Dogbreath
Well-Known Member
PREDATOR'S PEN Date: January 28th/2006.
An update of the local saltwater fishing scene for Vancouver To : Saltwater Angler
By: David Korsch (Predator Charters)
E-mail: davek@dccnet.com Web Site: www.predatorcharters.com
Phone: (604) 329 - 8642 Fax: (604) 886 - 1928
Hello Fellow Anglers
In general, this winter's Chinook fishery has been very good with action (on a fish/hour basis) that has been better than we have seen since the mid- 90's, and anglers who have been getting out on a regular basis have often been taking home a couple legal fish. Lately, most of these legal fish have been on the smaller side (8 to 10 lbs), though earlier in the winter there were quite a few kicking around in the mid-teens, and the odd one in the 20 lb range. I would expect to see some larger one showing up again in the near future, as typically the average size of the fish will increase during the latter stages of the winter fishery.
In addition to the legal fish, we have seen a huge increase in the number of undersized fish (45 to 62 cm) from what we have experienced over the past several years. These small fish are a VERY positive sign, as my past tagging results show that the majority of these fish stick around in Georgia St. for the remainder of the year, and become our legal fish during the spring and summer months. Again, we haven't seen these kinds of undersized fish numbers since the mid-90s, and if you remember those spring and summer Chinook fisheries they were generally much better than we have seen recently (especially in the Gulf Islands). It is VERY encouraging to say the least!!!
Though I'm sure they will remain an "incidental catch", it should be noted that Halibut will open up again for retention on February 1st, and it will be interesting to see if 2006 provides some more of these prized fish to anglers in our local waters. Personally, I intend to target them at least a couple times this year to see if their local population may actually be growing, and becoming something we can catch on a somewhat regular basis.
While a wide variety of lures continue to take fish on a regular basis, a few seem to be a bit better than the rest. In Howe Sound, the Flamin' Hans Gypsy has definitely been the best producer in recent weeks (fished behind a flasher) with the Purple Haze hootchie and Punk Skunk Gypsy as very good alternatives. Of course part of the reason the Flamin' Hans has been the best producer is likely that most anglers are fishing it. A new colour Gypsy spoon called the Flamin' Finney, has also been very effective in limited usage. The Flamin' Finney is the #232 Tomic Plug colour, and it has also produced well in other spoon types (Diamond King, Diamond Lance, Tom Mack).
Remember, these winter Chinook are called "feeders" for a reason - they are actively feeding and growing (unlike the mature fish of late summer). They are opportunistic, and will usually hit any well presented lure or bait when they are on the "bite". You may have to be patient, as they do move around quite a bit, and it is often just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
A perfect case in point occurred this past week when some associates were out fishing. During the morning, the action in and around Tunstall Bay was quite slow (between them there was only one undersized fish landed, and 3 or 4 fish lost), and by 2:30 all but one had given up and gone back to the dock with nothing to show for the day. The one angler who remained fishing then landed 7 fish (2 legal, 5 undersized - all fish from 60 to 63 cm) between 2:30 and 4:00. Talk about a hot bite, but no one would have known about it if he had gone in with everyone else.
Vancouver Harbour has also continued to been far better this year than it has been in recent years. As usual, there seems to be a much larger percentage of undersized fish in this area (compared to Howe Sound), but the overall action is usually quite good, and knowledgeable winter anglers are generally managing to boat one or two nice legal fish per day in addition to releasing several "just undersized" fish. Seals are the one real negative about fishing this area, as some days they will really hammer you, and make the trip quite frustrating.
If you are interested in doing a charter for winter Chinook (arguably the best eating salmon of the year), my schedule is fairly flexible and open at this time of year. At present I am working in Horseshoe Bay on weekdays, but I can take a day off for a fishing trip on very short notice. I will also be working at the Boat Show (Feb. 8th to 12th), and will be unavailable for charter during those days.
Long term weather forecasts are pretty iffy at this time of year, and it often turns out to be significantly better than forecast - even late the night before. Feel free to give me a call as little as a day in advance if you are thinking of going out, and it is likely I would be able to accommodate you (I am already booked on Jan 1st and 2nd, so don't ask for those days)
As always, feel free to pass this information along to any associates whom may appreciate the report. If you have any questions, or wish to book a charter, e-mail me davek@dccnet.com), or call me at (604) 329 - 8642.
