Nanaimo Area
- Thread starter Stoisy
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jeffywestcoast
Well-Known Member
No problem John..hope to do better next year..must have been the intense derby pressure that kept me off the slabs
, pulled in a hake that was bitten right in half in front of thrasher rock this morning..had a good chuckle about that one.. Never did hear who won the HDS-10...
, pulled in a hake that was bitten right in half in front of thrasher rock this morning..had a good chuckle about that one.. Never did hear who won the HDS-10...Awesome night out there tonight, took the pops out for fathers day. Had a bit of a scare with the thunder and lightning happening around Nanoose bay, but luckily it moved out and north east, so we got to stay out till about 830. Was out from about 430 till 830 and couldnt keep the fish off the lines! Sometimes i would get the downrigger halfway down and it would pop off and yup there was a fish on. Lots of just undersized springs, a few small coho and about 5 or more, lost track that were long line releases lol. Mixed in between those were a nice 13lb white that took about 150m of line off my reel, and a nice 7lb hatch coho. Fished anchovies for the first time this year and they were HOT, dont think i had that rod in the water for more than 10 minutes at a time without a hit. 125ft was the depth with the best action, 80ft on the other line worked too, but 90% were on the chovies at 125. Not sure what the problem was but we missed alot of hookups with the teaser head. The fish would hammer the bait but by the time it was off the clip and slack reeled in, it was gone, would reel it in and all chovie except head was gone, this happened more than 5 times. I switched the head from a tandem hook setup to a single and that seamed to help but still had the same thing happen a few times. What hook setup do you guys use with the teaser heads?
Degree of Freedom
Active Member
awful lot of tight-lipped fishermen around Nanaimo
I guess I can't ***** if I'm not gonna contribute...yesterday morning snuck out from 4:30-8:00. Didn't have much time so fished in close at Neck Point. Non-stop double headers of 20" Chinook and nice fat wild coho. Didn't find any biggies and only bonked 1 hatch coho. With the amount of bait and fish around, there's bound to be some large ones there just gotta put in more time...
Might skip my ball game tonight and head out for an evening box of Coronas
I guess I can't ***** if I'm not gonna contribute...yesterday morning snuck out from 4:30-8:00. Didn't have much time so fished in close at Neck Point. Non-stop double headers of 20" Chinook and nice fat wild coho. Didn't find any biggies and only bonked 1 hatch coho. With the amount of bait and fish around, there's bound to be some large ones there just gotta put in more time...
Might skip my ball game tonight and head out for an evening box of Coronas
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
awful lot of tight-lipped fishermen around Nanaimo
I guess I can't ***** if I'm not gonna contribute...yesterday morning snuck out from 4:30-8:00. Didn't have much time so fished in close at Neck Point. Non-stop double headers of 20" Chinook and nice fat wild coho. Didn't find any biggies and only bonked 1 hatch coho. With the amount of bait and fish around, there's bound to be some large ones there just gotta put in more time...
Might skip my ball game tonight and head out for an evening box of Coronas
Ball schmall !!! lol. Get out there buddy! I may give er a go as well. Beauty day.
trendsetter
Active Member
Was out there for the derby this weekend. Saturday morning was decent action off grande, lots of shakers, 2 big hits and long line releases. Then finally managed one 12.32 lbs just before noon. The rest of the weekend was slow for us around Gabriola, some P-cod and shakers that's about it.
Best hits were all on green splatter back hootchies. Ran spoons and bait also but didn't produce for us.
Best hits were all on green splatter back hootchies. Ran spoons and bait also but didn't produce for us.
Finished Business
Well-Known Member
I'll spill my guts from the Silva Derby (and sorry John, I didn't choose to be acting photographer/reporter for this one) but here's what I picked up from the weekend, aside from a 10 lb fish, and a couple smaller Q's....
Heard of good fishing coming from shallow at Thrasher 200' or less Saturday morning. Entrance seemed to be the most consistent of all reported areas. Silva bay to Grande was productive (thats where we hung out mostly) with not a ton of steady action, but some legal fish, and a we personally had about 4 or 5 screamers that I never got a look at.
Spoons, was the ticket for our fish, other friends out there nabbed them on hoochies (though I swam a very fishy needlefish hoochie for a long time with not a single result) Bait was working for another boat in our group but again, it was action, but not steady.
Deeper water was producing fish as well, 500+ feet. It seemed fish went deeper on the sunday, we managed one down around the 200 mark with a few other misses as well 180-220. Water was very clear along grande for the weekend, but it was very silty out around thrasher and the deep stuff.
