The winter Chinook season is off to a great start in Georgia Strait. Fresh chrome winter (feeder) Chinook are showing up in their usual locations. These are generally found close to the bottom in deeper water. In Nanaimo this means the 200ft contour line that runs from Entrance Island, along Gabriola and down to Thrasher Rock. You can keep fishing this contour all the way down Valdez and Galiano. Or if you are looking for sheltered waters another great winter fishing area is from Tent Island (at the southern tip of Kuper Island) and down Samson Narrows between Saltspring Island and Maple Bay. In both these areas try large glow plugs line RVP2 64711, or Needlefish Lures like Lure Jensens Black Pearl Koho King. Another really hot one is the Anchovy Roll in Dalmatian Mutation. It's not on our website and I have a limited supply, but you can call/email me if you want one. Fish these lures close to the bottom with either a glow Hit 'n Run or glow chartreuse dummy flasher.
At this time of year we are fishing deep, with limited sunlight, so glow lures are critical. Make sure you are charging your glow lures with a Ultra Violet flashlight. Or if it is sunny, you can leave them in the sun for a while. Another important tip that many fishermen forget about is scenting your lures. Get a fresh bottle of good quit scent each year. It will cover any foreign smells, and attract fish to you gear. I like Pro-Cure Super Gel Anchovy, although Smelly Jelly is great too.
With the extremely heavy rain many rives have been unfishable in some locations. So I don't have much to report, at least for now. Where you can fish, now is the time for larger, colourful beads like 15mm BnR Sweet Cherry Burr Beads, or 16mm UnReel Mottled Peach.
But with the high water make sure you are being safe around fast flowing rivers. Always wear your wading belt, and consider having a wading staff for added stability.
Thanks to Chris Ormiston for the beautiful Chinook photo above this post. If you have a photo or a report you'd like to share, please email me at the address below. Also you can leave comments or questions under my report. All info is appreciated!
