A hunter that is new to fishing.

[luger]

Hello, I've been hunting since I was just a kid and I have fished the odd lake for rainbows but I haven't touched my fishing rod in a few years. I live in langely and I want to fill my weekends with hiting up lakes at rivers. Any help with which lakes or rivers and when? I would like to get in to the salmon runs but I have had trouble finding information. Thankful for any knowledge given. Also any links to helpful websites would be great too.

[russm]

Anything inparticular you want to catch? The fraser should be loaded with pinks this summer that'd be a good time to get into salmon fishing, they're pretty simple, a trout rod a quarter ounce spinner or spoon does the truck for them.

[Wild one]

For salmon the pinks are a good way to start watch for the openings. Squamish river has an earlier run and also has some bulls(c&r) that can start you off. Spinners/spoons work and so do jigs. I like heavier than 1/4 once my self but you just need to match the water you are fishing. Most will recommend the colour pink but it is not always the best way to go switch up everything from silver to chartreuse. Most other rivers vedder, Harrison, and fraser so on are better come late Aug early Sept

Most Lakes for trout are not the best from shore. If you have a boat/canoe trolling is a good way for new fishermen to have success. Gang troll with a 3 foot lead and a flatfish/wedding band often works.

[Gone_Fishin_]

Do you have a boat, waders, float tube ? this will open up a whole new area if you can get away from shore. For simple trout fishing we have tonx of lakes around here that are stocked a few times each year and present ample opportunities for anyone to catch them and most areas from shore.

I would suggest hitting up some of the fishing websites. Fishingwithrod.com is a good one, bcfishingreports.com is another very good site. There is lots of info on each on in regards to local lakes and areas to fish. Use gofish.bc website for stocking updates, if you can time it to get out within a week or 2 of stocking you can have a blast catching 10-14" rainbows all day on a simple set up. 2-6lb spinnnig rod 6' in lenght, spool it up with 4-6lb test, couple split shot weight, few small hooks, couple bobbers and your good to go for quite a while.

If your looking to get out of the local downtown style stocked lakes try hitting up the few we have all within an hour or two in the mountains. Weaver, Echo, Jones, Grace, Wolfe, Kawkawa, lake of the Woods to name a few and not to mention all the ones around you. Como, Rice, Buntzen, Lafarge, Mill all have lots of fishing opportunities from shore with a simple set up and some power bait or worms.

Right now Jones will be starting to heat up, i fish this lake every year and have been for 20+ years. I know it like the back of my hand and it always produces for me. Usualy right after ice off its on fire. With mild temps this year i wouldnt doubt the lake is starying to turn already and should be some amazing fishing. There is however a certain area and go to fly/lure we only use here as it works like a hot damn and have never been skunked up there. I myself have caught over a dozen cutties around 4-6lbs and have seen ever larger ones pulled outta here. 96% of fish though will be bows/cutts in the 9-15" range. Please read regs on daily quota and size limit for this lake. If you PM me asking for details i can explain more on where to concentrate and what to use.

You can even get yourself a cheap Cambodian Tire inflatable and fish most of these lakes by paddling out and dropping anchor, get you away from the peeps on shore. Towards Harrison you have Weaver, Grace and Wolfe, weaver not so much from shore but Grace yes and there is lots of willing to bite rainbows and some kokanee in here as well when fishing off bottom. Lots of access and can get to it in a car.

PM me for some more info if you'd like and i can set ya up with a spot and what to use. Lots of action here in the lower mainland, just not thes giant tripolids they have up in the interior. If your willing to drive a few hours you can get into some decent 2lb+ fish. 99% down here will be your average 8-14" rainbow or cutty.

With the salmon fry emerging any day now (Chum Fry) we should start to see the back waters of the fraser come alive. This is one of my favorite times of year, out chasing cuttins on the fly in the fraser back waters. We do however use a boat though, but you can access lots of areas from shore too but there is a big advantage being able to find the fish vs casting blank into muddy water. We will cruz the back waters and shorelines until we see ripples from minnows, slow down kill the engine and start casting/stripping minnow patterns through the area, aways produces a few nice cutties, super fun on the 4wt.

