Good place to start prawning around Nanaimo is out around five fingers island. Check out the bouys on the north west or south east sides of the island in 275 -300 ft of water. Need to watch the drop off as it is quite steep and with the strong currents when the tide is running with a bit of a chop will bounce you off into deeper water. Make sure you have enough bouy to float your traps if they do drift and chase them in the same direction as the tide. If no luck there, move along the drop off towards the west and closer to Hammond Bay. You mentioned jigging, if you go further north west in front of rocky point and icarus point it's really sandy and you can get some flat fish and perhaps the odd salmon. You mentioned cod, leave them alone until June. "0" retention on cod or rock fish in the Strait of Georgia until then. Also as mentioned brush up on the Rock Fish Conservation Areas. Departure Bay has one and Snake Island towards Gabriola is one. Fisheries were enforcing the departure bay one a couple weeks ago. Good luck on the prawns. Try the salmon, they are coming in. Watch the wind. Can be calm in close but rough out at the islands.