2018 Nanoose Bay/French Creek Reports

What a difference 24hrs can make. Out again Sunday morning with totally different results. Not a single spring to the boat. Had 6 nice chubby Coho (4-6lbs) in the first 1.5 hrs, all hatchery fish. After that, nothing! Never saw a net come out in the next several hours. Searched depths and swaped gear, no results. Where oh where have you gone chinookies! Daddy misses you!

Hope some fresh fish are on their way this week. I see the West side has finally woken up so perhaps it is time for a run back to my old stomping grounds.

Tight lines...
We had better fortune Sunday. Got rods in the water by 6, followed a string of bait balls past Ballenas into the straight and had a great double header (landed one ~ 12), followed shortly by a nice 18. Green hootchie at 135 (White) and Sardine at 85 (Red). Tried to find coho, hooked and released one wild. We decided to call it a day just after 8.
 
Nicely done bigdogg1. Yeah, all the bait that was around was gone as well. Went searching for it but no luck.

Tight Lines...
 
There have been some postings lately about where our fish caught out here (FC) are from. My biggest fish so far this year was a 19 pound hatchery white spring. It was 4 years old and came from the Chehalis River in Washington.
 
I had a 14lb in mid April that was 4 yrs old from Wells hatchery in Washington on the Columbia. Pretty small for a 4 yr old.
 
Was out fishing FC 4 days ago before winds came up. Had 3 or 4 super hard hits and were off in less than 10 seconds. Thought something was wrong with hooks or just bad luck. A friend said they are smacking the flasher only and check for teeth marks. Sure enough flashers are pretty scratched up. Anyone else experiencing this or comments? Might change to large spoons without flasher or plugs next time out.
 
Was out fishing FC 4 days ago before winds came up. Had 3 or 4 super hard hits and were off in less than 10 seconds. Thought something was wrong with hooks or just bad luck. A friend said they are smacking the flasher only and check for teeth marks. Sure enough flashers are pretty scratched up. Anyone else experiencing this or comments? Might change to large spoons without flasher or plugs next time out.
Yup I’d go to plugs right on the bottom.
 
Was out fishing FC 4 days ago before winds came up. Had 3 or 4 super hard hits and were off in less than 10 seconds. Thought something was wrong with hooks or just bad luck. A friend said they are smacking the flasher only and check for teeth marks. Sure enough flashers are pretty scratched up. Anyone else experiencing this or comments? Might change to large spoons without flasher or plugs next time out.

Plugs all the way
 
Hey fellas, life has interupted my fishing schedule for the past week or so and as a result I have not been out locally. Any springs around?
 
I’m coming up from Vancouver today with my boat to fish with my dad who lives in Parksville. I usually just use anchovies over here don’t think I even own a plug. How long of a leader do you run on a plug?
Thanks
 
I’m coming up from Vancouver today with my boat to fish with my dad who lives in Parksville. I usually just use anchovies over here don’t think I even own a plug. How long of a leader do you run on a plug?
Thanks
No flasher.
 
I’m coming up from Vancouver today with my boat to fish with my dad who lives in Parksville. I usually just use anchovies over here don’t think I even own a plug. How long of a leader do you run on a plug?
Thanks
Run about 5 feet with swivels. I use a bead swivel at the plug. Fluorocarbon leader is nice. You might want to use dummy flashers off the cannon balls and the plugs running behind from the release clips.
 
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