Cowichan Bay /Saltspring Area

[alley cat]

Went out today down to Hatch Point and thence out to the bank and around in the general vicinity of Mill Bay over to Saltspring and back , there are absolutely millions of f.....g salmon , chums and coho jumping everywhere , sad part tried everything and not one bite ! ! ! !
The coho were still quite bright and of a good size , I wonder where the Port Renfrew ones are ? Called out to a friend in Renfrew again and he tells me that some were taken of the Bouy 3 days ago but since then nothing, seiners were out test fishing and nothing !
Not to berate the point but anyone else get out in the Mill Bay/ Cowichan Bay area today and achieve any success ?

AL

 

[scott craven]

just a hunch Al, but if those fish are mostly Chum,headed for goldstream,cowichan rivers they are awaiting the "sex & death" stage...
there was another topic here a while back and the fishermen
seemed frustrated that there were fish everywhere, but no biter's.

 

[alley cat]

In the deeper water areas closer to the Saltspring side they were predominantly Coho, I even rummaged around in the bottom of the the 3rd tackle box and found a silver metric spoon and whipped out the spinning rod and tried that to no effect.

Nice looking fish though , wondering how they and all the other species are going to make out when the rains come and the levels rise.
I think they will destrot each others redds in the mad dash , unless there is a biological trigger which hold one specie back for a length of time ?? Who knows ?

AL

 

[Rum Buddies]

I thought the inlet was closed or is it opened now?

 

[alley cat]

Hatch Point towards Cow Bay hatchery only , Hatch Point towards Bamberton etc , 1 wild allowed is the way I read it Poppa S.

AL

 

[Rum Buddies]

well I'll have to check that out then, I can't believe nothing would work though, what type of gear did you through at them?

 

[victoriaboater]

Soudns exciting! Try an army truck hoochie mama behind a glow green flasher?

 

[alley cat]

Army truck hootchies , A.T. spoons , Krippled K spoons , flash tails , bait , herring and anchovie , herring strip behind a dodger , varied coloured flashers , speeds and leader length also varied along with inside and outside turns , you name it; and 40 plus years of other tricks thrown in.......... plus bucktails in grey ghost , green , blue - green and then tried purple haze hootchies and other colours up to and including all black and all white........... zip , zero , nada, it was one day for the fish to look and laugh(if fish laugh!).
Didn't get out today but leaving for Renfrew Thursday morning early and staying for 2 days in the rain , praying for low wind conditions to see if the coho will move in around the bay and bouy area.

AL

 

[Time]

Thanks for the post AC.
Thought of going out but too damn frustrating to see the fish, but not be able to entice a bite.
Any chance of late running springs still around in the narrows?
Thanks

 

[dog]

Alley Cat, did you try down around 100 120 on the rigger? Were there many seals around on top? thx.

 

[alley cat]

Went down to 135 ft , there were a lot of seals but when I was there they were concentrated on the West side of Saltspring.
Will probably go out again on Tuesday to see if I can find out a combination that will work , got my curiosity aroused now after looking at all the posts and suggestions , most I have tried but an old Commercial friend of mine told me to try an oil slick hootchie( trolled medium slow) and lengthen the leader to 34 ins behind a dark blue flasher with silver on both sides, gonna give er go.

AL

 

[dog]

Good luck. I heard some Vancouver area locals had a hard time getting the school of Chum jumpers off Bowen to bite this weekend.

I like the 34 inch leader idea. Maybe a quick dodgey troll will appeal more to their strike instinct than their appetite, like a Small (2.75), fast, glo Army truck Gypsy spoon, behind dodger.

 

[alley cat]

Yeah , funny you should mention the dodger , I was toying with the idea to give that a try , you know impart a different action to the presentation and something out of the ordinary just might provoke them to hit it .


AL

 

[Rum Buddies]

I'm gonna drop in the inlet this weekend and see if those are chum are still around and if I can find the right combination.

Anybody wanna through their 2 cents in on what might work?

 

[saltybeaver]

pink houtchies green flashers . as many dumy flashers as you can.
lines 30-60 40-70.
troll under 2mph about 1.5

 

[Rum Buddies]

ya I was thinking of trying pink - black squirts and maybe few different spoons and apexes, but I like the dummy flashers tip too.