Well after some record setting coho fishery in mid summer to another September to remember for large and feisty Chinook Salmon returning to the Fraser River, it's time to layer up and stay on the fish. The "winter fishery" just rolled over without a lull moving away from the Fraser River arms to the more traditional grounds in Howe Sound, the Vancouver Harbour and over across to the Nanaimo side. We've have changed tactics from fishing shallow on the riggers to going deep just off the bottom of the ocean in depths anywhere from 120 feet down to over 250 feet on the riggers. We have been most successful when we let the cannonballs hit the bottom then bring it up a couple feet. Our go to tackle in the winter is glow hootchies and glow 3-3.5" spoons with glow flashers. Notice the key word "glow" as the gear is deep. There is a vast difference in glow qualities amongst the tackle manufacturers. I believe in the adage of you get what you pay for. Westcoast Fishing Tackle is the premium equipment I recommend. Charge up the glow with a UV flashlight, deck light or your cellphone and change up gear every 20-30 minutes. Using bait at these depths is not "fun" as the bait could blow out as it descends as well as any little bite requires a lot of reeling to check the bait. Troll faster than with bait to cover more distance and watch for bait on your plotter/fish finder. This is good time of the year to consider switching to a 50 lb braid mainline with a 30-60 foot topshot of 30 lb monofilament on your reels. It is much easier on you and your rod when tripping the line off the retention clip. Good luck, stay warm and "Let's Go Fishing!"

After a phenomenal winter Chinook fishery in our local waters that started in October and didn't slow down even up to March 31st, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has implemented for the 3rd straight year a Chinook fishing closure in our local waters until at least July 15th or July 31st depending on what side of the pond you are fishing. On a positive note, August 1st opening is better than the two previous years' September 1st openings for fish management areas 28 and 29. I could ex-pound on the Science and evidence based marked selective fishery (hatchery salmon with the adipose fin clipped) which continues to fall on deaf ears at he upper management levels above DFO: Justin Trudeau, Joyce Murray (Fisheries Minister) and Rebecca Reid (DFO regional director). Under a DFO sponsored program, I am licensed to catch and release Chinook after obtaining a DNA sample, fishing guests can still enjoy getting out on the water, set prawn and crab traps and then fish for science. As of May 1st, lingcod and bottom fishing is open and can be targeted on the Vancouver Island side of the Salish Sea. July 15th, Chinook retention opens on that side as well. Come August, we are hoping for a Sockeye salmon opening as every 4 years there is a large return expected. But no one can predict any science based decisions from the previous forementioned politicians and bureaucrats. Come out and get a bucket of succulent spot prawns and dungeness crabs which will definitely quench your seafood cravings for the time being as were only 3 weeks away from targeting some tasty lingcod. Let's go fishing!

The decision whether we agree or not with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has been issued and for the local Vancouver area fishermen, we are in the non-retention mode till August 1st. All other effected areas on the BC Coast from the northern end of Vancouver Island down the US/Canada border will open up July 14th. There are open areas on the west side of Vancouver Island and coastal BC but they are remote and not heavily fished or populated. Unfortunately, with current Covid travel restrictions, no mainland fishermen will able to travel to these destinations. The Sports Fishery Advisory Board (SFAB) and the Sports Fishing Institute of BC (SFIBC) have been working very hard over the past few years and presented fishing proposals that would address conservation measures to protect of "stocks of concern" and reduce sports fishing retention to only hatchery Chinook Salmon known as a marked selective fishery. However, on the brighter side, the non-retention in 2020 lasted until September 1st so at least we will be able to target the Chinook run in August. I and other Vancouver guides belong to the Avid Angler Program which allows us to go out and catch and release Chinook Salmon for the purpose of obtaining DNA samples for scientific research for....yes...DFO. I can tell you that the last 3 trips out, fishing no more that 3.5 hours, I have brought at least 14 Chinook salmon to the boat each time. Each trip out I experiment with all sorts of colors and gear. Since January, I have been experimenting by running dummy flashers with spoons, plugs, or bait in teaser heads and found it to be very productive. It's a better fighting sensation not having to drag up a flasher with the fish. There are lots of wild and hatchery Chinook stock in local waters. The commercial prawning season is open and typically lasts till the end of June. I don't drop the prawn traps now till about September when the stocks have recovered and the catch rate goes up. The crabbing has been excellent and there has been no problem getting one's limit but the commercial crabbing season is about to open. May 1st was opening day for lingcod (1 per day) and fishing the typical reef areas on the Nanaimo side has been good to very good. Remember though, it's now the law that you have descending device to safely return unwanted or non-retention species of rockfish. Be safe and enjoy the water and our precious resource. We are just coming to what we hope and expect is another great Coho season and retention of only hatchery coho. Also being an odd numbered year, the Pinks are coming as well. We'll be in great shape by playing these feisty Coho and Pinks before the Chinook fishery opens up, LET'S GO FISHING!