2019 Vancouver-Howe Sound-Sechelt Reports Thread

[Geoduck]

Going to Keats this weekend with the family but want to sneak out to do some fishing...I know its red hot around the North and South Arm but anybody had any luck recently around Keats, Tunstall Bay, Roger Curtis, etc?

 

[ab1752]

Going to Keats this weekend with the family but want to sneak out to do some fishing...I know its red hot around the North and South Arm but anybody had any luck recently around Keats, Tunstall Bay, Roger Curtis, etc?

Salmon rock has produced a few nice fish as of late.

 

[Chasin' Dreams]

Someone mentioned using this ridiculously good fishery to try new things once limited for the day. Has anyone tried old school mooching? I regret not doing this when I was out last few times.
My Grampa used to swear by it and rarely ever trolled, said mooching was better for springs. Maybe a way to avoid pinks? Curious if anyone has tried this. Something tells me Chasin’ Dreams would have a valuable opinion on this

Absolutely!! My buday and I were talking about it the last time out. When I go next we are gonna actually do a couple things we've done in the past when fish are stacking in areas. Power,drift, and even anchored if the current is mooving at a nice speed. When I was younger my father in law showed me a sweet way of getting into a lot of Springs out at Point Roberts at the turn of the light house point where the current comes in and creates a back eddy seem along a shelf there between the rock piles and the sand flats. Much like the scenerio around the jetty and the sand heads. (But you could do this anywhere around there with the right current and not too deep) we would anchor or power mooch cut plugs and also Herring strip (no teaser heads), just up off the bottom about 10'. Such a great way to hook Springs with no flashers etc either. So years and years later I was fishing up at Telegraph Cove and saw the same kind of flow to the curent coming around the tip of an island where there was also a nice seem, boulders and sand...a very popular spot there for Spring fishing with the locals. Everyone trolled there and did very well. I had whole Herring and whole Anchovies with me. So I thought hmm I'm gonna anchor at the point of the seem and see how the current does with my bait in teaser heads behind the boat... I had to play with weight sizes to get the right depth and knew I didn't have long before the tides and current would shift but I managed to get it set up nice. To my surprise the first fish hit in only a few minutes and it was a chicken Halibut I landed and killed. Family had it for supper that night. Moments after dropping bait again another hit but this time the fish hit and ran very fast under the boat and up past my anchor (this can be an issue with this way of fishing for Springs lol.. drift or power mooching not so much ☺) thankfully the fish didn't cRoss the anchor and I ended up landing it without having to pull the anchor. The next day I returned to do the same thing and quite a few locals were coming by to see what the F I was up to lol. That trip we got all our Halis in that spot and all our Springs but one fishing that way. The other was caught trolling conventionally. Look for me anchored out not far from the jetty in the next few days if the current is flowing right ☺ if not you might also see us giving the power mooching a go around there too. But the Pinks will hammer your bait that way too. They aren't very picky feeders that's for sure.

 

[sir-vivor]

Well over 20 pinks to the boat between the two of us (all released) between 9-1400 ( a couple of small chinooks as well) used anchovies, white hoochie and Irish Cream and fished from 35-95 ft bot small fish, I'm thinking the Chinooks have moved on, until the next wait lol . Would have been great to have a few kids on the boat, they would have had a ball but just two dinasors looking for greatness lol . Had a ball , hope you all get yours soon.. Tight lines ! At Sandheads

 

[Ringo]

Dear pinks - please leave my lines alone. Thank you!

I think Pinks read this forum too!
Right after I posted this, they stopped biting. We trolled from T10 to the NA and switched to hootchies. Got our limit within 30 mins north west of NA 60’ on the rigger.

 

[wishiniwasfishin1]

Just drifting and working the old rod up, down, jigging, etc. Cut plug or whole herring (or these days maybe with a teaser head). And a bit of power mooching

The same thing essentially can be done with downriggers. Just don't use a flasher or a dummy and clip in your bait as a cut plug or in a teaser head.
Its not quite the same but if the fish are a little deeper you can still get to them. It doesn't take much to make your bait spin so a really slow troll is all that's needed. The Langara guys use weight and bait up at Langara Isalnd and the lodge doesn't own any riggers. The West Coast Fishing Club fishes the exact same water but uses downriggers and cut plugs. The nice thing about up there is the fish are really shallow - often well under 40'. Here they tend to be a little deeper even this time of year. With a weight and the currents you may find yourself not getting deep enough or having to let out a lot of line..

 

[TikkaII]

Forcast for tomorrow is a moderate SW wind. What’s that like out at sandheads?

 

[Normfish]

Same as above , Pinks were there in numbers , lost a Spring due to my netting skills .
Saw a few schools of Pink swimming along the surface.

