The last week has been very mixed for winter fishing. Some guys did poorly in the morning, and others did great in the same location in the afternoon. We had some big tides and that always slows the bite for a while. But often if you hit it at slack tide you can do very well. Things should improve this weekend, but as always find the bait and you will find the fish. If you are not marking bait move around until you find some.
The top lures continue to be 5" and 6" Tomic Plugs in T-Rex, Glow 602, and now several guys have mentioned Tomic 645 aka Pilchard. The guys doing well are trolling deep and tight to the bottom. 200-240ft. To reduce drag running an in-line flasher instead of a traditional one is helpful. The 3 blade daisy chains I make up are great. They have more flash than a normal flasher with less drag. I haven't got them on the website yet, but will soon. You can get them in store or contact me and ask for "HC Daisy Chain Flashers" They are $49.99.
The spoons that I've seen working have been Big Eye Spoons in Derby Winner, and Howe Sound Security. They have been effective when trolled right on the bottom where there are needlefish. I suspect the more aggressive bend on the Big Eye brand makes for a better action that feeder springs seen to key in on.
Winter prawning is decent but not spectacular this year, but they are extra big, The commercial fleet gave Nanaimo a pass this year, so stocks are now building and we have more large prawns than is normal. All around Five Finger Island has been consistent. You can always get a couple dozen per trap in just about any location there. Entrance Island has extremely good concentrations of prawns, but you have to drop in the right place. The Vancouver Island made Bauer Traps always catch the most. Make sure your traps are weighted down so they don't jiggle from the waves. Prawns hate movement, so use a 5lb clip weight on your line. Lead line is not enough on it's own. And always remember to oil your bait with Prawn Syrup to bring prawns in from a distance.
Tips up!
Steve@harbourchandler.ca
