2023 OFFISHALL Vancouver-Howe Sound-Sechelt Reports Thread

[Skins88]

Got a question for everyone...let's assume you have a tyee hooked and he peels massive line and dives...let's also assume it's non weekend day and non derby day at sandheads and you are outside the pack. Once the fish finally surfaces he is way way way back behind boat.. fish is still spunky while on surface and it's hard to gain back line as he's still pulling and fighting being hooked.. assuming you are outside the pack, what would be the best course of action to get the highest probability of landing that fish?

A) keep kicker at same speed 2.5mph and just keep trying to gain ground until he tires out and possibly risk having momentary slack on line which can dislodge hook

B) slow down kicker to almost complete stop to help gain ground?

C) turn 180 and head back to fish while reeling like mad to keep tension on line

D) do a circle around fish and tighten circle as you gain back line

Obviously every situation is different and it depends on hoe busy the area is which may allow or not allow some of the options, but let's say you are in a wide open area , what option would you take?

I like option A for the most part. Keep the tension on. This is especially important with newbies on the rod.

Last weekend we had a decent fish on. Wind and current were pushing us at 2kts in neutral. Fish was holding and we were slowly losing ground. Had to back down on it. If you have a hundred yards of line out, or more. It's easy for someone to run over the fish.

So, like you said. Every situation is different.

 

[Blueback]

If I’m fishing solo, I usually try to keep the kicker running at slower speed and slowly turn to the side that helps with keeping the tension on but slowly closing that gap. If I have someone at the helm and I’m just focused on the fish, I do D - obviously if I’m not in the middle of the circus. If you’re surrounded with 8 other boats and they’re more interested in watching you than looking around and keeping clear then your option E is to pray that they don’t ******* run over your line.

That's exactly what happened to me yesterday. Fishing solo again, I decided to try the hero tack at the green can was was running west into deeper water when a fish hits. No one around me as i set the hook, but as I'm fighting it I get completely surrounded by boats! I can't go in either direction to get away so I have to just continue going straight. The fish is at the back of the boat, but I can't net him because I have to avoid the ****head who has just cut me off and is yelling at me! Of course the fish comes off and everyone scatters. Went dead after that except for a very nice hatch coho and a clean pink that went back. That was the most boats I've seen out there all year!

 

[Ringo]

I must be the only guy who didn’t catch anything today at SH. I saw nets out all day. I saw fish at my marina and fish stories. WTF. I fished chovy, spoons, big and small. I fished 40-80 feet. One small spring all day……lost. What was everyone using? You must have been down 120 ft. Maybe 1200 feet cause I didn’t see any. Lotta boats out there. Maybe too much competition.

We did relatively OK in deeper water away from the main circus. One pink one hatch coho and 3 springs - 14lbs marble, 22 lbs red and 27lbs white. We had hits on anchovies, 4” spoon and white hootchies (with purple and green inserts). Best depths were 65’ and 82’ on DR between 300-400 fow.

 

[pescador]

What are the conditions like at the Cap? There is a gale warning, but I'm wondering how it is in real time. I checked the straitweather app. Has the gale materialized yet?

 

[Don Julio]

Has anyone fished Gibsons / Byng area recently? Heading there next week and wondered if it’s worth trolling for a cpl hours!

 

[TMan]

View attachment 98215

Thanks. Getting stormy at my place. Was going to be taking kids. Probably good I didn't.

 

[sweettjim]

Lots of how deepin? on that Facebook page

thats funny

 

[staying alive]

Fished solo on Friday, was the best conditions I’ve been in out there it was awesome , fished The T10 got nothing but shaker springs and wild coho, so decided to switch to 5” plugs and a big spoon and do a fast troll to SH got a mid teen spring near SH, love catching them on plugs ,no flasher had a good battle and got him in, using a Peetz reel to boot.
Flushed the motors greased everything up , bagged the fish, put the boat in the shed then the rain started today, I guess that’s it for me for the year, all the best to you all see you on the salt next year

 

[A-a-Ron]

Got a question for everyone...let's assume you have a tyee hooked and he peels massive line and dives...let's also assume it's non weekend day and non derby day at sandheads and you are outside the pack. Once the fish finally surfaces he is way way way back behind boat.. fish is still spunky while on surface and it's hard to gain back line as he's still pulling and fighting being hooked.. assuming you are outside the pack, what would be the best course of action to get the highest probability of landing that fish?

A) keep kicker at same speed 2.5mph and just keep trying to gain ground until he tires out and possibly risk having momentary slack on line which can dislodge hook

B) slow down kicker to almost complete stop to help gain ground?

C) turn 180 and head back to fish while reeling like mad to keep tension on line

D) do a circle around fish and tighten circle as you gain back line

Obviously every situation is different and it depends on hoe busy the area is which may allow or not allow some of the options, but let's say you are in a wide open area , what option would you take?

