2018 Nanoose Bay/French Creek Reports

[blake_a]

Looking to get out tomorrow evening. I see this forecast:

"Wind becoming southeast 5 to 15 Tuesday afternoon
except southwest 15 to 25 near Qualicum Beach Tuesday
late in the day."

Does this usually result in wind near French Creek? I think I have seen this before and it usually turns out being ok. WindAlert has Ballenas and the Sisters at around 5kts tomorrow evening.

 

[Newfieslayer1978]

Thanks guys, I'm out on water on front of French Creek now... Not a sniff yet using chovies and we'll homeland security tried mother a pearl nothing ....

 

[Che]

Does this usually result in wind near French Creek?

The Qualicum winds are a strange beast indeed. Whipping up from nowhere. I think it has something to do with the famous 'rain shadow' effect of Arrowsmith. But what do I know about meteorology?

This forecast was just posted at 1600hrs. "Wind light becoming northwest 5 to 15 knots after midnight then becoming southeast 5 to 15 Tuesday morning."

So you're good to go.

 

[searun]

Racism against First Nations fisheries aside...

Was out this morning for fist light. Lots of Salad. Was fighting it all morning. Hooked one on the ol' Trap Shack Needle G, 115/265, just to the east of the north hump. Nothing else until we came in around 930. Didn't see many nets out.

Not racism, just getting facts about who is catching what fish...and for the record, the reason I asked about the source data is I have never seen any credible data that suggests FN fisheries on the Fraser catch 85% of the returning adults. If that was the case, then we have a major conservation concern, and I'm sure that ethical FN community fisheries managers would shut down those fisheries. The major concern right now is for Harrison white chinook - everyone (as in all fishers) have to contribute to the conservation effort. The FSC "right" cannot be executed before conservation, so what's the big deal about?

 

[searun]

Back to fishing...so far my best depths have been 157 to 177 feet. Most of the action for me has been on 4 inch coyote spoons, with the Sardine being the most productive. That said, I did have a few great days using the 3 inch Luhr Jensen needle fish spoon as well as needle fish hoochies. Also, speed is your friend...I'm pulling those 15 pound cannon balls hard; as in more than 50 degree angle. You can't use your GPS over ground speed...sometimes 2.7 isn't fast enough, other times 2.3 is perfect. All depends on the current. I'm not saying you can't catch them at slow speeds, just saying fast works for me. Someone asked about flashers, and I can honestly say I have been using a mixed bag and can't say one one of them has been out fishing another.

 

[RODNREEL]

Great info searun.
Good on you.

 

[Newfieslayer1978]

Great info I don't usually go by gps speed I usually go by the angle of the rigger line which I try to keep around 45/50 degrees. I did manage to get into fish today lost three which I believe one was a Hali and the other two bigger salmon I managed to box q wild 12 pound on chovie... But chovie and splatter back seemed to be most productive... Released 7 undersized... Was pretty much on bottom all day in 200 ft water and 195/240 on riggers...

 

[fish brain]

Looking to get out tomorrow evening. I see this forecast:

"Wind becoming southeast 5 to 15 Tuesday afternoon
except southwest 15 to 25 near Qualicum Beach Tuesday
late in the day."

Does this usually result in wind near French Creek? I think I have seen this before and it usually turns out being ok. WindAlert has Ballenas and the Sisters at around 5kts tomorrow evening.

Try this https://embed.windy.com/ I have found it to be fairly accurate up to a week out. Going off Environment Canada's site for me is about 25 % accurate Kind of like a DFO salmon run prediction. Ask the magic 8 ball and there is your forecast.

 

[One Fish]

Try this https://embed.windy.com/ I have found it to be fairly accurate up to a week out. Going off Environment Canada's site for me is about 25 % accurate Kind of like a DFO salmon run prediction. Ask the magic 8 ball and there is your forecast.

Great site...

 

[Red silver]

Wow nice site, will watch it to see the accuracy.
All I have to contribute today is my experience this morning, fish fc first light, 2 undersize then nothing, ran to Ballenas
lots of firecracker bait, no fish in close, moved out to the 250 depth range picked up 2 undersize and lost one all in the 130 to 160 range.
weeds moved in so ran to Sangster nothing doing there decided to come back to fc for the low slack. got back stopped where there there was no weed which ended up
to be at about 500 ft deep ran lines at 140 and 200, maybe just luck but hit a screamer at the 140, unfortunately after 3 impressive runs, on the the
4th it broke off . Well maybe tomorrow will be better for me and not so good for him

 

[blake_a]

Made it out of FC last night and it fished ok in the little bit of wind. We landed an 11lb fish on a 3.5" Pesca spoon at 140ft in the first hour and then had nothing after that.

 

[Powerguy]

Fished FC midday today, windy, managed to box a 20 and a 10. Released two unders, spoons at 150 inside the humps worked for me today

 

[Ryan A]

Out tonight and landed a 10&14 outside of the humps. One at 220’ and the other at 245’, both on smaller spoons. Lost one that almost spooled me at the boat. Wind calmed right down and made for a great night

 

[Che]

Out this AM at first light for a quick fish.

Choppy water, was expecting calm winds. Managed one just under. 225/275, 2.8kts, Trap Shack Needle G. Between the humps

 

[searun]

Not my report, but neighbour was out today and boated a 29 and 15 on 3.5 Coyote spoons. The 29 was a red, the 15 was a white.

 

[Randy waugh]

Not my report, but neighbour was out today and boated a 29 and 15 on 3.5 Coyote spoons. The 29 was a red, the 15 was a white.

True my buddy Paul landed these

 

[searun]

lol, and true because I filet them.

 

[Randy waugh]

lol, and true because I filet them.

With Kurt?

 

[Newfieslayer1978]

Fished from 8 until 1230 this morning and we'll Ir was slow had 3 undersized and will one big something that broke us off after about 5 mins of reeling then just before pulling the gear managed a 14 lb on Irish cream seemed like it has slowed down compared to last week. .. Fishing from 180/250 on riggers in 200 ft water ... Any advice greatly appreciated. Cheers all...

 

[searun]

Out Saturday. Lot slower action. We managed 2 Chinook and lost 2 other screamers. Was a little challenging because there was a wall of coho. About 25 percent were marked so there will be a cool fishery when they open in June.

Really cool to see coho making a come back in the SOG. Sure hope this trend continues. I have very fond memories of the coho fishing in the 1970’s up to 1993 when coho crashed in SOG. There were so many coho back then that there was a large commercial troll fishery for them. Some thought it could never run dry. Amazing how fast changing water conditions and a lack of bait can change fish abundance.