2022 Nanoose Bay/French Creek Reports

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Left the crab traps out by Rathtrevor for a day and a half… weather was too ***** to grab them yesterday. The top 20-30 feet of both lines were a tangled mess… I always play my line (all leaded) out so it lays out nicely… pretty sure they were pulled… zero bait left and zero crab. Just be wary. My own fault for leaving them out so long but but their may be a sh!thead among us.
 
Left the crab traps out by Rathtrevor for a day and a half… weather was too ***** to grab them yesterday. The top 20-30 feet of both lines were a tangled mess… I always play my line (all leaded) out so it lays out nicely… pretty sure they were pulled… zero bait left and zero crab. Just be wary. My own fault for leaving them out so long but but their may be a sh!thead among us.
I tend to leave them for a few hours or drop late evening and get first thing in the morning. Hate the thought of someone stealing my traps. I am tempted to put a dummy string down, 2 cinderblocks on 1/4" rope see how they like that surprise
 
Hello All,

Question, looking at taking some friends out to see some whales. I'd usually go fishing (why I belong to um-teen-million fishing sites), but they don't want to fish... sad for me....

Anyways, I heard there are a few humpbacks / killers around... Anyone kinda know an area to go see a few?
This is definatley out of my wheel house, but I've got a boat, and they want to go, and I'm always down to get on the pond.
 
Hello All,

Question, looking at taking some friends out to see some whales. I'd usually go fishing (why I belong to um-teen-million fishing sites), but they don't want to fish... sad for me....

Anyways, I heard there are a few humpbacks / killers around... Anyone kinda know an area to go see a few?
This is definatley out of my wheel house, but I've got a boat, and they want to go, and I'm always down to get on the pond.
The whale watch boats are usually talking on the vhf, i think it was on channel seven but I could be wrong. Just set yours to scan and you should hear where the whales are
 
Hello All,

Question, looking at taking some friends out to see some whales. I'd usually go fishing (why I belong to um-teen-million fishing sites), but they don't want to fish... sad for me....

Anyways, I heard there are a few humpbacks / killers around... Anyone kinda know an area to go see a few?
This is definatley out of my wheel house, but I've got a boat, and they want to go, and I'm always down to get on the pond.
Humpies have been consistent early morning in front of FC whenever I’m out. Saw two Killers yesterday morning around 6:30am heading north.
 
Hello All,

Question, looking at taking some friends out to see some whales. I'd usually go fishing (why I belong to um-teen-million fishing sites), but they don't want to fish... sad for me....

Anyways, I heard there are a few humpbacks / killers around... Anyone kinda know an area to go see a few?
This is definatley out of my wheel house, but I've got a boat, and they want to go, and I'm always down to get on the pond.
Last summer I was watching humpbacks and got circled by a fast plane, a number of times, and then hailed on the radio. Turns out it's the marine mammal enforcement program (can't remember the acronym) but they're now doing aerial surveillance of how close boats are to the whales. I looked it up and I think it's 200 meters from all whales, and 400 m from Orcas. And supposed to turn off the depth sounders to avoid screwing with their echolocation. I used to turn my motor off and let them come to me, but turns out we're supposed to motor away from them if they come closer than 200m. The fine is $1000 I believe, and some people have already got it.
 
It has slowed some, but a bit of time pays off. Went to plugs now. Picked up a few last 2 evenings. Nice fish still.
 
Might Fish French Creek or Thrasher on my way back to Van at 3PM. What's the word? Where are the better fish?
 
Might Fish French Creek or Thrasher on my way back to Van at 3PM. What's the word? Where are the better fish?
I think French Creek has been pretty good. Can't comment on Thrasher.
I fish mostly Ballenas, Gerald, Douglas area which are down 6-7 miles from French Creek towards Nanaimo. Fishing here has been fair. Picked up a nice keeper last night jigging at the Green Can. I go there for a quick fish as it's only a mile from our Bay if that.
 
I think French Creek has been pretty good. Can't comment on Thrasher.
I fish mostly Ballenas, Gerald, Douglas area which are down 6-7 miles from French Creek towards Nanaimo. Fishing here has been fair. Picked up a nice keeper last night jigging at the Green Can. I go there for a quick fish as it's only a mile from our Bay if that.
No bait at Gerald or Douglas this morning. Lots of bait at the top end of Ballenas, but only in 40 ft of water. Not much action later in the morning at the gap at Winchelsea from what I heard. Tough day.
 
No bait at Gerald or Douglas this morning. Lots of bait at the top end of Ballenas, but only in 40 ft of water. Not much action later in the morning at the gap at Winchelsea from what I heard. Tough day.
40' is ok. The keeper i got last night i was in about 30' of water on the bait. It was getting near sundown then. Just went out for a quick hour.
The night before i wasn't able keep anything as i lost 3 good fish. Released a slew of undersized. It was frustrating but went back out last night close to dusk with a determined frame of mind, lol.
 
@MRWood are you running out of schooner?
I have a mooring buoy in Nuttal Bay which is just up from Schooner about a few miles. I row out from the beach to the boat.
I launch at Schooner and usually keep the boat in for 2-3 weeks and then it gets a cleaning. Then back out again.
 
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Might Fish French Creek or Thrasher on my way back to Van at 3PM. What's the word? Where are the better fish?
Hey RC why rush home? Swing to the Sunshine Coast hit Sangster, Lasqueti, Texada and Epsom on the homeward tack, been productive this way and water has been falter than pee on plater, would post reports but they are not mine but it is going on. Hopefully the swimbait queen will be up to some action this weekend!
 
Hey RC why rush home? Swing to the Sunshine Coast hit Sangster, Lasqueti, Texada and Epsom on the homeward tack, been productive this way and water has been falter than pee on plater, would post reports but they are not mine but it is going on. Hopefully the swimbait queen will be up to some action this weekend!
Yeah RC go there. No fish around here
 
Yeah RC go there. No fish around here
I dropped the lines for an hour. Had one hit that popped off at 260 feet on the rigger with the Rain City Special combo. Watched the whale show, had a beer, a quick skinny dip and now I'm en route home air drying. It's one of those ***** plates out here. What a life. I'll swing by again on my way to Hornby in a few weeks
 
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I dropped the lines for an hour. Had one hit that popped off at 260 feet on the rigger with the Rain City Special combo. Watched the whale show, had a beer, a quick skinny dip and now I'm en route home air drying. It's one of those ***** plates out here. What a life. I'll swing by again on my way to Hornby in a few weeks
We didn’t need to know about your skinny dipping. Probably scared all the fish away
 
Went out last night for an hour or so just before sundown, hoping for the high slack night bite but struck out on any keepers. Water was like glass, just a beautiful evening.
 

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