Mayne Island

Prairie Locked

Prairie Locked

Well-Known Member
Looking for insight into fishing in and around Mayne Island. Salmon, bottom fishing, etc.

I might have an opportunity to spend some time on Mayne next year and I was wondering if it's worth it to use it as a home base to try some fishing? Not really practical to be ferrying to any of the surrounding locales so would be this or nothing. In doing some searching, I can only seem to find some info from about 5 years ago. Sounds like Ling's would be a decent bet, not sure on anything else.

As always, any perspective would be appreciated.

Thanks

P.L
 
It kind of depends on the time of year your talking about. If you are talking about later in the month of August then there should be lots of Pink Salmon and some Sockeye around the Pender bluffs. The Pender bluffs are very close and accessible in a smaller boat like yours. The south arm Fraser fishery isn't very far away, but I wouldn't recommend going there in a fourteen foot boat. The fishing for springs can be good at times in the gulf islands, but I would say it is spotty at best most times. Especially, if you are unfamiliar with the locations to fish on specific tides. It is a beautiful boating and recreational area for a smaller boat. The waters are calm and the weather is much better there than most other places on Vancouver Island. It is in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island, so it receives far less precipitation than most places on the island. So it's a great place for a holiday and boating in a smaller boat. 2017 is an odd year so there should be good numbers of pinks around the Pender bluffs from the middle of August. Lots of fun for the kids, but not too exciting for a guy who likes his spring fishing. Don't get me wrong springs are still in the area, but with no local knowledge you will probably not catch a bunch (unless you are extremely lucky).

Bottom fishing is good in that area, but you need to know the spots. I can PM you the best spots to try for ling around Mayne if you do go there.

To some it up, you will find it a great place to visit. In a smaller boat like yours it is a fantastic spot to boat and fish. You will find most days are calm enough to go out because of the protected nature of the Gulf Islands. There is always somewhere to get out of the wind tucked in behind a wind break. You may not find it great fishing, but you will be able to enjoy being out on the water when it would be too windy for a small boat in most other better fishing locations on the island. You won't regret staying there, just don't have overly high expectations for the Salmon fishing.
 
You're pretty central to what can be some good salmon fishing.

Springs....you can fish either end of Active Pass or on the strait side off Salamanca Pt on Galiano. Pretty much that entire side going from Active Pass right up Thrasher rock will produce although it is a bit more of an early season fishery. It's a bit of run but you also have Pender Bluffs and that side of Pender or around East Point on Saturna or out towards Moresby. Although I haven't fished there my family's place is on the point as you go into Village Bay and we look north up Trinconmali...I always see boats trolling the wall on Galiano just to the north side of Active on the inside. The term "wall" will be pretty easy to figure out where it is when you look at it. ;)

This coming year will be a pink year and they'll be coming through Active rather thick...to put it mildly. Pender Bluffs also a good area for pinks.

All in all you're pretty central to what can be a lot of pretty good salmon fishing as in the spring (April/May/early June) we run across that way a fair bit although targeting slightly north at Porlier/Thrasher area.

Ling are around and if you look at charts and structure you'll find them for sure. One thing to bear in mind is be sure to know where the RCA's are as there are LOTS of them through the Southern Gulf Islands.

I am sure others will chime in too. Just remember....those fish swimming by Victoria will be coming one of the ways through or around the Gulf Islands to get to the Fraser. ;)
 
tincan said:
Some good advice there and as @Pippen mentioned there are quite a few Rockfish Conservation Areas around where you are not allowed to fish so be sure to check here to make sure you're fishing legally - http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/rca-acs/areas-secteurs/18-eng.html
Click to expand...

Thanks tincan, I appreciate the advocacy.

For me, whereas many people will say there's a lot of red, :( I see a lot more blue ;). I even go one step further than fishing legally, I try to also fish ethically.

I once accidentally kept a by-catch rockfish just before the season had opened. I felt so bad and guilty for two days. I had never fished that early in the season before so was a learning moment.
 
Everyone makes mistakes. As long as its not deliberate and you learn from it then it's not the end of the world. If you caught it from deep waters it would have probably died even if released. If your going to bottom fish in the Gulf Islands get a live descend and release device or make one yourself. They are easy to make from a spreader bar.

I don't target rockfish, but my son fished there quite a bit last summer and he said the rockfish populations have really improved in numbers and size in the Gulf Islands.
 
TheBigGuy said:
...get a live descend and release device or make one yourself. They are easy to make from a spreader bar.
Click to expand...

I appreciate that B.G.

