fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
The PREDATOR'S PEN Date: April 1/2009.
An update of the local saltwater fishing scene for Vancouver To : Saltwater Angler
By: David Korsch (Predator Charters)
E-mail: davek@dccnet.com Web Site: www.predatorcharters.com
Phone: (604) 329 - 8642 Fax: (604) 886 - 1928
Hello Fellow Anglers
Unfortunately, it has been a couple months since my last newsletter - quite a busy stretch there with the Boat Show and the Tradex show to do in addition to my other work etc..... With those events over again for another year, and the days getting longer, it is now time to start thinking about this year's fishing opportunities.
We started seeing fairly significant plankton blooms occurring in our local waters by mid-March (a bit earlier than usual), and that generally indicates that the winter Chinook fishery is coming to an end. Of course this just means it is time to switch "gears" a bit and begin targeting our springtime locations again. During the past couple of years we have seen Grace Islands and Hole in the Wall produce well during April, though Defence Islands can be "the" spot to fish at times, and of course South Bowen is the most popular traditional "hot spot" during April. This particular fishery use to begin around the end of the first week of April,though it may occur earlier due to the timing of the plankton bloom this year. Then again, the Easter weekend often provides the first really "hot" fishing days of this particular fishery. It will remain to be seen how the timing works this spring.
With the large winter fish that were commonly coming to the dock over the past few months (lots of fish ranging from the mid-teens into the "20's"), I would expect to see some very nice sized fish coming in during this next phase of our fishery. South Bowen traditionally provides lots of action for "just undersize" and smaller legal fish during April, but there are always a few larger ones in the mix, and this year the percentage of fish in the 15 to 25 lb range should be MUCH higher. Locations in Howe Sound like Hole in the Wall usually produce significantly larger fish than we see off South Bowen, so this year we could see better action than usual in these location.
In addition, last year on April 24th there was an extremely hot bite off Porteau Cove, but it was over by the next day as a herd of two dozen seals moved in overnight. A couple years before that, the hot bite was in the first week of May. The fish up here range from the mid-teens to the mid-30's, and are a mix of reds and whites, so I'm not too sure where they are destined for. One thing for sure though is that Porteau Cove will definitely warrant a good look in those first 3 weeks of April. I wouldn't want to miss this action, as there is the potential to hook into more than a 1/2 dozen of these large fish in a couple hours when the bite is on!
The usual Anchovy/flasher combo has really started to become the best producer in recent weeks, though Gypsy and Coyote spoons in neon green and/or glow colour patterns (Flamin' Hans, Mongoose etc...) also continue to bring lots of fish to the boat. In Howe Sound where the water depth is less than 200' it still seems dragging your gear just off the bottom is the most productive method, but if you are in deeper water (e.g. Hole in the Wall or off South Bowen), you should try an assortment of depths ranging from 80 to 120'.
On another subject, this year's herring spawn in Georgia St. and up at Squamish sounded extremely good, and numbers seem to be way up (FINALLY!!!!). This should only mean good things for the overall health of the Strait, as it should help to increase the food for the salmon. We should see TONS of bait over off Gabriola this summer as the "young-of-the-year" herring migrate through those waters, and this should keep those hungry Chinook holding where we can target them.
At this time of year, weather is still a factor at times, but when it is nice the longer daylight hours and evenings (due to the earlier change to daylight savings time) are really starting to make the days on the water enjoyable. Don't be afraid to call even with less than a day's notice, as that can still often work out at this time of year.
I am basically available for mid-week charters most days, but I only have every other weekend open. I am continuing to work on construction projects in the marina mid-week, but I am usually able to get away from that to do charters on short notice. This next weekend I still have Sunday April 5th open, and on the Easter weekend I have a slight change in my usual schedule, so I have Sunday afternoon (mid-morning onward)and Monday available (weather is suppose to be sunny and warm). The weekend of April 18/19 I am open on the 19th. Remember, if you want to get in on the last draw for a free 5 hour charter, those doing a trip before the end of April will get an entry into the last draw at the end of the month. The winner of last month's free trip was Bernard Chow for a trip on February 24th.
Of course, my prawn traps will still be out at this time of year so there should be some of them to add to any salmon we catch.
As always, feel free to pass this information along to any associates whom may appreciate the report. If you have any questions, or wish to book a charter, e-mail me davek@dccnet.com), or call me at (604) 329 - 8642.