Like mentioned above, Pinks will be running this year. If you have a salmon rod that can cast a 2-4oz betty and are willing to drive a bit towards chilliwack your in for a blast. Always lots of fun and super easy to catch (legally snag i should say)

Been fishing my whole life and can likely help out and answer most of your questions. Feel free to start asking and i can lead you in the right direction and hopfully put something on the end of your line, be a trout, salmon or even a pike minnow, lol. Or if you really wanna have some fun, go grab a cheaper halibut rod/reel combo. Spool it up with 150lb power pro and go get some Sturgeon. I originally started fishing for them from shore and did for years up until i got a boat, heck i think my best days ever are from shore fishing with double digit fish landed, don't get me wrong nothing over 7' as those are a bit hard to get in when not in a boat. If you wanna go this route i can give ya some shore spots in Chilliwack to hit up. I heard theres a bunch out there as well but am un familiar with the area, i think there was a group on bcfishingreports.com that meets up and fishes off some docks or log booms out in the Langley area.

Hit me up with questions !!

[Gone_Fishin_]

sign up an account on


bcfishingreports.com

fishingwithrod.com

stay away from sharphooks.com... nothing but arguments and crap going on there most days.

Can PM me on those account as well under same username as here

Gone_Fishin_

[lbmmike]

"Like mentioned above, Pinks will be running this year. If you have a salmon rod that can cast a 2-4oz betty and are willing to drive a bit towards chilliwack your in for a blast. Always lots of fun and super easy to catch (legally snag i should say) "


Pinks definitely bite, I think you mean Sockeye?

[Wild one]

"Like mentioned above, Pinks will be running this year. If you have a salmon rod that can cast a 2-4oz betty and are willing to drive a bit towards chilliwack your in for a blast. Always lots of fun and super easy to catch (legally snag i should say) "


Pinks definitely bite, I think you mean Sockeye?

Yes pinks bite but bottom bouncing is 95% flossing no matter the species

[Moe.JKU]

If you want to catch salmon consistantly even when its slow one of the best techniques to learn is short floating, with either roe, wool, jigs, etc. There are lots of different baits and presentations based that can be used with short floating. With pinks being this year it should be a good year to start. The vedder would be a good place to start when they start rolling in. short float a little pink/white, pink, or red jig with some shrimp scent and you will slay them.

Its up to you if you want to bottom bounce, i prefer not to but thats my choice. Also you will learn a lot more from people on the river as well if you ask. I found when i was learning people were more willing to share techniques and secrets while on the water having a swig or two of whiskey.

[Gone_Fishin_]

I suggested BB so people stay away from the vedder and leave me some space !! lol j/k but if you want to join make sure you bring your own rock to stand on... how busy its gotten over the years... also make to to bring your rock home cuz likely someone will be standing on it the moment you leave or before you get there the next morning.

Sockeye bite as well, i know this from personal excperience. Fish the vedder early summer during Red Springs in July/August with some dyed prawms and youll soon find not only do they bite, but they hammer it without hesitation. Same thing goes in the Harrison, have caught numerous sockeye fishing spoons and jigs. Just need to get it in front of them, likely biting out of aggression.

You can easily catch pinks in the fraser on spoons and flies too. Have done it lots, but when the meat/harvest fishery opens, may as well join the crowds and get your 2 fish then go home. What we don't want to see, is catch and release all day BB. That i am not a fan of, i personally don't like BB either but if its open and i can get my 2 socks then i'll be out there right in the middle bombing my betties into the fraser like everyone else. Now if i see you on the vedder or any other system besides the Fraser BB then you will hear from me loud and clear that we do not tolerate snagging on systems where fish bite and it isn't a harvest fishery, i will speak my mind and try and show you the proper way of short floating. Don't get me wrong though, BB is a lost technique from back in the day with a short 2' leader unlike nowadays with guys throwing a 25' leader our there with a 2/0 bare hook.

Up in the Skeena and Kitimat region guys used to BB deep holes for steelhead all the time and it was a great technique, needed to get the hook/lure down to where the fish are where a normal float setup just wont work. I've proplerly BB systems where it is the only wany to get to where the fish are, but again there is a place and technique in doing this which is not the same as BB the fraser river for socks or pinks.

