Vancouver BC Fishing Charters

The past 3 days we tried our luck trying to search out the years first winter chinook in Vancouver Harbour and the back side of Bowen Island. On our afternoon trip on Friday we had a very active charter with a handful of nice winter fish from 19-23 inches. Although they were not keepers it was a very encouraging sign that the winter chinook season was going to get off to a good start. On Saturday we had a full day trip. We started off in the harbour and got nothing but a couple shakers. We then moved ou at to Tunstall Bay and did not get anything either. Good thing prawning was good! On Sunday we fished the harbour again and got a few shakers..that was it. Fishing will pick up! Hopefully soon…

Well after a wet few days it is pretty safe to say that the West Vancouver chinook fishery is done for the year. The high water in the Capilano River has likely sucked most of the staging fish upstream to finish their business. This past fall we definately had a better fishery than we had over the last 3 years. The run seemed to peak from the 10th to the 30th of September. Although there were a number of active days in October as well. This year we saw an incredible amount of jack chinook. Great news for the next couple years as they are often an indicator of ocean survival.

Now we are coming into another exciting time of year………WINTER CHINOOK season!!! These chinook salmon are feeding fish that move into local waters to feed on the typically abundant baitfish. These fish are not the biggest of the year but are very scrappy and great eating. The nice thing about winter chinook is they are actively feeding..unlike the fall mature fish which are little more fussy and tide biters. The first reports from Howe Sound of fish up to 16 pounds have started to trickle in. Numbers of fish should continue to build from now on in. We have a few trips out this weekend to target winter chinook salmon. We will likely fish Vancouver Harbour and the backside of Bowen Island.

Winter chinook fishing is often at its very best in February. If you are in town for the 2010 VANCOUVER OLYMPIC GAMES or have friends in town it is great time of year for winter chinook salmon and dungeness crabs.

Give us a call to book a winter chinook trip!!!

Tight lines

Jeff and Jason

WELL AFTER A MONTH OF CROWDS OFF THE MOUTH OF THE CAP WE WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO FIND NO OTHER BOATS OUT THERE. THE WATER WAS FLAT, THE TIDE WAS GOOD, AND THERE WAS LOTS OF CHUM SALMON JUMPING AROUND. WE HAD QUITE AN ACTIVE DAY HOOKING 1 LEGAL CHINOOK IN THE TEENS, A HANDFUL OF JACKS, A COHO, AND A COUPLE UNDERSIZE WINTER CHINOOK. THE ONLY REAL PROBLEM WITH THE DAY WAS ALL THE HARBOUR SEALS IN THE AREA. I IMAGINE THEY WERE CHASING THE CHUMS THAT WERE PUSHING THROUGH THE FIRST NARROWS. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT WAS CHALLENGING TO GET A FISH TO THE NET. NICE TO SEE THERE ARE STILL SOME FISH TO BE HOOKED OUT OFF THE CAP THOUGH. WE WILL SEE WHAT THIS RAIN DOES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. IF IT STAYS REASONABLY DRY THE FISHERY OFF WEST VAN COULD HOLD ON A LITTLE LONGER..IF NOT WE WILL LIKELY START SPENDING OUR TIME CHASING WINTER CHINOOK SALMON IN VANCOUVER HARBOUR AND THE BACK SIDE OF BOWEN ISLAND.

JEFF AND HIS GUESTS HAD A REASONABLY ACTIVE MORNING OFF THE CAP. THEY HAD A CRACK AT 3 GOOD CHINOOK AND A COUPLE JACK CHINOOK. NICE TO SEE THE ACTION PICK UP AGAIN AFTER A SLOW SPELL OVER THE LAST WEEK. THE FORECAST LOOKS DRY FOR THE NEXT HANDFUL OF DAYS SO HOPEFULLY THE ACTION WILL CONTINUE TO PERK UP. AFTER THE NEXT HEAVY RAIN THE CAP FISHERY WILL BE LIKELY BE DONE FOR ANOTHER YEAR AND THE FOCUS WILL SHIFT TO WINTER OR FEEDER CHINOOK.

THE CAP MOUTH HAS SLOWED DOWN OVER THE LAST WEEK. WE ARE STILL HOOKING FISH ON ALMOST EVERY CHARTER BUT WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE NUMBERS LIKE WE DID LAST WEEK. ON AVERAGE WE HAVE BEEN HOOKING 2-4 FISH A TRIP…A COMBINATION OF BIG CHINOOK, JACK CHINOOK, AND COHO. WE DID LAND OUR FIRST WINTER CHINOOK OF THE YEAR TODAY ON THE SEASTAR WHICH BODES WELL FOR THE UPCOMING FEEDER/WINTER CHINOOK FISHERY. THE WINTER CHINOOK FISHERY CAN START AS EARLY AS OCTOBER…ESPECIALLY IN HOWE SOUND. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW REPORTS STARTING TO TRICKLE IN FROM VANCOUVER HARBOUR AND HOWE SOUND THAT WINTER CHINOOK ARE STARTING TO SHOW.

WE SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER WEEK OR TWO OF FISHING OFF THE CAP FOR RETURNING FISH BEFORE WE SHIFT GEARS TO FEEDER/WINTER CHINOOK.