I live right near French Creek. I don't know about the perceived "slow down " in pace.
You'd be surprised how much traffic there is around here.
Anyhow.....typical fishing off French Creek:- start right out front of breakwater fishing close to bottom in 200ft of water. troll down to Judges Row and back. There is a "hump" on the charts out front of Eaglecrest, comes up to 180ft.
Surrounding water is deeper. Good place to troll.
Sometimes migratories are out deeper in 250ft to 600ft. in summer. But you only need to be down about 120 to 160 ft. there. At the end of August you might find "returners" that are only 40ft down in 240ft of water.
Last two weeks of August try around Little Q or Big Q. Try along shore close to river mouth (Little Q) down 90ft in 120 ft of water if trolling. You can jig too.....even go shallower for jigging. I like using a pink/glow-head mini hoochy 32" behind a purple haze flasher for trolling there.
Can use a 'Qualicum Killer' at these times.......pink hoochy inside a clear U/V body. talk to the guys at Pac Net and Twine (Coombs highway)...they'll know what you mean....and that is a good place to buy hoochies.
Year round there are "resident feeders".....smaller Chinook ( 8 to 12 pounds etc). Go 200ft deep with lures very close to bottom.
French creek is mostly sandy bottom so you won't be losin many cannon balls if any.
I like to use for these:- purple haze flasher, green haze flasher, glow-green/white flasher.
I go 40" back of flasher to nose of hoochy in summer...and 36" to 38" any other time.
Lures:- Green Splatterback needlefish hoochy, green Splatterback regular hoochy, Glow Army Truck, J-82 North pacific hoochy, 3 1/2 or 4" inch spoons:-
Irish Creme, Green/white, Cop car, Army truck, Green/Chrome, Glow Green splatterback. Made by Coyote and Silver Horde. Run anywhere from 52" to 72" behind flasher.
This area 14.....check regs.
August there are Pinks around. There are also lots of small Coho.
Not that many Sockeye (if any ) off French creek. maybe the odd one here and there.
Chum are around later.. but notorious for not biting on troll south of Campbell river.
Although river fly fishermen will beg to differ.
Good beach fishery for Coho in early fall. But you gotta find them on any given day.
You can troll bait......but in the summer the Dogfish (small shark) show up and they are a pest for munching bait.
Some years there are lots of Pacific Cod around....and they are kind of a pest too....they are edible.
Use 40 to 60lb test for hoochy leaders. Better action on hoochy.
There is the odd halibut around here at times...but good luck finding them.
Usually they are caught accidentally on salmon gear as by-catch.
With the boat you have,you should try the west side of Lasqueti island as well.....some good spots around there but check regs for RCA's.
Also Ballenas island (check regs for RCA's) and off Mistaken and Gerald islands.
Around here the number one hoochies for me are the Green Splatterback in regular and needlefish.
