2025 Secret Cove, Pender Harbour and Texada Reports

[EAGLE ROCK]

They’re still here! The wind and waves diminished a bit last night so we bounced out to Epsom for a short fish 6:45-8:15. Happy to report there was plenty of action.. lots of hungry coho and spring! Released 7 that were wild or too small but kept a fat 68cm spring (stuffed with herring) that fought ferociously and a hatch coho that was empty. No bananas and a small turquoise anchovy like lure we forget the name of, 100-140’ down in about 150’of water, mostly along the western edge of the shelf. Only 2 other boats crazy as we were, one of them a neighbour who also was busy. No sign of pinks or sockeye. A very fun time!

 

[MiddlepointBight]

They’re still here! The wind and waves diminished a bit last night so we bounced out to Epsom for a short fish 6:45-8:15. Happy to report there was plenty of action.. lots of hungry coho and spring! Released 7 that were wild or too small but kept a fat 68cm spring (stuffed with herring) that fought ferociously and a hatch coho that was empty. No bananas and a small turquoise anchovy like lure we forget the name of, 100-140’ down in about 150’of water, mostly along the western edge of the shelf. Only 2 other boats crazy as we were, one of them a neighbour who also was busy. No sign of pinks or sockeye. A very fun time!

Nice!! How big were the herring in belly of nook?

 

[EAGLE ROCK]

Nice!! How big were the herring in belly of nook?

4-5".

 

[ghyvr]

Also fished Epsom yesterday evening from 6:30 - 8:30p for the short weather window. Similar results to @EAGLE ROCK. A 5” plug off bottom in 120’ - 140’ FoW got several chinook. Probably all slot fish. Retained a 73cm. Green and white coho killer and skinny G at 50’ - 90’ on the DR both worked for coho and one pink. Cohos all big and unclipped. The chinook was full of herring.

 

[sherrett]

Me too. Got out for a lap last night at Epsom, 7-8, in the weather window. Fished the SW drop off and it was fish city. Dropped down to one rod because I was fishing solo and could take the constant hits.

Kept this solid slot chinook at 72cms from 150’. Empty stomach.



Coho and rearing chinooks seemed higher up, 90’ to 140’. Lots of bait throughout the water column. If you can, get out there!

 

[Jordan330]

Started the morning at Epsom no sockeye luck, lots of under chinook and 2 hatch coho. Went to get the prawn the traps in the afternoon with some buddies, managed to get 220 prawns. Of course I brought some herring with me, stopped on the way back between Hodgson and Nelson island. Full of bait, picked up 2 chinook lost a couple others and a few unders. 74cm and 69cm. 200-220 on the downrigger. First one in the boat before I could get the other rod down

 

[MiddlepointBight]

Quick tack in a buddy's boat yesterday with kids on the eastern bank north of Vaucroft. Tried to stay out of the stiff SE. Had a really hot bite for about 1hr on the flood just before the 2pm high slack - had a hard time keeping two lines in. One 65cm nook and a keeper clipped coho, and the rest undersize chinook and coho. Bite cooled off quickly at the high slack for us and didn't get a sniff on the last couple passes. Lots of bait and marks through most of the N-S section of bank in 100-140 FOW.

 

[EAGLE ROCK]

Another exciting (bumpy) couple of hours at Epsom late afternoon yesterday. 2 9lb spring and a lg coho, 3 wild released to tell their stories. Same gear as last time, same area / depth. Interesting assortment of feed in the coho’s stomach.

 

[Jordan330]

Yesterday fished Pearson in the morning, there was bait but not thick as the day before. Picked up a 80cm Chinook on a big no bananas spoon. Released a couple 64cm. Released a sockeye on the outside of Hodgson island, jumpers everywhere. Then moved to quarry as one friend released a 91cm and lost 3 others. Picked up a 18lb ling on the trolling the herring. Decent morning with action

 

[Jordan330]

Ran up Agamemnon channel for a boat ride to the power lines, count 34 fish jump. Sockeye??

 

[MiddlepointBight]

Epsom was absolute fire tonight. Will report later!

