[Zpg]

Decided to head out for some Halibut yesterday. I was out a couple of weeks ago and got into a nice 20lb'er so I thought I would give it a go again. Dropped my prawn trap and fished for 4 hours for Hali's with no luck so I decided to pull up the trap (had 57...not bad for 4 hours) and headed to the Hole and gave that a try.

I would probably have chosen another location but I launched at Horseshoe Bay so my options were limited. I fished that area for 3 hours with no luck. I was running 3 lines. One flaser & 'chovie at 65', one flasher & spoon at 45' and an apex at 30'. Saw a few other boats but didn't see anyone get into fish. Decided not to give my hoochies a try....maybe I should have!

I'll head out again next week and target salmon so if anyone would like to point me in the right direction, I would be most appreciative :thumbup: :thumbup:

I have heard the North Arm is doing OK but personally I hate going out there. Don't mind the Bell, QA & T10 but have not heard of much happening there.

Cheers!

 

[breiber]

To bad about the lack of fish. Oh well as the saying goes a bad day fishing...............

Hey can you comment on your choice of gear. I see you posted that you ran a flasher and a spoon. I finally tried some spoons this year only because a friend said they worked so well. I had great success with a spoon and no flasher. It sure was nice playing a fish without a flasher and also easier to net. I have heard of guys running a spoon and flasher though. I also see that you said you ran an Apex but I gather you didn't use a flasher. Is this conventional and have you had good success. I normally fish 3/4 rods and I always have at least one Apex in the water. It is my old stand by lure and I have had phenomenal success with it. I always fish it with a Hot Spot flasher but your post has me wondering if it will fish well without it.

cheers,
Brian

 

[high tide]

Brieber,
Spoons can be fantastic !!
Like hootchies I have $$$$ worth of them. From the Old fashoined Tom Mack that has caught tons of fish on our coast line to the more modern Coyote or Gypsy. Spoons are certainly on at least 1 of 4 rods which have bait or hootchies on until I hit a fish then I will out fit other rods to follow the one catching fish. There are old standbys as there are for hootchies and some with the same names....eg. oil slick, army truck, cop car etc. We have great success at various times of the year with spoons when you find the right combination. Quality ones cost $$, you must keep them clean (rinsed), Around Van my best choices are spoons from 3 to 5 inch in length, fished alone in clear water or a flasher in coloured water, leader lingths from 18" to 7 feet. Way to many options to list.
Just as a start a green glow/chrome combo in 4" or 3.5 are very reliable, black/white /chrome cop cars/ etc etc. Start spending some big cash on spoons then watch as a dump bear SEAL snatches the whole thing from you when you do get Lucky, costing you 25 or more!!
WE NEED A SEAL CULL !! EVERYONE AGREE?
Good luck with the spoons!
H/T

 

[breiber]

Thanks High Tide,
Yeah I was totally impressed with the way spoons performed for me this year. I fished mainly 5" cop car patterns. I have always known that a lot of people swear by them I guess I just have never had any experience with them. I always stuck with hootchies, Apex, and bait. It was nice to try something different and see it's benefits. The crappy thing is if you follow the 3 of everything logic my tackle box just got bigger.

I hear you about the seals. Total pain in the ... I was over on Hornby 2 weeks ago and we saw 2 Seals washed up dead on the beach, 1 pup, 1 small adult. Apparently there has been a lot of them washing ashore. Anyone else heard of this? :thumbup: :thumbup:

 

[Zpg]

To bad about the lack of fish. Oh well as the saying goes a bad day fishing...............

Hey can you comment on your choice of gear. I see you posted that you ran a flasher and a spoon. I finally tried some spoons this year only because a friend said they worked so well. I had great success with a spoon and no flasher. It sure was nice playing a fish without a flasher and also easier to net. I have heard of guys running a spoon and flasher though. I also see that you said you ran an Apex but I gather you didn't use a flasher. Is this conventional and have you had good success. I normally fish 3/4 rods and I always have at least one Apex in the water. It is my old stand by lure and I have had phenomenal success with it. I always fish it with a Hot Spot flasher but your post has me wondering if it will fish well without it.

cheers,
Brian

Hey Brian

To be honest I have just been trying a few different combinations. In the past I did a lot of fishing around Powell River and Pender Harbour. There I used to use a lot of live herring.

I have just put a boat into the salt here this year and have been trying different combo's to see what is working. I have always liked spoons so I am trying different Coyote 4 -6" with and without flashers. So far the fish I have caught this year have all been on flasher/anchovy combo's, but I have only been out 5 times. If I am just starting out in the morning I like to run an Apex on top mostly because in the past I've had really good luck with it but each area is different so I don't know how well it does in these waters.

Cheers.

