New to forum, and looking for fishing advice near Nanaimo.

[Tyangelo]

Hi all!
I'm an active member of the Alberta Outdoorsman forum, and was talking to a few of the other members, regarding an upcoming (and long overdue) offshore fishing trip. They suggested I post the question on this forum. Makes sense...haha.

A friend and I have a trip planned out starting Aug 17th. Plan is to utilize the empty house his parent's own in Nanaimo, and spend as much time as possible dragging hooks for whatever we can get in our bellies. Salmon, prawns, and maybe halibut (location allowing) being the main targets, we just can't wait to get out there! My uncle who lives in Powell River and used to own a charter scored me Scotty elelectric downriggers, rods/reels, flashers, tackle etc, which is killer. I've taken my VHF course, and am just wrapping up installing a kicker to compliment the 17 ft Legend/115 Merc.

Have been given suggestions on looking into fishing Port Alberni, or right out of Nanaimo. Being able to set a couple prawn or crab traps, troll all day for salmon, and pick up the traps on the way home sounds magical right now! My uncle has given me some basic tips, but is unfamiliar with how the fishing has been the last few years.

Location/structure advice, as well as any recommendations to bait shops, launches, techniques, gear selection etc would be amazing! Thanks for the help, and we'll see you on the water soon!
Sorry about the double post. I accidentally also posted this in the freshwater section.

 

[Seafever]

Fishing Alberni Inlet from the 17th Aug onward......

Try anchovies 6ft behind a purple/gold flasher. 10 to twenty feet deep if real early.....then go down deeper as the sun/heat comes up....say,40 to 60+. early morning is best or evening bite.
Inlet usually kicks up with thermals around noon or so......goes til 5p.m. generally.

Also MP-2 mini-plankton hoochy 42" behind same flasher works as well.

Other options.........plain white 4" hoochy, Purple haze hoochy.

Plugs work too......around late August:- 6" Tomic 602 or plain white or Tomic #158 or #158 with pink stripe down side. No flasher....just tie to main......run it 80ft back/20ft down if no boats around (good luck there...at that time there will be lots of boats around).

Brechin Launch is good in Nanaimo..........such spots as Clarke rock, Rocky Point, Neck point, Five Fingers islets, are usual producers closer to bottom in 120 to 150ft of water........been spotty lately but when you get there it should have picked up a bit. Also east side of Gabriola can be good.
Spoons:- anywhere from 27 inches behind flasher to 6ft. Kitchen Sink, Pink Sink, Hot-shot,Irish Creme, Green Splatterback, Army Truck, Metallic green/Chrome, Nasty Boy, Cop Car.....in 4" versions. Try 3.5" version of slow.

Hoochies:- Plain white,Army truck, "Dane's Hoochy" (call Harbor Chandler and ask for Dane)., Green Splatterback, Green splatterback needlefish, Turd, Blood 'n' Bones, Green Ghost, OAL12R yamashita, Purple haze, Glo-below, T-rex. I like 38 inches back of flasher to nose of hoochy generally, 40 lb to 60lb test leader.

Flashers:- Boogieman, Purple haze, Green haze, Pink haze, Straight Green/Chrome, Silver Betsy, Glow/Mountain Dew, to name a few.

You can use bait such as Anchovy, 6ft behind a flasher, but sometimes there are just too many Dogfish around.

Try to troll with the current or across it but not against it.

Hoochies;- 1.8 to 3 mph. spoons:- 1.8 to 2.3 mph bait:- not so much speed as checking to see how the "roll" is....1 to 2 turns a second...and you generally don't want to be going too fast with bait.

D/balls;- braid is a better option than wire.....use no less than 12lb balls but optimally 15 to 20 is better.....you can now get 18lb as well ( Pacific net and twine).
get the round ones not the pancakes.

My favorite tide is just befor start of low slack to an hour or so into the flood.

Although I find ECVI Coho seem to love hitting on a high slack as well.

My best Coho hits are around 70 to 80ft down regardless of water that is much deeper than that.

'Watermelon' spoon and Party Girl spoon are good for Coho but they will often hit other stuff as well.

If you can get up to out front of the Little Q or the Big Q rivers you might get some "returner" chinook at that time. Try a glow-head pink mini-plankton hoochy 32" behind a Purple Haze flasher in close to shore.

And....check DFO Pacific (Areas 14 and 17) for updates,limits, etc.etc. before you even go..very important!

Cheers....

 

[Seafever]

Also...forgot to mention......this year there are alot of Mackerel in the Alb.Inlet.....which might affect you using chovies for lure......

On the other hand they will also hit lots of other stuff too.......so be prepared for a Mac attack in the Inlet....

 

[Tyangelo]

Much appreciated! Where can a guy find tide charts, and practice reading them?

 

[Tyangelo]

Also, any pointers for crab/prawns? Off the top of your head, do you know if those areas are open?

 

[salty-dog]

http://www.dairiki.org/tides/monthly.php/nan/