2025 Campbell River Reports

[Northfish]

@Northfish glad to hear you advocate for use of small hooks. That is coming out of recent research as a KEY way to reduce mortality of released fish. In a fishery like this one where lots of wilds will be released it is definitely the time to use a small hook. Basically eliminates eye hooking. Did an hour on Father’s Day with one rod and a 3” tomic with no weight on the surface. 3/4 were clipped.

There are regulations then there is ethical fishing! I think one of the best ways to protect threatened stocks and keep fishing opportunities open is to be proactive in our approach like using smaller factory barbless hooks and practicing no touch releases. With how strong hooks are nowadays, its extremely rare to lose a fish to a bent one with a properly set drag and there's no reason to take a fish out of the water for an ego picture in my opinion. It's awesome to hear there are other anglers out there doing the same!

 

[RiverBoy]

the super hot fishing two weeks ago has slowed a bunch as the coho seem to be deeper looking for bait. 40’ on the rigger has turned into 140’ on the riggers. same small green spoons ( take your pick) are doing the trick.

 

[CR Bill]

the super hot fishing two weeks ago has slowed a bunch as the coho seem to be deeper looking for bait. 40’ on the rigger has turned into 140’ on the riggers. same small green spoons ( take your pick) are doing the trick.

Will put your theory to the test tomorrow and report back

 

[Northfish]

Absolutely bonkers out there still! We messed around with plugs on the surface and mooched with some success. Switched to downriggers on the hump and had continual action until limiting out, around 50' with anything shiny and gaudy. One of the fish we kept had a 7 inch herring inside of it that looked super fresh which was pretty interesting as well.

 

[Shano]

We ran up to Toba this afternoon. Smooth running on the way up there but once there it was windy and choppy. There weren’t any boats at Dean and 1 boat that I could see at Brettel area. We fished for an hour and a half and released an unclipped coho. Wind was picking up so we bailed and headed back and it was choppy from Roscoe back to Cortes. Anybody have any recent success or info on Toba?

 

[Sir Reel]

We ran up to Toba this afternoon. Smooth running on the way up there but once there it was windy and choppy. There weren’t any boats at Dean and 1 boat that I could see at Brettel area. We fished for an hour and a half and released a unclipped coho. Wind was picking up so we bailed and headed back and it was choppy from Roscoe back to Cortes. Anybody have any recent success or info on Toba?

We fished Toba June 20 to 23. Kept 5 Chinook but released lots of smalls.
Got a couple hatchery Coho too.
Best area was right along the wall at Dean Point and also across from Brettel point there is a hump that comes up to about 60 feet.
Mostly small Chinook there though.
On the wall we were 150 feet on the DR using either white hootchie or green AP spoon.

Lots of guide boats in the area.

 

[Northfish]

We ran up to Toba this afternoon. Smooth running on the way up there but once there it was windy and choppy. There weren’t any boats at Dean and 1 boat that I could see at Brettel area. We fished for an hour and a half and released an unclipped coho. Wind was picking up so we bailed and headed back and it was choppy from Roscoe back to Cortes. Anybody have any recent success or info on Toba?

I was up there last Saturday, lots of fish around Elizabeth Island but not many of size. A couple that were close to 62 cm but not worth measuring, lost a 20 pound fish boat side that would have probably been outside the slot regardless. Mostly around the 150' mark on plugs and jigs

 

[Shano]

I was up there last Saturday, lots of fish around Elizabeth Island but not many of size. A couple that were close to 62 cm but not worth measuring, lost a 20 pound fish boat side that would have probably been outside the slot regardless. Mostly around the 150' mark on plugs and jigs

Thanks Northfish, helpful info. I have a friend who may come up to join us next week but I want to give him the straight info. Last year 3rd week of June we did well there. We released a couple unclipped way over size and we got to keep some also. Maybe just between waves of fish. We didn’t mark much biomass today but then again that can show up any day.

 

[CR Bill]

Will put your theory to the test tomorrow and report back

Just in from a busy night at Hump - finished up five for about 15. 100-120 feet was the ticket. Was getting a bit snotty- NWest 20+ when we left.

 

[Northfish]

Thanks Northfish, helpful info. I have a friend who may come up to join us next week but I want to give him the straight info. Last year 3rd week of June we did well there. We released a couple unclipped way over size and we got to keep some also. Maybe just between waves of fish. We didn’t mark much biomass today but then again that can show up any day.