 

[Nice_One]

I've had hits on a black/pearl Apex in front of the Cap before. I use them behind an 8 or 12oz weight depending on the time of day. The fish usually hammer the apex pretty hard. Sometimes missing the hook entirely!

 

[breiber]

Hey all,
I absolutely love Apex. Black is my favorite and Green a close second. From what I have read fish can see black at deeper depths so if I know I am going to stay in the top 50ft I will run a green but normally I am starting shallow and working deeper so I run black from the get go. I always run them with a Hot Spot Flasher. Either green trim or purple haze. However I am fishing for stories here. Will the Apex fish equally as well without a flasher?

cheers,
Brian

 

[Pippen]

I hear you about the seals. Total pain in the ... I was over on Hornby 2 weeks ago and we saw 2 Seals washed up dead on the beach, 1 pup, 1 small adult. Apparently there has been a lot of them washing ashore. Anyone else heard of this? :thumbup: :thumbup:

Saw two dead ones on the beach in Tofino this past week. My girlfriend said "how sad"......I didn't think it was the best time for me to make a comment under my breath. :naughty:

 

[tonyg]

Some weeks ago there was a report of baby seals being left to fend for themselves as there are too many seals , so nature steps in to balance it up. So , what happens ....78 baby seals are 'rescued' in the lower east island area. Will be cared for, fed then released.
Why don't the idiots get it ? Stop playing with ma nature FCSake issed:

 

[Centerpin]

Hey tonyg

I could not agree with you any more on that point.Mother nature has always had a way of dealing with over populations people really need to bud out and let nature run it's course.


Good call on the timing of using your inner voice pippen, girlfriends and wives rarely are amused with our opinions on the seal populations,and various other topics :thumbup:

Centerpin 8)

 

[high tide]

Frankly, I think everyone should be made aware of whats going on with the seals. They are part and parcel of what is destoying our salmon runs. Years ago when salmon flourished in the gulf Islands when I was a kid it was rare to see a seal. Then they became protected, and populated beyond what any one could have expected. I have lost dozens and dozens of salmon to seals following me and my craft waiting like a dump bear and the garbage truck. Along with this $$$$ worth of gear and many a disappointed fishers. I say have a cull and offer a commercial venture for the fishermen that can't fish because of low returns. There needs to be a balance here of users of the system and man has already put his mark on the salmon runs. Seals are like wildlife in our moutains and should be managed now. It's a sad thing watching as some of our last salmon and steelhead return to a local creek or river that has been closed to fishing for years and have Sammy the seal and friends waiting at the tide gates. We need a CULL OF SEALS!!
H/T

 

[GOFISH]

It is sad in a way .... but I have to agree with you H.T. After posting the pics I did earlier on the seals just below the Mission Bridge I looked into a variety of other methods including electronic emitters to keep them away. Alas, it seems like only the culling of the vast population has any lasting effect.


GOFISH 8)

 

[high tide]

I've even seen them near the Limit Hole on the Vedder !!

For any one to not spend time on our Lower Georgia Straight salmon fishing with out this happening, is rare. I even know of family members who hooked into 14 springs one day in May and 9 were lost to seals. I' ve experienced 3 springs within 15 minutes from the same sea lion. I've had days of 4 lost to seals and ZERO in the box. It is a fact that a cull is needed. They sink and deficate on the wharfs in Naniamo's harbour, heck it smells like the Oregon sea caves at times. There's a huge problem blooming and we need to do some thing about it.
H/T

 

[ambler]

Ya, I don't like seals either. They have a few unprintable nicknames among my fishing partners.

But, there's something fishy about those 'rescues' on the south island. In atleast one case, the pup was stolen from its mother. There are a number of seals who make a good living around the Fish Store at Victoria's Fisherman's warf. One of their pups was sunning on the rocks, while its mother fed, and a man who refused to identify himself dashed down to the shore, scoped it up and pu in in the trunk of a luxury sedan. My friend challenged him, explained that he was familliar with the pup and its mother, and that it was not abandoned. The man said he belonged to a seal rescue organization on Saltspring, and drove away. The seal has still not been returned.

 

[Pippen]

But, there's something fishy about those 'rescues' on the south island. In atleast one case, the pup was stolen from its mother. There are a number of seals who make a good living around the Fish Store at Victoria's Fisherman's warf. One of their pups was sunning on the rocks, while its mother fed, and a man who refused to identify himself dashed down to the shore, scoped it up and pu in in the trunk of a luxury sedan. My friend challenged him, explained that he was familliar with the pup and its mother, and that it was not abandoned. The man said he belonged to a seal rescue organization on Saltspring, and drove away. The seal has still not been returned.

Is there a "Ransom Note" yet?? Someone better call "Horatio"!! eace:

 

[gneissone]

Maybe the saltspring seal "rescue" organization is covert operation started by a coalition of volunteer hatcheries designed to limit the number of seal kills on all of their hard work.