I've seen some of the commercial ones but am not familiar with making your own using a spreader bar. Insight and schematics would be welcomed if anyone has the time.
 
Good advice on here. I've fished a bunch around Mayne over the last number of summers and I've caught springs from June to August. You will have a great time, and there aren't that many people fishing. There's plenty of spots you can have to yourself. You don't have to be in specific spots, I've explored structure and found them in places where you hardly ever see anyone else. I haven't seen it "on fire" there since I was a kid, but if you put your time in you'll find some. Searching the gulf islands reports section will tune you into "the spots".
 
Last edited:
There is also the option of the longer run to the Sidney area to try for Halibut as well. It is not a super reliable location for Hali, but it does produce the flatties regularly for the locals that know the spots to fish. It is a bit of a run but you will often find the water dead calm at times to go exploring. There are lots of semi submerged reefs in the islands, so buy paper charts of the area if your electronic map charts aren't really detailed (good to have anyways). Print out all the RCA's as well and always have them on board. There isn't always cell coverage to check for RCA's with your phone while exploring a new area.
 
TheBigGuy said:
Here is a link to a commercially sold live release device.

http://www.sheltonproducts.com/SFD.html

You can make a simple version from a spreader bar. The multiple curves are not required. Cut the end off a spreader bar and sharpen the tip on a grinder. Add two or three pounds of lead to the bottom to descend the rockfish.
Click to expand...

Thanks Big Guy, I hadn't seen this one or this style. Looks pretty simple and easy to replicate, I'll pick one up and maybe make a second one.

Unless I'm wrong, it would seem that you can modify the setup to use attached to a downrigger, maybe in the spreader bar in line between the cannonball and clip on the snubber? I see the spreader bar angle though, simple enough. Shorten the one side and bend the angle down towards the weight.
 
Such a simple concept. I can now say with confidence I'll never release another fish with swim bladder barotrauma again.

Face palm! :oops:
 
Not sure if it would work attached to the Downrigger or not. Usually you attach it to the rod, descend the fish to at least 2/3 of the depth it was caught at, then give it a sharp jerk upwards with the rod to release the fish. Not sure if the Downrigger would give it a fast enough jerk upwards to release the fish. It's always worth trying I guess.
 
I'll do some research next time I'm on the water in the spring. I'm thinking if the length of the shorter bar was cut reasonably short (2") and left at say a 30 degree angle it should pop right out.

Space is a hot commodity in the boat but will be an excuse to use the line counter level wind more.
 
Prairie Locked said:
Looking for insight into fishing in and around Mayne Island. Salmon, bottom fishing, etc.

I might have an opportunity to spend some time on Mayne next year and I was wondering if it's worth it to use it as a home base to try some fishing? Not really practical to be ferrying to any of the surrounding locales so would be this or nothing. In doing some searching, I can only seem to find some info from about 5 years ago. Sounds like Ling's would be a decent bet, not sure on anything else.

As always, any perspective would be appreciated.

Thanks

P.L
Click to expand...

you could fish the cabbage patch, near well... cabbage island
 
I don't have any pictures but I use a 2 lb lead head jig with the barb filed off on a heavy action rod. I just put the hook thru the thin cartilage in the corner of the mouth and lower them down slowly to near the bottom then give it s quick snap to replace them. For the big yellow eyes I have another 2 lb weight on a quick snap I attach to the line above the swivel to get it down.
 
I have seen some boats fishing Enterprise Reef (off shore of Village Bay), but haven't fished there myself. Just beware of ferries ;) I fish a lot of Sidney Spit and Coal Island - it's a bit far from Mayne, but is steadily productive for me.
 
RogersonCrusoe said:
I have seen some boats fishing Enterprise Reef (off shore of Village Bay), but haven't fished there myself. Just beware of ferries ;) I fish a lot of Sidney Spit and Coal Island - it's a bit far from Mayne, but is steadily productive for me.
Click to expand...

Pinks stack up on the deep side of that reef on an ebb tide. You can bang them one after another there trolling pink gear on pink years sometimes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

U
Help for a place to start ?
Replies
9
Views
813
seahorse
seahorse
Alex_c
Fishing Salt Spring Island
Replies
21
Views
2K
Alex_c
Alex_c
B
Prawning accessible from Brechin launch Nanaimo?
Replies
2
Views
492
sly_karma
sly_karma
H
Northeast Island Rivers
Replies
2
Views
909
onefish
O
W
Shore fishing Comox area
Replies
6
Views
1K
Ken J
Ken J
Back
Top