2024 Campbell River Reports

[chille51]

Thanks. Yes I will be targeting lings primarily, and rock fish if I happen to hook up with a keeper but not specifically targeting them. If the chances of getting salmon as bycatch are as high as you make it sound, then it makes sense to me to pinch the barbs and run singles. It sounds like you are using a lot of flat falls - would you use the assist hook setup on a more traditional vertical jig, and are you rigging them from the top or the bottom? I've got some big swim baits to try out too - I am assuming the chances of salmon hitting those are a little less likely?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to figure out how to have fun and do the least damage in the process. As I said, the bottom fishing game is all new territory to me, as are the waters around Pacific Playgrounds. I am reasonably happy that a bunch of the places you mentioned in your reports are ones I had already tagged as worth exploring by looking at the charts. Your report doesn't fill me with confidence I'm going to have much luck though - if you aren't finding the lings and know where to look, I guess I'll be counting on beginners luck!

 

[Northfish]

Thanks. Yes I will be targeting lings primarily, and rock fish if I happen to hook up with a keeper but not specifically targeting them. If the chances of getting salmon as bycatch are as high as you make it sound, then it makes sense to me to pinch the barbs and run singles. It sounds like you are using a lot of flat falls - would you use the assist hook setup on a more traditional vertical jig, and are you rigging them from the top or the bottom? I've got some big swim baits to try out too - I am assuming the chances of salmon hitting those are a little less likely?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to figure out how to have fun and do the least damage in the process. As I said, the bottom fishing game is all new territory to me, as are the waters around Pacific Playgrounds. I am reasonably happy that a bunch of the places you mentioned in your reports are ones I had already tagged as worth exploring by looking at the charts. Your report doesn't fill me with confidence I'm going to have much luck though - if you aren't finding the lings and know where to look, I guess I'll be counting on beginners luck!

I also rub barbless singles for bottom fish for the same bycatch reason, with proper tension and being prepared with a net or gaff I've found it pretty uncommon to lose fish. Note that the hooks flat falls come with are also big enough to cause eye damage even with the barbs pinched, I make my own 3/0 assists with dowrigger cable and shrink tubing for that reason. The double assists can also be pretty nasty, so if nothing else cutting one hook off is a good start. Swimbaits will catch salmon occasionally as well, but not with the size typically used for lings and bottom fish.

Keep in mind that the deeper you go the slimmer and faster falling jigs will be the easiest to keep in contact with the bottom with, Shimano and Daiwa make a great selection different profiles for that reason! I personally rig to the 'top' of the jig as it prevents the jig swinging against the hook and working it loose, as well as catching bottom less frequently. It's always worth giving the south end of quadra a try as well, there's a lot of fishy features on both sides of wilby shoal.

Thanks for doing your best to fish responsibly, always uplifting to see and hear!

 

[spring fever]

Thanks. Yes I will be targeting lings primarily, and rock fish if I happen to hook up with a keeper but not specifically targeting them. If the chances of getting salmon as bycatch are as high as you make it sound, then it makes sense to me to pinch the barbs and run singles. It sounds like you are using a lot of flat falls - would you use the assist hook setup on a more traditional vertical jig, and are you rigging them from the top or the bottom? I've got some big swim baits to try out too - I am assuming the chances of salmon hitting those are a little less likely?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to figure out how to have fun and do the least damage in the process. As I said, the bottom fishing game is all new territory to me, as are the waters around Pacific Playgrounds. I am reasonably happy that a bunch of the places you mentioned in your reports are ones I had already tagged as worth exploring by looking at the charts. Your report doesn't fill me with confidence I'm going to have much luck though - if you aren't finding the lings and know where to look, I guess I'll be counting on beginners luck!

The key to everything jigging is BAIT!! There is a reason you are only allowed 1 ling a day and 10 a year--There aren't that many legal ones. Your best bet for lings and very very occasional hali is bait. So the hump at CR-all around sometimes holds bait-wiloby shoal--all around particularly out by the green can and north to fransico point. I went out today and got nothing keepable. No BAIT-wrong tide-but I went anyway--thats how you learn- I knew better but gave it a shot Got to do it just to stay HUMBLE!!LOL

 

[chille51]

The key to everything jigging is BAIT!! There is a reason you are only allowed 1 ling a day and 10 a year--There aren't that many legal ones. Your best bet for lings and very very occasional hali is bait. So the hump at CR-all around sometimes holds bait-wiloby shoal--all around particularly out by the green can and north to fransico point. I went out today and got nothing keepable. No BAIT-wrong tide-but I went anyway--thats how you learn- I knew better but gave it a shot Got to do it just to stay HUMBLE!!LOL

Thanks! Just got checked in at Pacific Playground. Time it perfectly to arrive for the lowest tide all week it looks like, so currently waiting for it to rise a bit before dumping the boat in. I see there is a hazard warning for standing waves at the hump - fishing out of a 17' Arima so we'll tread cautiously. Navionics shows a pretty devent drop off at Kushan Point, just north of Pacific Playground and below the Oyster River RCA. Anything doing over there?

 

[spring fever]

Thanks! Just got checked in at Pacific Playground. Time it perfectly to arrive for the lowest tide all week it looks like, so currently waiting for it to rise a bit before dumping the boat in. I see there is a hazard warning for standing waves at the hump - fishing out of a 17' Arima so we'll tread cautiously. Navionics shows a pretty devent drop off at Kushan Point, just north of Pacific Playground and below the Oyster River RCA. Anything doing over there?

