2021 Nanoose Bay/French Creek Reports

[thegreatpumpkin]

out last night FC. 3:30-8:30. slow going early saw very few nets out but lots of C/R smalls. used plugs 6 and 7 most of the night. went to hootchie for the last couple of hours but only caught under size springs. everything between 170-220' lost a 15to 20lb at the boat on a 6" plug. picked up a 9lb bit after on the same plug. The bitewas solid 1/2 hour before 8 pm tide and lasted about 15 minutes.

 

[dmurph]

Our last night’s outing was much the same, fished 5 until 8 was pretty slow hooked the odd smaller spring and lost 2 half decent hits we never got to see, one was good hit no good hook up other was hooked and broke off for some reason. Wasn’t much bait, one small area holding.

 

[blake_a]

Similar report for me from Sunday evening. Fished 6-8pm. Trolled with the southeast in 180 ft of water and released a wild coho and got one 72cm spring on the first pass. Both fish were in some bait on hootchies. After that released two small springs with no other significant bites.

 

[blake_a]

Seemed to be lots of fish out front last night from 7:30 to 9:00. At the tide change I watched 4 boats hook up around me while I untangled my lines wrapped together due to a P cod. Got set back up and had a decent one on my deep line on the stacked side, but it swam up into the top line and broke off. Got set up again, got a 12 lb spring at 90 feet on a hootchie and called it a night.

 

[bigdogg1]

First time out to the Humps this morning. Trolled for about an hour and couldn't mark a fish or see anything played se we picked up and went a bit further towards the Little Q. Had nothing on any gear until about 9:30 where we played 4 great springs within the hour. (Sadly released 2 that were +- 90 cm and long-released 2 others after some nice runs. Tough to let those bigger ones go but the regs are the regs...

First time using a rubber mesh bag - made the netting and releasing a breeze!

All 4 were between 65 and 75 on the DR on either a Outfitter or a Irish cream Skinny G spoon.

 

[Eagle1]

Thanks mostly to DFO and the recent winds, last night was our first time fishing French Creek this year... almost no fish on sounder so just used GPS and the contours. Stayed west of the 197 hump all evening. Bite came on around 7:30 and we hooked something every 10 or 15 min until dark, mostly with a green/black 4 in. spoons. A number of undersize springs but kept a nice 8 lb wild for dinner. Also kept a fat 5 lb. pink to smoke, and one small hatch coho. Don’t think I’ve ever had three different species in my fish box at the same time, in my life, so that is kind of cool.

 

[el.Pereh]

Ok French Creek...I'll be staying on the other side next week. Have one fishing day negotiated and was thinking I should be running across to fish the humps. Is their a particular tide that works better?

 

[Eagle1]

Ok French Creek...I'll be staying on the other side next week. Have one fishing day negotiated and was thinking I should be running across to fish the humps. Is their a particular tide that works better?

There are anglers with way more experience than me, but I would say there are essentially two 'humps' and we usually fish kind of in between them. But this late in the season, the salmon tend to move closer to the spawning rivers, which in this area are the Little Q and Big Q.

 

[cohochinook]

I am going to be fishing the French Creek area for the first time ever on Wednesday this week. I have my Uncle from Ontario who got me into fishing coming out with me. He is in Campbell River visiting other family. I am picking him up at French Creek Marina and then have the day to fish together. Any advice or reports would be appreciated? Thanks in advance!

 

[thegreatpumpkin]

I am going to be fishing the French Creek area for the first time ever on Wednesday this week. I have my Uncle from Ontario who got me into fishing coming out with me. He is in Campbell River visiting other family. I am picking him up at French Creek Marina and then have the day to fish together. Any advice or reports would be appreciated? Thanks in advance!

Fishing at French Creek this year has been up and down. One day its easy pickings the next tough. Most are picking up their fish over several hours. early morning in close or evenings 220 to 100 this time of year will generally get you fish. The wind was really bad this weekend but stuck it out 2 hours in 4' seas. lost 3 at the boat could barely even stand let alone try to net a fish solo.

