Anyone been out Herring fishing around Comox?

[seabeyond]

I'm following the test set updates for the area and it doesn't seem like there's much volume in the shallows around Comox as of yet. Has anyone been out jigging or tossing a net Stories beach down to Union Bay?

My three year old and I went out in our dingy last year off lazo and loaded up for an hour until he got weirded out by all the fish around his feet in the 7' inflatable. Would like to get get both my boys out this year (2 and 4) in our DE. Herring fishing (when productive) is perfect for kid attention span and ability. My 2-4 boys don't have much patience for Salmon fishing yet. After last year's 10 herring at a time program Graeme rolled his eyes at me on WhatsApp when I put him on the back deck mount in Ukee while we had a double header springs going last summer "dad, remember I caught like 17 fish at once last time when we went out". Kids are hilarious and Graeme has learned to tell fish stories at an early age...

So, anyone given it a go yet?

 

[seahorse]

I just had a look this morning off Curtis road off Balmoral Road to see if there were any herring on the beach, but nothing. About 8 big boats and lots of skiffs about a mile or 2 out working away.

 

[Reel_Restorations]

Was going to put the boat in at Salmon Point this weekend and do the same. Gonna take the kids out. Hopefully the herring is around this weekend or next.

 

[Redfisher]

Seines fished today in Lambert Channel. No spawn on beaches yet up there.

 

[Flyflicker]

Buckethead905 and I were out yesterday in Lambert Channel. Very slow, about 25 seiners working in the area with about 3 or 4 of them drying up the net and pumping. Fish were dispersed into small schools, soon as you found a school you would load up with the sabiki rig then motor back up to the school and it would be gone. Almost as many packers as there were seiners. Seen a few boats motoring up Lambert with herring skiffs in tow. Didn’t see any gillnetters setting as we didn see any action on the beach. It was too bad for us that it opened the day before at 1430 hours. God, I remember the days when I worked on commercial boats back in the 70’s. There would of been 200 seiners, I guess 25 is better than 200. For what they are paying it should be shut down and let the herring stocks build.

 

[Aquaholic]

Have you seen some of the photos on the Facebook commercial fishing pages? The bloom looks to be well on the way.

 

[islandboy]

Fish were dispersed into small schools, soon as you found a school you would load up with the sabiki rig then motor back up to the school and it would be gone.

I have a sabiki rig similar to this with a level wind. Mine is 6'+ and always ready.

 

[seabeyond]

Have you seen some of the photos on the Facebook commercial fishing pages? The bloom looks to be well on the way.

Oh look at that. Thanks Aquaholic, I hadn't looked at the spawn report page today.

 

[Flyflicker]

Lol, looks like we should have been on the East side of Hornby. Reports say herring numbers have dropped by 26% in the last 2 years and an expected decline by an additional 13% this year.

 

[seabeyond]

Going good off airforce beach by the looks of it but not an ideal boat day. She's a breezy one.

 

[Cookie's Cutter]

Lol, looks like we should have been on the East side of Hornby. Reports say herring numbers have dropped by 26% in the last 2 years and an expected decline by an additional 13% this year.

Cue the usual suspects… Now they will have to admit the stock is decimated. Will they blame global warming for the decline?

 

[acrowe]

I made a similar sabiki rig rod out of 1/2 a broken rod with the PVC pipe over it - gives a nice reel seat and still does the job of keeping the rigs untangled. I made it for catching herring in the summer for bait. It works really really well if you are on the schools. Too bad I have no idea what I am doing mooching herring, and seem only to catch dogfish when I try it.

 

[Flyflicker]

They’ll never admit to the fact that the stocks are in serious decline….not as long as Jimmy owns most of the fleet.

 

[blueugl]

Looks like the herring fishery closed today don't think the gill netters even got a go.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Fishery Notices

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Fishery Notices

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

 

[seabeyond]

Looks like the herring fishery closed today don't think the gill netters even got a go.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Fishery Notices

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Fishery Notices

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

I believe the gillnet crew is waiting for weather and will still get there opening. Tomorrow I'd guess.

 

[Rad Gumbo]

They're workin Bowser bigtime.

 

[wildmanyeah]

TOTAL STRAIT OF GEORGIA: Assessment and tonnage estimates are incomplete.
Peak Estimate: Strait of Georgia: 73,240 tons (assessment incomplete)

Effective 12:00 hours today, Tuesday March 14, 2023 and until further notice, portions of Areas 14 and 17 will open to Gulf licensed roe herring gillnets in Subareas 14-1 to 14-13, 14-15, 17-10, 17-12, 17-13, 17-18, 17-19 and 17-21.

 

[Admin]

This thread was specific about potential jigging for Herring in the Comox area. The content that is about the commercial and conservation talk needs to be taken up in the Herring thread in the Conservation section.

 

[Tangled]

People are catching them off the beach at the little river ferry

 

[seabeyond]

Calm and sunny day out of Comox today. Not the big spawn of the last couple days but a couple smaller spawns from the spit east. Dozen boats out from Airforce Beach to The Spit. We saw more volume just off the beach a mile east of the spit.

Our youngest caught his first fish and we loaded the freezer for the season. Good times.