Fishing Reports for April 5

By on April 5, 2017

Washington

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)

no report this week

Marine Area 2 (Westport)

no report this week

Marine Area 3 (LaPush and Forks)

no report this week

Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)

no report this week

Marine Area 5

no report this week

Marine Area 6

no report this week

Marine Area 7

Kevin Klein with a 'teener Blackmouth. This fish fell to a Silver Horde 3" Kingfisher Herring Aid spoon, 48" behind a green and glow flasher.

Kevin Klein with a ‘teener Blackmouth. This fish fell to a Silver Horde 3″ Kingfisher Herring Aid spoon, 48″ behind a green and glow flasher.

Chinook fishing has been fair to good in the San Juan Islands. It really depends on tide and location. There have been larger numbers of Blackmouth on the outer banks, but larger fish inside. This is not uncommon, but seems to be more pronounced this Spring. I’ll stay inside and work spots I know can produce larger fish, even if it means just working for one or two bites.

Submitted by Kevin Klein, Team Parker Boats NW

Marine Area 8.1

no report this week

Marine Area 8.2

no report this week

Marine Area 9 (Admirality Inlet)

“Heading Out!” I told Kathy as we made a move on the flat rolling waters in search of some bigger fish. Way too many seals on Possession and we were getting nowhere at that location. The move proved correct as we found the candlefish, matched the hatch, and scored a pair of nice keepers in no time at all.

The new “two-face” coho killer in 130 feet of sandy bottom was the key. No doubt, you must keep it “in the mud” to scratch up the candlefish to bring in the feeders.

Report submitted by Nelson “Spud” Goodsell – Salmon for Soldiers, IGFA Life Member, FISHTALE2.

Marine Area 10

no report this week

Marine Area 11

Crabbing is now closed until July 1 with no winter crabbing in Area 11. For a more up to date report call 253-591-5325

Point Defiance Marina has rental boats and motors and launch and overnight moorage facilities with pump out stations and shore power. In addition, we have storage space for boats up to 17 feet as well as kayak storage. For more information call 253-591-5325.

Report submitted by Point Defiance Marina. For more information contact: Art Tachell, Boathouse Marina Technician, 253.591.5325 art@tacomaparks.com www.pointdefiancemarina.com.

Freshwater – Lake Chelan

no report this week

Freshwater – Potholes Reservoir

Finally this Friday I will be getting a new bottom end for my Evinrude. I have not been able to use my boat since last fall. We are seeing the lake temperatures now reaching low 50-degrees, which should be the magical temperatures for the fish to be reacting. This past Saturday several area lakes opened, including the Hamptons. The fish caught have been jumbos. My son, Scot, and his family were over this weekend and we walked into a lake below the dam and caught rainbows up to 4 3/4 pounds. With spring break and nice weather it is a good time to enjoy weather and fishing opportunities.

Report submitted by Tom Pollack

British Columbia

Vancouver

Doug with a nice Howe Sound Chinook

Doug with a nice Howe Sound Chinook

April is typically an exciting month to fish for chinook salmon in local waters! With the warming temps and longer days we will see our first big plankton blooms of the year. This will draw some of our winter/feeder chinook salmon out of our local inlets and harbours into the offshore waters off of Bowen Island and the Gulf Island’s. This can be a very explosive time of year when you find areas with feeding chinook.

Theresa with a chrome Gulf Island Chinook

Theresa with a chrome Gulf Island Chinook

In addition to the salmon fishing prawn and crabbing will continue to be productive in April as the commercial fisheries are not yet open.

Halibut fishing is also an option on our multi day fishing trips to the Southern Gulf Island’s over the next couple months. We have had success on fish up to 60 pounds recently.

For more info call Jeff or Jason at Bon Chovy Fishing Charters (604) 763-5460,bonchovy.com email: info@bonchovy.com. The cover image of this week’s fishing reports, showing Chad and Claudia with a dandy halibut caught in late March, was also contributed by Bon Chovy.

Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound

Dave with a Chinook salmon caught April 3, 2017

Dave with a Chinook salmon caught April 3, 2017

Chinook fishing has stayed pretty constant this past week in Barkley Sound and closer to Ucluelet around Great Bear and Sail Rock. Fish are taking 3-3.5 inch Coyote and Silver Horde spoons from 60 feet to right on the bottom. You can expect 2-8 salmon per 8 hour trip right now. There are also ling cod around as well for those looking to get some white meat. We expect to be catching halibut soon too, but as yet haven’t fished for them. Last year fishing was very good in April and the way fishing was in March this year I would expect April will be even better. We have heated boats for the early spring weather that can bring variable weather.

Submitted by Sam Vandervalk of Salmon Eye Charters (1-877-777-4344). Salmon Eye is recommended by USA Today, Cruise America and New York Times bestselling author Peter Greenberg in his book The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to the Greatest Experiences Around the World.

Winter Chinook landed during the Sprout Loggers Derby in March. This fish hit a Kitchen Sink–a three and a half inch in the Vernon Bay Area. Fishing with Blair from Bamfield.

The spring and summer salmon sport fishing season for 2017 is closing in on us ever so rapidly.  March on the Vancouver Island’s West Coast has been a rather wintery month with a lot of snow, especially in higher elevations, and below seasonal average temperatures.  We are now turning the calendar over to April which is very much a welcoming thought.  April on the rugged but scenic West Coast coastline is most often looked at by a variety of sport anglers as the true beginning of saltwater fishing opportunities.  The last two summer sport fishing seasons for Chinook and Coho outside the protected harbors of Ucluelet and Tofino, along the surfline of beautiful Barkley Sound, and also the protected waters of the Sound itself were relatively good in terms of salmon fishing.  The 2017 season according to the many indicators in pre-season forecasts are predicting that the current years fishing opportunities for salmon along West Coast Vancouver Island will be what can be termed average sport fishing in May, June, and July and better than average opportunities in August and September.  Many of the indicators in the preseason forecasts expect that returns to the Columbia River and Puget will be relatively good.  With this in mind those returning fish do stop on the various banks outside of Ucluelet and Barkley Sound and of course also migrate into the various Barkley Sound areas and feed on the rich resources of bait fish.  Of course as the summer movers into July and August returns of migrating Coho salmon really adds to sport fishing opportunities.  The big migratory return of salmon normally arrives in three large waves.  They are termed as being early summer, mid-summer and late summer runs.  The early summer run often begins in April off the west coast of Vancouver Island and continues into June and creates some early fishing very tight to Ucluelet, Tofino and the pristine waters of Barkley Sound.  The transient salmon feed aggressively on the rich resources of bait fish as they make their long journey to their natal streams.   The late summer run in late July and running through August and early September usually produces for avid anglers some beautiful Tyee in the high thirty pound range.

winter Chinook fishing in Barkley Sound has been relatively good in March

winter Chinook fishing in Barkley Sound has been relatively good in March

West Coast Vancouver Island pre season forecasts for Chinook and Coho are looking relatively good. Good returns of Chinook in the four and five year old class are forecast in 2017 which means there will be some very nice salmon in the high twenty to mid thirty pound range. The Chinook often begin to show the first week of August in the Port Alberni Inlet and actually peak in the third or fourth week of the month. The Coho follow the Chinook and begin showing in the later part of August and continue well into September. Chinook returning to West Coast Vancouver Island are often showing up in Barkley Sound in the second half of July. The salmon come in close to the surf line and feed heavily on bait fish in the waters of Barkley Sound. Barkley Sound and the Alberni Inlet should have a fantastic sport fishery during the summer of 2017 for those who enjoy fishing in calm, pristine and relatively scenic water. Anglers world-wide will be treated to some world class salmon fishing along Vancouver Islands West Coast and Inlet areas. The Port Alberni Inlet, the inshore and offshore water of Ucluelet and Tofino and Barkley Sound will be all fantastic areas for sport fishing in those so called “hotspots” in 2017.

