Gerald/Ballenas Winter springs,prawn crab

[bigredsnapper]

Hey FD if your'e referring to those"Big Girls" maybe you should change your handle to HF.............BRS

Man I made a great joke and no one got it.......Anyway we bonked a 15lber off Gerald yesterday. Got out for a few hours on an awesome day, flat calm and sun was shinin. Just after we started trolling a buddy came up along side and yelled over he just got a 9 and 13lb. Shortly after I hooked into an undersize(20inch) spring and released him followed by a beauty I handed to Bushy. He played him for a while then lost him about 40 feet behind the boat. There was a big spash and then gone.....could have been a seal there were a few following us around. Bushy still had no action on his side he lengthened his leader from 4 to about 6-7 feet and Bam.....good scrap and excellent net job and in the box....salmon for supper tonight. Prawning has been up and down yesterday half a five gallon bucket of large prawns with NO eggs in 2 traps. BRS

 

[Copper Moon]

Great Report!!! Thanks. I hope you didn't take the last of the barren sisters

 

[bigredsnapper]

The last two days there were 6" herring in my prawn traps. Lots of bait showing on the sounder and tons of birds and sea lions........Maybe go for a troll on Monday. BRS

 

[Charter Tofino]

CopperMoon just saw you drive by the house in the boat with your traps. Gorgeous day!

 

[Copper Moon]

It was magnificent. I had a good haul of prawns for our Christmas party today. Howie might even approve.

 

[bigredsnapper]

It was magnificent. I had a good haul of prawns for our Christmas party today. Howie might even approve.

Hey Moon where were you prawning? I saw a couple new traps around anyway went for a troll with my fishin buddy yesterday who just flew in from Red Deer and ten minutes with the gear down and fish on! Didn't scrap too much at first but when he saw the boat he took a couple nice runs. Bonked em and put him on the board at 18lbs!!!! Had two more hits that didn't stick it was rough out there but had a blast. BRS

 

[Copper Moon]

I was out for a few pulls for our Christmas party. Had mixed results - last time wasn't bad approx 160 in 4 traps. Even experimented with a flashing led in one trap. I wouldn't be giving a recommendation on that. My traps were closer to Schooner reef. Still out there but its too miserable for me and and I'm too busy to pull them. I'm going to send you a PM.
You seem pretty consistent fishing. Maybe you'll have some company soon

Good Luck and Merry Christmas

 

[Charter Tofino]

Not bad Greg! If you go out in the next few days and want a deck ***** then shoot me a text.

 

[bigredsnapper]

Not bad Greg! If you go out in the next few days and want a deck ***** then shoot me a text.

Deck *****....how about a DD!!! I'll text you when I'm out and I can run in to Schooner and pick you up. I always go for a troll on Christmas Day but it's a catch and release day, nobody gets bonked. BRS

 

[bigredsnapper]

Was out this morning to check the prawn traps and there were a ton of birds betwwen the sparbuoy and Gerald. Went over to check it out and there was bait everywhere right form the surface down to 200ft.Tried jigging with a Macdeep and squat then did one pass at Gerald and nothing then ran in to Schooner to fill up and then ran out of time and had to zip home. Definitely the most bait I have ever seen this time of year, Kelly are you still around? BRS

 

[Charter Tofino]

Nope had to go back to school. I saw birds working a bait ball in that area when i was working a week ago. I have never seen anything like it around here! Hundreds and hundreds of birds so it must have been a massive ball.

 

[bigredsnapper]

I was gonna text you to go out Tues morning but I got around the corner coming out of the bay and it was nasty. Decided to plow over to Ballenas for a couple hours and nothing. Tons of logs and debris in the water as well even today you had to keep a sharp eye out. BRS

 

[bigredsnapper]

Managed to get out for the afternoon yesterday with Bushy. Ran down to Gerald and we both dropped down spoons and nothing on the first pass so I switched ro a green/white hootchy for the next pass on fish on. He was scrappy but a little small so I released him beside the boat and went back down and another fish on this one a little bigger but still would have had to measure so bye bye. Ten miutes later another hit and good scrap this one definitely legal so in the net and bonk. Was feeling a little guilty cause all the action was on my rod so I said to Bushy the next one is yours. Trolled for another half hour and nothing so we ran over to Ballenas and made a few passes and finally fish on. We had the propane heater on and the back curtain zipped up so Bushy jumped up and the zipper was stuck so by the time he got there the fish was gone. Went back down and 20 min later fish on and Bushy had the curtain open and the hook set before I could blink. This one was real scrappy and we were using light gear so it took a while to get him to the boat but he ended up in the net and bonked. So we went went 4 for 5, bonked two(10 and 15lb) and released two all on the hootchy. Both fish were full of 3-4 inch herrring and both had a big 8* herring in their bellies. Not a bad day for January!! BRS

 

[Copper Moon]

Nice report, thanks

 

[bigredsnapper]

Wow what a great morning, flat calm and had the morning off. Northwest Bay is Full of herring, was out last night and there was a huge bait ball boiling on the surface and we went right over top of it and there were what looked like salmon down there feasting. There were also alot of gulls and smaller diving birds and sea lions all gorging themselves. We dropped a couple jigs and tried our luck for half an hour and squat. Went out this morning solo and headed to Ballenas and nailed a feisty 10 lber. Heard so much about these Irish cream spoons so I dropped one down for the first time and Bam. Maybe just first time lucky but we will see.....salmon for supper.......BRS

 

[Charter Tofino]

Coppermoon I just watched you set traps from the couch. Gorgeous morning.There were whales outfront yesterday.

 

[newfie boy]

hey there brs sounds like you had a great day. i will drop you a pm next time we venture up that way house hunting and stop over for a coffee and chat thanks newfie boy

 

[bigredsnapper]

Hey Newf just sent you a pm.....Kelly next time we'll get out so you don't have to spend so much time on the couch! Heading out to the West coast for the weekend for a little R&R so back on the water next week so the fish are safe til then....BRS

 

[Copper Moon]

Kelly

I was running all over trying to find some Super Bowl prawns. I saw a group of about 10 whales down by your place a few days ago as well. On Saturday I ran up past Spar Buoy and trolled back with 1 rod. In less than 1/2 hour I had 3 just slightly under sized. Then nothing all the way back to Gerald. Sunday I was at Ballenas and had a couple releases that I missed. Beautiful weather though

Here's something curious - There was a algae covered float sitting in an unusual spot (200') for a few days. I called the number on it and left a message. Not hearing back for 4 days I decided to bring it in. First trap had an octopus which I thought was unusual for a trap without prawns. Next trap had about 10 good sized herring. A closer look at the octopus trap showed that there were herring in there too. Don't know why they were there, nothing in the bait cups. There's bait showing all over except its all in the RCA.

 

[tains]

Not a bad first trip to the area trying to find prawns and crabs. Man we did terrible. Those are weird 3 looking crabs. Never seen them before.