Slow down just a touch and D slow circle the fish. And be patient.

 

[staying alive]

Got a question for everyone...let's assume you have a tyee hooked and he peels massive line and dives...let's also assume it's non weekend day and non derby day at sandheads and you are outside the pack. Once the fish finally surfaces he is way way way back behind boat.. fish is still spunky while on surface and it's hard to gain back line as he's still pulling and fighting being hooked.. assuming you are outside the pack, what would be the best course of action to get the highest probability of landing that fish?

A) keep kicker at same speed 2.5mph and just keep trying to gain ground until he tires out and possibly risk having momentary slack on line which can dislodge hook

B) slow down kicker to almost complete stop to help gain ground?

C) turn 180 and head back to fish while reeling like mad to keep tension on line

D) do a circle around fish and tighten circle as you gain back line

Obviously every situation is different and it depends on hoe busy the area is which may allow or not allow some of the options, but let's say you are in a wide open area , what option would you take?

If it’s a tyee I would keep the same speed in case he charges at you and you have to gain line ,you need to tire him out , as soon as he gets close and sees the boat he’s gone again, the second time he gets close you need to get his head out of the water a couple of breaths of air will help tire him out at that point you could slow down a bit but I wouldn’t stop completely, tip up all the time , good luck hope you get to try one they are fun

 

[A-a-Ron]

Well damn I thought I had my first Tyee but I guess I got a little excited. Took a couple really good runs and when it did the stubborn I’m not coming up thing & heavy as heck I figured it was a good one. 10 minute drag and slow circle gaining on it and landed it, a 23lb marble. That’s actually my personal best but it was a friggin boot. Oh well, to the smoker she goes. Rookie buddy was a star on the net, and he got himself a nice 14lb which he played perfectly too. 12lb to end the day. Got about 5 beautiful wild coho all shot away nice and fast… no hatchery tho. Chop wasn’t too bad. T10 around 60-80’ on herring and chovy, big boy took the chovy.

 

[wildthing]

Has anyone fished Gibsons / Byng area recently? Heading there next week and wondered if it’s worth trolling for a cpl hours!

not much just odd wild coho the rains have sent most fish running

 

[Davis]

Has anyone fished Gibsons / Byng area recently? Heading there next week and wondered if it’s worth trolling for a cpl hours!

I’m thinking the coho that head up the squamish will be coming thru in waves over the next couple months so never a waste of time imo. They need to round that Gower point corner sometime.

 

[Rain City]

Fished SH 1:30-4:30. No bites

 

[Buddha]

Any reports from cap mouth? Was it active on Friday For the derby? I was one of the unproductive Boats at sandheads on Friday. 1 chinook, a few pinks and a sole and trying to decide where to go tomorrow.

 

[Ringo]

Any reports from cap mouth? Was it active on Friday For the derby? I was one of the unproductive Boats at sandheads on Friday. 1 chinook, a few pinks and a sole and trying to decide where to go tomorrow.

I’d give West Van/ Cap Mouth a try. Tomorrow’s forecast for SH doesn’t look great.

 

[Buddha]

I’d give West Van/ Cap Mouth a try. Tomorrow’s forecast for SH doesn’t look great.

Will post a report after the trip.

 

[ChilliSpoons]

We fished the Sandheads today for my nephew’s birthday. Started at T10 with no love then carried on to the Sandheads and managed three keeper springs and two hatchery coho. A few wild coho releases and some small springs released. Fished away from the pack for the most part.

Today the ChilliSpoons weren’t the go-to lure of choice but bait was the clear favorite. Biggest spring was 22lbs.

The weatherman’s forecast wasn’t very accurate today, the wind and rain weren’t as bad as predicted.

 

[Aces]

Got a question for everyone...let's assume you have a tyee hooked and he peels massive line and dives...let's also assume it's non weekend day and non derby day at sandheads and you are outside the pack. Once the fish finally surfaces he is way way way back behind boat.. fish is still spunky while on surface and it's hard to gain back line as he's still pulling and fighting being hooked.. assuming you are outside the pack, what would be the best course of action to get the highest probability of landing that fish?

A) keep kicker at same speed 2.5mph and just keep trying to gain ground until he tires out and possibly risk having momentary slack on line which can dislodge hook

B) slow down kicker to almost complete stop to help gain ground?

C) turn 180 and head back to fish while reeling like mad to keep tension on line

D) do a circle around fish and tighten circle as you gain back line

Obviously every situation is different and it depends on hoe busy the area is which may allow or not allow some of the options, but let's say you are in a wide open area , what option would you take?

I like to keep going but slow right down to keep the fish off the rear quarter of the stern. That way you can drive away from it if it gets a 2nd wind.

 

[Brett83]

Anyone getting out today? I didn't go do to the forecast. But major depression is kicking in. Hopefully there's one more good day left for me at sandheads Thursday or Friday or whatever day the storm ends.