2024 Nanaimo Reports

[ebrench]

Any good prawning near accessible from brechin?

I’m just rocking a 14ft tinner with a 25 horse, so don’t want to get too far out there annd need to be very mindful of the weather. Any prawns that are easily accessible from brechin? So far I’ve tried around Snake island and finger islands, with no luck at all. Maybe just not landing them in the right spot? Both times were in 220-280ft of water with pellets soaked overnight in juice, and some yum yum. Landed near the bottom of a drop off with weighted traps and a 3 pound weight after the traps.

Any suggestions? Not looking for any secret spots. Just wondering if I’m wasting my time out there . Very new to this.

Thanks!

I've seen traps around snake. If you find the right contours you'll find prawns all around Nanaimo as long as you're fishing the right depths and you have the right setup. One of the big things that helped for me was understanding the need to keep pots from moving once down. Weights and sufficient line is key.

 

[seadog19]

one thing thou, off neck point area and along horsewell channel is the log tow route, if weather is or has been good, large tows , comijg down from nanoose area, will sneak up on ya, and they can't move around bouys...

 

[Unreel]

Well it’s rant time. Fishing is some of the best I have ever experienced right now. Unbelievable amount of legal sized chinook out there. Couldn’t go 5 minutes without a hit and when we did it was a double header. In 3 or so hours of fishing we got 10 double headers, 25 fish to the boat, almost every one was legal size anywhere from 6-12 pounds and 75% were hatchery. We lost at least 10 or more as well. The fact that there is this amount of chinook around and most are hatchery is awesome but the fact it’s closed because of “low numbers” is a joke and a complete fallacy. The fact we can’t even keep a single hatchery chinook after years of saying a msf is coming, is a joke. My clients asked how fishing could be closed when there are so many fish around. I just tell them that’s what happens when politics trump science. Anyway rant over! Was still an awesome time out there but frustrating at the same time.

 

[MikePA]

Well it’s rant time. Fishing is some of the best I have ever experienced right now. Unbelievable amount of legal sized chinook out there. Couldn’t go 5 minutes without a hit and when we did it was a double header. In 3 or so hours of fishing we got 10 double headers, 25 fish to the boat, almost every one was legal size anywhere from 6-12 pounds and 75% were hatchery. We lost at least 10 or more as well. The fact that there is this amount of chinook around and most are hatchery is awesome but the fact it’s closed because of “low numbers” is a joke and a complete fallacy. The fact we can’t even keep a single hatchery chinook after years of saying a msf is coming, is a joke. My clients asked how fishing could be closed when there are so many fish around. I just tell them that’s what happens when politics trump science. Anyway rant over!View attachment 105598

We had a similar experience last weekend. I took a few friends out that never fish, mainly for prawning, but decided to drop the lines while we were waiting for the traps to soak. In the hour that we trolled around we literally couldn't keep the lines down.

 

[SpringVelocity]

I hear you it's frustrating. Nanaimo is absolutely getting hammered by politics just like other parts of BC. It's pretty sad.

Look at Howe Sound across water. Those guys even have strong data like Nanaimo and can't even fish their own local hatchery stocks.

Just so you guys know there is an Area 17 MSF we put a motion for up to the main board . It hasn't been forwarded by SFAB to DFO yet. That fishery opening is completely doable, and there is a lot of DNA that supports it.

Thanks for reports. I am going to be doing DNA for a change this year for next few months. We really need to get our fishery opened as soon as possible. As you say ridiculous to be closed with high numbers of marked fish around.

 

[murfslaw]

No fishing on those numbers is crazy and a huge loss to tourism and local economy as backwards government.

 

[Reel Time]

It is ridiculous that the Liberals shut down fishing for public hatchery fish at this time. So many things to govern but they have made a massive government controlling so many aspects of our lives now. Head scratcher really.

 

[Grant_J]

Tent Island on Sunday from about 8:30-2:00. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. There were about 8 other boats and no one looked to be having any success. I guess it’s still early?

 

[MikePA]

Tent Island on Sunday from about 8:30-2:00. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. There were about 8 other boats and no one looked to be having any success. I guess it’s still early?

We had some unwanted success.. caught a 10-12lb spring while jigging for lingcod. Poor guys eye was mangled.

 

[TipUp]

Excellent fishing off the fingers today. Released 3 or 4 keeper springs. Also had a very unusual catch - a sablefish. Has anyone caught one off Nanaimo trolling? Caught it at 140 feet in roughly 250 feet of water.

 

[Ophiodon99]

Excellent fishing off the fingers today. Released 3 or 4 keeper springs. Also had a very unusual catch - a sablefish. Has anyone caught one off Nanaimo trolling? Caught it at 140 feet in roughly 250 feet of water.

Not certain, but it looks like a hake to me. About the right time of year for a few to show up although usually somewhat deeper.

 

[Ron Willis]

Definitely not a sablefish probably a hake

 

[Pineapple Express]

Excellent fishing off the fingers today. Released 3 or 4 keeper springs. Also had a very unusual catch - a sablefish. Has anyone caught one off Nanaimo trolling? Caught it at 140 feet in roughly 250 feet of water.

Did you keep it? How was it for eating?

 

[Tinny]

Excellent fishing off the fingers today. Released 3 or 4 keeper springs. Also had a very unusual catch - a sablefish. Has anyone caught one off Nanaimo trolling? Caught it at 140 feet in roughly 250 feet of water.

North Pacific Hake (also known as Pacific Whiting). Never caught one of those before - most common hake/cod species on the inside are juvenile Walleye Pollocks.

 

[Maverick burak]

Hi has anyone caught any salmon
At the 5 fingers in the past few days

 

[TipUp]

Did you keep it? How was it for eating?

Ya I kept it and it was quite good.

I went out fishing Monday night for about 2 hours, caught 5 springs. One was about 15lbs and put up a good fight and the rest were smaller but probably would've been legal size

 

[gecko]

Will there actually be a season come 7/15? Seeing a lot of ominous reports of DFO hammer coming down...?

 

[SpringVelocity]

Will there actually be a season come 7/15? Seeing a lot of ominous reports of DFO hammer coming down...?

There has been no such thing of "DFO bring hammer down" brought forward to Area 17. People really got stop spreading rumors in Facebook land.

 

[JWS]

Fished around Gabriola for the afternoon tide change, 4 hatchery coho, 1 good sized wild, and a few Chinook, one might of kept.

 

[gecko]

There has been no such thing of "DFO bring hammer down" brought forward to Area 17. People really got stop spreading rumors in Facebook land.

Let's hope ! I remember when seasons were 6-9 months, now it's 6-9 weeks!