The derby produced good fish, with about 25 fish over 20 lbs by the sounds of it. Approx 150 boats, with 189 fished weighed in, with an estimated 300 rods in the water. There was a thick fleet at thrasher all weekend, with boats spotting along grande to entrance in smaller numbers. On Sunday I counted 85 boats within visual range of our position at one time.
Currents were moving pretty good and it made it somewhat challenging on tighter turns and giving space in the larger groups of boats. The radio was dead quiet for the most part. Silver Blue and a few others seemed to be the only ones talking, as everyone else was quite tight on info.
I saw quite a few Lings come to the cleaning and weigh station, nice fish all over 10 lbs from what I saw, but those who caught were putting in long days targeting rock fish. There was a committed group of boats angling the bottom for a good chunk of the derby.
There was a few halibut that hit the dock as well! Info was non-existent on where they came from but someone managed one trolling off of some place in some depth of water lol.
The water and skies were awesome. It did chop up a bit in the afternoon but with the SE we were able to find calm water all day off Grande area.
It is my understanding a 32 lb won it. There was rumor of a 38 but one never showed up. The folks who got the 32 said they heard of a 38 as well, as the gas jockey put it, so who knows. I did hear chatter of people losing lots of good fish, but most chatter went as follows:
"You, know the spot we were in last time?"
"Is your cell phone on?"
"Ya we got a good one!" "Same depth as earlier?" "Yup, on that special lure"
soooo any info was vague that popped up for the most part. Kept me laughing I guess.
I Didn't stay for the ceremony, apparently my fish won an early hidden weight, but with weather calling for it to whip up (which it didn't really) and a lot of work to do back at the dock, I opted to call it a day. I did pass through the Marina and it was packed. And heard it was a great showing, so much so that burgers ran out! Apparently it was the biggest showing to date.
That's all I got. Cheers.
Spatterback Silverhorde spoon was our best. the screamers all came from my go to depth between 113 and 133, but so did many o' shaker. We fished 12 hours on Sat and 5 hours sunday.
Heard of good fishing coming from shallow at Thrasher 200' or less Saturday morning. Entrance seemed to be the most consistent of all reported areas. Silva bay to Grande was productive (thats where we hung out mostly) with not a ton of steady action, but some legal fish, and a we personally had about 4 or 5 screamers that I never got a look at.
Spoons, was the ticket for our fish, other friends out there nabbed them on hoochies (though I swam a very fishy needlefish hoochie for a long time with not a single result) Bait was working for another boat in our group but again, it was action, but not steady.
Deeper water was producing fish as well, 500+ feet. It seemed fish went deeper on the sunday, we managed one down around the 200 mark with a few other misses as well 180-220. Water was very clear along grande for the weekend, but it was very silty out around thrasher and the deep stuff.
The derby produced good fish, with about 25 fish over 20 lbs by the sounds of it. Approx 150 boats, with 189 fished weighed in, with an estimated 300 rods in the water. There was a thick fleet at thrasher all weekend, with boats spotting along grande to entrance in smaller numbers. On Sunday I counted 85 boats within visual range of our position at one time.
Currents were moving pretty good and it made it somewhat challenging on tighter turns and giving space in the larger groups of boats. The radio was dead quiet for the most part. Silver Blue and a few others seemed to be the only ones talking, as everyone else was quite tight on info.
I saw quite a few Lings come to the cleaning and weigh station, nice fish all over 10 lbs from what I saw, but those who caught were putting in long days targeting rock fish. There was a committed group of boats angling the bottom for a good chunk of the derby.
There was a few halibut that hit the dock as well! Info was non-existent on where they came from but someone managed one trolling off of some place in some depth of water lol.
The water and skies were awesome. It did chop up a bit in the afternoon but with the SE we were able to find calm water all day off Grande area.
It is my understanding a 32 lb won it. There was rumor of a 38 but one never showed up. The folks who got the 32 said they heard of a 38 as well, as the gas jockey put it, so who knows. I did hear chatter of people losing lots of good fish, but most chatter went as follows:
"You, know the spot we were in last time?"
"Is your cell phone on?"
"Ya we got a good one!" "Same depth as earlier?" "Yup, on that special lure"
soooo any info was vague that popped up for the most part. Kept me laughing I guess.
I Didn't stay for the ceremony, apparently my fish won an early hidden weight, but with weather calling for it to whip up (which it didn't really) and a lot of work to do back at the dock, I opted to call it a day. I did pass through the Marina and it was packed. And heard it was a great showing, so much so that burgers ran out! Apparently it was the biggest showing to date.
