Great Fishing Continues in Nanaimo
January 12, 2025 Nanaimo 3 photos
Salmon (Chinook)
Salmon (Chinook)

Trip Summary

A Pot of Gold and A Cooler of Fish More and more, I hear my guests talk about the beauty of British Columbia when they see it from the water. This past Sunday, January 12, it was the stunning skyscapes that captivated us. The forecast had been for a sunny day with light winds. A favorable combo for my 4 guests who hailed from Saskatchewan. Instead, it was windy with a unique mixture of storm clouds above us while to the east snow-covered mountains gleamed in the clear skies of the morning sun. Unsettling yet stunning at the same time! We even managed to see a rainbow (you can just make it out in the first photo). And you know what they say about rainbows, there is always a pot of gold on the other side. We were not disappointed! The action that morning started off slow. Nothing for the first 45 minutes. And then, almost as if someone turned on a switch, the bite came on. And what a bite! Winter chinook fishing in January typically means weeding through several fish before hooking a good one. Not this time. Most of the fish were well over the legal size limit. We even landed two that topped the tapes at 70 cm. Astonishingly, only two and a half hours into the trip, we had a cooler full of fish. Then, as abruptly as the bite turned on, it turned off again. No matter. A good time was had by all! It's been said that nothing lasts forever. But that morning, we left with amazing memories. Much needed medicine in a world of change and challenge. My guests assured me they’d be back for more.
Andrew Turkstra
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Reel Time Fishing Charters & Marine Tours thumbnail
Reel Time Fishing Charters offers a range of affordable trip options, a captain with more than 2 decades of experience on the water, a stable fishing platform, convenient moorage, and secure parking. Captain Turk’s friendly personality, extensive kn...

Other reports from this captain

May is the Month for Lingcod
May is the Month for Lingcod
May 1, 2025
May is the Month for Lingcod They may be scary looking, but they sure are tasty. In fact, if I had to choose between halibut or lingcod, I’d pick lingcod any day of the week. Problem is, I have always found them to be a little tricky to catch. So, when I do fish for them, I check tides and tide tables religiously. Once fishing, I work ledges and drop-offs keeping my bait as close to the bottom as possible. The preferred method by many is jigging for lingcod. I like trolling for them using 4 to 8 oz swimbaits. It’s a lot of work and you must be on your toes since you are constantly bringing gear up and/or dropping it back down. But it can be a very effective way of hooking these “bucket heads” as they are sometimes called. On opening day this year, my group of two and I were greeted by a beautiful sunny morning. Knowing I just missed the tide change on an ebb tide, I choose to fish the northwest side of Gabriola. Trolling two of my favorite 4 oz swimbaits, I watched my depth as I began to work an edge. Once alongside of Gabriola Island near the old Cannery, we finally started having some action. Unfortunately, our customers where Quillback, Cooper Rock Fish, and a very nice Yellow Eye and an undersized Lingcod. We still hadn’t found our prize fish. With about an hour left in the trip, I was bringing up the gear as the depth changed from 160 to 90 feet when I noticed a slight bounce on the portside rod. I grabbed the rod yanking the line off the clip. I quickly handed the rod over to my guest and asked, “feel any better this time?” “Oh yes” was the reply. Five minutes later, we had our first nice lingcod aboard. Oh yeah! If you enjoy eating white meat from the ocean, Lingcod is the way to go. And, with salmon closed until the beginning of June, it is all we’ll be fishing for. As I tell my guests, May is the month for Lingcod.
Continue reading