2024 Campbell River Reports

[Northfish]

Thanks!

Deep doesn't mean the fish are there lol. I did the Francisco circus without catching anything for an hour, left the pack and had 4 fish to the boat in 30 minutes all in 130 FOW. Also caught a decent chinook on the shoal at 25', they're wherever they want to be! Returning fish in the summer are a lot shallower than most expect, I've caught numerous at less than 80' while messing around for coho with plugs.

I'm trying flasher alternatives. Especially when trolling deep, dragging that big flasher is just too painful to reset.

Trying: dummy spinning flasher. dummy regular flasher. no flasher at all...just trolling with a spoon out. or just 8" flasher inline.

Aside from all the tangles I got while learning how to set and hold a gap between the dummy and the line, I'm convinced that this is the way I want to go.

Fighting a nice sized chinook with no inline flasher...nothing better.

Was dragging two cannonballs, one with dummy spinner flasher and the other with classic inline flasher. Whatever the reason, the dummy with a spoon back 20' was getting fish 10:1 of the regular inline flasher and 3.5" spoon. The only downside was that I seemed to catch alot of undersized on the line with no inline flasher.

The huge upside is reduction in drag (better for depth), and being able to reset a line in a couple minutes without fighting the flasher drag.

Just run plugs, get the vibration without the flasher headache. Granted I'm biased as f*ck since that's what I started my business on, but it's way more efficient and effective. I've timed it, and with an 1106 downrigger it takes me under a minute to reset or check gear at 120'. I use free spool and let the cannonball freefall then slowly tighten it up.

 

[jackfish]

Just run plugs, get the vibration without the flasher headache. Granted I'm biased as f*ck since that's what I started my business on, but it's way more efficient and effective. I've timed it, and with an 1106 downrigger it takes me under a minute to reset or check gear at 120'. I use free spool and let the cannonball freefall then slowly tighten it up.

heh, just getting onto the freespool and fast drop. I think I lost my fingerprint on my brake finger.

 

[Northfish]

Hit and miss today, 2 hatchery and 10 or so wild coho with a couple big ones mixed in over 4 hours or so this afternoon. One small chinook as well, strangely no larger ones to speak of. One thing I've noticed is that it's super obvious when a hatchery coho is, compared to the wilds it's like reeling in a shopping bag. Played guide today and got a friend of mine out, least I could do for the guy that taught me how to cut plug the old school way!

I'm probably out of commission for a bit, my foot is purple and looks broken so I'll live on vicariously.

 

[Aces]

Hit and miss today, 2 hatchery and 10 or so wild coho with a couple big ones mixed in over 4 hours or so this afternoon. One small chinook as well, strangely no larger ones to speak of. One thing I've noticed is that it's super obvious when a hatchery coho is, compared to the wilds it's like reeling in a shopping bag. Played guide today and got a friend of mine out, least I could do for the guy that taught me how to cut plug the old school way!

I'm probably out of commission for a bit, my foot is purple and looks broken so I'll live on vicariously.

Sorry to hear about your injury

 

[Samnjoe]

A lot of those wilds are actually unclipped hatchery fish. Friends that worked at a hatchery said they clipped very few if any. Assuming that's still the case??

 

[tubber]

A lot of those wilds are actually unclipped hatchery fish. Friends that worked at a hatchery said they clipped very few if any. Assuming that's still the case??

Maybe so, but the clipped ones are small and flaccid from the trauma of the circumcision, in my friend's experience.

 

[coastalmarinesafety]

Lots of fish springs green can to Francisco tonight. Couple of overs and others in the slot mixed in. Off Francisco down 175 and 190’ in 200-350’ water was the ticket. Big plugs and big spoons.

 

[Samnjoe]

Maybe so, but the clipped ones are small and flaccid from the trauma of the circumcision, in my friend's experience.

Interesting. I wonder how that could be. Anyone here have insight on the subject? Doesn't seem to be the case for Chinooks in my experience.

 

[jackfish]

Interesting. I wonder how that could be. Anyone here have insight on the subject? Doesn't seem to be the case for Chinooks in my experience.

Uh...i think it was a bit of a double entendre, with emphasis on the d*** joke.

 

[Samnjoe]

Uh...i think it was a bit of a double entendre, with emphasis on the d*** joke.

And I thought this was a serious discussion. It's early in day.

 

[eroyd]

Interesting. I wonder how that could be. Anyone here have insight on the subject? Doesn't seem to be the case for Chinooks in my experience.

