2022 Vancouver-Howe Sound-Sechelt Reports Thread

[Tockeyetalmon]

According to your link Ringo its open

Pink Salmon	29-1 to 29-5,29-8	30cm	Barbless Hook & Line	4/8/-	Open (See Restrictions)
	29-6,29-7,29-9,29-10			0/0/0	Closed
	29-6,29-7,29-9,29-10	30cm	Barbless Hook & Line	0/0/-	Non-retention (See Restrictions)
	29-11 to 29-17			0/0/0	Closed

Just wanted to confirm, but seeing previous post, from weeks before
Boats seeing fishing that area, seems to be shunned for cheating from other members

Thanks again

Ya watch out buddy might call DFO “23 times” on u if u try and catch a pink or coho

 

[Rain City]

Ya watch out buddy might call DFO “23 times” on u if u try and catch a pink or coho

Relax. The guides I've heard from have been pretty steadfast in their understanding that the grey area of "no fishing for Chinook" is enough to get you in trouble. Not sure if it was intentionally misleading or if they're just that inept but there HAS to be a difference between that and "non retention". I read it the same way as Hippa does. "No fishing for chinook" means keep your gear out of the water unless you're sampling. He also watched a guy net a chinook and keep it onboard.

 

[SteelyDan]

Always can just fish t10 then sandheads can be just as productive and less boats

I always fish t10 on a low tide and do pretty good.

 

[Aquaholic]

T10 is outside the closure right? I haven't looked at the area on a chart.

Do you mean the SRKW no go zone?

 

[Skins88]

Do you mean the SRKW no go zone?

Yeah. The area around the north arm they shutdown.

 

[Notellumcreek]

Yankee here- I was out at point roberts all weekend and besides the crabbing we hooked into 3 nice chinook- if only we were in Canadian water. Plenty of sockeye around- I’ve tried to fish for them out here for years with no luck, throwing everything at them from bare red hooks to Columbia river rigs we use with coon shrimp. You guys talk like there is a good way to fish for them in the salt but I’m out of ideas on how to hook them? Hope to see you guys at sandheads in a couple weeks, if you see a red north river with a university of Washington flag on it feel free to hassle me or give me a hard time.

 

[Aquaholic]

Yankee here- I was out at point roberts all weekend and besides the crabbing we hooked into 3 nice chinook- if only we were in Canadian water. Plenty of sockeye around- I’ve tried to fish for them out here for years with no luck, throwing everything at them from bare red hooks to Columbia river rigs we use with coon shrimp. You guys talk like there is a good way to fish for them in the salt but I’m out of ideas on how to hook them? Hope to see you guys at sandheads in a couple weeks, if you see a red north river with a university of Washington flag on it feel free to hassle me or give me a hard time.

Bring beer.

 

[A-a-Ron]

Yankee here- I was out at point roberts all weekend and besides the crabbing we hooked into 3 nice chinook- if only we were in Canadian water. Plenty of sockeye around- I’ve tried to fish for them out here for years with no luck, throwing everything at them from bare red hooks to Columbia river rigs we use with coon shrimp. You guys talk like there is a good way to fish for them in the salt but I’m out of ideas on how to hook them? Hope to see you guys at sandheads in a couple weeks, if you see a red north river with a university of Washington flag on it feel free to hassle me or give me a hard time.

Go to the archived thread from 2018 and you’ll see tons of info on sockeye
Tons of flash (multiple dummy flashers) and short (18-22”) 50lb test leaders give the hoochie the right action. Small pink color hoochies with some of the tentacles ripped off work best (or a google-eye wild thing lure). Slow troll. Also don’t set the hook due to their soft mouths, you’ll rip it right out.
Now I’m all excited and still can’t go give it a try…

 

[Tighthead]

Yankee here- I was out at point roberts all weekend and besides the crabbing we hooked into 3 nice chinook- if only we were in Canadian water. Plenty of sockeye around- I’ve tried to fish for them out here for years with no luck, throwing everything at them from bare red hooks to Columbia river rigs we use with coon shrimp. You guys talk like there is a good way to fish for them in the salt but I’m out of ideas on how to hook them? Hope to see you guys at sandheads in a couple weeks, if you see a red north river with a university of Washington flag on it feel free to hassle me or give me a hard time.

Tutorial in catching sockeye with Jason Teneli from Pacific Angler (

)

 

[Old Deckhand]

So worked Gower point again, gave it one more try until Sept 1st opening. Was rewarded with a 65, a 67cm anchovies with chartreuse UV head, black flasher, very red springs doe's and lost a larger one , spat hook 20 feet behind boat, flasher almost smoked us in the head hitting cabin behind us. Bad experience on way back though, a boat was on our Prawn traps! Horseshoe bay/Bowen area . White/ grey, nicer new boat 22-24 Feet? Could see radar on top, raced away towards Squamish/ Lions Bay way, right as we came up about 1 kilometer out,, They hauled 3 of our 5 sets for us , cleaned out traps and tanging our gear. Was checking one of our local spots and had some jumbos in it , was very upset we lost 60% to thieves. With expensive boat like that , think they would have the money to buy their own prawn traps and set their own, instead of stealing other peoples prawn? Fellow at dock said same boat hit his crab traps. He reported it to DFO and RCMP and they did nothing. I was as too far away to get 13K number and we weren't sure they hit the traps until we hauled them. Putting boat away until the 1st, bit disenchanted, tight lies all.

