2022 Vancouver-Howe Sound-Sechelt Reports Thread

[Aquaholic]

One of the guys from Browns Bay Resort is here at the BC Outdoors show in Chilliwack. He confirms the best chum trolling speed in their area is at .5 mph, even neutral in certain currents.

Stay away from this outdoor show to protect your wallet. Lots of great deals and clearance prices here. Harbour Chandler came over and set up a space too, did a sale flyer for the event.

Browns Bay rep said this Googly Eye is the go to item. Extra flashers as per the video too.

 

[Old Deckhand]

Ask the Browns Bay crew and they have written the book on this fishery. Like what Aquaholic mentioned, it's very similar to the Sox fishery. Slow troll, stop and put it in gear again. bit longer leader with procured bait or purple hoochies and some add a dummy flasher or two. It's not rocket science.
It's a sad state of affairs what our local salmon fishery has become. Going for Chumlies in middle of April? I'd rather do C&R for Pollocks.

Sincerely appreciate the tips Ringo and all, super slow, stop-go and pinks purple it is, and have some of those Googly eyes Aquahloic, good idea! Picked up few years ago never tried, thanks for reminder. , Appreciated the tips all and yes Ringo not happy about the state of affairs with Chinook, but those chrome ocean run Chum really are awfully nice, and not like they are going to close commercial and leave all non-native shares of Chinook to us sports fisherfolk, even though that is a thousand times better for the economy , and a thousand times easier on the species. Couple good sein nets from one boat and poof equals what all of us combined catch all year, Is what it is, so will do my best to adapt and learn a new fishing method <> really not much choice in the matter. I am not that keen on Pollock, is good, will eat, but not in my favorites.

 

[Ringo]

Nothing wrong with targeting any fish in the ocean. Ocean cut chum and white springs are the best meat for the smoker, IMO.

BTW, I only catch and release the pollock until coho start to show up. They make good bait for crabbing too

Good luck!

 

[adanac]

Saw my first ever completely bright ocean Chum up in the Gwaii last year and Yes they are a beautiful fish-IIRC it was a complete fluke taken on bait the same crew also caught a smaller one the same way but it had a tad of colour to it.

The Pink run had just flooded the area maybe they were mixed up together.

have got a handful of them out of Naden Harbour , beautiful fish in that condition . Offshore picking away at limits of coho.

 

[Old Deckhand]

View attachment 77866

have got a handful of them out of Naden Harbour , beautiful fish in that condition . Offshore picking away at limits of coho.

No that's what I am talking about, beautiful pic and thanks for posting A perfect chum example and if I can figure out how catch those ocean-run fatty chrome chum at limits per day, might ALMOST forget about no springs, Appreciated

 

[sweettjim]

Having a great catch and release time at Gower point 5 fish in 15 minutes at anywhere between 45 to 120 ft on the riggers all on Avocado Dream and Irish Cream

any biggies?

 

[DUGALD JAMIESON]

any biggies?

Eventually had 17 fish in 2 hours and 4 would have been keeper size

 

[sweettjim]

Nothing wrong with targeting any fish in the ocean. Ocean cut chum and white springs are the best meat for the smoker, IMO.

BTW, I only catch and release the pollock until coho start to show up. They make good bait for crabbing too

Good luck!

pollock do make great crab bait

 

[sweettjim]

Eventually had 17 fish in 2 hours and 4 would have been keeper size

75cm ones?

 

[wolfemanJ]

No that's what I am talking about, beautiful pic and thanks for posting A perfect chum example and if I can figure out how catch those ocean-run fatty chrome chum at limits per day, might ALMOST forget about no springs, Appreciated

Pink and purple hootchies ,black hooks, green flashers, stack gear shallow 12-70’ on the rigger

 

[Capt. Jack]

