2024 Campbell River Reports

Any local prawning reports? Twin Islands? Marina Island? Twin Used to be the go to spot but have kinda lost faith in it.
I used to fish Twin regularly, but have found it to be not as productive the last 5 years or so.
Lots of traps there even when it is closed.
 
I used to fish Twin regularly, but have found it to be not as productive the last 5 years or so.
Lots of traps there even when it is closed.
Of course! It's handy to an I.R.
 
Out prawning yesterday - reasonable results. Encouraging though was the number of coho we saw jumping pretty much all over -Lighthouse, Hump, Francisco.
Saw a guy at the ramp with a monster ling - Willow Point apparently.
 
Where the lings at?
In April I was getting lings accidentally while salmon trolling.
As of May 1, of course I can't find them.
 
I might talk about local salmon fishing, be a bit more vague about prawning, but Ling holes?
Taking that to the grave.
Pinnacles north of Separation Head is vague enough
ha ha. I respect your desire to keep some secrets to your grave!
How about this more general question...what features would a person be searching for to find lings?
I've been trying to find rock pinnacle features, and fishing around slack tide near the tops. 60-120' depths.
Obviously I also watch others, and since bottom fishing is pretty much all that is open in area 14 now, I assume every boat I see where they are jigging, is after lings. :) Seen some folks jigging the steep drop contours near a shoal or pinnacle. Saw one boat pull out a nice big ling from 400' off the side of a islet/shoal.
 
Years ago the local commercial ling cod fishery was focused off the Shelter Point area which basically has a gravel bottom. You will find them anywhere that there is feed. Last week, we spoke with a guy at the Hump who had just released four big ones while trying for a Hali- prior to May 1 - in 250 feet of water south of the Green Can.
 
So as posted earlier in this thread, the time for our trip to Pacific Playgrounds is almost here. We are there Mon-Fri next week, with a 17' Arima with 75hp main and kicker. Looking at the forecast it looks pretty good to me, but I have never boated in this area. If there are any hazards or weather patterns to be cautious of please let me know. Of course always open to fishing or crabbing tips too but most importantly just a low stress week messing around on the water. @Gong Show you can feel free to PM me your ling holes ;p. Currently in the process of a repower with new main on order, so won't be doing any big runs up Toba or anything like that this trip. Just sticking within a half hour run of Pacific Playgrounds probably.
 
the main hazard is the channel coming out of Pacific Playgrounds . kidding. if you decid to cross over to grants reef or montgomery or whatever, just watch the wind. it can lick up and be nasty. that’s about it
 
the main hazard is the channel coming out of Pacific Playgrounds . kidding. if you decid to cross over to grants reef or montgomery or whatever, just watch the wind. it can lick up and be nasty. that’s about it
Doubt we'll be going that far, but yeah I'd be cautious of anything that could be termed a "crossing"
 
Doubt we'll be going that far, but yeah I'd be cautious of anything that could be termed a "crossing"
Watch the winds, tides, and know how they interact. Can have curling 6 footers come down to a 1 foot chop in an hour and vice versa. The VI side has lots of good spots but be sure you're familiar with the RCA's as well, have my new main going on this week so might see ya out there! 😁
 
So as posted earlier in this thread, the time for our trip to Pacific Playgrounds is almost here. We are there Mon-Fri next week, with a 17' Arima with 75hp main and kicker. Looking at the forecast it looks pretty good to me, but I have never boated in this area. If there are any hazards or weather patterns to be cautious of please let me know. Of course always open to fishing or crabbing tips too but most importantly just a low stress week messing around on the water. @Gong Show you can feel free to PM me your ling holes ;p. Currently in the process of a repower with new main on order, so won't be doing any big runs up Toba or anything like that this trip. Just sticking within a half hour run of Pacific Playgrounds probably.
 
If you have crab traps, one spot to try without having to go too far, is around the estuary ofBlack Creek - by no means a hot spot but it can produce a few. Oyster Bay is worth a look also.
 
Just a bit of things to come. Thurs snuck out of Pacific playground at 10 just before low tide and headed for Sentry shoals-for lings and a look-tired of gardening. Putzed around the buoy with minimal success but did hook a nice 15 lb spring on a flat fall. Released gently. Where the hell did he come from-no bait. Went to Montgomery bank-small rock fish-no lings no bait. Spent some of my retirement gas money and went to Grants reef-beautiful day. Not much on the drop-offs. Came back across to Sentry-north backside just below the middlenatch RCA and there was serious bait in large patches from the bottom to 100ft-over the next 2 hours I hooked 8 large springs and released 5. 1 Very large rock fish. Headed home and got into P Playground on a 3 ft tide. Always exciting but in my boat -do-able Nice alround day and all fish released alive except 1 very tasty rock fish-never touched a ling
 
Quick first fishing trip up to points N yesterday in the new to me boat after working on improvements all winter and spring. We dropped some Prawn Traps near the Mouth of Toba. In short order we released a nice Wild Spring well exceeding the 80 cm max size, nice first fish for the boat. First trap pull 2 prawns, next set of traps 180. Headed towards Ramsay arm and found quite the wind tunnel. Burgers and bear watching in a little bay. Lost another rod pounding decent Spring at the Boat, did not get to see its' birth status. Landed one hat that the wind had ripped off my head and a few more prawns. Save of the trip was my son grabbing the cord of the Ace Hauler that decided to splunk overboard. I thought I had secured but apparently not! Ran home through Hole in the Wall in some fast water, not the original plan but the NW wind made us reconsider. Worked some bugs out, really liking the Autopilot after figuring it out (my son again), but hey he got the rod on both fish.
 
Just a bit of things to come. Thurs snuck out of Pacific playground at 10 just before low tide and headed for Sentry shoals-for lings and a look-tired of gardening. Putzed around the buoy with minimal success but did hook a nice 15 lb spring on a flat fall. Released gently. Where the hell did he come from-no bait. Went to Montgomery bank-small rock fish-no lings no bait. Spent some of my retirement gas money and went to Grants reef-beautiful day. Not much on the drop-offs. Came back across to Sentry-north backside just below the middlenatch RCA and there was serious bait in large patches from the bottom to 100ft-over the next 2 hours I hooked 8 large springs and released 5. 1 Very large rock fish. Headed home and got into P Playground on a 3 ft tide. Always exciting but in my boat -do-able Nice alround day and all fish released alive except 1 very tasty rock fish-never touched a ling
Do you fish barbless singles on your jigs if you're getting into a lot of Salmon? Not judging either way, just new to the whole bottom fishing thing. I have a bunch of jigs that came stock with bottom rigged trebles, but I think I am going to take them off and top rig singles instead. Just wondering what the norm is.
 
Do you fish barbless singles on your jigs if you're getting into a lot of Salmon? Not judging either way, just new to the whole bottom fishing thing. I have a bunch of jigs that came stock with bottom rigged trebles, but I think I am going to take them off and top rig singles instead. Just wondering what the norm is.
I fish barbless assists. I am fishing bottom fish and could use a barb--the reality is I hook a lot of salmon and at my age a boatside-swim-away release is the best. The trebles on most jigs do way too much damage if you are fishing the jig correctly and ripping it through a bait ball. Good assist are probably more efficient anyway
 
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