My pleasure. I've spoken to a few of the guides that go up there regularly and they've all said it was much more consistent before the last rain we got, apparently the fish dispersed afterwards. I would assume that would be because the rain triggered them to move towards their home rivers, but there should be more coming through as well

 

[TWB]

We ran up to Toba this afternoon. Smooth running on the way up there but once there it was windy and choppy. There weren’t any boats at Dean and 1 boat that I could see at Brettel area. We fished for an hour and a half and released an unclipped coho. Wind was picking up so we bailed and headed back and it was choppy from Roscoe back to Cortes. Anybody have any recent success or info on Toba?

Took some friends up Toba all day Saturday. Fished Elizabeth, Channel Island, the reef near the water fall then the same spots on the way back out. Pretty slow for the most part. Threw back a few undersized and a wild coho and lost one that was probably in the slot, all in the shallows off Channel Island later in the day. Then went to Elizabeth to finish off the day and released a 90 cm at about 8:30 pm.

Went all the way up to Clipper point in Bute on Sunday - absolutely flat calm warm day - only had one bite all day up there. I'll be trying it again this weekend, though!

 

[RiverBoy]

went out again in search of lings. copper has been picked over. the tides favoured the narrows so i fished my back eddy which produced one dandy. NW wind combined with ebb tide made it pretty scary so we trekked south to try for coho. troll master was jacking me around but we managed one coho deeeep at 180’ on a weird ride and weird NE wind. got too snotty and pulled the plug.

scratchy for me for coho last few days.

 

[Fizzishin]

Brought my wife out yesterday morning, no action and she got seasick. Get her home and look in the lunchbag and what do I see??? A fricken' BANANA!!!

So I dropped her off at home and went back out. Hit a bunch of coho at 140 and a nice hatchery spring at 180. Naked spoons for the sporting win. Tides are finally co-operating but the wind is a bit of a beyatch.

 

[CBsqrd]

Just heading back from a trip up to Big Bay with some buddies. Ran up from Vancouver on Sunday. Got out Sunday evening to Bute (Fawn Bluff) for a couple hours and picked up one spring. Next morning was across the inlet on the other side and got three more and released a few small guys. Nothing big, 12 lbs tops. 120' - 140' down using small spoons. Explored around in the afternoon and found five lings, biggest 20 lbs.

Tuesday was more sightseeing than fishing. Tried a couple spots briefly on our way up to the head of Bute, but no luck. Did end up with one more ling though in the afternoon.

Yesterday popped down to Campbell River and found five hatchery coho, released just as many wilds, several springs. 140' - 160' was the ticket for us on pretty much anything we put down. Pretty steady fishing with not much time between bites. One double header of hatchery coho that ended up with both fish in the net. A final ling to finish off the day as well.

Great trip with awesome weather and cooperative fish.

There were opal squid in the evening in the lights from the boat. Also had a couple of giant pile worms about 2' long in the lights as well one night.

 

[Capt.Doug]

Is there any decent crabbing in Desolation Sound, Discovery Islands? Most is too deep. Anyone have any luck in Waiatt Bay/Octopus Is?

 

[Shano]

We fished Wilby today and had total chaos, just my wife and I. We released 12 or 13 chinook from about 15 pounds to 5 pounds, released at least 10 unclipped coho and we kept 3 clipped coho. Maybe 10 double headers, had some sea lions 30’ from the boat while reeling in a decent chinook and they didn’t go after it amazingly. The clipped coho were all in deeper water from 150 to 300’ and we started using longer setbacks. Not sure if that was coincidence or usable info. The coho were full of tiny crustaceans, krill. Thanks again to all of the members who posted about Toba. I did so many gaff releases that I bent a hook on the spoon and needed to replace it.

 

[Bowbreaker]

Curious if there is much bait around? Mostly interested in the south end of Quadra and then Kitty Coleman down to Little River.

 

[Shano]

Curious if there is much bait around? Mostly interested in the south end of Quadra and then Kitty Coleman down to Little River.

There was so much bait at the tip of Quadra there the other day the sounder couldn’t get to bottom. The clipped coho we cleaned were full,of krill (tiny crustaceans)

 

[CR Bill]

There was so much bait at the tip of Quadra there the other day the sounder couldn’t get to bottom. The clipped coho we cleaned were full,of krill (tiny crustaceans)

Same situation around the Hump - most was south of Hump holding at about 150 feet.