2016 Nanoose Bay/French Creek Reports

got two at gerald last night, 15lbs and 10lbs. using plugs for my first time! the guy at fish clean station said he got his on bait at ballenas 20,12,10
 
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Slow night out front!!! Few nice nice wild Coho's released and one just under spring!!!! (crap) lol.. Forgot to turn my radio off while cleaning the boat.. Hope the guy coming back from Lasqueti on his kicker after loosing power made it home safe.. Wind really started to pick up... Cheers
Al
 
Caught low slack yesterday afternoon out front but it didn't produce much for me. Released a couple small wild coho and a undersize spring. Tried a few different lure combinations but the green splatter back and #727 plug seemed to get most of the action, but not the keeper action I was hoping for. Marked lots of fish at all depths. Heard of a couple decent springs caught, hope it picks up before the derby.
 
Just to clarify the south hump is where? Is that the small hump just south of the main hump or the one south of the marina? For those of us that don't know.

I thought that fishing derby was this weekend for some reason so I went up to Tribune Bay and it's a little more sheltered there. I won't elaborate as this is the wrong forum but it kept me busy. Yesterday at F/C was cut short by a kicker that wouldn't start and I didn't want to troll with a 90 so only stayed out about a hour. Nothing.
 
Seafever said:
Out yesterday off F.C. Fished both tide changes and inbetween.

Slowest day ever. Fished lure depths of 30ft to 230 ft. From inshore to humps to out 400' beyond humps.

Tried all the goto plugs,hoochies, C.J.'s, spoons, squirts, needlefish behind 8 different flashers. Then tried the "experimentals".

Only thing that worked was a shortened to 3 inch green splatterback behind a Super Gold Betsy.

The fishfinder was mostly a vast wasteland....a few pockets of fish here and there but not much. No baitballs. (Unless there's something wrong with my finder but I don't think so.)

Tried a Mongoose spoon for quite awhile......absolutely nada zip zilch on that. Zero hits of anything.

Managed a couple of nice big hatch Coho. 130ft lure depth at South hump.

Now that said, when I got back to the dock the guy beside me had a couple Springs about 14 lbs. He got those at 200ft on the south hump. Didn't tell me what lure.
He also said he got a sockeye.
South hump was the only place I got any fish either.

I was down 200 to 230 deep on the humps at times but I guess it wasn't my turn for Chinooks.

Got a few Coho all day but no Springs at all, not even shakers.
Click to expand...

I find if you keep your tired and trues down sooner or later they produce. I cant imagine the amount of time you don't have gear in the water changing that much. I don't think I have used 8 different flashers in my entire life time. Find the bait, put stuff out that you have confidence with and stick with it.
 
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Was out this evening from 5-9, lost one right away as I was putting the other line down. Thought " man things r gonna b hot tonite!!", wrong. Had a few more hits and released 2 undersize springs. Tried all depths and my go to lures. Glow white hoochie with a mini pink inside of it was hot at catching all the undersize but no big takers tonite. Didn't see any bait balls under me all night. Maybe try the a.m. before work if the wind is light
 
Seafever said:
That was 8 hours of straight trolling without the motor turned off once.
When I change tackle (and I'm really fast at that) the other side is always in the water.
Even when I get a fish the other side rod is still fishing.

I have a boatload of "goto" tried and true different lures/flashers that have caught fish. And I've always found that the right flashers can make a difference.
I don't believe in using one lure or flasher all day if it isn't producing.
"Produce" being the key word.
I've found time and time again that if you put the right combo down it's likely they'll hit.
Different things work better on different days.
I like catching not fishing.

Sometimes a "goto' will be hot on one day and another it won't.

To me it's like going to a restaurant when I'm not hungry. I may not want anything but if the chef keeps making different stuff and bringing it out, sooner or later he'll make something I can't resist.

"Find the bait"? In all that time I never saw a single baitball. Actually haven't seen a baitball on any trip out this year so far. (Off F.C.)
It's what you don't see off F.C. that can tell a story.
Almost zero diving birds. Zero seagulls squawking over surface bait. Almost zero seals hunting. Zero Eagles scavenging on the water. Zero sealions except when the herring are spawning.
All my trips are basically like yesterday...6 to 8 hours of trolling, sometimes punctuated with an hour of stationary jigging.

Some days I get a lot of hits. Some days are slow.

As far as the mongoose spoon goes......I've caught fish on it before in the past. As I have with any number of other spoons that worked as good or better.
But I certainly wouldn't rely on it exclusively and I find it odd that the person who raved about doesn't mention it anywhere in his old posts gone by over the years that I remember or can find.
If he did I stand corrected.
Click to expand...


Sorry for the suggestions. Seems like you got it all figured out
 
I'll agree with ignoring the sounder, as I don't have a great one. 'Chasing' blips on a screen doesn't work for me. At best it's a good way to see if there is bait in the area.
 
Out yesterday from 1-7 pm. 2 nice hatchery coho and some undersize springs. White glow hootchie and green spackleback at 150 and 180 feet
 
Fished from first light until 12 today. Mostly fished the north hump but cruised as far south as Parksville bay. The action was absolutely ripper all morning, I had 30+ fish to the boat mostly smalls, but managed springs up to 18lbs. The unusual mongoose and needlefish splatterback combo was all that was needed. Ended up keeping 2 hatch coho and two teener springs for my limit. Fish were everywhere between 95' and 285' on the rigger. Springs were all down deep bottom bouncing in 220' of water (soar arms now haha). Get on out there its going off for sure!
 
On fire at low slack today...limited out on coho in 15min right out front at 120' in 200'. Had the blue and silver version of the mongoose from luhr Jensen on...not sure of the actual name. Down deep had the #727 plug that got me a barely keeper spring. Lost another good size spring at the boat after it got tangled in my other line...fishin solo...i'm sure the people around me were chucking because it was a gong show. Nice to see it picking up after it being pretty quiet the last while.
 
I second that. I just wish DFO would allow unclipped coho. I do my best to release but I know there is carnage. There are some springs lurking in the top 70'. Lost a beauty at the boat. Again. Ryan I see you out all the time, and parked on Sabine I think. I'm in the 24' Wellcraft with the Suzuki.
 
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