Port Alberni Inlet / Barkley Sound – Barkley Sound has recently provided some great winter Chinook fishing. The fishing in the Sound has been quite good through the full month of March. The Sproat Loggers Derby occurred during the first weekend of the month and produced some nice feeder Chinook up to TWENTY pounds. Local angler Morgan Steede had the winning salmon which weighed in at Twenty and a half pounds. Morgan won a fantastic prize dontated by Port Boat House which was a Yamaha Power Washer. Wayne Crossfield finished second landing a sixteen and a half pound Chinook. Gone fishing donated a Scottie Prawn Puller and two traps. Third place went to Brent Rose another local angler who landed a fifteen plus pound Chinook at Sandord using needle fish. Brent won an Islander Reel donated by JW Berry Trucking. Derby organizer Don Deforest was very happy with the weekend. Don remarked that “The overall weather was great and many anglers landed some nice feeder Chinook”. This was the derby’s twenty-ninth year and four hundred and seventy-seven entrants participated. In 1988, the derby’s first year, forty fishermen joined Don in that first winter derby. Don described the fishing for himself as “quite good”. Even though he did not win one of the top three derby prizes he landed four or five very nice Winter Chinook using anchovy in a chartreuse Rhys Davis Teaser Head. In early March and April anchovy often seem to work very well. Needle fish hootchies in blue and green, silver hordes, and a variety of small three and a half and four inch spoons also work well. All of these favorite lures were definitely working well in the derby and also throughout the full month of March. The best Winter Chinook fishing in the Sound has been along the Bamfield Wall, the Whistle Bouy, Vernon Bay, the Bamfield side of Fleming Island and Sanford, and the “Back Door”. The salmon have been in one hundred and thirty to one hundred and eighty and even up to two hundred feet of water with the bigger fish in the deeper water. Fish have been coming in daily feeding heavily during the herring spawn. The best fishing has occurred between tides as of late. April should really turn on as residential fish will continue to be in the area and the first of the migratory salmon should begin to show as they make their way to the southerly watersheds in the Pacific North West. Look for fantastic fishing from May through September. Always carry bait and ones favorite summer spoons and hootchies. As the summer moves on switch to bigger spoons but also remember to adjust to the size of the bait.

Summer fishing in 2016 was excellent in Barkley Sound. Mile of Calgary Alberta land this fish using anchovy. We are hoping 2017 is as good for Chinook and Coho

Summer fishing in 2016 was excellent in Barkley Sound. Mile of Calgary
Alberta land this fish using anchovy. We are hoping 2017 is as good for Chinook and Coho

Ucluelet (West Coast) – The offshore and inshore fishing during the spring is often very good around a variety of areas in the Ucluelet and Tofino areas. As the herring spawn approaches in mid to late March the local Chinook or more commonly known as feeder or winter Chinook move close to the beach and are abundant in local areas such as Great Bear, Mara Rock, Sail Rock, Forbes, the Alley and Beg Island. Over the last few weeks it is these spots that have been quite good for the local sport fishermen and guides. Small three and three and a half inch coyote spoons in army truck, chartreuse, glow green and knight rider have been working in deeper water from 90 to 160 feet. Also a variety of regular octopus hootchies and needle fish hootchies are working quite well behind green glow and purple haze flashers. It is important to find the bait which is becoming more abundant. Those out on the water will do relatively well when finding the bait balls. This past three weeks Vancouver Islands west coast has had some good fishing for a few local guides and avid fishermen. Great Bear had some good sized bait balls and some good sized feeders up to sixteen pounds. Needlefish hootchies and the three and a half inch green glow coyote spoon were working very well and should be two items in ones tackle box over the next few weeks. This summer’s fishing is expected to be very good as migrating salmon make their way to the big watersheds to the south. Chinook beginning in the middle of April and continuing through August will swim right outside the Ucluelet Harbor and will feed out on the various sandy banks before continuing their long journey. Coho salmon should also be in good numbers and will add variety for many sport fishermen those guests on many guide boats. The summer of 2017 should definitely be a time when all fisher persons will have an opportunity to land a salmon.

