2021 Vancouver-Howe Sound-Sechelt Reports Thread

[Ringo]

ya well as the guy off sooke who caught a 40+ off of 30'. you never know. i fish gower at 30'. i caught a spring maybe 16lbs. a 20 at salmon rock or home island. another 16' 200 feet of water with my son on anchovy. we landed it. springs can be anywhere. stay away from the pack and troll. i caught the spring with my son at 120'. another we lost 100' in shoal channel in the middle of no where. regs were closed. springs are anywhere. set your rigger 70' to 120'. youre fishing thrasher set it at 180' go out into 600'. ill post the pic if you want me to.

A pic would be awesome.
have you ever pulled out 20+lbs at the hump in March? I heard many years ago that some monster chinook were caught there in early spring, even a halibut I heard. What’s your experience with that area? Would help us save on gas and stay closer to the harbor if there’s tyee in there before the closures kick in.

 

[Ringo]

They could have been stuck there from the fall, tangled in braid that someone threw overboard.

Yeah. That’s a possibility for sure. Also some Squamish fish come back early and feed on spawning herring. Makes them super chubby real quick.

 

[prodjsaig]

squamish fish are early. 30lber fish come into hole and the wall are bound to the US. all hatchery.

july 06 / 2020 20 lbser off thrasher green silver 3.5 coyote and purple onion flasher. 4" spoons only work in nootka. white hootchie i busted off a much bigger spring than this march 29th.

 

[prodjsaig]

please not i took this pic off video and the fish was released very quickly

 

[Old Deckhand]

Hey all, I picked up a single ocean run chum on a white hoochie with a flashy skirt insert, that was set up for Coho, when I made a sharp left turn, & the lines on that side slowed right down - totally unexpected and by accident. . And damn, what a fight! Those things are insane, run after run and thrashing about and spinning, it went mental. ! ,And the meat is so firm and red, nothing like the river-run dogs. Had no idea was so nice. Live in Maple Ridge and a the Aloutte river dogs get just nasty & scary looking, would not even think of eating. But this is totally another story. . Want to catch some more! Just one wont fill my smoker. Please report if you see any schools of ocean-run Chum around, would be greatly appreciated. Damn fine fish!

 

[UsedBoat]

Hey all, I picked up a single ocean run chum on a white hoochie with a flashy skirt insert, that was set up for Coho, when I made a sharp left turn, & the lines on that side slowed right down - totally unexpected and by accident. . And damn, what a fight! Those things are insane, run after run and thrashing about and spinning, it went mental. ! ,And the meat is so firm and red, nothing like the river-run dogs. Had no idea was so nice. Live in Maple Ridge and a the Aloutte river dogs get just nasty & scary looking, would not even think of eating. But this is totally another story. . Want to catch some more! Just one wont fill my smoker. Please report if you see any schools of ocean-run Chum around, would be greatly appreciated. Damn fine fish!

You should be posting this in the fishing reports forum, haha.

All kidding aside, chum are a great fighting fish and definately the best for smoking in my opinion.

If you want to target them you can use anything purple and pink and fish off of the Fraser mouth.

 

[Rain City]

Hey all, I picked up a single ocean run chum on a white hoochie with a flashy skirt insert, that was set up for Coho, when I made a sharp left turn, & the lines on that side slowed right down - totally unexpected and by accident. . And damn, what a fight! Those things are insane, run after run and thrashing about and spinning, it went mental. ! ,And the meat is so firm and red, nothing like the river-run dogs. Had no idea was so nice. Live in Maple Ridge and a the Aloutte river dogs get just nasty & scary looking, would not even think of eating. But this is totally another story. . Want to catch some more! Just one wont fill my smoker. Please report if you see any schools of ocean-run Chum around, would be greatly appreciated. Damn fine fish!

Only Chum I've ever caught was at the bell. I had no idea how to fish then so couldn't tell you what the hell I was doing.

 

[jim morrow]

I remember a good day we had years ago. I followed advice from Mike Crammond's book and trolled slow with sockeye hoochies, red flashers, about 400 yards from the north arm. 60 feet area... some run so hard they can break leaders, pass the boat, etc. I remember a white headed michael bait and a half octopus hooch, see thru red, was hot.

 

[prodjsaig]

You should be posting this in the fishing reports forum, haha.

All kidding aside, chum are a great fighting fish and definately the best for smoking in my opinion.

If you want to target them you can use anything purple and pink and fish off of the Fraser mouth.

i remember fishing peg leg and a guy hooked a heavy fighting fish thought it was a spring. turned out to be a chum over 20lbs chrome.

 

[ronin2024]

the trick is to pull up all downriggers. ive had chinook sit under the boat. they come scope out whats hooked them. keep throttle on change a thing. fight it. the fish is looking for advantage. when youre ahead. turn into the current and damn well go for it. gaff the thing. do it quick. you end the battle less seals less chance of things that will go wrong. i know when i got my 6 year old son on board ill cut the other downrigger clean off if i cant get it the boat. wire cutters or scissors. take the loss and get the spring in the boat.

Last Thursday I was fishing solo at SH. Got into a big spring I was sooo happy my first spring of the year and it was a monster. Played the fish for about 10 - 15 mins and he look like he was done. I pulled up my downrigger pushed the boom to the back of the boat but I didn't clear the clip and it was dragging in the water. Guess what the fish wrap the line around. In my mind I was yelling no no no trying to reach the clip and then plink fish was gone. I'm pretty sure the boats near me heard me crying for the next 1 hour. lol

Oh btw about half way through the battle the other rod went off too. Didn't get either one. But I did get two chum that day going home.

 

[ronin2024]

i remember fishing peg leg and a guy hooked a heavy fighting fish thought it was a spring. turned out to be a chum over 20lbs chrome.

I love the fight you get from Chum. I remember years ago on the Vedder you couldn't throw you bait in without getting a chum there were soo many of them. Now we are lucky that we get to keep one. Early Nov you can still get nice sliver chum in the river if you are lucky.

 

[wildmanyeah]

1 coho released, 1 50cm chinook released. Been at SH for an hour so far

 

[Rain City]

1 coho released, 1 50cm chinook released. Been at SH for an hour so far

Get em.

 

[ab1752]

One nice chum for the smoker at the NA herring 90'...few boats around just here for a bit then out again tomorrow for the day.

 

[Rain City]

One nice chum for the smoker at the NA herring 90'...few boats around just here for a bit then out again tomorrow for the day.

You're the chum whisperer

 

[wildmanyeah]

Just released a beautiful 9 pound coho

 

[ab1752]

You're the chum whisperer

I'm starting to develop a complex here.

 

[wildmanyeah]

Double header crazyness 1 8 pound wild released and one 6 pound hatchery in the box

 

[wildmanyeah]

Just lost a pin popper, was jerking like a coho

 

[ab1752]

I had a few more swipes near the bellboy then booked it back in. See y'all out there tomorrow....where's all the reports off the cap, I know there's a few of you there!!