[Phoneguy Canuck]

OK, so I really have almost no experience fishing for Salmon, and even less fishing in the lower mainland, but this is the year! My wife said she would like to go out in the boat for mothers day. We were in Army and Navy and the fellow there suggested that fishing for Coho was reasonably good off of the Cap right now...She wants to try that. What should we try. Hopefully I will have my downriggers set up by then, and possibly my depth finder. We got some frozen herring and some moching set ups. Any pointers at all (even really obvious ones) would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking of launching at Vanier, but can't go until the afternoon.....hmm wonder about tides. Help me out guys, would love to make it exciting for the wife and kids (OH, and me too!)

Anywhere good around there to drop a crab trap while we are out?

Thanks

James

 

[schlock]

BE sure to sit right at the mouth & you may even see them comming in, it is that time & within the next month or so you will see them right in the cap 100s of them neck & neck, if ya dont have much luck jump out of the boat & stand along mouth & try some roe, these babies are slobs for the roe,
thats all i can offer for advice hope it helps a bit,

scott

 

[dog]

phone guy

phone guy. This weekend the tide might be too low between 11 and 3 for people without amphib cars to launch an average runabout on a trailer. Your wife might enjoy whale watching. Maybe try calling a local whale watch operator for an update. You might luck out off Point Grey, but dont get too excited because they could just as easily be off Tsawassen for all I know. Good luck. I never heard of Cap Coho on Mothers day. I think someones pulling your oar.

 

[schlock]

No way dog there in there , this weekend will be good for starting out, mind you the mess of them come around end of may beginning of june , I fish there EVERY SINGLE DAY OFF & talk to every guy on the beach's & they have seen them pretty early, & these guys are in the 60s & have been fishin there for there whole lives,

Never give up. they are comming,

Ps the river is at its highest its been this year right now so anyday now my friend anyday
8)
scott

 

[dog]

ok then

That is very interesting Schlock. If they are on their way to the Cap, do you think you might be able to find them elsewhere along the North Shore too. (question mark key not working). I guess it would be a bit of a seal fest wherever they show up.

 

[GOFISH]

Me thinks someone has been smokin' or is jokin'

GOFISH

 

[Big Green Machine]

Coho anywhere now? Are you sure? The Springs are just starting to show off the coast!

 

[schlock]

thats what the old guys are tellin me , mabey there just fish tales but they seem to know there stuff..lol

 

[bigjay]

I would have to say that Canada day is the first time I have ever started coho fishing at the Cap. I know they have been caught there earlier but that is a carpshoot. It would be better to try for springs around there now, you'll have a better chance.
Have fun, Jason

 

[schlock]

Springs ??? why didnt anyone tell me about those,
Whats the deal with them? same bait ( ROE) ect. geez see i learn somethin new all the time.

 

[bigjay]

In the ocean off Ambleside there is still some spring hanging around out to pt. Atkinson and QB... better off the QA bouy though.
Have fun, Jason

 

[fishinmagician]

schlock has been smokin and jokin....

Me thinks someone has been smokin' or is jokin'

GOFISH

THERE ARE NO COHO THERE. YOU"D BE WASTING YOUR TIME. If you fluked into one, you'd be EXTREMELY lucky...as there are NO COHO off Ambleside..it's about a MONTH too early before even they first normally show..and even then..there are NOT lots when they first show.

You'd be best off working in the outer portions of the bay...I'll be fishing the floods Saturday and Sunday for Springs. Besides..wouldn't you rather have a crack at an early returning HOG as opposed to a dinky 3 lb hatchery ho?

At this time of year, starting NOW, you should treat EVERY hit as if it's a monster. I was fishing off the slash about a month ago and I had 2 absolute SCREAMERS on...*read over 20 lbs*, and no 20lber hits like that!!!

By the way...there have been BIG fish found in recent weeks here...a 33lber, a 29 lber, and a 19 lber...all of which were outside the Bay. Last year there were 44lbers and 37lbers that were managed to be boated by the guests on board guide boats.

