2020 Nanaimo Reports

[RiverBoy]

In heavy current, I think most people would say fighting the current. Sometimes if there is structure that I like and heavy current and not too many other boat around, I will just try to hold my position over it. Up in Campbell River where the current can really rip, they will troll into the current until they are out of the fishy area, pull their gear, motor back and repeat.

sorry but i respectfully disagree. when fighting the current , you aren’t covering ground, and your gear is flailing erratically behind you. your balls and cables are getting blown waaay back giving you little idea how deep you are actually fishing. especially in CR like you mention.

i’ve used this illustration before: picture fish holding in a river. what way are they facing? their head always aimed upstream, waiting for feed to be washed down to them. chinook are lazy and are opportunistic; and you have to do the same.

you’re in a boat heading down the river, trolling the feed towards them. it’s the same in the chuck. troll with the current and present your bait to the fish. many times while trolling with the current, i am watching my cable angle over my SOG which can exceed 5 or 6 mph.

 

[Tinny]

I shoot for a 45’ angle on the rigger for Chinook and a bit more for Coho. With a strong current can be tough to get there but you cover tons of ground. Against the current and covering less ground is great if you know the fish are in a specific area. Not so great if you are searching for them.

Fished five fingers yesterday first time. Great spot! Missed a strong hit on hootchie at 270’ on the rigger and then had a beauty Chinook hit spoon at 190’ that made it to the boat. One of the prettiest Chinooks I’ve ever seen with really pronounced black spots.

 

[outbeen]

Fished Sunday afternoon. The shelf NW of Hudson rocks produced lots of action. Went home with a nice chinook and lost a couple others in the slot and lots of wild coho and shakers. Trolled fast 3.5-4.5mph, Homeland security coho killer 4 feet behind green flashers at 70-110 feet on the rigger got all the action.

Lots of bait at the fingers, tried jigging for half hour but nothing worthwhile stuck

 

[Bait Ban]

sorry but i respectfully disagree. when fighting the current , you aren’t covering ground, and your gear is flailing erratically behind you. your balls and cables are getting blown waaay back giving you little idea how deep you are actually fishing. especially in CR like you mention.

i’ve used this illustration before: picture fish holding in a river. what way are they facing? their head always aimed upstream, waiting for feed to be washed down to them. chinook are lazy and are opportunistic; and you have to do the same.

you’re in a boat heading down the river, trolling the feed towards them. it’s the same in the chuck. troll with the current and present your bait to the fish. many times while trolling with the current, i am watching my cable angle over my SOG which can exceed 5 or 6 mph.

Well, I grew up in Campbell River, owned my first boat at 14 and ran it up into the narrows daily every summer. I have to respecfully disagree. Trolling into the current, especially fast current will have you backing your gear into the fish at times. Like backtrolling techniques on the Columbia River. Sure, you can troll with the current, cover more ground and show your gear to lots of fish, or you can back down on them, and show your gear to a few fish for a long enough time that you can really **** them off. Works really well on Chum

 

[Birdman]

Trolling into extreme current also works well if fish are travelling "downstream" with it as well (i.e. their nose is pointing towards your gear), like they often are north of the narrows on a flood tide.

 

[RiverBoy]

Well, I grew up in Campbell River, owned my first boat at 14 and ran it up into the narrows daily every summer. I have to respecfully disagree. Trolling into the current, especially fast current will have you backing your gear into the fish at times. Like backtrolling techniques on the Columbia River. Sure, you can troll with the current, cover more ground and show your gear to lots of fish, or you can back down on them, and show your gear to a few fish for a long enough time that you can really **** them off. Works really well on Chum

to each their own i guess. personally i like the odds of showing my gear to lots of fish. i’ll keep this in mind when i try for chums. i never do well with them. cheers

 

[dmack]

Anybody been out to Entrance the last couple of days? Heading out tonight.

 

[vanislehunter]

Anybody been out to Entrance the last couple of days? Heading out tonight.

