On The Bottom for Winters?

[Seafever]

Seems the recommendation on many posts is to have the lure right down on the bottom for winter springs.

I have seen lots of flasher damage from guys who roto-till the bottom while looking for "winters".

So you could use no flasher.....but sometimes you need a flasher.


Question.......why do you need to be right on the bottom?....sure , they are down there feeding but you would think with the action of the flasher turning and it being say 10ft off the bottom , they would come up and investigate...isn't that what a flasher does:- attract fish?

Water is generally MUCH clearer in winter.......so it's not like you're going to get days and days of low visibilty.

 

[Gerry]

I often fish about 10 feet off the bottom and do okay. Interestingly enough, the last time I was out with a friend for winters we caught three. All were caught at 75 feet on the rigger in about 200 feet of water. I don't think that there are many hard and fast rules when it comes to catching fish.

 

[ChoveyRoller]

Great question.
Last weekend we fished both depths you are speaking of. At 135 ft of water... One side we dropped the gear until the ball hit bottom. The blow back brought it slightly off the bottom just tapping the od time when we turned the boat. The other side we fished the rigger at 125. No hits at all on the 125 side even when we were fishing the same gear both sides. The deep side was hot for sure with no damage to the flasher as it was probably 2 ft off bottom. The water was churning pretty fast so maybe the bait hugs the bottom tight?

 

[Lipripper]

Run the release clip 5-6ft up from the ball if you are right on the bottom... Keeps the flasher from doing the roto-till

 

[porcupine]

I've caught winters as shallow as 30 feet. Sometimes they are in much shallower water than what the boats are fishing too. There really are no hard and fast rules. Chinooks like sructure and most often, the only structure is the bottom. One of the most successful winter spring anglers that I know is usually fishing in less than 100 feet of water.

 

[Last Chance]

You can often find them shallow on Constance Bank up on top, and if you see bait up against the rocks with birds diving, they can be there in the winter time too. Deep is usually a rule, but not allways on bottom.

 

[fortyfour]

Great topic! I have rarely ever tried shallower than 75ft on the rigger in the winter and have caught fish at that depth near structure. Most bigger fish I've caught were definitely in the bottom 20-25ft. In tofino last feb7th I got a chance to fish on the inside of the sound with a guide and we got into quite a few fish in 75ft of water. A mix of small chinook and coho but nothing big. Apparently someone had caught a 20lber that week out off of wilf rock. We tried to get out there but the swell was too much. Seems like the consensus for "blackmouth" south of the border (Puget Sound) is that most legal size are caught in the bottom 20ft. Somedays I have spotted feed up near the surface and none on the bottom so I have tried running a shallower line on occasion without any success.

 

[wstcoaster]

sunshine in summer brings planton close to surface this brings feed and herring up in water coulum; in clear water in winter fish hug the bottom for safety and otherwise

 

[hambone]

Most of my winter fishing has been done by mooching live herring on the Sunshine Coast... We usually fished 20ft up or more from bottom to avoid cod ruining our bait. Often you hit one half way up as you brought in your line to check on the bait. No need to drag your gear right on the floor IMO.

 

[Sharphooks]

Around this neighborhood, it's a match the hatch deal---when they're feeding on herring the entire water column is on the menu---early morning can be right under the bat. But when they're feeding on sandlance it's down on the deck with suitably sized gear. Some of the guys that purposely do the rototiller thing do so thinking they're spooking sandlance out of the mud with the commotion. That brings in the springs and they grab your spoon because it's the cheapest (and slowest) hamburger on the menu.

 

[Seafever]

I believe it was 'TyeeFisher' who posted last year he actually went bucktailing for 'em off Campbell River someplace....and he caught them that way in the winter....

I haven't tried it myself....

 

[LiquidGuides01]

Most of my winter fishing has been done by mooching live herring on the Sunshine Coast... We usually fished 20ft up or more from bottom to avoid cod ruining our bait. Often you hit one half way up as you brought in your line to check on the bait. No need to drag your gear right on the floor IMO.

Hey hambone did you spend your time mooching Pender area? Alwase been deecent mooching for winters up thata way
Around here seems to be the ticket to bounce your cannon balls through the sand, usually alwase get em right after speeding up to lift the balls outa the sand

 

[hambone]

Hey hambone did you spend your time mooching Pender area? Alwase been deecent mooching for winters up thata way
Around here seems to be the ticket to bounce your cannon balls through the sand, usually alwase get em right after speeding up to lift the balls outa the sand

Ya, Bargain harbour area if going all the way up to Pender. Otherwise we would buy herring from Buccaneer marina or at the floating dock near Coopers Green. Lots of good mooching spots in HMB... What a fun way to fish.
Do you know if any live herring are still available?? Buccaneer maybe??

 

[LiquidGuides01]

Only Bucaneer sells live bait now, that floating bait hut has been shutdown for quite a few years now.
Sure is a fun way to fish, nice just drifting along shoals and structure. Got discouraged from mooching last year with all the f#**!n dogfish and pacific cod around.
Might giver a try again this winter.

 

[Andrew P]

Well, I am certainly a lot less experienced that many on here. But all that I really have to say is that until I learned how to catch them off the bottom.....I wasn't catching any in the winter. That said, when the winters first started showing up and were thick in Oak Bay back in November, we were having lots of double headers from only 50-70 down in 120' of water.

Last weekend Dave S and I got them on bottom...but on top of Constance(mid bank).

Good thread.

 

[adanac]

Ya, Bargain harbour area if going all the way up to Pender. Otherwise we would buy herring from Buccaneer marina or at the floating dock near Coopers Green. Lots of good mooching spots in HMB... What a fun way to fish.
Do you know if any live herring are still available?? Buccaneer maybe??

Secret Cove Marina still has liveys for 5 dollars per dozen