 

[Reel Time]

Similar report to the above. Some days its quick and easy, I even called buddys up from nanaimo a month back and after waiting for them we headed out and got a couple keepers within 15 minutes. Some days not a sniff. Early morning has been pretty decent for me. Good luck.

 

[blake_a]

Fished out front last night 7:30 to 9pm. Less bait around than last week but still decent fishing. On my first pass got a double header, one about 15lbs and the other was 87cms and released. After that, a coho and two undersized springs until dark/8:45 when I got one more spring, 82 cms and released. All on hootchies.

I talked to a few people at the ramp who were certain it was only one chinook a day on the inside of the line to Flora Islet but it’s two, same as last year, I should have pulled out the map I guess.

 

[salmonkiller01]

Out at French creek. Bit slow. Got into a couple smaller fish at ballenas island. Rant of the day. How can people trolling on auto pilot think that they have the right away and not pay attention

 

[thegreatpumpkin]

we were out Sunday from 4:35 until about 8:30. was fairly rough1'-2' seas and wanted to go to LQ. but stayed for the tide change at fc in the 200; ridge to 194 . Almost nothing on the sounder and didn't see any fish caught. it seemed calmer to the north so we went after about 30 minutes to LQ, where it was near glass calm.trolled for about an hour not much happening with about 6 boats. 2 of which were jigging. One of the jiggers got one by the white marker so we switched up for about 45 minutes.There were jumpers all over from 200' in to 50'. As soon as the sun dipped behind the hill we saw hits coming on with the trollers. We switched back to trolling squirts and in about 2 minutes had a screamer on the broke of way too easily. obviously a knicked line. As it got too dark and most everyone had left it was chaos with constant light hits. and finally nailed a 79.25 at 16 lbs. The fish were in the weeds at last light to the south of the white marker it was so bad you couldn't get down it was just a sea of eel grass. to the north of the white marker there was none. But fewer fish, definitely want to go back there a ton of fish there. am is usually the best time to go. saw several small keepers at the docks when we came in. same as it has been all season a very few big fish and a ton barely keeper or just over.

 

[Ryan A]

Was out at day break this morning and it was a little lumpy as predicted, lost one after a couple good runs at the humps and that was all the action I had till I pulled the pin around 8:30. Saw a few fish behind caught. Lots of weed which was irritating. Scotty post broke on my one rod mount. I usually change those things out once a year. Maybe I should do it twice! TR3 went overboard in a flash, thank god the clip held onto my line.

 

[Birdman]

Anyone been out to the little Q or out front of French Creek the last few days? Thinking of giving it a shot Sunday morning if the weather allows...

 

[thegreatpumpkin]

Anyone been out to the little Q or out front of French Creek the last few days? Thinking of giving it a shot Sunday morning if the weather allows...

headed back there tonight. will report after.

 

[thegreatpumpkin]

fished last night at LQ from about 5:45 to 8:15. had one hit in the first 2 minutes we were there that was it. Not a ton of boats out of FC surprisingly. About 27 at LQ . a few were caught we saw but maybe 20% of the boats were getting fish. lots of 4 to 8" coho if you went out to 160' plus. not many jumpers seen. used pink squirt and purple haze between 50' and 90'. a few jiggers didn't see any of them even get a hit. most the fish we did see caught or hits were in the south of the river in 140-180' feet of water. most boats were fishing way out farther than normally there.

 

[robertg]

Fished from the Little Q up the Big Q yesterday not a thing caught, about 4 boats fishing the Big Q but the Little Q had the bulk of the Parksville Qualicum fishing fleet out there. Ended up fishing the humps in the afternoon same story, couple of shakers. great day to be on the water but nothing to show for the time spent.

 

[thegreatpumpkin]

Fished from the Little Q up the Big Q yesterday not a thing caught, about 4 boats fishing the Big Q but the Little Q had the bulk of the Parksville Qualicum fishing fleet out there. Ended up fishing the humps in the afternoon same story, couple of shakers. great day to be on the water but nothing to show for the time spent.

Same for us. the only thing I saw was a boat net about a 2 lb fish. not sure wh? There is more bait around but still haven't seen a single coho all season. hearing the same thing from Nanaimo. I'm guessing lack of bait is the cause of that.