Request - A complete idiot's guide to Salmon Fishing in the Georgia Straight area

[fogged in]

Print this page and take it fishing.
http://www.dairiki.org/tides/daily.php/gib
Over the years you will be well informed and can plan trips based on your log book.
Find a local guide with a website or facebook you can follow reports on.
GLG

Good advice GLG
The best and most important tip from my experience is to build a circle of friends, (guides are best) that you can share info with. The best fishermen will only be likely to pass on valuable info like what time the bite came on, where, how deep and on what lures, when and if they feel you have something to offer in return.
This is done only with time, success and lots of time on the water and on the dock.
Some nice tips to start on this site and I offer no info, as where you are fishing will totally dictate how you fish it
ie. Swiftsure is totally different then Camper Creek and Sidney different then Otter Point etc.
Good luck.

 

[fshnfnatic]

X2 GLG! Been doing that very thing myself for about 30 yrs. now. After a while you start to see patterns.As said earlier,
nothing compares to all around experience on the water.

 

[Kisinana]

Most of what you are told here really does apply.
Take a class or go out with friends who regularly fish and learn about depths, currents, where the reefs are, where the kelp beds are.
Go to the local launch when the boats are coming in and see how they have been doing.
Check your fishing store, most keep a catch book and see where they are catching them and on what at what depth.
Use the following guide and select locations closest to you for up to date tides

http://www.tides4fishing.com/ca/british-columbia

But most of all don't get discouraged. Worrying about not catching fish every time can ruin a great boat ride with family or friends.
A friend from Quebec was here for a week once and all he caught in about 5 trips was a 16 inch dogfish, he snapped pictures with his phone and sent it to friends back east proudly announcing he caught a shark.

Good memories are always the best catch.

 

[Theb55]

And, importantly, try for a downrigger entry of 45 degrees. That will be a good starting point as it will always put you close to a good trolling speed

 

[sammyslabber]

Hang out here for a spell,if it worked for the Englishman - given the time it'll work for you
IMHO he was a quick study!
Here's a past thread of his amazing adventure quest...
http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/showthread.php?16808-A-Beginners-Progress-in-Sooke-Englishman

 

[Hit em Hard]

In my opinion all the info you have received has been great. i would add 1 thing - be prepared to put in your time and pay your dues. These dues may or may not include tangled lines, lost gear, equipment malfunctions, fisherman's error, lost cannon balls. dinged props, etc. etc. etc. Once all is said and done I think you will find as most have that it has all been worth it.

h.e.h.

 

[dmurph]

What seafeaver said. Plus put your time in like hit em hard points out. I went for ever before catching . Lots of info on salmon university except for the part where they say to put your line out 30 ' plus from the clip to the flasher, the best tip I was ever given was to run rod length. Keep an eye on all the charters for good reports.

 

[roddy88]

Hey, i just bought my first bought in april and am learning also. What size boat do u have ? I been heading out to south bowen and the hump. If u want a fishing partner let me know. Maybe we take one boat to split costs or somethingm

 

[Jiggit]

... most of all don't get discouraged. Worrying about not catching fish every time can ruin a great boat ride with family or friends....

Nicely stated, its about getting out there and appreciating the great place we live. Afterall this is sport fishing, it would be called "Catching" if you always caught a fish not "Fishing".

 

[Aces]

And, importantly, try for a downrigger entry of 45 degrees. That will be a good starting point as it will always put you close to a good trolling speed

I prefer more like 60 degrees

 

[Seafever]

I prefer using the GPS for speed monitoring....because.....when I am fishing spoons I notice that many hits come when the spoon is going rather slow. If I am trolling with the current and the GPS says SOG is 3 mph, then I just want to go fast enough to get the spoon moving, which might be another 1mph above SOG. At this speed the wire is not angled very much at all.

if i was in the same spot doing the same thing at that time with hoochies:-Gps SOG says 3mph with the current.....but to get the hoochie/flasher to work good I'd need another 2 or 3 mph on top of that.

Which would be a different wire angle.....as it also would be if I was going across or against the current.

GPS speed monitoring works good for me nowadays.

I don't go by wire angle too much as it does not mean a hell of a lot specifically.

 

[greenhornet]

I like to fish fast 3 to 3.5 mph you cover more ground and still catch a lot of fish,before I had gps I would look at the down rigger cable a wanted to see 1 inch of bubbles coming off it judged my speed,probably around 60 degrees like fishtofino said especially on the west cost where you have wind and currents that push your boat around better to be fast and in
control.

Tight lines
Billydoo

 

[Theb55]

Interesting. I assume you don't use Chovies as Rey would get really beaten at that speed. Good for spoons and plugs. I assue you use longer leaders on hoochies.