Winter Chinook

[jamfarm]

Just wondering if anyone has been out fishing for winter chinook? Any success in the harbour or the W side of Bowen or Howe Sound?
I was out 2 weeks ago, fishing along W Van and only got one undersized. Heading out tomorrow in the harbour to give it another shot.

[ElectricDyck]

A buddy and I are going to be in Howe sound tomorrow, priority is crabs and prawns but we will drag some spoons around while the traps soak...Good luck!

[albravo2]

Please post up or PM results. I'm travelling until Sunday night but would love to get out in Howe Sound for some winter springs.

[Spy]

The guys have been limiting out around Victoria, I've heard of a 16 pounder coming in :-) good luck.

[ElectricDyck]

Any luck Jam Farm? I'm eating fresh prawns and crab but only frozen chinook tonight lol

[jamfarm]

Any luck Jam Farm? I'm eating fresh prawns and crab but only frozen chinook tonight lol

We got 2 undersized Chinook right at the pink apartments. And I hooked a seal, that was interesting, except for losing my gear.

[ElectricDyck]

Ha ha crazy, must have thought you had the big one on! What were you using? Bait, spoons, hoochies? What depth? I,
m still learning the local salmon fishery..totally different experience than my introduction to salmon fishing on QCI lol

[jamfarm]

Ha ha crazy, must have thought you had the big one on! What were you using? Bait, spoons, hoochies? What depth? I,
m still learning the local salmon fishery..totally different experience than my introduction to salmon fishing on QCI lol

I was using spoons. I'm still fairly new at salmon fishing myself but from what I've read, make sure your spoons & flashers are glow. We were using lemon/lime & chartreuse flashers and fishing right on the bottom, often bouncing then just coming up a bit off the bottom.
I think the fish are being caught on either the far side of Bowen or up howe sound.

[ElectricDyck]

Yeah basically same thing I was running..I was thinking of going to the far side of bowen but it was capping and travel is just too slow in my little boat in that rough water..we found some good bait balls down 150 feet in one of the little inlets by horseshoe bay but no salmon showed up the sonar or on the hook lol

Ill probably try next weekend again..fish weather is calling for some good weather and flat seas next weekend..

[jamfarm]

Yeah basically same thing I was running..I was thinking of going to the far side of bowen but it was capping and travel is just too slow in my little boat in that rough water..we found some good bait balls down 150 feet in one of the little inlets by horseshoe bay but no salmon showed up the sonar or on the hook lol

Ill probably try next weekend again..fish weather is calling for some good weather and flat seas next weekend..

I'm in the same boat, so to speak. I just have a 15' tin boat so it has to be very flat if I'm going to venture that far. I'm trying to go every week, I'm determined to find some fish.

[jamfarm]

Bump. Any updates on fishing? Heading out on Monday.

[ElectricDyck]

We decided to head to deep cove this last friday and try to figure out the prawns and show my buddy granite falls and the indian river..awesome day out but got stumped by the prawns..pulled and moved the traps 4 times with only 10 prawns and 1/2 females..:|

Anyway saw a guy in deep cove fishing, to my surprise he said he gets the odd spring in there...met some guys at the launch that were out on the west side of bowen at tunstall bay and they got one 15lber and one under size for the day, he said he was fishing spoons and bait..he had been at defense islands a few days before with no luck..

Let us know how you do Monday..I'll probably head back to howe sound and try and fill my freezer with prawns and do some trolling while the traps soak..

[jamfarm]

I didn't make it out on Monday but I went out today just in the harbour. Got 2, one undersized released. The other was a race to get it in the boat, 3 seals were immediately around the boat. I'll be out again next week to see if more show up.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/winterchinook.jpg

[Knute]

Nice job jamfarm!

Nickel bright beauty there ;)

[ElectricDyck]

Awesome! Thanks for the update, you gave me a little motivation to get out there again..

[835]

Fish the bottom for winters.
Glow is good yes but not the end all
3" coyote lime green glow is deadly
glow cuddle fish
and never forget chovies.

We fish hard to bottom only. Thats it.
That coyote is on one side and bait on the other. Then we see what happens
bait is behind a purple glow hotspot

but, looks like your doing ok! Thats a nice feeder.
dad has been into a steady 10-15 a day, lots o keepers but we only keep 5lb plus. Out here 18" is the limit and that is too small for us. 24" or better gove or take.

Sooke is where we fish

[tigrr]

Seal hunting legal? I watched the gillnetters take a few out.
Shut the clicker on the reel off. It is a diner bell to them.

[guest]

Purple colours and theme are terrific for winter springs, but as said go down to the bottom and follow the contours. No need for flashers as the water is very clear this time of year. Although flashers will attract or add action. Great to see guys out, wish it wasn't so much darn work, including set up and wash down, flush etc from the valley. Or I'd be at it all the time.

[835]

We use dummy flashers.
Clip them to the back of the down rigger ball use gangon to tie the clip to flasher. Then clip your gear a couple feet above it you get the attraction and the fight. This was figured out over a few trips with one sode traditional and the other dummied. Works with spoons and bait but you still need the flasher if you are gojng to use hootchies.

[ElectricDyck]

Seal hunting legal? I watched the gillnetters take a few out.
Shut the clicker on the reel off. It is a diner bell to them.

Was chucking some old bait overboard in deep cove and a seal popped up real close, I decided to see if I could hand feed him, I dangled a piece of western pacific tiger salmon (chum) overboard and to my surprise the seal swam right up, stopped 2' underwater, looked at us and like a shy dog rose up out of the water and gently took the chunk of salmon out of my hand. I could have gaffed him and had oil to dip my crab in lol....they are pretty cute with their big doe eyes..

I noticed pacific net and twine sells seal bombs, are they legal to use? Talking to an old commercial fisherman, he said whenever they'd get a big chinook on the troll because it was worth pretty good money on their little boat and there were seals around his skipper would toss one of those out into the water..apparently seals have pretty sensitive hearing and they leave town after that..