2024 Secret Cove, Pender Harbour and Texada Reports

[adanac]

What kind and size of hooks are you using and how do you keep the herring on the hook?
Thanks

I dont recommend using the tandem treble hooks right now with the amount of fish around and no retention on chinook. We were using single 1/0 circle hooks through the nose , we put a small piece of rubber on the hook right after where the point turns to keep the bait on the hook . Corner of the mouth every fish

 

[Rain City]

I dont recommend using the tandem treble hooks right now with the amount of fish around and no retention on chinook. We were using single 1/0 circle hooks through the nose , we put a small piece of rubber on the hook right after where the point turns to keep the bait on the hook . Corner of the mouth every fish

Like a zinger bumper?

 

[adanac]

Like a zinger bumper?

Yeah similar , we had a small piece of rubber matting on the boat that I was cutting small squares out of .

 

[Sttr]

Fished epsom in the heat yesterday evening 6-8 35 and 45 on the riggers produce a few springs as bycatch, lots of activity on the sounder especially off the bottem, no coho trolling but the wife got 3 wild ho’s casting crocs

 

[TMan]

I dont recommend using the tandem treble hooks right now with the amount of fish around and no retention on chinook. We were using single 1/0 circle hooks through the nose , we put a small piece of rubber on the hook right after where the point turns to keep the bait on the hook . Corner of the mouth every fish

What kind of circle hooks? Hard to find?

 

[Chiu Toy]

Fished Epsom today 9am -11am and hit ~20 small chinook at all depths. Fished contours of 140’ to 200’. No coho anywhere.

 

[EAGLE ROCK]

Fished Epsom today 9am -11am and hit ~20 small chinook at all depths. Fished contours of 140’ to 200’. No coho anywhere.

We were there at the same time but trolling 20-70’ deep. 2 wild cohos only

 

[EAGLE ROCK]

Out yesterday late afternoon at Epsom .. one hatch keeper coho, a couple wild swam away vigorously (always a relief) when unhooked, and then a big spring strike. Played for a few minutes, saw it surface, then an explosive eruption as a sea lion chomped all but the head. Hadn't seen any sign of the sea lions til then. We would have released it anyway, of course. Saving the springs for orcas is one thing .. but sea lions? A friend says up north they let the salmon run freely as it can out swim the sea lions. Do others have experience with this?

 

[sly_karma]

Jeez, who hasn't been bitten off by one of those fish thieving bastards?

 

[Tail Chaser]

I was out recon fishing last week at Epsom with spectacular results. Best morning was mooching for 3 hours with 11 springs released (one 20ish & one 14ish) and 5 Coho (3 hatchery). We had two double headers that provided some fun chaos. Also pulled a Ling off the bottom. There was lots of bait around and a few Sealions. My conclusion is 2024 is going to be a fantastic year like last year.

 

[Bottomfeeder1]

Live bait ?

 

[Tail Chaser]

Yes Mercer has a full tank of bait……

 

[mikef]

Ok so first time posting. I've been lurking on this specific thread for years and think it's time I finally give back. I've fished Thormanby, Texada, Lasqueti for the past 40 years, want to be a better community member.
Tonight I fished Epsom at the Slack. Ran 2 lines, both with tomic plugs, no flasher. That's my preferred setup. Within 5 minutes a big spring, reel screaming. Released nicely, gaffed at the boat. Maybe 75cm? Flew out of the water multiple times. 10 minutes later, same thing. Good sized fish, big pulls, lots of fight. Super bright chrome. Released in the water at the boat. No clipped cohos tonight but I couldn't be happier. Hope the bites on through July 15th, best of luck out there.

 

[ab1752]

Bjeere is holding coho big time from pender to at least half way to thormanby.

 

[Ho Hum]

South Thormanby yesterday midday. So many coho. Most wild but managed to find 2 hatchery in 3 hours. Fished the top 50 feet to stay away from the springs. Mostly 20 feet down on the rigger (with 50+ feet from the flasher to the clip). Got 2 hits while the flasher was still on the surface. Stopped to jig for a few minutes, which was also productive. Will try Epsom today to see if I can improve the hatchery to wild ratio.

 

[Cptn_Adventure]

Fished Sangster Friday/Saturday and limited out. 5 mins in on Friday night we had a double-header with two keeper cohos. Unbelievable amount of action out there this weekend.

 

[terrin]

Fished Sangster Saturday/Sunday limited both days for three of us in less than an hour.

 

[Bottomfeeder1]

Any decent places to anchor up for halibut over there. ?

 

[Ho Hum]

No coho at Epsom. South Thormanby still productive but slower than it was.

 

[sly_karma]

Any decent places to anchor up for halibut over there. ?

In general the SOG isn't really halibut habitat. The odd one is taken by salmon fishers trolling bait close to bottom.