That's all I got. Cheers.
Spatterback Silverhorde spoon was our best. the screamers all came from my go to depth between 113 and 133, but so did many o' shaker. We fished 12 hours on Sat and 5 hours sunday.
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jeffywestcoast
Well-Known Member
Right on im glad i wasn't the only boat having spotty fishing and yes i had a good chuckle too about the secretive talk on the radio.. Can you take a phone call seemed to be the norm,with one group using the alpha and beta codes on their respected lures and depths.. you would think they were fishing for 5 million dollars. fished for 12 hours straight managing only one keeper of 10 lbs, was a goodtime overall , hope to see better fishing this week ..But who won that dam sounder.. losing sleep over that one as we had to leave early so my buddy could attend to his injured doggy.
..But who won that dam sounder.. losing sleep over that one as we had to leave early so my buddy could attend to his injured doggy.
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
Nice report FB. Sounds like a fun time. The radio chatter is like that in the sound and Bamfield area on any given day lol, let alone a derby. To be expected my friend . It's all about trustworthy contacts and cell phones now a days lol. Thanks for all the details and I will probably check it out next year after reading about this years event.
Cheers,
John
. It's all about trustworthy contacts and cell phones now a days lol. Thanks for all the details and I will probably check it out next year after reading about this years event.Cheers,
John
trendsetter
Active Member
The guy that won the sounder was in attendance. Not sure his name.
Finished Business
Well-Known Member
Nice report FB. Sounds like a fun time. The radio chatter is like that in the sound and Bamfield area on any given day lol, let alone a derby. To be expected my friend
Cheers,
John
Boo to that! I don't see what the big secret is. Haven't we all been fishing with a second boat that is getting fish while your own boat is not? Same gear, lure, depth ect???? So why some folks think it is a spot just meant for them is beyond me. I don't know, maybe I have been on the water long enough to hardened by salt lol.
I like sharing info because it leads to better days for all. And I like good days with good fishing
Hookin'up
Well-Known Member
I like sharing info because it leads to better days for all. And I like good days with good fishing
AMEN to that brother! that needs to be a sig line.
secretive radio chatter can be very annoying to the point of being stupid, esp when you can see the guy right beside you on the mike telling his Bud he's in his special spot and nailing them But I haven't seen a net in a while lol
some guys just like to hear themselves talk,
anyone that hails me for a report gets an honest report over the radio I've got nothing to hide,
(cepting maybe my prawn hideout lol)
Fish Assassin
Crew Member
I'd rather text... Then you don't have some idiot calling you by phone or over the radio ten times that can't understand you cause his radio sucks.
Aces
Well-Known Member
You guys are really taking the radio thing too seriously LOL
I'd rather make the reports and be using the code anyways
jeffywestcoast
Well-Known Member
some people are greedy, id rather see everyone at the dock after for a beer with smiles on their faces, at least give people the depths your'e catching them at come on..everyone pretty much has the tackle part figg'd out i think...And es your reports are great Fishtofino. keep it up ..!
Degree of Freedom
Active Member
I don't really see the harm, mostly. There are definitely some places that are more enjoyable to fish without every Tom, Dick, and Harry out there. For example I can see why the comox guys don't want everyone on the web knowing the fishing is better at the Hump and Kitty than it has been in 20 years...
Fish Assassin
Crew Member
Not so.... Who ever told you that is lying. Come on up here Dan and I will show you that Nanaimo has a way better fishery then us this year.
Degree of Freedom
Active Member
. Well I'm out at neck point right now and it looks like the only fish in the ocean is the anchovie getting dragged behind my boat
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Seafever
Well-Known Member
Last year the Kitty locals tried to keep it under their hats as long as they could.....
and when anybody says they are using a special secret lure.........usually they are just using some off--the-shelf goto...but they give it their own name instead of the factory name. So you bust your brain trying to find out what it was....and it turns out you have 6 of them in your tackle box tied up already.
On both coast of the island it's the same old tackle and flashers that keep catching the fish year after year.....until somebody like Nog invents a killer spoon ...
All you really need to know is what the fish are feeding on at that time....or are used to feeding on...
and when anybody says they are using a special secret lure.........usually they are just using some off--the-shelf goto...but they give it their own name instead of the factory name. So you bust your brain trying to find out what it was....and it turns out you have 6 of them in your tackle box tied up already.
On both coast of the island it's the same old tackle and flashers that keep catching the fish year after year.....until somebody like Nog invents a killer spoon ...
All you really need to know is what the fish are feeding on at that time....or are used to feeding on...
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