Vaguely remember some study suggested the adipose fin had more of a purpose than first thought. Something to do with sensing/interpreting conditions and aligning the caudal fin as to make it more efficient.

 

[spring fever]

You want info you have to listen to an old guys story. My Golden woke me at 0330 this morning to be let out-very unusual-Alittle pissed but was going fishing solo anyway. I was shocked at how dark it was-only last week I went pretty early but way darker now. Out of Pplayground at o500. At wilby by 0520-man its dark-had intended to jig-but its dark and I see no bait and its choppy so put on my tiny tomic plug-right on the bottom at the point of the shoal green can side to 145. Suddenly the bait is there-and the rod slams down-and I am into it. I know I am in trouble cause this fish has very serious shoulders-great fight but released boatside-seriously over-not even worth a measurement. Circle back onto the bait another take down- tnice fish-behaves himself-classic Spring fight-well into it and then I can't budge him-boat drifts off and I am putting tons of pressure on him-it turns the boat-thinking-sea lion- put the motor in gear and try to get my line back. Something lets go and after a lot of line comes back wind up boating a very nice spring-not a mark on him. Look down-I'm over bait-drop the jig and into a serious ling Unhooked him-rested for 5 min with a coffee and realized I hadn't been out of a 200 yard radius Back at the ramp by 0715

 

[CR Bill]

At the Hump last evening - slower but also too many pain in the a*s pink salmon hitting plugs near the bottom.

 

[Fizzishin]

Seems like it got quiet after the rains on Wednesday. Mid summer lull?

 

[spring fever]

Seems like it got quiet after the rains on Wednesday. Mid summer lull?

Not a lot of stuff on the sounder-very spotty around the green can to fransisco-one nice spring but like watching paint dry. Stopped at the hump on the way home lots of bait-managed to jig some in the back eddies-no springs-lots of coho and a really good ling-2 days in a row. Picked the wrong spot this morning

 

[Foxsea]

You want info you have to listen to an old guys story. My Golden woke me at 0330 this morning to be let out-very unusual-Alittle pissed but was going fishing solo anyway. I was shocked at how dark it was-only last week I went pretty early but way darker now. Out of Pplayground at o500. At wilby by 0520-man its dark-had intended to jig-but its dark and I see no bait and its choppy so put on my tiny tomic plug-right on the bottom at the point of the shoal green can side to 145. Suddenly the bait is there-and the rod slams down-and I am into it. I know I am in trouble cause this fish has very serious shoulders-great fight but released boatside-seriously over-not even worth a measurement. Circle back onto the bait another take down- tnice fish-behaves himself-classic Spring fight-well into it and then I can't budge him-boat drifts off and I am putting tons of pressure on him-it turns the boat-thinking-sea lion- put the motor in gear and try to get my line back. Something lets go and after a lot of line comes back wind up boating a very nice spring-not a mark on him. Look down-I'm over bait-drop the jig and into a serious ling Unhooked him-rested for 5 min with a coffee and realized I hadn't been out of a 200 yard radius Back at the ramp by 0715

I enjoy fishing but reading your reports is almost as good!

 

[spring fever]

I enjoy fishing but reading your reports is almost as good!

Thanks-enjoy doing it. Helps keep some of my taller tales in check. Pretty bad when you have a paper trail to remember as well!!LOL

 

[Xena]

Fished 7-:30-11:30 Caught a 75cm Lingcod, right on bottom, 190ft #602 plug. Other than that, nothing but humpies. I didn't see anything of size netted. Still slow after the rains?

 

[spring fever]

Fished 7-:30-11:30 Caught a 75cm Lingcod, right on bottom, 190ft #602 plug. Other than that, nothing but humpies. I didn't see anything of size netted. Still slow after the rains?

You are not alone Xena-I was there from 0620 t0 11-no bait to speak of-managed a few wild coho and got a 70 cm spring down at 260 half way to Fransica point on a tiny no bananas. I am with a guy who can't jig so strictly trolling. Went to the hump at 11 and tried jigging-2 coho a humpy and an undersize spring. So I had fished all round the outside of the shoal and she is a tough sell today. The word I got was Grants-give it a few tides and it may pick-up-was starting to slow thursday. Thats fishing-not catching---- no bait-no fish

 

[Teal]

We were out in the late afternoon and evening jigging between Francisco and the Green can and it was baitless....still the arms got a work out and we did have a lovely visit from a pod of Orca. Hmm where to fish today?