2025 Nanaimo Reports

We fished Entrance for an hour on the way back from picking up our daughter at Brechin, once we got into the trench we dropped down to 260’ with a plug and false flasher and had a nice hook up which we lost. The we fished Flat Tops this aft and got 2 clipped coho and a 68 spring. All down deep. Hoping the wind forecast for tomorrow doesn’t materialize….
 

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Left boat harbour at 4:30 Saturday morning to get that 5:30 high tide at entrance.

Fishing off the reef in 200 ft of water with a plug in the mid on one side and a skinny G copcar on the other side at 100 ft. First 4 coho were a nice size and all clipped on the skinny G. Couldn’t believe it, never had that kind of luck getting hatchery fish. Switched both sides to the cop car at 100ft and got two chinook (1 at 77cm and the other was a foot ball at 67cm). Released a couple more wild coho before we got our last two. Bite seemed to shut right off at 8:00 so we pulled the rods and went home for breakfast nearly tubbed, just missing 1 chinook.


Great morning on the water. Not sure why the plug wasn’t working as it did last weekend. Really gotta hit that high tide though if you enjoy busy frantic fishing. Picture is us running out in the full moon.
 

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Went out this morning to Fingers for a couple hours despite the wind because we had family in town who wanted to fish. Fished plugs the whole time and got all our fish on a Tomic 603 5" Tubby which has been hot the last few trips. Released half a dozen coho hatch and wild and a few chinook unders. Lost a nice spring at the boat and managed one more 67cm which we boated. Fish came at 150-165' and it was consistent from 7-9:30 for us. Finally couldn't take the seas anymore so headed in.
 
Left boat harbour at 4:30 Saturday morning to get that 5:30 high tide at entrance.

Fishing off the reef in 200 ft of water with a plug in the mid on one side and a skinny G copcar on the other side at 100 ft. First 4 coho were a nice size and all clipped on the skinny G. Couldn’t believe it, never had that kind of luck getting hatchery fish. Switched both sides to the cop car at 100ft and got two chinook (1 at 77cm and the other was a foot ball at 67cm). Released a couple more wild coho before we got our last two. Bite seemed to shut right off at 8:00 so we pulled the rods and went home for breakfast nearly tubbed, just missing 1 chinook.


Great morning on the water. Not sure why the plug wasn’t working as it did last weekend. Really gotta hit that high tide though if you enjoy busy frantic fishing. Picture is us running out in the full moon.
We run before/after light quite a bit and it seemed careful watch + light was enough … but last year hit a mostly submerged log at full speed. Only saw it 15’away. Could’ve been disaster, but luckily was just expensive.
 
Were they ever! If anyone catches a spring with a mint 6" West Coast Fishing Tackle Pearl plug in its mouth off Entrance it's your lucky day. My bad not to bring my glasses and tie what was obviously a not very good knot! :rolleyes:
Bummer
 
Had a great Friday evening fishing around Entrance. Decided to try something different - we caught herring on a sabiki rig and then mooched live herring. It was very productive and a ton of fun watching the bite. Released several over sized chinooks which gave a great fight.
that must have been fun what was the biggest spring
 
Perfect water conditions on Wednesday night. Bait had moved following the windy days, but once we found it, we got quick limits, mooching cutplug herring. Coho have increased in size with a much better ratio of clipped to unclipped fish, with all but one of our being clipped. Retained two springs in the 75-78cm range and released several oversized springs in the upper 80s to low 90s. Lots of bigger springs are feeding in shallower water now, and you no longer need to fish deep. All of our fish were caught at 10-35 pulls mooching, which I'd estimate to be around 25-50 feet. With fishing being so good right now, we have enjoyed fishing alternative techniques like live herring, cutplug mooching and jigging.
 
Perfect water conditions on Wednesday night. Bait had moved following the windy days, but once we found it, we got quick limits, mooching cutplug herring. Coho have increased in size with a much better ratio of clipped to unclipped fish, with all but one of our being clipped. Retained two springs in the 75-78cm range and released several oversized springs in the upper 80s to low 90s. Lots of bigger springs are feeding in shallower water now, and you no longer need to fish deep. All of our fish were caught at 10-35 pulls mooching, which I'd estimate to be around 25-50 feet. With fishing being so good right now, we have enjoyed fishing alternative techniques like live herring, cutplug mooching and jigging.
were you fishing fingers or Entrance I havent had much luck lately finding springs of the fingers, lots of coho, but have had no problem finding the springs off Entrance
 
Managed a 2 man limit of springs and hatch coho in a few hours at Entrance yesterday evening; only threw back 1 unclipped. Mostly on a 602 5" tubby at 150'. Seemed like everyone with a boat was out yesterday with the break in the wind; good luck out there.
I noticed a distinct lack of hits on the 6" plugs and most of the stomach contents was smaller herring to about 5". We were fishing a tubby on one side and a regular on the other and got springs on both, but I would say the tubby with pin pulled outfished the regular side.

But man is it fun to play big fish on plugs!
 
So apparently Sockeye opens in area 17 (among others) on Saturday. I've only ever fished them in Alberni Inlet. Is there an actual strategy to finding them off Nanaimo, other than slow and lots of flash? Never really considered then as an option around here before now, and just picture trolling around blindly looking.
 
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