Any recommendation on clam digging and shore fishing around Vancouver?

[ichenjia]

Hi everyone!

Just moved from Atlanta to Vancouver. Want to do some shore fishing, crabbing and clam digging. So in desperate need for advice.

Fishing: caught a lot of shiner perches and starry flounders in Ambleside and Jericho. But that ain't fun. Try catching trout in Squamish. But there are a lot of people. I used to fish groupers and sharks in Georgia. Not sure where to catch fish of that size here in Vancouver.

Salmon: A lot of people told me Capilano river was good. Well, so far there isn't any bite. A met a old bloke this morning and he said he haven't had a bite for 4 weeks in Capilano river mouth.

Crabbing: too many people on docks. Some of them have 2-3 nets. That's crazy. I used to crab in San Francisco bay. You get a netful of crabs in 5 minutes. Here, they are all too small to keep.

Any recommendation on clam digging? like Geoduck etc? Any experience?

Thank you very much in advance.

 

[fishin_magician]

Do NOT eat anything you dig out of the sand around Vancouver. Read the DFO Regulations and adhere to them. In addition, if you are aware of the history of this area, you would have to be insane to eat any clams for these areas for very obvious reasons.

As for crabs, the bottom is literally littered with large Dungeness right now and crabbing is at it's peak. Commercial season opens shortly. Daily limit is 4 per person 6.5 inches across the shell. Rent yourself a boat or get yourself in decent sized Kayak and get out there. In 2 weeks you'll be lucky if you limit yourself out with 4 keepers in one trap. Right now in a 4.5 hour soak if you're doing it right have 10-14 2 pound crabs in them. If you're crabbing in the best areas that is.

Capilano Coho. Still early early. Get yourself some waders and a decent casting outfit and get ready to get busy and wait for the right tides to fish the estuary at the lowest if the low tides.

If you really want to catch salmon, get yourself On a boat starting in 2 weeks for Cohoes.

Your first stop should be to visit Pacific Angler at 78 East Broadway. (604) 872 2204. If you want to learn shore fishing techniques Andre is one of the best beach fly fishers in the lower mainland.

If you want to try your hand at a guided fishing trip...speak to Jason Tonelli.

August is going to be a ridiculous month for fishing with good to excellent numbers of Chinook and insane numbers of Sockeye.

Welcome to the Vancouver fishing scene!

 

[Dogbreath]

I used to fish groupers and sharks in Georgia. Not sure where to catch fish of that size here in Vancouver.

Nowhere-you need to go to the other side of Vancouver Island aka WCVI or north of Campbell River-the Inside has never held much for groundfish and almost all of that is gone now and anyplace that has some is probably closed.

As Andrew says you need to familiarise yourself with the Salmon life cycle.

And Yes there are far too many people fishing from shore anywhere you can drive to around the city.

 

[getbent]

There is always sturgeon fishing on the Fraser to catch a BIG fish....

 

[ichenjia]

Thank you so much for all the valuable information! I really appreciate it.

So it's still too early for cap? Historically, when would be a good start for coho and sockeyes?

I went to Army & Navy? They recommended some UV lures. Has anybody tried it yet?

Thank you very much!

 

[Dogbreath]

UV lures are all the rage but don't throw down large for something you may not use much-shore fishing is more about flash IME.

As to Army & Navy there's only one guy there who knows what he's talking about and he's only part time AFAICT-he's also the only one who ever goes fishing more than once every few years.