After a long break since summer fishing at sandheads. (Two weeks) winter season has begun. Today we hit up Porlier. Right off the bat we got a nice chinook right up to the boat. I went to net it, just when I reached my dad stumbled on the rigger ball holder I accidentally kicked under his feet. Fish gone in the stumble but dad was okay. We then got a bunch of undersized chinook. But we did get the biggest lingcod I've ever seen in my life. On a coho killer in 200' of water 180 on the rigger. Pretty bizarre, Release it. I'm fairly new to winter fishing the Gulf islands, I think next weekend I'll try Tumbo or Active.
2024 Gulf Island Reports
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sweettjim
Well-Known Member
thrasher might be worth checking out too for fish
It's a bit farther. I fish out of Point Roberts. Porlier takes approximately 50 minutes. I've done thrasher before. Tumbo is about 25 min, Active about 30-35,. First winter not fishing out of Vancouver, so lots to learn. I also can try some inside stuff. Very open to suggestions.
Dos Aguilas
New Member
New to winter fishing myself, but finally got the boat that can make it possible. Fished around tent island and saltspring last weekend. A LOT of just undersized, but managed two keepers. Bright glowing yellow flasher with a skinny g was on fire. Skinny small white hootchies was doing OK. Bouncing bottom. Looking forward to the next adventure out. Weather was perfect.
jackfish
Active Member
My limited experience...if you can find the bait down low, drag that area. You'll score some nice sized winters. If you are trolling about randomly, you'll get lots of shakers. Just my 2 cents...
Tried this yesterday and today. Was trolling around everywhere from 250' to 160'. Found big bait balls, pulled through them top, middle, bottom. Mostly shakers, first fish yesterday morning was a keeper, unhooked after I got too excited and failed my netting. Last fish this afternoon was about ¾" short.
Hooked into about 30 small ones. Green flasher, and Coyote gforce got the most bites. Couldn't get anything to hook up on hoochies.
kaelc
Crew Member
Probably an average of 20 a trap 3 hour set, no jumbos.
jackfish
Active Member
Sounds like you did everything right...the big ones just were not cooperating. Maybe a wiser fisherman will tell you the secret to avoid the shakers and just land Tyee.
It was my first time fishing for Salmon not being chartered. I fish for trout in AB/interior mostly. So even getting the shakers that were bigger than most trout I keep was successful enough for me.
Pulling in 1 legal to eat would have been real icing on the cake for me. I'll figure my own secrets out in time, the puzzle of fishing is more than half the fun!