Your key to success will be to fish with FALL leader lengths, and fall techniques.

Supposed to be decent weather coming up this weekend too..

If I were you, if you're fishing 4 rods, I'd dedicate 2 with mature fish rigs, and 2 for feeders..you're going to catch immature fish on the mature rigs too...however you're not as likely to catch the mature on feeder leader lengths or spoons like that around Vancouver.

I'm anticipating a FUN time this weekend...

 

[Phoneguy Canuck]

Re: schlock has been smokin and jokin....

Me thinks someone has been smokin' or is jokin'

GOFISH

Your key to success will be to fish with FALL leader lengths, and fall techniques.

Supposed to be decent weather coming up this weekend too..

If I were you, if you're fishing 4 rods, I'd dedicate 2 with mature fish rigs, and 2 for feeders..you're going to catch immature fish on the mature rigs too...however you're not as likely to catch the mature on feeder leader lengths or spoons like that around Vancouver.

quote]

Would you mind giving me more detail on these rigs. Will probably only have two rods out, unless we hold them by hand. I haven't even checked the tides yet, we won't be able to go until later in the afternoon. I have "volunteered " to help a friend move. Everything is taking longer to get ready than I thought. Tonight I have been modifying my downrigger mounts so they will fit the gunnels of my boat.....Is anything easy?

Thanks in advance.

James

 

[Dogbreath]

Re: schlock has been smokin and jokin....

Would you mind giving me more detail on these rigs. Will probably only have two rods out, unless we hold them by hand. I haven't even checked the tides yet, we won't be able to go until later in the afternoon.....James

James-in order to catch fish you must concentrate on fishing to the exclusion of all else.
That means being on the water fishing @ peak times and everything else be damned-including, coffee, showers and friend's moving problems.
If you have to get out of bed @ 0400 hrs then do it-the tides aren't a guideline they are closer to a religion.
Few catch fish by just showing up and dragging a lure at their convenience.

Fall leader lengths means 6'-8' leaders hauling bait behind a flasher.

Also ditch the dimwit @ A&N-he is clueless.

 

[fishinmagician]

Tides etc..

That's right on the leader length.

Then I'd just fish 2 rods if I were you, holding rods isn't going to work.

rig 'em both with 'chovies at this time of year..or 4 inch Coyotes or Gypsies...never mind the other types or sizes. Use a flasher.

As for tides, tides don't matter as much in Vancouver relatively speaking to other places on the coast. It's more a question if there's fish there worth catching. Case in point, I will on any given day, when the tide goes out, go over to Ambleside and HAMMER them on a low tide, while the best Coho Fishing is on a high tide. Why? I fish where the fish are and go to..not the tried n true areas everyone fishes religiously--including some of the guide boats.

Oh yeah, getting up for tides at this time of year is BS for Vancouver, mature springs included..but if I were you, I'd be fishing the floods for any mature springs at this time of year in Vancouver.

 

[Phoneguy Canuck]

Re: schlock has been smokin and jokin....

That means being on the water fishing @ peak times and everything else be damned-including, coffee, showers and friend's moving problems.
If you have to get out of bed @ 0400 hrs then do it-the tides aren't a guideline they are closer to a religion.
Few catch fish by just showing up and dragging a lure at their convenience.

Fall leader lengths means 6'-8' leaders hauling bait behind a flasher.

Also ditch the dimwit @ A&N-he is clueless.

Wait, are you telling me I have to give up coffee? :lol:

 

[Mr. Dean]

"....Oh yeah, getting up for tides at this time of year is BS for Vancouver, mature springs included..but if I were you, I'd be fishing the floods for any mature springs at this time of year in Vancouver."

This statement contradicts itself. I think it should've included what type of Chinook you're targeting. Resident feeders or migratory spawners.