 

[ab1752]

Forcast for tomorrow is a moderate SW wind. What’s that like out at sandheads?

I think it is possible to catch a wind when the winds switch from SE to NW. It's going to be pretty lumpy of it rips. Watch the halibut bank light station and see if the wave period is stretched out like 4 seconds. That helps with the chop.

 

[AndrewH]

About 20 orcas showed up at sandheads at sunset. Pretty magical place with them all around the boats.

One spring and a few pink, took a little work for the spring!

 

[CohoOn]

Arrived 830am and before we could get the second rod in the water we had a nice spring on. Unfortunately got caught in kicker and lost it but not to worry proceeded to get our two within an hour.
Switched over to pink gear and had steady action to get our limit including releasing couple more springs.
Think there's plenty of springs still around. Huge bait balls straight out from green can and you can just follow the commies they know where they are. White hootchies and chovy for springs and whitehead squirts were best for pinks. Always use green flashers.
Anywhere between 45 and 75 feet you'll hit them.

 

[TikkaII]

Anyone out early? Would love to call in sick today if the wind is fishable

 

[Normfish]

With the rain , I am guessing a bunch of fish will be on their way up river , watch the test sets at Albion, bet the Spring numbers will go up in the next few days ......

 

[Bben]

Well over 20 pinks to the boat between the two of us (all released) between 9-1400 ( a couple of small chinooks as well) used anchovies, white hoochie and Irish Cream and fished from 35-95 ft bot small fish, I'm thinking the Chinooks have moved on, until the next wait lol . Would have been great to have a few kids on the boat, they would have had a ball but just two dinasors looking for greatness lol . Had a ball , hope you all get yours soon.. Tight lines ! At Sandheads

Nice meeting you at the launch yesterday. Forgot to introduce myself.

Anyway, I started right after sir-vivor finished. Went just north of Sandheads so I had some space away from the pack. In tight, 110-130 water. Riggers at 40 and 45. I must have had some built up karma from the last trip...4 minutes in and a screamer hits. Probably the best run I’ve seen yet. After a good fight, smooth solo net job, and then it jumps right out before I can close up the net - not like I just missed it and it swam out, like 18” of air as it leaped up and out. Somehow kept the solo hook in, got him the second time. Spunky 14# red. Not my biggest, but most energetic. Green flash with a green/white hoochie. Another hour, nothing on that or bait. Went out deep for fun, very quiet. Just one pink for me that I roughly shook off. Left around 5:30. Great afternoon trip.

 

[wildmanyeah]

About 20 orcas showed up at sandheads at sunset. Pretty magical place with them all around the boats.

One spring and a few pink, took a little work for the spring!

Just FYI

There is a voluntary 1000m avoidance in place for the SRKW at the mouth of the river.

 

[cohochinook]

Just FYI

There is a voluntary 1000m avoidance in place for the SRKW at the mouth of the river.

Which we need to be complying with or it's going to end up being a full closure!

 

[AndrewH]

Just FYI

There is a voluntary 1000m avoidance in place for the SRKW at the mouth of the river.

Ya I know this but had not idea what the right move was. With them passing through, should I pull gear and motor out of there or simply idle down and sit and wait with as little disturbance as possible (that is I what I did).

ideas for next time?

 

[mikeyman]

Just dont be under power/in gear near them. Shut down.

 

[ab1752]

Ya I know this but had not idea what the right move was. With them passing through, should I pull gear and motor out of there or simply idle down and sit and wait with as little disturbance as possible (that is I what I did).

ideas for next time?

I would shut down and attempt to pull gear. They move fast however so by the time you have pulled up and made your best effort to move away they're likely long gone.

 

[sir-vivor]

Nice meeting you at the launch yesterday. Forgot to introduce myself.

Anyway, I started right after sir-vivor finished. Went just north of Sandheads so I had some space away from the pack. In tight, 110-130 water. Riggers at 40 and 45. I must have had some built up karma from the last trip...4 minutes in and a screamer hits. Probably the best run I’ve seen yet. After a good fight, smooth solo net job, and then it jumps right out before I can close up the net - not like I just missed it and it swam out, like 18” of air as it leaped up and out. Somehow kept the solo hook in, got him the second time. Spunky 14# red. Not my biggest, but most energetic. Green flash with a green/white hoochie. Another hour, nothing on that or bait. Went out deep for fun, very quiet. Just one pink for me that I roughly shook off. Left around 5:30. Great afternoon trip.

Ya good to meet you Bben, At least there was one more out there for ya , Nice ! Ya those cookie cutters are feel like 20lbers when they fight like that. Well with this rain maybe we'll get a few more chances at big Chins .... Tight lines and many more screamers