2017 Gulf Island Reports

Planning on heading out to polier on Saturday, was out last Saturday and managed 2, lost a couple and released some shakers. Does anyone have any recent reports? My success was in about 200feet of water and about 100feet on the rigger. And are most guys still trolling short leaders on their spoons or are most starting to make them long again? Thanks
I've been running spoons and chovys over there and have started running them closer to my norm. 5.5-6' with good success.
 
Don't be afraid to shallow up, being producing at 57 ft to 77ft. Scent is key with the coloured water. Either add commercial scents to your spoons and hootchies, or fish a chovie on one side. Keep running your winter glow gear, as light penetration is limited by the layer of fresh water on top. Meaning, even your shallow set isn't reflecting much. Dont be afraid to head straight out into the abyss on a tack. As these fish are migratory and not super structure orientated.
 
Well that was a great 3 hours!
Fished Salamanca from 11am to 1pm but not in close as I usually would. After reading about the fish at Thrasher away from structure in deep water, fished in 400' to 600' at 90 to 150 on the down rigger and had non stop action mainly on the silver AP herring spoon behind a green glow flasher. [Also ran a white and purple hootchie behind a purple haze flasher.] Nothing big but brought 3 home in the 7 to 10lb range. The current was really running but couldn't keep fish off [lots of smaller fish] and as it got closer to slack the bite died off. Strange.
 
Dropped the lines at Thrasher at 7:15 this morning ......... while setting second line the first line goes off so stopped what I was doing to bring in an 8 lb ............ what a start 5 minutes into the day, YEAH BABY .... LOL . Over the course of the morning brought a total of 12 to the boat ....... kept another 8 lb, 10 lb, and 12 lb and the others were under size. Used a bonchovy and chilli pepper flasher mated to a cookies and cream and irish cream spoons. I have to give props to all the contributors here that provide details of their experience as it has helped us out immensely. From starting out knowing nothing and catching nothing a few years ago to now beginning to have good success .......... much of it is because of things I've read on these forums along with videos various charters such as Bonchovy or Pacific Angler have put on You tube ........... not to forget reports from Harbour Chandler and others. Cheers to one and all ....... it was a GREAT DAY on the water !!!

PS, special shout out to Fishnmagician who said the other day just get out there and drop anything glow ............ that mad me laugh but how true it was !!!
 
x2 on Pursuits report only we started at 12:30 yesterday at Salamanca in the shallows and then moved out to the deep. Bite started about 1:30 just before the slack and picked up a couple around 7 and an eleven and twelve by 3:00. Same depths and a size 4 glow Irish Cream did the best behind a glow/UV flasher. Also echo Benhams comment re the forum:)
 
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From the sounds of it fishing in the Gulf Islands is off to a great start this season. Let's hope it continues for a couple of the Gulf Island fishing derbies that will once again be raising funds for PSF projects in the region, such as the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project. The Galiano Salmon Classic is coming up on May 27, 2017 so if you're able to attend that one we will have some PSF staff in attendance to talk about the important salmon projects happening around Galiano, including Galiano being home base for one of the citizen science vessels. Derby poster below with details.

Full list of 2017 fishing derbies supporting the Pacific Salmon Foundation can be found here: https://www.psf.ca/support/fishing-derbies

Thanks to all of the derbies, tackle shops, fundraising dinners and others who support out work. We couldn't do it without all of you. Have a great fishing season in 2017!
 

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The dreaded 2 inch slot! What are they thinking?
 
Salamanca / Porlier report for May 3rd 2017. Fished from 4pm to 7pm, with the low slack at 6. The morning tide looked best, but didn't hit it.

Salamanca: We only fished deeper countours, but saw very little bait or fish marks on the sounder. Quickly released 3 undersized.

Porlier: Fished the outside of Gabriola in deep and shallow contours. Saw more (but not lots) or bait on the sounder, and a huge ball of gulls eating on the surface. Picked up an 8lb, but fishing was slow. Ran depths 100-200. Recommend 150ish. Ran plugs, meat, hooch. Glow hooch did best, but nothing was hot.
 