IMO. Tides ARE a religion. Tides AND structure dictate where the feed will be holding. After all, if you were wanting lunch.......You wouldn't walk into Canadian Tire and expect getting a hamburger. :wink:

Salmon and humans aren't that much different. We all want to survive. Being able to locate food sources is the lowest common denomanator.

 

[Pippen]

Anywhere good around there to drop a crab trap while we are out?

James.....as everyone has mentioned on here I think it is a tad too early for many ho's to be around. I would target springs as mentioned.

As far as crab traps go......you can drop them off the Tea House in Stanley park....there is a large shelf that heads straight out from the Tea House towards the freighters that is in the 70' range. We did pretty well out there through the early spring. We were using turkey backs and managed a few pretty good days. FYI....make sure you have your name, phone # etc on your float as BigJay mentioned earlier in the spring that DFO was pulling traps without this info on the float.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Scott

 

[fishinmagician]

I should have...

"....Oh yeah, getting up for tides at this time of year is BS for Vancouver, mature springs included..but if I were you, I'd be fishing the floods for any mature springs at this time of year in Vancouver."

This statement contradicts itself. I think it should've included what type of Chinook you're targeting. Resident feeders or migratory spawners.

IMO. Tides ARE a religion. Tides AND structure dictate where the feed will be holding. After all, if you were wanting lunch.......You wouldn't walk into Canadian Tire and expect getting a hamburger. :wink:

Salmon and humans aren't that much different. We all want to survive. Being able to locate food sources is the lowest common denomanator.

Yeah..you're right on that Mr. Dean but not entirely. There HAS to be fish there. If you're going to catch, there HAS to be fish there. In a land of plenty, the tide change often times has SFA to do with whether or not you're catching fish. Certainly around tide changes etc..we all know that does impact how readily fish feed..but to be honest, if you can find the mass of fish, you can hook 'em....but otherwise...90% of a days fish can be caught during the peak times...and sometimes not!

Case in point--I'll pick a local fishery..the Capilano River fishery...the FLOOD tide is it, when the tide ebbs, those fish are NOT concentrated where they are on the flood...they move---I've had some spectacular results fishing the ebb off the Cap and totally dumbfounded myself and several other people when I started hooking and catching like it was the flood...but no one was fishing it....it's repeatable too..I've done if a few times!

However, I've been at and fished various areas in Vancouver and all over the coast where the bite was not necessarly correlated to tide changes--for mature and immature fish. However, find the fish, and you're catching. One could argue that fish as they approach their maternal rivers do not feed as aggressively, NO argument from me there, however, relatively speaking, in the case of the angler taking his mom fishing, you'd be better off putting your time in as people have determined that many mature fish returning to the Fraser enter the river within days of arriving off the mouth. That's your biggest factor determining your success out there...as well as how much area there is to cover....which is A LOT!

I agree almost wholeheartedly with your statement...but I'd have to say "Tides and Structure STRONGLY INFLUENCE where the feed will be holding"

Unfortunately though, in Vancouver, the feed is relatively so scarce, if you happened to catch a few fish or two in the feed...great..otherwise I wouldn't sit on a bait mass all day if after a few passes through and around it I didn't hook anything.

I think you and I are saying the same thing, just slightly different.

Looking forward to fishing tomorrow!

 

[dog]

time to fish

Dogbreath, that was realy good advice about concentrating on fishing to the exclusion of all else.

Because of family obligations like kids , and Mothers Days, I have generally headed out once a month when I have had a 4 hour block of time open up. With half an hour to prep, then an hour from home to the time I drop a line, I would get about an hour of fishing in, then it is time to pull up and head for home. It is a really good formula for frustration. I think I had a dozen trips last year, most of them fishing for an hour or 2, and the results were pathetic. The short trips also usually do not allow time to get to where I know the fishing is good. Maybe I should try night fishing trolling glow sticks. There, I vented. What do you think guys about the light sticks. I bought the last 3 packs from Berrys a month ago.