Winter fishing yes/no
- Thread starter Stizzla
- Start date
advTHXance
Well-Known Member
I think winter time is a great time to fish around here. Generally the fish are pretty active and its a good time to test gear and experiment a bit without feeling like youre just washing gear.
Obviously this thread was started in response to a post referencing people beating up on undersized fish during the wintertime, and tbh the same thoughts go through my head when somebody says they got into a dozen or so undersized fish in one session. If it was me, Id move after hooking more than a few in a row. I also use smaller hooks in the wintertime to avoid gilling or eyeballing the smaller fish. I pop them off with the gaff to release and if I do have to handle an undersized fish for whatever reason, I do it gently and with wet hands. Even with all these precautions Im sure that some fish unfortunately still end up damaged. The only way I know of to ensure no fish get damaged is to leave the boat in the driveway.
With all that said, its up to the individual angler to assess how much damage theyre doing to these fish and whether its right/wrong. Its not technically illegal if somebody wanted to C&R 1000 shakers in a day, but its also not very reasonable to expect everyone to park their boats for 6 months a year and only fish the summer runs. Somewhere in there is a happy medium, and as with most things in fishing it comes down to common sense.
Sorry if that sounded preachy. Going to fish for winters now
Obviously this thread was started in response to a post referencing people beating up on undersized fish during the wintertime, and tbh the same thoughts go through my head when somebody says they got into a dozen or so undersized fish in one session. If it was me, Id move after hooking more than a few in a row. I also use smaller hooks in the wintertime to avoid gilling or eyeballing the smaller fish. I pop them off with the gaff to release and if I do have to handle an undersized fish for whatever reason, I do it gently and with wet hands. Even with all these precautions Im sure that some fish unfortunately still end up damaged. The only way I know of to ensure no fish get damaged is to leave the boat in the driveway.
With all that said, its up to the individual angler to assess how much damage theyre doing to these fish and whether its right/wrong. Its not technically illegal if somebody wanted to C&R 1000 shakers in a day, but its also not very reasonable to expect everyone to park their boats for 6 months a year and only fish the summer runs. Somewhere in there is a happy medium, and as with most things in fishing it comes down to common sense.
Sorry if that sounded preachy. Going to fish for winters now
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
With things coming on the horizon I think the days of complaining about winter fishing will be over. I never really understood it regardless.
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
I think the general consensus it that there is little quota to be gained by shutting down these winter fisheries that its not worth the economical harm it would cause to many of these sports fishing areas.
Altho I will tell you a funny little story about this. My bro recently moved to port mcneill, Last spring he was so excited to get out in his new area. Goes out and catches some nice 10 pounders on a purple haze hoochies. Hes over the moon. Gets back to the boat launch and the locals come down to the ramp and start ripping him a new Ahole. No one fishing in the spring , leave thos fish alone ect ect ect. Don't bother going out again you can get your annual limit of 20+ ponders in the summer in no time.
Altho I will tell you a funny little story about this. My bro recently moved to port mcneill, Last spring he was so excited to get out in his new area. Goes out and catches some nice 10 pounders on a purple haze hoochies. Hes over the moon. Gets back to the boat launch and the locals come down to the ramp and start ripping him a new Ahole. No one fishing in the spring , leave thos fish alone ect ect ect. Don't bother going out again you can get your annual limit of 20+ ponders in the summer in no time.
Fish Camp
Well-Known Member
Today I had off work and the stars were out 6 am ,no frost ,slowly this morning the fog moved in and put me at the computer.i haven't had fishable salt water weather for 14'tinny for months simulare to last years weather which didn't happen till herring spawn then in may was the start .When the stars do align again between weather ,work,family, I would like to at least try my luck at any time of year fishing kitty colman hump,denman dock,shelter point ,point holms a .Till then I will watch the live webs cams on this fog and I might get 4 hrs of fishing in today.
fogged in
Well-Known Member
SOMEWHAT UNIQUE TO THE VICTORIA AREA
January and February, in particular, we see a large number of hatchery Winter Springs off the Oak Bay and Victoria Waterfront. Many of these fish do not meet the minimum size limit for the Sidney area.
These fish travel in schools and are easy picking when you find them.
They generally average 3 to 5 pounds with a few larger ones in the mix.
When I see reports of “never seen so many boats” and “took 13 last week” I can’t help but say this is not an efficient use of the resource.
Yes, some will say they are American Hatcher fish, but that’s a poor and careless argument.
In my opinion, if it continues, it will lead to one or more of the following restrictions;
A winter closure for Fishing
An increased size limit for area 19.3 and .4
And or a lowering of the current 20 fish annually for area 19.3 and .4
Please don’t shoot the messenger, it’s only my opinion and I look forward to seeing yours.
January and February, in particular, we see a large number of hatchery Winter Springs off the Oak Bay and Victoria Waterfront. Many of these fish do not meet the minimum size limit for the Sidney area.
These fish travel in schools and are easy picking when you find them.
They generally average 3 to 5 pounds with a few larger ones in the mix.