Tight Lines,
David Korsch
Predator Charters
www.predatorcharters.com
davek@dccnet.com
(604) 329 - 8642
An update of the local saltwater fishing scene for Vancouver To : Saltwater Angler
By: David Korsch (Predator Charters)
E-mail: davek@dccnet.com Web Site: www.predatorcharters.com
Phone: (604) 329 - 8642 Fax: (604) 886 - 1928
Hello Fellow Anglers
Unfortunately, it has been a couple months since my last newsletter - quite a busy stretch there with the Boat Show and the Tradex show to do in addition to my other work etc..... With those events over again for another year, and the days getting longer, it is now time to start thinking about this year's fishing opportunities.
We started seeing fairly significant plankton blooms occurring in our local waters by mid-March (a bit earlier than usual), and that generally indicates that the winter Chinook fishery is coming to an end. Of course this just means it is time to switch "gears" a bit and begin targeting our springtime locations again. During the past couple of years we have seen Grace Islands and Hole in the Wall produce well during April, though Defence Islands can be "the" spot to fish at times, and of course South Bowen is the most popular traditional "hot spot" during April. This particular fishery use to begin around the end of the first week of April,though it may occur earlier due to the timing of the plankton bloom this year. Then again, the Easter weekend often provides the first really "hot" fishing days of this particular fishery. It will remain to be seen how the timing works this spring.
With the large winter fish that were commonly coming to the dock over the past few months (lots of fish ranging from the mid-teens into the "20's"), I would expect to see some very nice sized fish coming in during this next phase of our fishery. South Bowen traditionally provides lots of action for "just undersize" and smaller legal fish during April, but there are always a few larger ones in the mix, and this year the percentage of fish in the 15 to 25 lb range should be MUCH higher. Locations in Howe Sound like Hole in the Wall usually produce significantly larger fish than we see off South Bowen, so this year we could see better action than usual in these location.
In addition, last year on April 24th there was an extremely hot bite off Porteau Cove, but it was over by the next day as a herd of two dozen seals moved in overnight. A couple years before that, the hot bite was in the first week of May. The fish up here range from the mid-teens to the mid-30's, and are a mix of reds and whites, so I'm not too sure where they are destined for. One thing for sure though is that Porteau Cove will definitely warrant a good look in those first 3 weeks of April. I wouldn't want to miss this action, as there is the potential to hook into more than a 1/2 dozen of these large fish in a couple hours when the bite is on!
The usual Anchovy/flasher combo has really started to become the best producer in recent weeks, though Gypsy and Coyote spoons in neon green and/or glow colour patterns (Flamin' Hans, Mongoose etc...) also continue to bring lots of fish to the boat. In Howe Sound where the water depth is less than 200' it still seems dragging your gear just off the bottom is the most productive method, but if you are in deeper water (e.g. Hole in the Wall or off South Bowen), you should try an assortment of depths ranging from 80 to 120'.
On another subject, this year's herring spawn in Georgia St. and up at Squamish sounded extremely good, and numbers seem to be way up (FINALLY!!!!). This should only mean good things for the overall health of the Strait, as it should help to increase the food for the salmon. We should see TONS of bait over off Gabriola this summer as the "young-of-the-year" herring migrate through those waters, and this should keep those hungry Chinook holding where we can target them.
At this time of year, weather is still a factor at times, but when it is nice the longer daylight hours and evenings (due to the earlier change to daylight savings time) are really starting to make the days on the water enjoyable. Don't be afraid to call even with less than a day's notice, as that can still often work out at this time of year.
I am basically available for mid-week charters most days, but I only have every other weekend open. I am continuing to work on construction projects in the marina mid-week, but I am usually able to get away from that to do charters on short notice. This next weekend I still have Sunday April 5th open, and on the Easter weekend I have a slight change in my usual schedule, so I have Sunday afternoon (mid-morning onward)and Monday available (weather is suppose to be sunny and warm). The weekend of April 18/19 I am open on the 19th. Remember, if you want to get in on the last draw for a free 5 hour charter, those doing a trip before the end of April will get an entry into the last draw at the end of the month. The winner of last month's free trip was Bernard Chow for a trip on February 24th.
Of course, my prawn traps will still be out at this time of year so there should be some of them to add to any salmon we catch.
As always, feel free to pass this information along to any associates whom may appreciate the report. If you have any questions, or wish to book a charter, e-mail me davek@dccnet.com), or call me at (604) 329 - 8642.
Tight Lines,
David Korsch
Predator Charters
www.predatorcharters.com
davek@dccnet.com
(604) 329 - 8642