Fished Entrance on Sunday. Many dogfish, lots of shakers. Strong currents = one epic tangle. I was fishing 100-220 on the riggers. Buddy got a keeper spring at 230feet after I left.

 

[Unreel]

The coho shakers are maddening out in the deeper water! But good to see, hope they return in a couple years. Tons of undersized springs too

 

[outbeen]

Another fabulous night fishing local waters. Picked up my best fish ever in Nanaimo jigging shallow structure at the fingers. Taped out at 38" x 24.5". 2 oz delta half jig black back with red eye was the ticket.

 

[banger17]

Nicely done! were you the blue tin boat that was near the finger around 4 onwards?

we trolled Neck point for a couple hours and had nothing but shakers. Used all the lures at all the usual depths.

jigged for a bit around the finger at the end of the day but also no dice.

 

[wishiniwasfishin1]

Another fabulous night fishing local waters. Picked up my best fish ever in Nanaimo jigging shallow structure at the fingers. Taped out at 38" x 24.5". ]

nice job man! If you use the 750 denominator thatA a Tyee. Seems to be the number the people like to use on this site so I think she qualifies. Congratulations!

 

[dmack]

Two 14 lbers tonight off entrance 150 and 170 on the rigger in about 300 feet of water. Lost a nicer one from closer in at the boat after leader snapped... probably ought to have had a closer look after the encounter with the dogfish. Also had to fight through a lot of smaller fish. Really nice night. Better enjoy it; don't think we will have many more like that.

 

[MikePA]

Went out to the fingers last night between 3-730.. barely any bait seen, tons of shakers, nothing else.. women at Brechin tracking fish caught said no one had brought in any keepers since she had been there.

 

[Bearded wonder]

Fished the fingers area last night and the night before, only for a couple hours each time. Same story as MikePA. No keepers, lots of small ones. Fished spoons, cop car had the most action.

might try jogging for salmon next time. Have a couple jigs and see what happens. Can’t be worst then the last couple times out.

 

[outbeen]

Fished last night for a couple hours from Neck Point to Clark Rock. Weather was really rough so trolled 1 rigger only. A few small fish in the 50 cm size range. A couple were already dark and looked ready to head up river.

There were some schools of fish on the sounder that seemed compelling but they didn't hit when I trolled through.

 

[dmack]

Fished last night for a couple hours from Neck Point to Clark Rock. Weather was really rough so trolled 1 rigger only. A few small fish in the 50 cm size range. A couple were already dark and looked ready to head up river.

There were some schools of fish on the sounder that seemed compelling but they didn't hit when I trolled through.
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As in the 50 -60 cm fish were dark? That's definitely consistent with what I'm finding at Entrance; a lot of Jacks out there that are close to legal. We did keep 1 the other day that was just over. I'm not sure about the science, but I'd assume when those fish breed we get more Jacks, so hopefully people are encouraged to keep those if they catch them in a river.

 

[getbent]

As in the 50 -60 cm fish were dark? That's definitely consistent with what I'm finding at Entrance; a lot of Jacks out there that are close to legal. We did keep 1 the other day that was just over. I'm not sure about the science, but I'd assume when those fish breed we get more Jacks, so hopefully people are encouraged to keep those if they catch them in a river.

I actually don't think the jack's are able to spawn...I don't believe their milt is mature...further I think they typically would be shoved off of the females by a mature male

 

[TwiceTheEagle]

I actually don't think the jack's are able to spawn...I don't believe their milt is mature...further I think they typically would be shoved off of the females by a mature male

Jacks are precocious males that are two years old and sexually mature. They can occur in all species of pacific salmon including sockeye, but not pinks. They are most common with chinook and coho. They will never find a "Jill" to mate with but sneak in and deposit their sperm on freshly deposited eggs. A bit of insurance when the male to female ratio is low perhaps.

 

[Aces]

Fished the afternoon low slack at Entrance today.
So many little shakers!

No keeper chinooks but 4 small 5-6 lb hatchery cohos around 90-100 ft on 6 in watermelon coyote and green pack herring