for me to get the boat back in the water.

[stones93]

here is an email update I recieve......

The PREDATOR'S PEN Date: August 7th/2012.

An update of the local saltwater fishing scene for Vancouver To : Saltwater Angler

By: David Korsch (Predator Charters)
E-mail: davek@dccnet.com Web Site: www.predatorcharters.com
Phone: (604) 329 - 8642
http://twitter.com/salmonfishdave

Hello Fellow Anglers

After the Gabriola fishery slowed down significantly in early July, we had a pretty slow stretch of fishing, and that’s the reason it has been so long between newsletters. There was the odd Chinook taken from Hole in the Wall, and off Pt. Grey, but that was about it. Basically nothing worth while writing about. The only run that is actually a little worrisome is the Squamish Chinook. They just seemed to be around in much smaller numbers that we would have expected. They are starting to capture some brood stock now at the Porteau Cove site, so hopefully it was just the weather pattern from the spring that messed up their timing etc.... Slow coho fishing early in the run was easily explained by the high water levels in the Capilano River (they all went straight up).

Finally we have seen water levels in the Capilano River dry up, and the Coho numbers have built up significantly off West Vancouver. In fact, we are seeing some of the best Coho fishing in recent years, and hooking double digit numbers of fish is pretty common. While there are a few of those “Capilano runts” around, most are very respectably sized (5 to 7 lbs.), and every day we are landing fish in the 8 to 9 lb. class.......definitely a bonus for this fishery where fish in the 3 to 5 lb. class have been the norm over the past few years. For a couple days late last week the bite was smokin’ hot up until 9:00 or so, then it would die off until a short bite during the afternoon tide change, but this pattern has changed over the last couple days. The bite has been spread out for basically the whole morning, and the afternoon bite has become very hot at times. The main issue with potentially fishing in the afternoon is that the NW wind can pound into West Vancouver in the afternoon hours. Luckily that weather pattern changed on Sunday, and conditions look like they should be good for both morning and afternoon trips most of this week. In addition to the Coho, there are a few Chinook ranging from 15 to 35 lbs. in the mix.

We should begin to see more Chinook being taken off the mouth of the Fraser or around the Pt. Grey Bell Buoy in the near future. Looking for Chinook off the Fraser earlier in the summer wasn’t a productive prospect, as water levels were so high that the fish were entering the river as soon as they arrived. Now that water levels are getting back to normal we should begin to find the fishing in these areas will also get back to normal.

The big question of this summer is about Sockeye. There has been no announced opening for a saltwater recreational fishery for this species as of yet, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we will have an opening announced within the next few days. In comparing the test catch results with previous years, I am cautiously optimistic, and the next few days will determine whether or not we will get an opportunity to fish for them. It is looking like the summer run stocks (main ones we fish for most years) are tracking more than two times higher than the 2008 results (brood year for this year’s run), but this is only comparing the tests catches for the first 6 days of August in both the Johnstone St. and Juan de Fuca approaches to the Fraser. Four years ago, the test results in these areas completely “tanked” about now, so if we see continued good catches over the next few days it will indicate that this years return is significantly stronger than it was four years ago. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!!!!!!

In addition, it is also time to start thinking about the Capilano Chinook fishery. It has been starting in the last week of August the last couple years, and it is peaking in mid-September. Last year we had one of the strongest returns of 3 year old Chinook (generally 15 to 19 lbs.) in the past decade, and that bodes well for a very strong return of 4 year old fish (generally mid 20’s) for this fall. It is a flood tide fishery, so the time of your trip will depend on what the tides are doing that day. If possible, try to avoid the weekends, as the crowds make fishing much harder, and the bite typically slows due to the heavy fishing pressure.

[capt hook]

So far this year in Vancouver area has been a bust , but thats FISHING....
Being from a 100 yr plus commercial fishing family here on west coast , i learned a few things ,
one is late fish dont ever show. so dont hold your breath waiting for them.
However as Dave just posted , we do have our own little gem fishery with the late Cap chinook.
We now need to lobby DFO and start getting some new genetics into the river ....eg. reds
I do look forward to a good late August September chinook fishery.
Tight lines everyone and remember ......right hand to the beach has the right of way.
It's a good rule coast wide and works well.

[cowboygregg]

sage advice, captain.

[Old Seadog]

So far this year in Vancouver area has been a bust , but thats FISHING....
Being from a 100 yr plus commercial fishing family here on west coast , i learned a few things ,
one is late fish dont ever show. so dont hold your breath waiting for them.
However as Dave just posted , we do have our own little gem fishery with the late Cap chinook.
We now need to lobby DFO and start getting some new genetics into the river ....eg. reds
I do look forward to a good late August September chinook fishery.
Tight lines everyone and remember ......right hand to the beach has the right of way.
It's a good rule coast wide and works well.

YES......That is a very good rule and it works.....Thanks
Keep those lines tight.....

[Red Monster]

...not at the Cap.

[sir-vivor]

So far this year in Vancouver area has been a bust , but thats FISHING....
Being from a 100 yr plus commercial fishing family here on west coast , i learned a few things ,
one is late fish dont ever show. so dont hold your breath waiting for them.
However as Dave just posted , we do have our own little gem fishery with the late Cap chinook.
We now need to lobby DFO and start getting some new genetics into the river ....eg. reds
I do look forward to a good late August September chinook fishery.
Tight lines everyone and remember ......right hand to the beach has the right of way.
It's a good rule coast wide and works well.

You are kidding right ? , you tell me if I'm right hand to the beach with u coming towards me slightly off my port side and I make a port side turn , that I have the right of way and works, your kidding for sure right ???

This might be a good rule to keep in mind if your heading into a head on bow collision but other than that maybe everyone should know the proper procedure and always give a bigger vessel a WIDER BERTH

Be safe and let's catch fish

[fortyfour]

well after a slow 2 weeks waiting for the wave of summer run chinooks to start running through the Galiano area we had a pretty great day today on the water. fished for 5hrs this morning from 6-11 with only 1 bite that yielded a beauty 27# white ended up going back out at around 4 pm and had an unreal epic battle with a 33# red in the middle of a 360 degree lightning storm with hail and a sunset all at the same time. This Tyee put up an unbelievable fight we were very lucky to land it. It was a long torpedo measuring 40.5 inches with a 25 inch waist. Fish went around the other rigger cable but with a quick rod manouver between the boat and cable and a serious tug o war to get it coming to the side of the boat and a few dashes under the boat and almost catching the line around the leg he finally turned his head over and with one swift long reach of the net we got him. fish was down 88ft in over 300ft of water. at least a 30 min battle for the smoked salmon.

cheers