2024 OFFISHALL Vancouver-Howe Sound-Sechelt Reports Thread
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Fished SH again and crazy good fishing. 4 of us there at 6:55 and first hit right away. We retained 7, biggest was a 26 white. 96 cms by 60 cm girth. Formula worked out to 29 but digital scale said 26. All the fish were fresh and silver. Got sealed but got my gear and 1/2 of a salmon head back. Broke off a few leaders because I got sloppy and didn’t change them out after a few hits or a fish. Broke off a big one when the mainline broke (a little operator error by holding the rod tip down too low). All in all world class salmon fishing, our guests were super happy. Went thru more than 2 packs of chovies. I am exhausted , I have no idea how guides can do this for months at a time! All,on chovies from 55 to 83.
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Tightlines22
Well-Known Member
fishinforever
Well-Known Member
Divided by 800 it works out just about perfectly. Weird lol
Wondermur
Crew Member
Dropped lines first thing at t10 and circled around for 20mins. Didn’t see any fish in the top 70 feet so pulled up and went to Sandheads. Lots of action down there with 100 boats on a flat water Tuesday. We had fairly large bait running on 2 rods and had better luck on bottom rods with hoochie and spoon setups today. Ran gear 37-77’.
After reading advice on here I tried freezing the bait that is packed in dry salt brine tonight for the first time. Hope to get back to it in a week or so and see how it comes out.
After reading advice on here I tried freezing the bait that is packed in dry salt brine tonight for the first time. Hope to get back to it in a week or so and see how it comes out.
Tugcapitan
Well-Known Member
Lololol
Aquaholic
Crew Member
Fished East Bowen tonight in huge waves, got out late after working. Apodaca Cove to Seymour Bay, hugging that productive wall which is a favourite of mine for coho and chinook. A few small taps on the rod turned into a 17 lb red female. Too big for the coho trough.
I have mentioned a few times that I’ve been having good luck with shiny, flashy, reflective gear, and last night I took home a 3 inch AP cop car herring spoon and peeled all the stickers off and polished up the blank. It worked like a beauty tonight with a double mirror finish blue blade flasher. I always liked the action of those 3 inch herring spoons from Andrew.
Pics, or it didn’t happen:
I have mentioned a few times that I’ve been having good luck with shiny, flashy, reflective gear, and last night I took home a 3 inch AP cop car herring spoon and peeled all the stickers off and polished up the blank. It worked like a beauty tonight with a double mirror finish blue blade flasher. I always liked the action of those 3 inch herring spoons from Andrew.
Pics, or it didn’t happen:
FishDoc
Well-Known Member
Well, after watching people continue to catch fish while I was away, i figured id try to sneak out after work. Unfortunately i started with a Day/night/day shift. ICK! Felt prettt good this afternoon though so headed home and loaded up the 16 footer for a quick solo outing. The day had looked beautiful, but a system moved in and the forecast was for 15 to 20knot winds. Kinda rough for the little boat, hard to troll alone and maintain control, a little sketchy out there. Took a couple small splashes over the front trolling into the waves. Got out 524pm and fished till 727pm. Got one right away 20 pound red on anchovy at 70 feet. Then hooked and fought 2 Chinook on herring at 80 feet, but they won. Then had a quick hit on the anchovy right at the end... but it came off before I released the rod. Two atomic bilateral downrigger crossover tangles to deal with as well. So I think that was a really great 2 hours of fishing solo in that weather. Time sure flies fast when you're out there in those conditions and the fish are biting, but you get moved out of the zone so fast with every drift down wind.
Last bite on the chovy was 55 feet. Fishing just north of green can.
Last bite on the chovy was 55 feet. Fishing just north of green can.
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Aquaholic
Crew Member
I am curious if you bleed your fish after netting them.
sherrett
Well-Known Member
Fished Sandheads yesterday from 10:15 to 11:30 and got into some big ones, as others found.
With my 75 year old mom on the net we landed our limit of two. Thanks to the boats out there watching and cheering her on.
Bigger one I’d peg as a tryee, just a hair below 30. Second one was mid 20s. Both white males. Both on anchovies around 55’. Zero in their stomachs.
With my 75 year old mom on the net we landed our limit of two. Thanks to the boats out there watching and cheering her on.
Bigger one I’d peg as a tryee, just a hair below 30. Second one was mid 20s. Both white males. Both on anchovies around 55’. Zero in their stomachs.
FishDoc
Well-Known Member
Interesting you should ask on this one.
The usual for me in the Trophy is to boat, bonk, photo, transaction of the gills to bleed, leave them on the deck with the head down toward the auto bilge holes in the hull at the back and just flush with a few pales of salt water until cessation of bleeding.
This is a little harder in the carpeted Boat. This fish was bleeding a lot during the extended fight. Netting alone in the chop is difficult and went on second long run. When I netted it noticed bleeding. After I pick the fish up from the net there was a puddle of thick clot. Then I picked it up, tore gills and tossed in the cooler. It bleed a bit more in there but not as much as usual. Think it went into cardiac arrest early.
What's your routine?
Aquaholic
Crew Member
Thanks for asking. This is what I have been doing. I posted a photo above of a coho trough that I use for coho and medium size chinook. Notice the scissors in the rod holder spot with the pliers. I stun the fish with a few light taps (thinking the heart is still pumping by not hammering them), lay it upside down in the trough, and take the heavy duty kitchen scissors and cut through the complete stack of gills on both sides…..completely sever them. The initial bleed out is massive (into the self draining engine well) but I follow up with a few five gallon bucket drops over the head which forces the gills open and further bleeds the fish out. I wait at least five minutes before placing the fish in the cooler and flush a few more times beforehand, and even after a day of full retention with a few guests, the cooler hardly has a trace of red.
One more step is to take a hand brush and brush off all the sea lice, and flush again. No garbage in the cooler.
If you ever trolled on a commercial boat, “second grading” is to be avoided, so “care of the catch” is imperative, and I try to carry that forward.
I zoomed in on the scissors, fish is upside down at gill cutting time though:
FishDoc
Well-Known Member
Nope can't say I ever fished commercially, never sold fish either. Spent all my time in school. You got the bleeding set up specialized. I could probably hang one of those blue tubs on the side of the carpeted boat, but dont use it enough so probably wont. Thanks for the information and explanation.
We do a much better job on the Trophy where we can actually rinse them down and pour water through the gills to keep them bleeding. Bloody decks. Here's an example of what they look like usual process.
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Aquaholic
Crew Member
huge difference, looks good.
Pineapple Express
Well-Known Member
Caught any keepers?
pescador
Well-Known Member
Yes. More action today than previous ones.
How deep? Asking for a friend.
sweettjim
Well-Known Member
any luck for fish
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