The Winter Chinook season is well underway and early reports are excellent. Most fishermen are getting their limits and releasing lot's of additional fish as well. There of feeder Chinook aggressively targeting large schools of bait. These fish are moving around with the bait and may not be in the same location from day to day. Entrance and Gabriola were the place to be on Thursday, but by Friday, the bigger fish have moved in closer to the Five Finger area. So if you are not getting good sized fish be prepared to move.
As for bait there is a mix of sandlance on the bottom, mature herring, and the big surprise is needlefish and anchovies. The bigger Chinook are hanging close to the bottom targeting bait there. Get out into 200-230ft of water and troll 5" Tomic Tubby plugs in T-Rex, Easter Egg and Glow 602. The T-Rex (#647) was very effective off the east side of Gabriola and around Entrance Island this week. The other top lure to try in that area has been 6" Tomic spoons in Pork Chop pattern. The neat thing about the large spoons is, unlike plugs; you can run a flasher if you want. If the current isn't too bad a Black Double Glow or Chartreuse Double Glow will bring in the fish.
Scent is very important when fishing deep. Pro-Cure Herring Gel Scent should be applied to all artificial lures. It's dark down there so a scent trail to your lure should double your success rate.
On the fresh water we are heading into a transition period. The last of the chrome Coho are still heading into systems like the Nanaimo and Cowichan, but the runs are tailing off. At the same time trout fishing is picking up with big trout actively taking 8-10mm natural and washed out egg patterns like WFO 10mm Peachy-Keen or Slayn Steel 10mm Chum Ice
The winter run Steelhead should be starting to enter their home rivers. Nobody has confirmed this for me yet, but if they are on schedule we should be seeing them now.
So if you have a report on the steelhead or any other fishing send me an email at the address below. I'll only share as much info as you wish.
Tips up!
steve@harbourchandler.ca