IMO i think BB should be closed for all species except Sockeye. I think if you hook a spring in the fraser BB it should be released as it was snagged in the face, you want a spring, pull our the bar rod and target them. Thats why the Fraser is closed while the reds come up, incidental sockeye catch from BB. If BB was illegal during this time then the fraser would open earlier like it used to for springs. BB should only be legal when sockeye are open, if you wanna fish for springs then target the species you intend on trying to catch,

Anyways... now im just ranting and off topic. Damn BB gets my blood boiling somtimes even though i enjoy it so much !! lol - Friends, gravel bars, BBQ, some sodas and fishing within a hr from home, who can go wrong !

[Wild one]

You are right sockeye will bite spin n glows work good for this as you are correct it is an aggression bite most of the time. If you can get something close to their nose you can trigger it. Most often I find it is males that bite more so than females.

Feel your frustration with BB and in many ways would like to see it gone. Even for sockeye it is not really needed just an easy way to catch them compared to getting them to bite.

Watched the style of salmon fishing switch to 90% flossing over the years BB or float with wool and a long leader is the main thing I see these days.

[Gone_Fishin_]

[QUOTE=Wild one;

Watched the style of salmon fishing switch to 90% flossing over the years BB or float with wool and a long leader is the main thing I see these days.[/QUOTE]

SOOOOOO TRUE !!!!!! i can't believe how many people i see flossing nowadays... drives me nuts. All you see now is sideways floats bouncing on the surface when out fishing, even out for steelhead the other day i watched a guy bounce his way through a run for over an hour. I walked by and mentioned you'd have much beter luck if you lower your float and get the fish to see your presentation rather than trying to floss anything in there. His response "worked great for me during salmon season i don't know why i cant get anything to bite now" i just chuckled and tried to explain what was happening to no avail... not worth trying to argue with someone that doesnt want to listen. But rather than this thread turning into a BB debate like all the fishing forums every year, lol. Lets get this back on track for Luger.

If your wanting to try for salmon this fall, either it be the Fraser for the harvest fishery (lol) or the vedder for some short floating roe first light, lemme know. Always willing to help others out as lots have helped me, am willing to met and show you a thing or two come the season this fall. Coming up here soon though is a very limited fishery that most dont even know about, yes they are hard to catch and not the easier river to fish (never have been myself) but the Capilano has an early April run of smaller coho which taste absolutely amazing (have had some from friends) it is a hard river to access, but with some searching, proper techniques and gear no reason you can't get into a couple of these after a few outings. light lines, small hooks/presentations short floating first and last light.

Also when gearing up (if you are) don;t let others tell you; you need 25lb main line and this and that. I run 10lb main and 8lb leader year round on all species. Also don't get suckered into braid unless your using that for the fraser BB or bar fishing, not worth it and causes more of a mess than mono does in my opinion. As long as you can tie proper knots i will straighten my #2 or 4 hook on 8lb leader before breaking off. landed numerous 30lb+ springs on 8lb test, good knots, check your leader for nicks and such every other cast, proper rod and right pressure you can land anything. Being newer go with 15lb main and get some 10-12 leader (maxima untragreen my fav) If you are looking to buy, a 10'6 ABU Garcia rod/reel combo is a great starter and will cover everything you need for the lower mainland for salmon season without breaking the bank. Had mine for 12 years and only reason i dont anymore is because i've upgraded. Worth the 200$

[Wild one]

Personally my recommendation for a new guys starting out focus on trout more than salmon. Less crowds often easier to catch and they are almost everywhere. Pinks are an exception with how aggressive they can be and numbers.

Stocked trout are suckers for shrimp and powerbait shrimp being the better of the 2. They will take worms but because of how Fisheries grows them they see very little natural feed. It takes a bit before newly stocked trout move onto natural feed. The reason shrimp works well is most pellet feed is base on fish meal and krill. Powerbait trout baits were made to imitate fish pellets as well.

Wild trout will take to worms or shrimp over powerbait.

