2025 Secret Cove, Pender Harbour and Texada Reports

[MiddlepointBight]

Went out yesterday afternoon with the kids again to see if the bite would repeat. Same tack / depths / gear, but slower fishing all around and didn't hook any keeper springs (we were out about 3 hours). Managed to bonk two clipped coho down deep, and ran into our first sockeye of the season (also deep). We were fishing in area 16-1 (note that 16-2 is non-retention for sockeye), so kept the sockeye, which made for an excellent dinner! Saw a few other boats playing fish, but not like two days ago.

Could have been the tides (was anyone out for the late high slack?). We were there on the flood which might have been pushing bait and fish on top of the bank and/or down the north side. Hot bite Tuesday was just before, during and after the high slack I opted to "keep the peace" and come in early with the kids to facilitate a normal-ish bed time haha.

 

[sly_karma]

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.

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.

I was thinking salmon getting scarce too. Was already thinking a run to tip of Texada for try for lings, another 15-20 on to Sangster would be worth it. Thanks all.

 

[MiddlepointBight]

Some good reports from @Jordan330 September 2024, who was unsiprisingly into Epsom chinook keepers into the second week of Sept!

https://sportfishingbc.com/threads/2024-secret-cove-pender-harbour-and-texada-reports.95340/page-9

 

[EAGLE ROCK]

For decades, many people on our beach have cleaned their fish on the beach and left the entrails for the resident eagles, but we now realize we've created a serious otter problem. They've been tearing up boat upholstery and getting under houses, creating long lasting unbearable stenches. So now we want to clean our fish on the boat like many of you that we see. Give us something to do while waiting for a strike! Can anyone recommend a good, lightweight cleaning tray with sides that can sit anywhere flat? (We have nothing to mount one on) Thanks!! (And Epsom was dead this morning, more activity at Pirate)

 

[cohochinook]

Managed 8 sockeye limit this morning in the harbor!

 

[Rain City]

Managed and ate sockeye limit this morning in the harbor!

View attachment 119993

Atta boy.

 

[MiddlepointBight]

Managed 8 sockeye limit this morning in the harbor!

View attachment 119993

Nice! Pender?

 

[MiddlepointBight]

Hit up Pirate for a quick tack out of the NW yesterday evening. Running shallower gear at Ed Jovanovski and Connor McDavid (big Canucks fan here, but the Four Nations!!) in 70-120 FOW. One clipped ho in the box and lost a nice fish that I didn't see. All on the flood.

Incredible bait and fish ball on the east side tack off the marker. This is where we got our hatch. Make sure to do frequent gear checks as we released a few smolt which thankfully all swam away. Very slight tickle in the rod tips.

Hatch had 3"-4" herring in belly, and kids found two more in its mouth/throat when we were filleting back home!

 

[Cptn_Adventure]

Managed 8 sockeye limit this morning in the harbor!

View attachment 119993

Well done out there ... but we need more intel! what were you using for gear? What depths?

Heading out tomorrow morning, and really hoping to hook into some sockeye or big springs!

 

[cohochinook]

Well done out there ... but we need more intel! what were you using for gear? What depths?

Heading out tomorrow morning, and really hoping to hook into some sockeye or big springs!

Using dummy flashers and squirts. We were keeping the bottom dummy at 85 ft and the squirts were at 55 to 65.

 

[Upwood Roller]

Managed 8 sockeye limit this morning in the harbor!

View attachment 119993

Nice work!..been awhile trolling for Socks..was this around Epsom?..how long is opening for

 

[cohochinook]

Nice work!..been awhile trolling for Socks..was this around Epsom?..how long is opening for

No Vancouver. I believe Aug 24

 

[Salish Ranger]

Hit up Pirate for a quick tack out of the NW yesterday evening. Running shallower gear at Ed Jovanovski and Connor McDavid (big Canucks fan here, but the Four Nations!!) in 70-120 FOW. One clipped ho in the box and lost a nice fish that I didn't see. All on the flood.

