2015 Nanoose Bay / French Creek
- Thread starter rowswell
- Start date
Link to sponge areas, just click map or list and smaller map appears with gps coordinates.
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/protection/sponge_reef-recif_eponge-eng.html
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/protection/sponge_reef-recif_eponge-eng.html
Oly1
Well-Known Member
Hey Seafever, just to clarify a little. The closure is only for bottom contact fishing.
"Fisheries and Oceans Canada has implemented fishing closures to protect nine glass sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound. Commercial and recreational bottom-contact fishing is prohibited within 150 metres of all nine glass sponge reefs."
Hope this helps.
"Fisheries and Oceans Canada has implemented fishing closures to protect nine glass sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound. Commercial and recreational bottom-contact fishing is prohibited within 150 metres of all nine glass sponge reefs."
Hope this helps.
Seafever
Well-Known Member
The one in Parksville seems to be located out deeper between Englishman River mouth and just about up to French Creek marina going by their chart.
All sand bottom there mostly......had no idea there was a Glass Sponge reef in that location.
But then again I['ve often wanted to take a little mini-submarine tour around these parts just to see what's going on in certain places......
All sand bottom there mostly......had no idea there was a Glass Sponge reef in that location.
But then again I['ve often wanted to take a little mini-submarine tour around these parts just to see what's going on in certain places......
Trolling no problem, you can jig there too as long as you don't contact bottom.
Out last night off Winchelsea. Bonked 2 -10 pounders and .......let a number of larger ones "go". Had 2 complete newbies out and it was great fun to get fish in their hands (but getting fish into the boat had it's challenges Very small needlefish bait in tight to the island.
Very small needlefish bait in tight to the island.
Good catching up with u yesterday...glad u did well
Thanks Derek
Was back with same gang last night, went 2/5 jigging. My newbies seem to like lifting the fishes heads out of the water just beyond net reach. Makes for interesting conversation after when 20 pounders exit stage right
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Fished French Creek yesterday from about 1pm until 8pm....
Extremely slow day. (For us, anyway)
Not much seen on fishfinder all day. Almost thought there was something wrong with my Lowrance...although there wasn't.
Tried all the "go-to's", different depths etc etc etc.
Green Splatter back hoochy got an undersize.
Later on decided to switch to plugs..
Caught an undersize on a 5 inch straight glow Tomic, 230ft of downrigger line out in 200 ft of water going 4 mph.
Had a #602 on the other side but nothing on that.
Glow plug was a Tomic with a glow body that I just removed all the paint so it was pure glow.
Worst day of fishing this year......
A guy at the dock that just pulled in said he got a couple of nice ones at Ballenas, jigging. Said, find the baitballs and your good.
Extremely slow day. (For us, anyway)
Not much seen on fishfinder all day. Almost thought there was something wrong with my Lowrance...although there wasn't.
Tried all the "go-to's", different depths etc etc etc.
Green Splatter back hoochy got an undersize.
Later on decided to switch to plugs..
Caught an undersize on a 5 inch straight glow Tomic, 230ft of downrigger line out in 200 ft of water going 4 mph.
Had a #602 on the other side but nothing on that.
Glow plug was a Tomic with a glow body that I just removed all the paint so it was pure glow.
Worst day of fishing this year......
A guy at the dock that just pulled in said he got a couple of nice ones at Ballenas, jigging. Said, find the baitballs and your good.
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Tried french creek hump again this morning 7:30 - 10:30. Again dead calm 1st hour out then wind shifted and got a little rough. Afew marks up high or near bottom during the first hour with the odd small bait ball thrown in then nothing. Like seafever, tried everything but just a couple light taps for the effort.
hedgehog
Member
I was out yesterday at the crack of dawn using cream/green combinations. Had 3 in the first 1/2 hour but none made it into the boat. All were small possibly coho. Of course the one that did make it to the boat was a dog fish. After the rush there was not a thing then the motor started acting up so headed back. I was fishing at 150 - 170' in around 250' of water traveling at about 2.5mph.
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Fished around Winchelsea area on Monday from 1 pm until 8:30 pm. Missed the low slack but fished through the high.
Flat calm water all day.
Continued our basic skunk-fest........3 in a row now.
Caught a few really small undersize Chinooks and a few really small Coho. all released.
Tried jigging and trolling. Tried all sorts of tackle.
Marked more activity on the finder between 1 and 4 p.m............after that it steadily declined until by 7 pm it seemed a wasteland.
Tried depths from 20ft to 200ft.
Not eating enough bananas I guess........
Flat calm water all day.
Continued our basic skunk-fest........3 in a row now.
Caught a few really small undersize Chinooks and a few really small Coho. all released.
Tried jigging and trolling. Tried all sorts of tackle.
Marked more activity on the finder between 1 and 4 p.m............after that it steadily declined until by 7 pm it seemed a wasteland.
Tried depths from 20ft to 200ft.
Not eating enough bananas I guess........
Someday
Active Member
I must have been marking whales on my fish finder the other day. I have never seen such long marks pass by. I counted 7 in total. I was in 700 feet of water and they were down 400. It was like watching Wicked Tuna, only they didn't bite. Much like all the other fish we have been marking but not biting. The dogs are definitely back in town..
hedgehog
Member
Once again I was out at the crack of dawn off French Creek. A tad smoky out there, couldn't even see land most of the time, however the water was nice and flat. I tried half a dozen different spoons, and several hootchies, not even a hit, not even a dog fish. Fished from 80' to 220' - nothing. Some fish on top which I assume were coho. The only thing I caught was one line on the other, drat. All and all is was a nice morning to be out if only for a few hours. Next time!
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Fished Winchelsea area Sunday afternoon.
Water was pretty calm. Smoke haze made the whole afternoon really strange. Could still see for quite a distance though.
Low slack was 2:40 pm.
Things picked up around 4 pm. Nothing trolling so went to jigs. Landed one 9lb'er keeper, had another one on much bigger but it threw the jig in a spectacular jump. Had other smaller ones on.
Quite a bit of activity on finder from about 4 to 7 pm .....with some very big symbols appearing now and then in shallow water (50ft).
Jigs were 5 inch black/white Spinnow......(repainted to "Cop Car"this worked best) and also a 4 inch black/white "Cop Car" home-painted jig.
Before I left the house I thought of going to Ballenas........and that's where I should have gone in retrospect.
A woman at the dock who just got back from there said it was absolutely smokin' hot (no pun intended).
Baitballs everywhere and everybody was getting nice fish. She didn't say if they were jigging or trolling though......
Water was pretty calm. Smoke haze made the whole afternoon really strange. Could still see for quite a distance though.
Low slack was 2:40 pm.
Things picked up around 4 pm. Nothing trolling so went to jigs. Landed one 9lb'er keeper, had another one on much bigger but it threw the jig in a spectacular jump. Had other smaller ones on.
Quite a bit of activity on finder from about 4 to 7 pm .....with some very big symbols appearing now and then in shallow water (50ft).
Jigs were 5 inch black/white Spinnow......(repainted to "Cop Car"this worked best) and also a 4 inch black/white "Cop Car" home-painted jig.
Before I left the house I thought of going to Ballenas........and that's where I should have gone in retrospect.
A woman at the dock who just got back from there said it was absolutely smokin' hot (no pun intended).
Baitballs everywhere and everybody was getting nice fish. She didn't say if they were jigging or trolling though......
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