fraser river

[canucks6]

goin to the fraser for the first time this week. targeting sturgeon and maybe a little salmon fishing. takin a jet boat and lookin for any tips or tricks out there. pretty sure i have all the gear i need for both species, and we will be settin up camp somewhere along the river. would i be better of bar fishin or flossing for salmon?

thanks

 

[Finished Business]

The water is still pretty high. Bar fishing will likely be most productive for the only fish which is open right now, springs. The regs just changed regarding possession and slot limit so brush up on that before heading out. Stay above chilliwack as the lower river is still pretty blown out. I've heard reports of the odd spring being flossed out of the small quantity of sockeye (not open) near the scale bar. Sturgeon is pretty good these days. Use parts of a dead salmon if you see one, or Belle's sports in mission has Ooolichans in stock. Theres still a fair bit of debris coming down river so be wary of that. Your best results may be found fishing the vedder river for salmon I've heard...but normally the crowds are a little thick for my liking. Both above and below the Fort langley to above the mission bridge have been productive for sturgys.

Best of luck.

 

[canucks6]

hey thanks a ton. our main target will be sturgeon and i cant wait.
i will let u know how we do.

 

[ruegzz]

Been checking out the river since Chinook opened 3-4 days a week one week good next slow. up and down. Past Wednesday hit 10 lbs red and 30-35 white snap my line after 20 min and few sock. Hitting 1 every 1.5 hrs average. got to put in the time. Spin /glow, bottom bouncing long lead. Water is still high 19% more than norm.. Sturgeon rock right now good idea bring both rods. Im out thurs, sat, sun, wed, thurs, fri, and sat..... hunt those fkrs down.Good luck to ya. Tight lines Sharp hooks..

 

[Big Green Machine]

Been checking out the river since Chinook opened 3-4 days a week one week good next slow. up and down. Past Wednesday hit 10 lbs red and 30-35 white snap my line after 20 min and few sock. Hitting 1 every 1.5 hrs average. got to put in the time. Spin /glow, bottom bouncing long lead. Water is still high 19% more than norm.. Sturgeon rock right now good idea bring both rods. Im out thurs, sat, sun, wed, thurs, fri, and sat..... hunt those fkrs down.Good luck to ya. Tight lines Sharp hooks..

Thanks for the report ruegzz. I have to agree with FB, when Sockeye is not open to retention, the only way to target Springs is to bar fish for them. You will still intercept the odd Sockeye, but very few and you are doing what the DFO has asked us to do, which is use selective fishing techniques to minimize Sockeye being caught, sometimes dragged onto the beach, sometimes kept out of the water too long, etc. When Sockeye is open though, do what the Romans do and have at er! My two cents.

 

[Big Green Machine]

http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/x..._notice&lang=en&DOC_ID=145473&ID=recreational

DFO asks anglers not to floss or bottom bounce and actually list allowable methods. This is a first. But seeing as though it's not a reg, can it effectively be enforced.

 

[Finished Business]

I ran into some fisheries guys recently...flossing for springs is frowned upon...but there is no enforcement against it. But he was referring more to Fraser tributaries than the main body itself....but be warned, and to quote:

"we have been very busy with illegal gill netting on the river, but we need to focus more on the recreational/sport fisherman"

how any of that makes sense I don't know but to DFO it did. Overly busy with illegal gillnetting but they are taking a break from it to go after those with a single line and hook.....makes lots a sense eh?

 

[ruegzz]

I see native selling socks for 10- 15 per fish..... that is bs they should stop that crap.

 

[Spooky604]

I find it so unfair for us putting up with the native only fishing ...

 

[Big Green Machine]

I see native selling socks for 10- 15 per fish..... that is bs they should stop that crap.

Many bands have the legal right to do so. Why should they stop?

 

[finaddict]

Many bands have the legal right to do so. Why should they stop?

Oh excellent, that is SUCH a relief. And here all this time I assumed that it wasn't a CFIA licensed and approved pick up they are selling rotting corpses off the back of.

 

[Big Green Machine]

Oh excellent, that is SUCH a relief. And here all this time I assumed that it wasn't a CFIA licensed and approved pick up they are selling rotting corpses off the back of.

Well, there's those too, unfortunately.

 

[cammer]

this is seriously unreal, considering that many people and sport fishing clubs(BCFDF my club ) donated money and many many hours to the grassy study (3 YEARS I THINK), TO where bounced sockeye were landed, penned, revived and tagged to only a mortality of less than 5%. So DFO again asks to stop BBing to save the endangered sockeye but native fishing is still allowed, the DFO asks the natives to use 8 inch nets and what do you think the natives tell them?? So if i get out there i will continue to fish BBing and would really welcome a chat on the river

 

[alwaysfishn]

Many bands have the legal right to do so. Why should they stop?

Beside the Port Alberni bands, which bands can legally sell sockeye?

 

[scott craven]

The Sto:lo nation comprised of multiple bands fish the Fraser for Sockeye

 

[alwaysfishn]

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/fraser/abor-autoc-eng.htm

The Sto:lo nation comprised of multiple bands fish the Fraser for Sockeye

They fish the Fraser, however they do not have the legal right to sell the sockeye. The only time a band can legally sell their sockeye is if they are given an "economic opportunity opening". If you check the DFO website, there have been no economic opportunity openings in the Fraser Valley or the Canyon this year. http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/fraser/abor-autoc-eng.htm

Fisheries notices by region: http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/fns/index.cfm?pg=fishery_search&lang=en&ID=all