2024 Gulf Island Reports
- Thread starter One More
- Start date
Flattops still on fire for Chinook. Couple mid teens tonight, and long line released a couple bigger ones.
bconthefly
New Member
Have been fishing the Porlier and north Galiano area the last week with fairly good success for springs 10-18 but finding a LOT of shakers on my usual stuff (hoochies and/or spoons behind a flasher). Dug through my old gear and switched over to some vintage 5-6"tomic plugs to avoid the littles and have not looked back... They seem to be fishing as well as my hoochies and spoons for springs and get only the very occasional shaker or undersized fish. Set 'em and forget 'em till they get hammered and the pin pops. And it's a whole lot more fun to play without the flasher as every fish seems to rocket to the surface and put on a show. I'm a convert... 
kingspring
Active Member
Great job!
Colors?
I’ve had success inshore up Renfrew way with 6 inch green splattered glows.
Colors?
I’ve had success inshore up Renfrew way with 6 inch green splattered glows.
bconthefly
New Member
My plug selection was somewhat limited as dredged what I could find out of old tackleboxes mothballed in the garage - but found that the ones with green definitely outperformed the others. Same with hoochies and spoons.
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Squire
Well-Known Member
Didn’t take anything home but action was hot off the Flat Tops from 10:30 to noon Tuesday. I might have had more action after noon but dragging shakers around without seeing them hit doesn’t help. Somehow in 2024 I have managed to mostly avoid shakers until this September.
We did get 4 or 5 big wild cohos to the boat and one spring that might have made the bottom end of the slot but I lost it trying to just lift it onto the swim platform by the leader instead of grabbing the net.
I lost a favourite flasher and Flashfly when a hit popped the clip and the rod went straight. I grabbed the rod to reel down hard and caught up with nothing but limp line. I saw a fish surface and thrash a bit behind the boat that I unfortunately believe was fighting my flasher. The line was cut clean with no fraying and no sign of the terminal knot making me think it broke at the clip when the fish hit. That was a first for me.
We did get 4 or 5 big wild cohos to the boat and one spring that might have made the bottom end of the slot but I lost it trying to just lift it onto the swim platform by the leader instead of grabbing the net.
I lost a favourite flasher and Flashfly when a hit popped the clip and the rod went straight. I grabbed the rod to reel down hard and caught up with nothing but limp line. I saw a fish surface and thrash a bit behind the boat that I unfortunately believe was fighting my flasher. The line was cut clean with no fraying and no sign of the terminal knot making me think it broke at the clip when the fish hit. That was a first for me.
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Size matters. Plugs or cut plugHave been fishing the Porlier and north Galiano area the last week with fairly good success for springs 10-18 but finding a LOT of shakers on my usual stuff (hoochies and/or spoons behind a flasher). Dug through my old gear and switched over to some vintage 5-6"tomic plugs to avoid the littles and have not looked back... They seem to be fishing as well as my hoochies and spoons for springs and get only the very occasional shaker or undersized fish. Set 'em and forget 'em till they get hammered and the pin pops. And it's a whole lot more fun to play without the flasher as every fish seems to rocket to the surface and put on a show. I'm a convert...
Years ago I found that if I wanted to NOT be catching a lot of mackerel or smallish Coho or even Springs using BIG bait worked. The BIGGER the better. Big bait equaled big fish for the most part. Most of the time.
Salted
Active Member
49.1464333, -123.6770667
The group of islands just outside and surrounding Silva bay
Thank you!
Grace underfire
Active Member
Well, I think we were the only idiots at Porlier this afternoon. Threw in the salmon gear on the inside while we were waiting for the current to slow enough to try bottomfishing. Managed one dark spring in about 40 min of trolling. After that we fought what remained of the current and a substantial wind for at least 1 1/2 hours in an unsuccessful attempt for lings. Had planned on trying for salmon again afterwards, but had been beaten up by the wind enough to call it a day and pound back to Ladysmith.
GoneCoastal
New Member
Fished outside Tumbo couple days ago, no chinook of legal size, only 1 unclipped coho of decent size, lots of lil guys around
Grace underfire
Active Member
Does anyone know what the situation with the Ladysmith ramp is? Used to be a great place to launch, but has gotten a lot worse over the last couple of years. It's getting to the point where it's useless at lower tides and some of the potholes are pretty bad even at higher tides. Anyway, I know Rotary used to be involved with it, and I'd be willing to volunteer my time this winter if some organization is doing some work on it.
Squire
Well-Known Member
If you learn anything about it let me know as I would be willing to volunteer some of my labour as well. I moor at the Oyster Bay Marina(formerly Ladysmith Maritime Society) so I put in and take out at that ramp a few times a year. I am limited to a 6’+ tide there and the last time when I took it out for the winter I used all the loose cedar bark to fill some of the holes in on the side furthest east.
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
The ramp is in question coming up. The government has transferred ownership to First Nations. Not sure where it is at.
The proposed development has been released and not sure this public ramp is going stay.
Have to wait and see. I would stay to the right coming in low tide and try to avoid when 3 feet or less. What I found.
Not sure who is looking after it right now.
