2023 Secret Cove, Pender Harbour and Texada Reports

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We could... and should. the way the fishery is going coastwide catch and release will be a reality going forward. There's lots of good experience over the decades here on C&R and some really cool new C&R studies (by UBC, PSF, SFI) that are going on now that have shown some very interesting results... some counter to long held beliefs that I grew up with. Anyways, I'd be happy to add what info I have if you wanna get a thread going... probably the 'conservation' section?

back to reports. i'll be up at Epsom tomorrow evening if all goes to plan. Need to find a coho or 2 for my wife's bday dinner this weekend!
Please not in the conservation/politics sub. Many of us never go in that sub because of the, ah, entrenched positions taken.
 
posted my morning report in the wrong thread (vancouver) but had a productive morning at epsom today with 3-4 other boats out there. Wind wasn't ideal but lots of fish around in the 40-50ft range on the rigger. Be fishing all weekend so will add any new info then. Sure would be nice if we were allowed to keep a spring as there's no shortage at the moment.
 
posted my morning report in the wrong thread (vancouver) but had a productive morning at epsom today with 3-4 other boats out there. Wind wasn't ideal but lots of fish around in the 40-50ft range on the rigger. Be fishing all weekend so will add any new info then. Sure would be nice if we were allowed to keep a spring as there's no shortage at the moment.

Boot up to egmont, I picked up 2 hatchery in the past 2 days..and probably had 60 keeper springs to the boat in 2 days, for both our boats. It's ridiculous how hot it is. Both hatchery fish were 72 cm.

I will be off Anderson bay later on today once this stupid se lays down.
 
Boot up to egmont, I picked up 2 hatchery in the past 2 days..and probably had 60 keeper springs to the boat in 2 days, for both our boats. It's ridiculous how hot it is. Both hatchery fish were 72 cm.

I will be off Anderson bay later on today once this stupid se lays down.
Hopefully those springs will still be around when it's open. August 1st can't come soon enough! :cool:
 
Seeing a lot of catch and release fish being photographed in nets on the deck. I'm surprised that's still happening. I can see the odd one if it's some kind of prize or someone's first fish, but hammering fish all day and netting them just to post pictures and let them go seems counterproductive to our cause. Maybe people can spend some time learning and then teaching how to gaff release as part of introducing fishing to family and friends. Having a "landed" count going just seems so show-offy.
Good advice and these photos just get used against us by the groups that don't like us!
 
Got out Thursday night to Epsom for an hour after dinner and fishing was still bananas hot. Had to go down to one rod because it was just me in the boat and there were too many doubles.

Mostly chinooks but a few coho mixed in, all wilds, including a 10+ lb tank right as the sun touched the Texada horizon. July 15 cannot come soon enough.
 
Seeing a lot of catch and release fish being photographed in nets on the deck. I'm surprised that's still happening. I can see the odd one if it's some kind of prize or someone's first fish, but hammering fish all day and netting them just to post pictures and let them go seems counterproductive to our cause. Maybe people can spend some time learning and then teaching how to gaff release as part of introducing fishing to family and friends. Having a "landed" count going just seems so show-offy.

Big fan of the gaff release. Netting fish with a coated mesh really only makes sense on keepers, tricky hook-sets, and/or DNA sampled salmon. On that note, I'm curious to know if anyone in the Avid Angler program has a creative way of netting/handling fish that is required to hole-punch the adipose / tail. Third year of sampling, and while most fish swim away unscathed in a hurry, there is the odd one which doesn't look great upon re-entry and is likely seal bait. I have a rubber-coated C&R net, ensure the boat deck (and hands) are wet before landing the fish for the DNA sample, minimize handling/thrashing, and nurse the larger fish back in.
 
Try placing the fish head first into a 5 gal bucket with fresh water while you do the sampling. If you have a measuring stick with a ruler on it, rather than the flexible/retractable tape you can measure it in the bucket as well. It gets to continue breathing rather than "holding it's breath" while you are collecting & measuring.
 
Try placing the fish head first into a 5 gal bucket with fresh water while you do the sampling. If you have a measuring stick with a ruler on it, rather than the flexible/retractable tape you can measure it in the bucket as well. It gets to continue breathing rather than "holding it's breath" while you are collecting & measuring.

Interesting. Fresh salt water or fresh fresh water? Cool idea
 
Seeing a lot of catch and release fish being photographed in nets on the deck. I'm surprised that's still happening. I can see the odd one if it's some kind of prize or someone's first fish, but hammering fish all day and netting them just to post pictures and let them go seems counterproductive to our cause. Maybe people can spend some time learning and then teaching how to gaff release as part of introducing fishing to family and friends. Having a "landed" count going just seems so show-offy.
I totally agree, I have not used my net all year. All these fish you not keeping should easily be released at the side of the boat quickly. With barbless hooks it takes five seconds.
 
First day of chinook retention and found nothing but coho this morning. In the 22 I caught, 2 really nice hatchery keepers at Epsom.

IMG_6826.jpeg

Anyone get any good sized chinooks? They’re still out there but it was hard (champagne problems!) to find them with all the coho!

IMG_6827.jpeg
 
First day of chinook retention and found nothing but coho this morning. In the 22 I caught, 2 really nice hatchery keepers at Epsom.

View attachment 94804

Anyone get any good sized chinooks? They’re still out there but it was hard (champagne problems!) to find them with all the coho!

View attachment 94805
I was up and down Bjerre. Some Chinook but nothing worth keeping. Kept 2 hatchery coho.

My brother was at Quarry Bay, Cape Cockburn, Hardy and the Pilings. All coho!
 
Big fan of the gaff release. Netting fish with a coated mesh really only makes sense on keepers, tricky hook-sets, and/or DNA sampled salmon. On that note, I'm curious to know if anyone in the Avid Angler program has a creative way of netting/handling fish that is required to hole-punch the adipose / tail. Third year of sampling, and while most fish swim away unscathed in a hurry, there is the odd one which doesn't look great upon re-entry and is likely seal bait. I have a rubber-coated C&R net, ensure the boat deck (and hands) are wet before landing the fish for the DNA sample, minimize handling/thrashing, and nurse the larger fish back in.
Honestly, a lot of days I don't do reporting as I hate damaging fish. I could have done 15 fish today....but didn't.
 
Friday morning released a monster Chinook from Hodgson and several coho, one hatchery. Saturday morning same place three to the boat but nothing retained. Went out to Quarry and a couple hits but nothing. Moved out to Epson pt for late bite on Saturday and limited out on Chinook in three hours, releasing a couple undersized and several wild coho. Quite a mix of everything right now, good to see the coho numbers even though no retention.
 
Saturday shift from 10 to 8 pm off upwood area on texada...must have released 30+ unders it was crazy. Finally at 8 pm a 66 cm spring decided to hop on the boat. 3" yellow spoons the winner by far. I should have moved to sangster but I'm stubborn and stupid when I commit to a fishing area.

Spent some time off lower sunshine coast last night and it was lights out. 3 x 74 cm Chinook in 45 mins and could have doubled it easily, all beautiful wilds on white Jughead hoochie.

I heard it was good fishing at the entrance to Pender harbor on the weekend too. I'm gong back towards egmont tomorrow. Cheers.
 
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