2021 Vancouver-Howe Sound-Sechelt Reports Thread

[Alison2]

Here are a few more pics from yesterday at the bell if it helps anyone out there today. The three waypoints in one of the pics are the bait we marked. The trail marker doing donuts is us trying to land the fish before the seals found us. They were stalking us like a pack of wolves. Both fish caught 10 minutes apart, one hour before low tide. Oh, and this small whale cruised by. Not sure what it was. Tight lines.

 

[adanac]

working tomorrow but will be coho fishing the hump/gabriola all weekend . catch and release on any chinook that may bite ......

 

[armando]

Fisheries Notices FN0345 (Mar 29) & FN0349(Mar 30)
"
Strait of Georgia - North - Areas 13 to 17, Area 28, and Subareas 29-1 and 29-2 (excluding those portions listed as closed below):

00:01 hours April 1, 2021 until further notice, Chinook non-retention;

Strait of Georgia - South and Juan de Fuca - Area 18, Subareas 19-3 to 19-12, 20-3 to 20-7, and Subareas 29-3 to 29-5 and 29-8 (excluding those portions listed as closed below):

00:01 hours April 1, 2021 until further notice, Chinook non-retention.

Portions of Southern Strait of Georgia, Howe Sound and Burrard Inlet – Subareas 28-7 to 28-9; Subarea 28-1, and that portion of Subarea 28-2 that lies southerly of a line drawn due East from Halkett Point on Gambier Island (49 26.735’N, 123 19.302’W) to a point (49 26.550’N, 123 14.317’W) on the mainland corresponding with the Southeast point of the Lions Bay RCA; and those portions of 29-3 to 29-5 that lie East of a line from Gower Point (49 23.021’N, 123 32.166’ W) near Gibsons to Shah Point on the Southern tip of Valdes Island (49 01.695’N, 123 35.721’W):

April 1, 2021 until further notice: No fishing for Chinook; "

Question... So, with the Fisheries notice, if they don't update this website: https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/a-s28-eng.html Which one stands true? I never check fisheries notice, just the website with the limits. Genuinely curious. If they don't update the website until the second and one gets a keeper on the first of April?

 

[hippaisland]

Here are a few more pics from yesterday at the bell if it helps anyone out there today. The three waypoints in one of the pics are the bait we marked. The trail marker doing donuts is us trying to land the fish before the seals found us. They were stalking us like a pack of wolves. Both fish caught 10 minutes apart, one hour before low tide. Oh, and this small whale cruised by. Not sure what it was. Tight lines.

Humpback! Saw a pair of them late last week out there also. Nice work on the fish!

 

[Brando]

Neighbour’s at the hump just sent me a picture of a nice 31” on an anchovy 150’

 

[Howesoundhound]

The weirdest thing yesterday off Spanish Banks in about 120 feet of water ... there was the top end of a big log peeking out of the water. What made it weird was that it wasn't floating up and down. It was totally stationary as it it was planted, but it was in 120 feet of water! Location was where my boat is in the photo, off the point of the shelf. Has anyone seen that there before?

 

[Ken J]

Question... So, with the Fisheries notice, if they don't update this website: https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/a-s28-eng.html Which one stands true? I never check fisheries notice, just the website with the limits. Genuinely curious. If they don't update the website until the second and one gets a keeper on the first of April?

Start checking fisheries notices. They are the most current regs.

 

[Tinny]

Lots of hopefuls out there today. Myself included. 6 hour shift at South Bowen and Hump but nothing to show for the effort today.

On another note - is it just me or are the Musquem hitting the harbour crabs harder than ever before? Seems like there's a boat out there non stop. At this rate there wont' be any crabs left for the fair weather charter boats when they start raiding my traps in a couple months.

 

[Gator]

Did HITW this afternoon. Ended up with 5 hits. 4 unders to the boat and one that pulled my clip open and swam away with my flasher. Would have been an very interesting fish if I had landed it. Oh well. Got to see a humpback whale breaching every 30 sec and blowing. Made my day ❤

 

[ab1752]

Made it out around the bell around 10 am, spent some time trying to remember how to fish haha...nothing happening other than a big whale following me around.

Anyway at noon I headed over to west Bowen. Putted zig zags from the point out and not much other than watching others hook up. Decided to switch off the metal to the rubber. Bam one undersize then just before slack zooooooom. Nice one, waiting him out and brought him home.


Looked around for his friends but no go. 100' white jughead was the program for me.

I heard it was going off up the sound with defense giving one boat 4 keepers. I was too lazy to rip up that far today.

Cheers!

 

[Ringo]

Lots of hopefuls out there today. Myself included. 6 hour shift at South Bowen and Hump but nothing to show for the effort today.

