Fresh Burrard Inlet Fishing Reports

March is the month for Spring Break. March is also the month to discover and enjoy the amazing fishing, nature and history offered around the Harbor City of Nanaimo. Hi, my name is Captain Turk, owner and operator of Reel Time Fishing Charters & Marine Tours. For almost two decades I have had the privilege of showcasing the beauty of BC’s west coast. Believe me when I say, the opportunity never gets old. If you are visiting or living locally here in BC, I’d like to invite you on a Fishing Charter or Scenic & Wildlife tour. The experience is something you may never forget. When it comes to Chinook Salmon fishing, Nanaimo is well known. And over the past few months, fishing for “Kings” has been exceptional. They look good, fight good and taste good. Crabbing is also something worth trying. If fishing isn’t your thing, book one of our unique scenic and wildlife tours. There is so much to see and discover. Nanaimo and surrounding islands are rich in wildlife and full of history and folklore. You’ll be amazed at all sights as well as their historical and cultural significance. Make Spring Break 2025 a spring to remember. Take in the breath-taking beauty of the land from the wonder of its waters. Chances are good, you won’t be disappointed.

**Fishing Report – Knuckle Busters & Winter Chinook** After a long stretch of freezing weather, it felt great to finally get back out on the water for some winter Chinook action. The forecast wasn’t looking too promising—calling for wind and rain—but we showed up anyway and were rewarded with a calm, glassy start to the day. With the conditions in our favour, we made the call to cross the Strait and hit one of our favourite spots, hoping to find some bait balls. With herring getting ready to school up for the spawn, we knew the salmon wouldn’t be far behind. The plan worked. Within minutes of dropping our gear, we were into our first fish. My new friends from Manitoba were buzzing when they saw it come up—looked like a solid one! A quick look and I knew it was just a bit too small, so we let it off the line. Now they were hooked (figuratively, of course). High fives all around, and it was time to find the big ones. It didn’t take long before Peter, the youngest in the group, saw a rod bounce and was on his feet like a pro. He reeled down, popped the clip, and set the hook solidly. “Fish On!” Then, like a true team player, he handed the rod to his buddy Adam—who was about to learn why we call mooching reels "knuckle busters." Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! The reel screamed. I told Adam to let it run, and just as he started to reel it in—WHACK! The reel handle smacked his knuckles hard, a not-so-subtle reminder of who was really in charge. After a quick lesson on how to palm the arbour, Adam started to get the upper hand, fighting the fish like a natural. If you don’t think three minutes is a long time, ask a boxer. When that fish finally hit the net, the look on his face was priceless—pure joy. A beautiful 21lb Chinook, and trust me, that's a great fish. It takes a mountain of a man like Adam to make that fish look medium-sized. The rest of the morning kept us busy with more Chinook landed and one particularly angry fish lost after a strong fight. All in all, an incredible day on the water—good company, plenty of action, and some well-earned sore knuckles. The winter season is quickly coming to an end so there's no better time to book your adventure. Chinook retention will most likely close March 31st so take advantage of this spring fishery and herring spawn while it lasts. See you on the water. Gear Used: -Chartreuse Flasher with G-Force No Bananas Spoon - White Hoochie with Black Onion Flasher - No Bananas Skinny G Spoon with No Bananas Flasher - Tomic Plugs - Westcoast Tackle Plugs Looking forward to the next round—bring on the big ones! ??

Terrific Winter Fishing and 2025 Outlook! So far, the winter salmon fishing and weather in the Vancouver area has been terrific this season with abundant chinook salmon, clear skies and calm waters! Catches of spot prawns and dungeness crabs, a winter bonus, have also been strong. The 2025 fishing outlook from the Department of Fisheries has also just been released and we are again expecting spectacular chinook and coho salmon returns to this area as the year progresses. As if that weren’t enough, 2025 is also a peak return year for Pink Salmon, which means millions of these scrappy fish will be keeping us busy as well. In short, it’s a terrific time to book your fishing trip in the Vancouver area in 2025! Let’s go fishing!

With the fantastic weather we have been having, we decided to kick off our season a bit early and that decision couldn't have been any better. Winter Chinook salmon tend to be aggressive feeders, building up energy reserves for their future migrations. This means big fights and great table fare. As soon as we found them, our reels were hard at work with regular action and a couple of double headers. Spoons and flashers were the winning ticket with fish also taking some plugs which we fished at the end of the day. All bites were deep, below 200ft and we had no problem filling out limits for Chinook. We finished our day pulling traps, getting a few crabs and prawns to sweeten the deal. Top producers were skinny G and G-Force spoons in a no banana's pattern. If you javn't tried fiahing for winter Springs, now is the time so book now! See you all on the water.

Winter fishing has been on fire! This 75cm chinook put on a great fight!

Adrenaline Rush, Salmon Fishing, Nanaimo B.C. The adrenaline rush for me usually starts the night before. After all these years, sleep still comes slowly as I lay awake contemplating where I’ll be going and what I’ll be using. Awakened by my alarm the next morning, I am greeted by a bright orange sunrise. Oh ya, another day in paradise! Dressing in my winter woollies, I grabbed a coffee and drove down to the docks where my trusted steed awaited. Thirty minutes later, I was on my way with four enthusiastic quests eager to embark on a new adventure in life. After dropping a crab pot, we motored out to the fishing grounds. Ten minutes in, we had our first fish to the boat. Just shy of the legal limit, we released it and doubled back. When the rod went off this time, I knew we were into a better fish. Handing the rod over to an experienced angler, it was all smiles all the way in. A beautiful 75 cm Chinook. “Largest fish so far this season” I said to my group. What I didn’t know…, it was about to get better. A little over an hour later, the port side rod went off. I knew it was something big when it hit, popped the clip, and was off on a tear. “Fish on” I cried! With the rod doubled over, it was the usual deep down head shaking madness followed by a short run halfway to the boat and then another short run right beside the boat. Finally, she was in the net. Wow, a beauty measuring 76 cm’s. “My heart was beating like crazy” said the women once the fish was aboard. Yep, I thought to myself. Its something I have often heard my guests say after fighting one of these incredible fish. They truly can be an adrenaline rush. We boxed one more fish that morning before heading back to retrieve the crab pot full of Dungeness. What a day! What a gift! As their first Westcoast salmon adventure, it was an exhilarating experience. I am sure it will not be their last.