Float fishing is commonly recommended for trout and does work. Better suited for shallower water or areas with snags or weedy bottom. If there is very little weeds, snags, or deep water fishing on the bottom with a slip rig will produce well.

Trout are overlooked in most lower mainland rivers with the exception of a few locations and the searun cutties. There are some big trout in the lower mainland as well. Some of the local lakes it is really not rare to find trout in the 2-3lbs range and bigger.

Lures for casting spinners and spoons and they don't need to be as small as most think. 1-2inch lures are easily taken by pan fry size trout.

Float and wet fly like leach, nymph, or croni patterns also work

Like I mentioned at the start trolling is one of the easiest effective ways to catch trout

With fishing the 2 most important things to remember don't believe the guy who says this is the only way to catch fish and trail and error time on the water will teach you more than anything in the long run

[M.Dean]

So, you's want to catch a Pink Salmon, Eh??? Well Bob, just so happens I've got about 5 or 6 thousand "Hot Pink Jig's" in stock, as we speak!!! And they work! After they come out of the mold, we trim the Jig head by cutting off the stem where the lead go's in, then I place them in a toaster oven until there about 300 degree's, I then take them out one at a time with tongs and dip the head into a Pink powder paint, they come out looking like glass! We found that using just a 1/8th oz Jig with a real soft type, jelly like Pink worm on it, the Pinks went crazy for it! I'm no expert Salmon fisherman by any means, but we went down to the Vetter river about 5 or 6 times a few years back, and limited out every time. That was the best fishing I've ever seen, and fun too!

[luger]

Has anyone tried Alouette lake ? Just wann a try a really close lake to start off with. But thank you as well for the salmon advice. I'll definitely be out there when the run hits.

[Wild one]

Has anyone tried Alouette lake ? Just wann a try a really close lake to start off with. But thank you as well for the salmon advice. I'll definitely be out there when the run hits.

Do you have a boat?

[luger]

No. Just a good pair of gum boots.

[Wild one]

Alouette Lake is very tough from shore better to look at the creeks and rivers with a salmon run. Sea run cutts are around chasing salmon fry still on the early side though. Small spoons work but and epoxy minnow fly under a float drifted through the pools can be deadly. Worms and small bits of roe can work as well.

Check the regs on Kanaka creek been years since I have fished it but have caught cutties there as a kid. Stave river is another option.

[Sunzuki]

What the heck is a toaster oven?

Oh, back on track, WSS has a bigg'un sale on now.
Casting rods on the clearance rack for 50% off.
Bought an Okuma reel at 40% off.

[luger]

Any other good river to fish around Langley , maple ridge area? Trying to keep the drive under a hour.

[luger]

Where abouts are some decent offshoots of the Fraser that would be good for fish?

[Knute]

As mentioned definitely check fishingwithrod dot com.
Plenty of good articles by Rod.
What, where, when..recommended setups etc.

[Gone_Fishin_]

March 11th Local Stocking Update, posted on fishingwithrod.com (GoFishBC.com hasn't updated their site yet so does not show the recent stockings)

Lafarge, Como, Rice, Green Timbers and Hastings were all stocked yesterday with trout. Should be great fishing opportunities to anyone new and kids can have a blast.

Cheap simple set up, float - bobber - split/shot - hook/bait. Bring your kids our to any of these lakes and your almost guranteed to hook some fish. Please check regulations as the limit for stocked Fraser Valley Rainbow trout has been reduced from 4/person a day to 2/person a day to help reduce the lakes being fished out within a few weeks of each stocking.

[Gone_Fishin_]

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=37625.0

Recent stocking information, lake info, fishing info ect... good stuff for anyone new wanting to get out and catch some fish.

Right now is the time to be out ! this weekend will be great fishing for those who get there early/evening.

[Katanajay]

http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=37625.0

Recent stocking information, lake info, fishing info ect... good stuff for anyone new wanting to get out and catch some fish.

Right now is the time to be out ! this weekend will be great fishing for those who get there early/evening.

Glad I saw this thread. Will be heading out this weekend to do a little camping/fishing. Plan to head to Weaver lake. Need to keep busy till hunting season.