On another note - is it just me or are the Musquem hitting the harbour crabs harder than ever before? Seems like there's a boat out there non stop. At this rate there wont' be any crabs left for the fair weather charter boats when they start raiding my traps in a couple months.

I stopped and watched them off the 1st mile marker today. Just before noon they dropped a string of commercial traps with no buoys attached to them what so ever. Then moved to the area south east of the 2nd marker and dropped another stack of ghost traps. Called the RAPP line, connected to the Richmond office. After a long hold, diverted to an answering machine (I know, I’m an oldy!) and left them a message with full details. Until I left around 4, there was nobody coming to check so I guess they’re free to do whatever they want??

for guys who are trolling or dropping their traps in that area, just be mindful of the ghost traps in those areas. Maybe now we know why some guys lost their DR balls in that zone!

 

[ab1752]

I stopped and watched them off the 1st mile marker today. Just before noon they dropped a string of commercial traps with no buoys attached to them what so ever. Then moved to the area south east of the 2nd marker and dropped another stack of ghost traps. Called the RAPP line, connected to the Richmond office. After a long hold, diverted to an answering machine (I know, I’m an oldy!) and left them a message with full details. Until I left around 4, there was nobody coming to check so I guess they’re free to do whatever they want??

for guys who are trolling or dropping their traps in that area, just be mindful of the ghost traps in those areas. Maybe now we know why some guys lost their DR balls in that zone!

I'm positive that's the line I picked up back in December. It was too nice to be lost and I was lucky to get my gear back.

 

[Paravoffka]

Just a reminder. DO NOT BUY SALMON STUMP WHEN RENEW YOUR LICENSE!

 

[tiller]

Just a reminder. DO NOT BUY SALMON STUMP WHEN RENEW YOUR LICENSE!

Make sure you buy the salmon stamp! These funds go to the Pacific Salmon Foundation towards habitat, restoration and enhancement work!

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

Lots of hopefuls out there today. Myself included. 6 hour shift at South Bowen and Hump but nothing to show for the effort today.

On another note - is it just me or are the Musquem hitting the harbour crabs harder than ever before? Seems like there's a boat out there non stop. At this rate there wont' be any crabs left for the fair weather charter boats when they start raiding my traps in a couple months.

They caught all the crabs between the south and north arm and are now expanding there sea stewardship to the harbour...

 

[Dorman Point]

I was sitting at my desk this afternoon with my heart hurting as I thought about where our fishery has come to. So, instead of being down about it all, I decided to give it one last scratch. Packed up work and had the lines in off Cowan Pt by 2:30. Put in just a few hours and had a pretty active afternoon. Boxed one, released another small legal and a bunch of unders and shakers. But more importantly, I just enjoyed being out there in that it beautiful, calm evening. Thought a lot about the years of fishing these same waters with my dad and grandfather, and how much the times have changed. I also thought about what a pleasure it is to just be on the water, fish or no fish.

I like to think my grandfather is somewhere in that sunset. If there has to be a last day, I guess this was about as good as I could hope for.

 

[ab1752]

I was sitting at my desk this afternoon with my heart hurting as I thought about where our fishery has come to. So, instead of being down about it all, I decided to give it one last scratch. Packed up work and had the lines in off Cowan Pt by 2:30. Put in just a few hours and had a pretty active afternoon. Boxed one, released another small legal and a bunch of unders and shakers. But more importantly, I just enjoyed being out there in that it beautiful, calm evening. Thought a lot about the years of fishing these same waters with my dad and grandfather, and how much the times have changed. I also thought about what a pleasure it is to just be on the water, fish or no fish.

I like to think my grandfather is somewhere in that sunset. If there has to be a last day, I guess this was about as good as I could hope for.
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Looking good, DP! I also noticed your rig off Marine drive in its slip the other day, looks awesome. Cheers

 

[Reeltime]

Fished all over the last few days, trying to soak it all in..

 

[Fasty]

Off the South of Bowen. Lots of boats. We hit tons of little fish... and what a beautiful day.

 

[hippaisland]

Just a reminder. DO NOT BUY SALMON STUMP WHEN RENEW YOUR LICENSE!

Make sure you buy the salmon stamp! These funds go to the Pacific Salmon Foundation towards habitat, restoration and enhancement work!

No offence intended @Paravoffka but that’s terrible advice. Like @tiller said, that money goes to the Pacific Salmon Foundation. They then divvy out the funds to various hatcheries and stream keeping organizations up the entire coast, many of which are made up of large numbers of volunteers(thank you!). They should charge more for the stamp if anything knowing the money goes to PSF.

Went out the QA after work this evening for a few hours. Plenty of unders around out there. Only one worth measuring however. Beautiful evening and good company.

And I agree @Tinny the FN are hammering the harbour. It’s a legit commercial operation at this point, minus the rules and regs. Saw 3 aluminum sleds out there today.