 

[MiddlepointBight]

Epsom was absolute fire tonight. Will report later!

SE was up for much of the day, then buoys started to drop so loaded up with the fam and darted over to Epsom to hit the same tack that was on last week, just before the high slack (~4:30 pm). Same tackle, same depths, and the fishing was really hot. Doubled up on an 80cm and 78cm on first pass the rounded out our chinook limit a couple laps later and added a couple chunky clipped coho to the bag. Gaff released one oversize chinook that was pushing 90 cm and crazy thick. Must have been stuffed with bait. Almost turned into a full blown cluster when it made a final run in between the downrigger braid and the boat, but managed to do the ol' pass the rod through the gap trick (barely).

Bellies were either empty or stuffed with 6-7" and 3" herring. Tremendous amout of bait out there, and some big bird piles - herring was both suspended in column and at the bottom. Saw more chinook than any other species last night - great to see, this time of year! Absolute hoot out there. Saw lots of nets out, high-fives and hollaring.

Highlight of the kids' session was the finale dogfish that hit as we were pulling the last rod. Humpbacks were blowing and thrashing about a mile south of us early on.

 

[Cptn_Adventure]

SE was up for much of the day, then buoys started to drop so loaded up with the fam and darted over to Epsom to hit the same tack that was on last week, just before the high slack (~4:30 pm). Same tackle, same depths, and the fishing was really hot. Doubled up on an 80cm and 78cm on first pass the rounded out our chinook limit a couple laps later and added a couple chunky clipped coho to the bag. Gaff released one oversize chinook that was pushing 90 cm and crazy thick. Must have been stuffed with bait. Almost turned into a full blown cluster when it made a final run in between the downrigger braid and the boat, but managed to do the ol' pass the rod through the gap trick (barely).

Bellies were either empty or stuffed with 6-7" and 3" herring. Tremendous amout of bait out there, and some big bird piles - herring was both suspended in column and at the bottom. Saw more chinook than any other species last night - great to see, this time of year! Absolute hoot out there. Saw lots of nets out, high-fives and hollaring.

Highlight of the kids' session was the finale dogfish that hit as we were pulling the last rod. Humpbacks were blowing and thrashing about a mile south of us early on.

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Well done and great report as always! I'll be back this weekend and I hope the fish are still hanging around and hungry.

 

[ab1752]

Ya same, time to repatriate the boat from the cabin back to town, boo love the weekend absolutely hate this cruise back down for summer. Been an amazing season, next up the Fraser cluster ****!

 

[sherrett]

Ya same, time to repatriate the boat from the cabin back to town, boo love the weekend absolutely hate this cruise back down for summer. Been an amazing season, next up the Fraser cluster ****!

Mouth of the Capilano is open if you like bumper boats.

(And I hear you on the ride back to the city being the opposite of thrilling.)

 

[ab1752]

Im on the north shore and avoid the cap big time, id rather run across the bay 100 times over one trip to the cap. Boat is tied up to end of Sept in deep cove so its a heck of a lot longer boat ride then mcm was. Bah I sure do miss the boathouse life at mcm big time.

 

[sly_karma]

I'm contemplating one more trip to the cabin, last few days of September. What salmon fishing opportunities are likely by then?

 

[ab1752]

Maybe some late senders but its usually ltetry quiet that way by then. But its also a super nice time on the coast, love it up there early fall.

 

[MiddlepointBight]

I'm contemplating one more trip to the cabin, last few days of September. What salmon fishing opportunities are likely by then?

Based on my photos from last Sept, there should be some coho around still. Wouldn't be suprised if you run into a few sockeye / pink / later run springs also. I also lucked upon a 63cm winter spring last Sept on the northern Epsom bank.

 

[Cptn_Adventure]

I'm contemplating one more trip to the cabin, last few days of September. What salmon fishing opportunities are likely by then?

End of September I've had luck out towards Sangster in years gone by.... anchovies or purple haze spoons were the hottest offering we could come up with. But who knows - that seems to change year over year.