Pick any structure you see south of the RCA line-also drop on any little marks you see on the sounder. If you go out beyond 240 along the RCA line you will hit a disproportionate amount of yellow eye-I avoid it as there are lots there. Ling are mostly north of t northern RCA line on the willow point shore- got one almost legal this morning-good luck

 

[chille51]

Didn't realize there is no fuel dock at Pacific Playground. Where is the nearest one?

 

[brad00]

Didn't realize there is no fuel dock at Pacific Playground. Where is the nearest one?

There is one at salmon point to the north or you can drive the boat on the trailer to black creek it’s close as well

 

[CR Bill]

Salmon Point Marina has fuel. A neighbor picked up a very nice ling at Willow Point on the weekend on the old style Swedish jig - in about 180 feet of water.

 

[chille51]

Thanks all, Salmon Point it is.

 

[chille51]

Got out this morning from about 8am - 1pm. Was still a little lumpy from the wind last night, and I found drifting in my butt heavy Arima in a following sea didn't work too well. Too much water in the splash well for my liking, plus I think the drift was too fast anyway. Switched over to trolling which is more my comfort zone and managed about 3 copper rockfish, one of which was big enought for dinner tonight. A little later in the morning the wind and chop died down and we were able to set up a drift without too much issue, so switched back to jigging. Got a couple more rockfish all released on the Seaqualizer, and some sort of sculpin. This was all around Kushan pont. Weather forecast looks better tomorrow so will head a little further afield tomorrow. Headed back in before the tide dropped too much to make that channel at PP any more sketchy, and before the wind came back up. Never did see a ling, unsurprisingly. Nor any Salmon, though tonnes of fish on the finder n the top 50 feet. We were fishing under them. Managed to forget my good fillet knife at home so unfortunately that rock fish is a bit of a mess, had to use some ancient old spare knife out of the tackle box.

 

[RiverBoy]

Got out this morning from about 8am - 1pm. Was still a little lumpy from the wind last night, and I found drifting in my butt heavy Arima in a following sea didn't work too well. Too much water in the splash well for my liking, plus I think the drift was too fast anyway. Switched over to trolling which is more my comfort zone and managed about 3 copper rockfish, one of which was big enought for dinner tonight. A little later in the morning the wind and chop died down and we were able to set up a drift without too much issue, so switched back to jigging. Got a couple more rockfish all released on the Seaqualizer, and some sort of sculpin. This was all around Kushan pont. Weather forecast looks better tomorrow so will head a little further afield tomorrow. Headed back in before the tide dropped too much to make that channel at PP any more sketchy, and before the wind came back up. Never did see a ling, unsurprisingly. Nor any Salmon, though tonnes of fish on the finder n the top 50 feet. We were fishing under them. Managed to forget my good fillet knife at home so unfortunately that rock fish is a bit of a mess, had to use some ancient old spare knife out of the tackle box.

PM sent

 

[chille51]

Well, managed to hit one ling at the hump today, too small to keep but proof of concept. Pinched barbs made for an easy in water release. Weather was unreal today so we headed out to Sentry Shoal and Mittlenatch to take a look too. Didn't find any fish out there but weren’t trying too hard either. Good day on the water and learning every day.

 

[Northfish]

Hit some big rock sole at the hump before motoring up to Raza, nothing much around there but a nice run back as well!

 

[CR Bill]

Does anyone know if there’s any commercial traps on the back side of Quadra/ Francisco yet?

 

[Gong Show]

No first hand knowledge, but I would assume so.

They are currently peppered all over Cortes Isl., and Francisco is a better spot.
One hour old report: no commercial prawn traps at Shark Spit, buddies last pull produced zero prawns.
Action, but nothing keepable around the Penn Islands for jigging.

 

[Fishless]

No first hand knowledge, but I would assume so.

They are currently peppered all over Cortes Isl., and Francisco is a better spot.
One hour old report: no commercial prawn traps at Shark Spit, buddies last pull produced zero prawns.
Action, but nothing keepable around the Penn Islands for jigging.

Does anyone know if there’s any commercial traps on the back side of Quadra/ Francisco yet?

Can't see any south of the spit to the loop (from here)....they usually show up a couple weeks into the season......gotta think it's a bit of a struggle with these strong n/w winds

 

[Northfish]

Went up to toba today, took some time to figure it out but once we did it was non stop! Went from no fish in 4 hours to 10+ in the last 2.5 including a double header. Got 6 to the boat which were all wild and therefore carefully released. Was comparing plugs to hoochies but after not having a touch on the hoochie after a few fish I switched over to plugs on both sides.

 

[Fizzishin]

Prawning been not so productive on east side of Quadra. Might be because this bugger has been pilfering the catches??

Anyone have any thoughts on what they would do with an octopus?? He was about 4 ft across so we threw him back. Maybe should have taken a tentacle as a warning to his alien brethren. Anybody eat these things??

 

[SeaWolf]

Maybe it's because all of CR goes there all Spring?

 

[Dogbreath]

Anyone have any thoughts on what they would do with an octopus?? He was about 4 ft across so we threw him back. Maybe should have taken a tentacle as a warning to his alien brethren. Anybody eat these things??

Octopus is some of the Best Eating in the Ocean!