Tight Lines,
David Korsch
Predator Charters
(604) 329 - 8642
davek@dccnet.com
An update of the local saltwater fishing scene for Vancouver To : Saltwater Angler
By: David Korsch (Predator Charters)
E-mail: davek@dccnet.com Web Site: www.predatorcharters.com
Phone: (604) 329 - 8642 Fax: (604) 886 - 1928
Hello Fellow Anglers
In general, this winter's Chinook fishery has been very good with action (on a fish/hour basis) that has been better than we have seen since the mid- 90's, and anglers who have been getting out on a regular basis have often been taking home a couple legal fish. Lately, most of these legal fish have been on the smaller side (8 to 10 lbs), though earlier in the winter there were quite a few kicking around in the mid-teens, and the odd one in the 20 lb range. I would expect to see some larger one showing up again in the near future, as typically the average size of the fish will increase during the latter stages of the winter fishery.
In addition to the legal fish, we have seen a huge increase in the number of undersized fish (45 to 62 cm) from what we have experienced over the past several years. These small fish are a VERY positive sign, as my past tagging results show that the majority of these fish stick around in Georgia St. for the remainder of the year, and become our legal fish during the spring and summer months. Again, we haven't seen these kinds of undersized fish numbers since the mid-90s, and if you remember those spring and summer Chinook fisheries they were generally much better than we have seen recently (especially in the Gulf Islands). It is VERY encouraging to say the least!!!
Though I'm sure they will remain an "incidental catch", it should be noted that Halibut will open up again for retention on February 1st, and it will be interesting to see if 2006 provides some more of these prized fish to anglers in our local waters. Personally, I intend to target them at least a couple times this year to see if their local population may actually be growing, and becoming something we can catch on a somewhat regular basis.
While a wide variety of lures continue to take fish on a regular basis, a few seem to be a bit better than the rest. In Howe Sound, the Flamin' Hans Gypsy has definitely been the best producer in recent weeks (fished behind a flasher) with the Purple Haze hootchie and Punk Skunk Gypsy as very good alternatives. Of course part of the reason the Flamin' Hans has been the best producer is likely that most anglers are fishing it. A new colour Gypsy spoon called the Flamin' Finney, has also been very effective in limited usage. The Flamin' Finney is the #232 Tomic Plug colour, and it has also produced well in other spoon types (Diamond King, Diamond Lance, Tom Mack).
Remember, these winter Chinook are called "feeders" for a reason - they are actively feeding and growing (unlike the mature fish of late summer). They are opportunistic, and will usually hit any well presented lure or bait when they are on the "bite". You may have to be patient, as they do move around quite a bit, and it is often just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
A perfect case in point occurred this past week when some associates were out fishing. During the morning, the action in and around Tunstall Bay was quite slow (between them there was only one undersized fish landed, and 3 or 4 fish lost), and by 2:30 all but one had given up and gone back to the dock with nothing to show for the day. The one angler who remained fishing then landed 7 fish (2 legal, 5 undersized - all fish from 60 to 63 cm) between 2:30 and 4:00. Talk about a hot bite, but no one would have known about it if he had gone in with everyone else.
Vancouver Harbour has also continued to been far better this year than it has been in recent years. As usual, there seems to be a much larger percentage of undersized fish in this area (compared to Howe Sound), but the overall action is usually quite good, and knowledgeable winter anglers are generally managing to boat one or two nice legal fish per day in addition to releasing several "just undersized" fish. Seals are the one real negative about fishing this area, as some days they will really hammer you, and make the trip quite frustrating.
If you are interested in doing a charter for winter Chinook (arguably the best eating salmon of the year), my schedule is fairly flexible and open at this time of year. At present I am working in Horseshoe Bay on weekdays, but I can take a day off for a fishing trip on very short notice. I will also be working at the Boat Show (Feb. 8th to 12th), and will be unavailable for charter during those days.
Long term weather forecasts are pretty iffy at this time of year, and it often turns out to be significantly better than forecast - even late the night before. Feel free to give me a call as little as a day in advance if you are thinking of going out, and it is likely I would be able to accommodate you (I am already booked on Jan 1st and 2nd, so don't ask for those days)
As always, feel free to pass this information along to any associates whom may appreciate the report. If you have any questions, or wish to book a charter, e-mail me davek@dccnet.com), or call me at (604) 329 - 8642.
Tight Lines,
David Korsch
Predator Charters
(604) 329 - 8642
davek@dccnet.com