Actually are fair number of ocean run chum there, see schools of big fish on the sounder that wont bite & apparently they are Chum. But hard as hell to hook up, friend from the West Coast of Vancouver island told me we fish "all wrong" to pick up ocean-run Chum here on the inside. Said they eat jellyfish, and to emulate need pink/purple, 3-inch Michael bait hoochie, slow-wobble - behind a dodger - not a flasher.. So said how we fish salmon here on inside wont catch them in 100 years. We made him almost a fibber and caught one and was a great fighter last year, beautiful meat, big eyes. Looks nothing AT ALL like how they look after they go up river and turn into nasty dogs. A beautiful fish, on a tiger prawn hoochie totally accidentally on a slow turn. But he is mostly right, as was only one we have EVER caught - so they ARE there -we just "doing it wrong" . And are millions in rivers each fall ( Alouette, Stave, Squamish, etc etc.) all loaded with nasty-looking, big-toothed, half-rotten, spawn-mutated Dogs. So each year they also have to be in the ocean, right? They just can't just magically appear in the rivers to spawn without growing up somewhere. So been meaning to give the method he suggests a serious "hard try". With Chinook closed, why not? That ocean run Chum really was beautiful, big and tasty ,nothing at all like river-run, a real nice surprise. Just need to figure out how to fish the Chum properly and catch them consistently. Any and all tips welcome!

I've got a couple of dodgers, one's chrome, the other one is brass and chrome.
Do you know what size to use?

 

[Old Deckhand]

I've got a couple of dodgers, one's chrome, the other one is brass and chrome.
Do you know what size to use?

Hey Capt. Jack, I asked my buddy, and he said "standard size 1" and to be honest I didn't know what that was ( am a flasher fisher mostly) . So I Googled it and = 8 3/4" and as well he sent this link for reference: https://islandfishermanmagazine.com/how-to-catch-more-chum-salmon/ with picture of the flasher size in it. So I just finished prepping boat for the season, fresh coat of gel-coat is curing. And heading out as soon as the weather is nice. Starting this season am going to compile all the chum tips all have kindly provided here ( thanks folks!) read the guide he linked carefully , and give it a damn good try here in Howe sound! I know they are there , as have caught one on north shore, near pink hi-rise , by total fluke - early last year. Just have to find where, what and how to get them around here consistently. And will certainly share what I find out. Good luck!

 

[sherrett]

Based on the sterling report from Dugald Jamieson a few days ago I fished Gower Point and the contours N this morning, seeking some catch and release action. And it did not disappoint!

Fished 10am - 12pm, through the low tide at ~10:00am. Landed 6 fish, 3 that would have been keepers, all hatchery chinook. The biggest was 68cms.

Fish were in 120-100' and caught at 100-80' on the usual green/white glow and black/blue/white glow spoon / flasher combos. Bottom contours were interesting and it took some time to find fish. Marked fish deeper, at 200 - 225', and marked very little bait, but that didn't seem a big deterrent to action.

No photos of fish because I was on my own and getting them back into the water. Just this crappy sonar image. Great day on calm water.

 

[DUGALD JAMIESON]

Based on the sterling report from Dugald Jamieson a few days ago I fished Gower Point and the contours N this morning, seeking some catch and release action. And it did not disappoint!

Fished 10am - 12pm, through the low tide at ~10:00am. Landed 6 fish, 3 that would have been keepers, all hatchery chinook. The biggest was 68cms.

Fish were in 120-100' and caught at 100-80' on the usual green/white glow and black/blue/white glow spoon / flasher combos. Bottom contours were interesting and it took some time to find fish. Marked fish deeper, at 200 - 225', and marked very little bait, but that didn't seem a big deterrent to action.

No photos of fish because I was on my own and getting them back into the water. Just this crappy sonar image. Great day on calm water.

View attachment 78052

Awesome sonar picture - what sounder do you have?

 

[sherrett]

Awesome sonar picture - what sounder do you have?

It's a Garmin GPSMAP 8410xsv. I like it. Two screens you can set independently so the front one I like to set to contours and the back one to fishing sonar.

 

[Gator]

HITW fished 10-2. First 2 hrs non stop action. Did 10 DNA samples ranging from 44-80. Half were hatch. Last 2 hrs only 5 and 4 being shakers. 70-85 worked the best.

 

[Rain City]

Soooooo where can we play catch and release other than past Gower? I haven't had a boat for nearly four months and I really need to scratch something.

 

[mac_davy]

Soooooo where can we play catch and release other than past Gower? I haven't had a boat for nearly four months and I really need to scratch something.

North of lions bay in area 18-2 and along west van in area 18-6

 

[Tightlines22]

North of lions bay in area 18-2 and along west van in area 18-6

Did you mean area 28-2 and 28-6?

 

[mac_davy]

Did you mean area 28-2 and 28-6?

My error, yes area 28