 

[Aquaholic]

Go to the archived thread from 2018 and you’ll see tons of info on sockeye
Tons of flash (multiple dummy flashers) and short (18-22”) 50lb test leaders give the hoochie the right action. Small pink color hoochies with some of the tentacles ripped off work best (or a google-eye wild thing lure). Slow troll. Also don’t set the hook due to their soft mouths, you’ll rip it right out.
Now I’m all excited and still can’t go give it a try…

Great stuff. A buddy compares it to fighting a jellyfish, pull too hard and you’ll easily rip the hook out. Small treble hooks help with the odds of landing them.

 

[Notellumcreek]

Tutorial in catching sockeye with Jason Teneli from Pacific Angler (

)

Much appreciated!

 

[Aquaholic]

Much appreciated!

Here is a text version from a few years past Friday PA report on sockeye. They agree with the dummy flashers for attracting sockeye in the sandy waters:

For sockeye we recommend using 3-4 “dummy flashers” and then two flashers with small hoochies above that on the cable. The best colour hoochies historically have been hot pink with a glow head or a glow strip.

Productive leader lengths have been from 22” up to 31” but most anglers fish about a 28” leader of 40 or 50 LB test.

When it comes to flashers, the more flashers in the water the better. Sockeye love to follow the gear and will follow you, not the other way around if you make a big enough appearance. A great way to put those flashers you normally don’t use to good use.

Good luck!

 

[Notellumcreek]

Go to the archived thread from 2018 and you’ll see tons of info on sockeye
Tons of flash (multiple dummy flashers) and short (18-22”) 50lb test leaders give the hoochie the right action. Small pink color hoochies with some of the tentacles ripped off work best (or a google-eye wild thing lure). Slow troll. Also don’t set the hook due to their soft mouths, you’ll rip it right out.
Now I’m all excited and still can’t go give it a try…

Thanks! I’ll dig in the archives some more

 

[Notellumcreek]

Here is a text version from a few years past Friday PA report on sockeye. They agree with the dummy flashers for attracting sockeye in the sandy waters:

For sockeye we recommend using 3-4 “dummy flashers” and then two flashers with small hoochies above that on the cable. The best colour hoochies historically have been hot pink with a glow head or a glow strip.

Productive leader lengths have been from 22” up to 31” but most anglers fish about a 28” leader of 40 or 50 LB test.

When it comes to flashers, the more flashers in the water the better. Sockeye love to follow the gear and will follow you, not the other way around if you make a big enough appearance. A great way to put those flashers you normally don’t use to good use.

Good luck!

Crazy the amount of dummy flashers to run but I will definitely try it in a couple weeks. If anyone wants to run down to fish them on the west side of pt roberts sockeye are stacked up in there anywhere from 40-150 ft of water. That’s also where we hit our kings. I think it should be a pretty good opener for most of you at sandheads next week…

 

[Ringo]

That’s also where we hit our kings.

Our Chinooks!

 

[Aquaholic]

Our Chinooks!

Level wind!

 

[Gator]

So worked Gower point again, gave it one more try until Sept 1st opening. Was rewarded with a 65, a 67cm anchovies with chartreuse UV head, black flasher, very red springs doe's and lost a larger one , spat hook 20 feet behind boat, flasher almost smoked us in the head hitting cabin behind us. Bad experience on way back though, a boat was on our Prawn traps! Horseshoe bay/Bowen area . White/ grey, nicer new boat 22-24 Feet? Could see radar on top, raced away towards Squamish/ Lions Bay way, right as we came up about 1 kilometer out,, They hauled 3 of our 5 sets for us , cleaned out traps and tanging our gear. Was checking one of our local spots and had some jumbos in it , was very upset we lost 60% to thieves. With expensive boat like that , think they would have the money to buy their own prawn traps and set their own, instead of stealing other peoples prawn? Fellow at dock said same boat hit his crab traps. He reported it to DFO and RCMP and they did nothing. I was as too far away to get 13K number and we weren't sure they hit the traps until we hauled them. Putting boat away until the 1st, bit disenchanted, tight lies all.

I fish that area 1-2 times a week evenings doing sampling. I've seen that boat before a number of times. They move around alot and watched them go as far a Bowen and beyond. Could be many more areas they might hit if the same ones. I'll take a picture next time and send it to you.

 

[Fishallspec]

Last year here on the forum, a HarbourCraft/ Kingfisher was caught stealing a members traps with photos. I Don't know how to link the post.

 

[Nitroholic]

Relax. The guides I've heard from have been pretty steadfast in their understanding that the grey area of "no fishing for Chinook" is enough to get you in trouble. Not sure if it was intentionally misleading or if they're just that inept but there HAS to be a difference between that and "non retention". I read it the same way as Hippa does. "No fishing for chinook" means keep your gear out of the water unless you're sampling. He also watched a guy net a chinook and keep it onboard.

"no fishing for chinook" does not mean you cannot fish for pink, chum and hatch coho at sandheads