Salamanca again today and because of commitments not @ prime time (1-4pm) but two in the box one about 12 and one 6/7lb. Released 4 more legals and a bunch of undersized, some quite feisty! 90 and 120 on the downriggger using AP spoons - one a silver/white herring behind a green glow flasher and yellow anchovy with another green glow flasher. Only saw 2 other boats. Out deep criss crossing the ridge into 400-500' of water.
 
Fished Thrasher today and one pass at the Grande ........... another good showing considering it was a bit bouncy in the morning and the algae was terrible. Overall had 10 or so hits, a double header in there. A few undersize, a few lost on surface ..... kept two 8 pounders and had one beauty about 15 ft from the boat but my damn leader broke. The weird thing was that it broke a couple inches from the flasher end of the leader, not the spoon end. I've read you need to be diligent about inspecting leaders after every outing ........... lesson learned first hand, I was pissed for a bit after that, couldn't believe it. Was a great day like last weekend, no complaints and as one would expect, the water laid down once we decided to call it a day, lol. Stuck with the same gear as last weekend ..... Bonchovy and chilli pepper flashers with cookies and cream and irish cream spoons. 400- 500 water with one rigger at 145 and the other at 175, both saw action.
 
Out at polier yesterday, algae was terrible as benham99 says, we had fairly steady action but it has slowed down foresure, we released a couple barely legals and "long distanced released" a few nicer fish as well, didn't see to many other boats bringing fish in but we strayed away from the pack and were fishing further out. Beautiful day on the water though, calm and sunny for most of the day!
 
Fished Thrasher today and one pass at the Grande ........... another good showing considering it was a bit bouncy in the morning and the algae was terrible. Overall had 10 or so hits, a double header in there. A few undersize, a few lost on surface ..... kept two 8 pounders and had one beauty about 15 ft from the boat but my damn leader broke. The weird thing was that it broke a couple inches from the flasher end of the leader, not the spoon end. I've read you need to be diligent about inspecting leaders after every outing ........... lesson learned first hand, I was pissed for a bit after that, couldn't believe it. Was a great day like last weekend, no complaints and as one would expect, the water laid down once we decided to call it a day, lol. Stuck with the same gear as last weekend ..... Bonchovy and chilli pepper flashers with cookies and cream and irish cream spoons. 400- 500 water with one rigger at 145 and the other at 175, both saw action.
I change leader after any fish, tiny nick can cost you a Tyee. I have a half dozen set ups ready to go.
 
Porlier has been good. No big ones .Im out deep but everyone is close to the beach. I never get any when I pass in shallow. Years ago I only fished close to the pass and the f Mark. Still confident a few nice ones are in the mix.
 
Could someone help explain the areas affected by this for areas 29-4 and 29-5 ? The regs give lat and long but it would be nice to know what that actually included. thanks
Here's a quick and dirty method: Draw a line up the axis of Valdes Island. Starting from the southern tip, mark a point 6 miles up the island. From that point draw a line at 55° for 6 miles. Anything south of that is effected by the slot limit. This won't hold up in court, but you'll get the general location of the line referred to in the regs.
 
Here's a quick and dirty method: Draw a line up the axis of Valdes Island. Starting from the southern tip, mark a point 6 miles up the island. From that point draw a line at 55° for 6 miles. Anything south of that is effected by the slot limit. This won't hold up in court, but you'll get the general location of the line referred to in the regs.
Perfect! That's what I was looking for
thanks
 
image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg Out at thrasher today, had good luck with salmon today managing 4 springs between the 2 of us which all had huge bait fish In their stomachs. All of our luck were on hootchies. We didn't see to many other people hooking up but did see a few, heard very mixed results some guys were getting them and some guys were struggling to get 1 I would be interested to hear how others did! Horrible day for lingcod we managed to jig up one undersized and 1 yellow eye, not to sure what we were doing wrong normally we atleast get a ton of rockfish or small lings but it was dead quite for us. Great day on the water none the less!
 
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