EARLY WINTER FISHING REPORT
Well,the fall rains have come and have pushed the last of the big migratory chinook salmon back into local rivers! This past fall was hands down the best big chinook fishing we have had in at least 6 or 7 years. A BIG reason for the great fishing was the hard work by our local guides association! Every spring we get 100,000 chinook salmon fry from the Capilano Hatchery. When we recieve them from the hatchery, members from our association http://www.bcsfga.com feed them on a daily basis in our net pens till they reach a size where they are larger and stronger then there counterparts that are released into the Capilano River. So....this means better survival rates and MUCH bigger returns! Over the last couple years we are seeing the results of this relatively new program. It is awesome to see a world class chinook fishery minutes from downtown Vancouver every fall. The program will continue in coming years for everyone to enjoy this amazing fishery. A special thanks to Phil Grassi and John Barton (Bites On Fishing Charters) and the rest of our guides in the local guides association for their hard work to get this program off the ground over the last 4 or 5 years.
Here is a sample of a great day off the Capilano Mouth in early October. http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/v...da-141913.aspx
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Now to what is happening now in local waters! Mid November marks the start of our winter chinook season.
Winter chinook are typically 2 to 4 year old salmon that are drawn into Vancouver Harbour and Howe Sound by the overwintering schools of baitfish. These fish are not the largest of the year, but they are eager to bite and quite scrappy for their size. The key to finding consistent numbers of winter chinook is typically a little bit of structure and the presence of bait. Areas that are good bets for winter chinook include the West Side of Bowen Island, Jericho, the freighter anchorages in Vancouver Harbour, and the West Vancouver shoreline. Winter chinook hug the bottom so be sure to be your gear within 10-20 feet of bottom for the best success. In the winter months spoons and hootchies are the way to go. Coyote spoon, silver horde and Gibbs Gypsy spoons are what we have our best success on!
In November and December there can be quite a few shakers or small chinook salmon in the middle part of Vancouver Harbour. These little guys are typically between 8 to 14 inches. If you are hooking quite a few of them it is a good idea to move or run larger lures in order to minimize any mortality. There are areas that have very few shakers and better quality legal fish. Howe Sound and the West Vancouver shoreline being good examples of better producers of larger winter fish.
Crabbing will start to get quite good by the end of this month now that the commercial crabbing season is almost over. Spanish Banks, the inner freighters, and the West Vancouver shoreline are all good bets for dungeness crabs!!! Salmon heads and chicken backs work great in 40-80 feet. Prawning has been excellent in Howe Sound as well in 250-325 feet of water. Cat food and prawn pellets have been the ticket as per usual!!!
We are open throughout the winter!! Give us a call to get out and experience some great winter salmon fishing! Our boats, including the freshly repowered 38 foot Uniflite are ready to go now and during the Christmas holidays. Grab a few a few friends or family and come experience some good salmon fishing and crabbing minutes from downtown Vancouver!
Tight lines
Jason and Jeff
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