When I see reports of “never seen so many boats” and “took 13 last week” I can’t help but say this is not an efficient use of the resource.
Yes, some will say they are American Hatcher fish, but that’s a poor and careless argument.
In my opinion, if it continues, it will lead to one or more of the following restrictions;
A winter closure for Fishing
An increased size limit for area 19.3 and .4
And or a lowering of the current 20 fish annually for area 19.3 and .4
Please don’t shoot the messenger, it’s only my opinion and I look forward to seeing yours.
Stizzla
Crew Member
I agree. Also, dropping the minimum size in Sidney to closer to Victoria/ oak bay would mean less hookups looking for larger fish. I’ve released a lot of 58-60 cm fish that are just too small, but still good eating. If I could keep them I would’ve hooked way less fish than I did searching for 62-65 cm fish.
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
Why stop at Sidney, Vancouver winter fishery is the same.
Stizzla
Crew Member
Totally. I don’t know those regs, but I follow lower Vancouver island.
Dave
With all due respect, this sounds like a half-baked solution that will just provide more food for the seals. I spent half a day fishing in the Van harbor last week and I counted seals in double digits, two of them with fish in their mouth and I'm not going to talk about the in-river gill net issues that has brought a few species to extinction. So, what is this going to give back to the fishery if other impacting parameters are not going to change?
If it's just to buy positive PR feedback in light of the SKRW circus, then that's a different story.
trophywife
Crew Member
yes , love it. quiet times in barkley sound and the bright deep purple salmon are delicious
ziggy
Well-Known Member
It’s a tough question. Is it better to kill large spawning salmon than feeder Springs? If guys are letting the larger fish go in the summer because they’d rather have a smaller fresh fish later in the year(or because Area finfish closures reduced opportunity), is that wrong? The same annual limit applies whether you are fishing brood stock and maxing out in the summer or using you annual limit on smaller winter springs. In fact if your fishing just the Sidney area, not only is your minimum keeper fish size 30% larger, but your annual limit is 25% lower!Which has the bigger impact? Maybe the 62cm, 15 fish annual limit should be coastwide?
If DFO is so worried about people catching a dozen fish to get a 62 cm keeper in the Sidney area ( personally I am), why not lower the limit to 45 cm as is the case in Sooke and Victoria? Also I’d be interesting to know how many summer Spring fishers keep 45 cm legal fish or in fact any small fish when the Large fish are about? Comparatively speaking there a hell of a lot more fishers fishing,and consequently more sorting going on in the summer. Winter fishing is pretty minor compared to summer fishing.
Every year I see constant posts on the sorting through of Coho, I find this equally appalling. Not sure how to regulate the sorting issue other than guys taking it upon themselves to pack in fishing if the area is not producing legal fish. I’m reluctant to lecture anyone without knowing their circumstances, they are fishing legally and not taking over their annual limit, so all we know for sure is they didn’t limit out on salmon during the rest of the year!
If DFO is so worried about people catching a dozen fish to get a 62 cm keeper in the Sidney area ( personally I am), why not lower the limit to 45 cm as is the case in Sooke and Victoria? Also I’d be interesting to know how many summer Spring fishers keep 45 cm legal fish or in fact any small fish when the Large fish are about? Comparatively speaking there a hell of a lot more fishers fishing,and consequently more sorting going on in the summer. Winter fishing is pretty minor compared to summer fishing.
Every year I see constant posts on the sorting through of Coho, I find this equally appalling. Not sure how to regulate the sorting issue other than guys taking it upon themselves to pack in fishing if the area is not producing legal fish. I’m reluctant to lecture anyone without knowing their circumstances, they are fishing legally and not taking over their annual limit, so all we know for sure is they didn’t limit out on salmon during the rest of the year!
Stizzla
Crew Member
Perfectly stated.
You can make it what you want; lots of angler positive ways this could be spun. I learned in my fish farm thread days that social media is a huge ally, but anglers are not using it to their advantage.
Not to mention that at least on South VI (Victoria/Sooke) these winter Chinook are almost exclusively hatchery. It also seems to me that increasingly these Chinook exist because of the net pens and hatcheries support by anglers fund raising and volunteer efforts. We are already under huge slot restrictions through the spring and most of the summer now, not to mention massive new area restrictions leaving us only few kilometers in which we are allowed to fish of our once vast fishing area. Now some want to take away our small (as in low impact) fresh eating salmon hatchery winter fishery.
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SpringVelocity
Crew Member
wow.. with everything that is currently going on with our fishery's.... lets close another fishery
I know cant believe what I am hearing here.
searun
Well-Known Member
Me either. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Fishing should be about enjoying the day, friends and of course an opportunity to interact with our beloved fish. In the winter months there are so few days where you can actually get out fishing, that the angling days fished, and therefore low effort & catch is pretty small.
Shooting ourselves in the foot by suggesting yet again more restrictions appears to be a new sport. I guess no one will be truly happy until it is all closed down. Good grief Charlie Brown
Shooting ourselves in the foot by suggesting yet again more restrictions appears to be a new sport. I guess no one will be truly happy until it is all closed down. Good grief Charlie Brown