Incredible bait and fish ball on the east side tack off the marker. This is where we got our hatch. Make sure to do frequent gear checks as we released a few smolt which thankfully all swam away. Very slight tickle in the rod tips.

Hatch had 3"-4" herring in belly, and kids found two more in its mouth/throat when we were filleting back home!

View attachment 120003

View attachment 120005

View attachment 120004

You were running 0.8 knots?

 

[Sea.S.I]

I was thinking salmon getting scarce too. Was already thinking a run to tip of Texada for try for lings, another 15-20 on to Sangster would be worth it. Thanks all.

My last spring was Sept 22 last year, south end of Bjarre Shoals, mooching herring

 

[MiddlepointBight]

You were running 0.8 knots?

No we were just resetting lines after fish. Was running gear at 2.3-2.4 kn

 

[Cptn_Adventure]

Went for a quick pass at Epsom on my way to the ferry last night. Found a really nice sized clipped coho off the Western contours. 150' on the DR in ~180' of water. Black/Green/Glow coho killer is still doing a great job!

Fished Upwood Saturday morning and found lots of coho action... many, many wild ones to find a hatch fish. No springs or other species that we could find!

 

[MiddlepointBight]

Epsom yesterday for latter half of the ebb to low slack. Bite was slow initially with sparse bait showing, then heated up steadily towards slack and fishing became very consistent with lots of bait. Only saw undersized chinook, but gaff released some huge unclipped coho (biggest we've seen this year). Released some pink, sockeye, kept two clipped coho and a 79 cm chum! All action down deep in 150-200 FOW.

Heartbreak hotel at the dock - cleaned the fish, and then a freakin' seal sniped our bigger clipped ho right out of my hand after scraping out the blood sinus. Fair play and I ought to have known better tempting fate near the water line, but damn that stung! Boys dropped timely and warranted F-bombs (we all did). Still grateful to bag two fish, with a nice chum for the smoker, and for the lesson in humility and "letting it go" haha. Grumble grumble...

 

[Cptn_Adventure]

Epsom yesterday for latter half of the ebb to low slack. Bite was slow initially with sparse bait showing, then heated up steadily towards slack and fishing became very consistent with lots of bait. Only saw undersized chinook, but gaff released some huge unclipped coho (biggest we've seen this year). Released some pink, sockeye, kept two clipped coho and a 79 cm chum! All action down deep in 150-200 FOW.

Heartbreak hotel at the dock - cleaned the fish, and then a freakin' seal sniped our bigger clipped ho right out of my hand after scraping out the blood sinus. Fair play and I ought to have known better tempting fate near the water line, but damn that stung! Boys dropped timely and warranted F-bombs (we all did). Still grateful to bag two fish, with a nice chum for the smoker, and for the lesson in humility and "letting it go" haha. Grumble grumble...

View attachment 120305

View attachment 120306

I've made that same mistake dockside: lackadaisically chatting and cleaning the guts out of the fish off the back of the boat. Next thing I knew the fish got really heavy and I had a pair of eyeballs were staring back at me!

I've seen the same black and grey speckled seal stop by my boat at the dock many times since to see if I'd be foolish enough to try that again.... I always use the fillet table at the dock now!

It happens! I'm just glad I'm not the only one.

 

[It'ssooooeasy]

Season over, headed home - ended with mid morning bite at epsom all on 6” 500 and 600 plugs; all at 185-195 in 210-250 fow - shook a few smaller springs, kept last 2 good luck all

 

[Sea.S.I]

Beautiful day out around Epson yesterday. Took the nephew and his friends out for the midday slack. Three hatch cohos including a 70 cm slab! No springs for us . Interesting that the larger coho was loaded with anchovy/herring but the two smaller ones had absolutely mt stomachs. Lots of humpbacks past couple days and something big black/white passed under our starboard side.about 30 down. Never saw it surface.

All coho on tonic plugs 602/603 200’ DR in 160 - 180’ FOW