For more information and/or reservations, call Doug Lindores at Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing (250) 723-2435; (250)724-2502; cell (250)731-7389 or 1-877-214-7206 www.catchsalmon.ca or www.catchsalmon-ca.com; dlindy@shaw.ca. The cover image of this week’s reports, showing Jin from Toronto with a twenty-three pound Chinook, was also contributed by Doug.

Bamfield

no report this week

Becher Bay

Salmon fishing was GOOD this past week. The best fishing has been near Aldridge Point and the Bedfords. Top catch of the week was by Jim Senese who landed an 18.8 lb hatchery spring near Aldridge Point at 110 feet on the downrigger. Church Rock to the Bedfords produced a few springs up to 12 lbs. Most of the anglers are using artificial lures and are trolling close to the bottom. Spoons, especially G-Force and Skinny G spoons, in Bon Chovy or Outfitters’ colours have been very effective. Anglers using bait are catching their share of salmon and are finding anchovies in glow teaser heads have been working best. For flashers, the Betsey, Lemon Lime and Green/Silver Hot Spot have been good.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Oak Bay

Salmon fishing was GOOD recently. There are springs up to 12 lbs on the flats near Brodie Rock and in the Gap. All of the anglers have been either bottom bouncing or jigging close to the bottom. Good trolling lures have been Coho Killers, Bon Chovi or Outfitters Skinny G spoons or AP Tackleworks needlefish spoons. Sandlance lures and squirts (needle fish) are best in pearl, white & green, or white glow. Good jigging lures have been Point Wilson Darts and the Delta Mac Fish.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Pedder Bay

Pedder Bay Marina reports GOOD salmon fishing for hatchery springs from 10 to 14 lbs in size. A rough average would be 1.5 springs per boat. The fishing was better in Whirl Bay. Most anglers are using artificial lures and trolling close to the bottom, but anchovies are also producing well. The fish haven’t been too picky about what they will strike Spoons, especially G-Force and Skinny G spoons in Outfitters’, Bon Chovy or No Bananas colours, have been very effective. Hootchies and squirts with a green and glow color combination have been good plastic baits to use, especially with a 30” to 36” leader. Anchovies were still working this past week. Good choices for teaser head colors are UV Green, Chartreuse, Bloody Nose and Purple Haze. Flashers that are popular include the Betsey, Lemon-Lime and Madi.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Sidney

Salmon fishing was VERY GOOD this past weekend The Sidney Anglers held their club Premier Salmon Derby on the weekend. The winner was Doug Ellison with a 13 lb 12 oz spring. Gerry Fisher came in second with a 13 lb 4 oz spring and Wayne Lucier came in third with an 11.7 lb spring. The best areas were Hamley, Coal Island, Saanichton Spit and the Sidney Channel. Anglers using spoons found small Coho Killers, Gibbs Needle G and AP Tackleworks needlefish spoons the most successful spoons this past weekend.. Anchovies and Tiny Strip were also good producers of fish.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Sooke

The salmon fishing has been GOOD for springs. Most of the fish are running from 8 to 12 lbs in size. The best fishing has been in 110 to 130 feet of water. Good areas have been near the Bluffs, the Trailer Park and Muir Creek. The salmon are holding close to the bottom so you have to troll deep. Most of the anglers are using artificial lures and the Skinny G needlefish spoon in the Outfitters color scheme has been the most effective lure. The top spoons for Sooke anglers have lots of glow, red or Moon Jelly as the primary color. Good choices for teaser head colors are UV Green, Chartreuse, Bloody Nose and Purple Haze. For flashers, you can’t go wrong with a Super Betsey, Madi or Bon Chovi Flasher. Hootchies in White, Glow/Green and Purple Haze have been effective recently. Halibut fishing has also been good and Lisa Yakimovich reported landing a 70 lb (132 cm) halibut on Wednesday.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Victoria

Fishing for salmon was SLOW this past week. Constance Bank was where the most consistent action occurred. Springs caught there were as large as 10 lbs. Closer in, the 80 -140 foot depths have been best off the waterfront. Good areas have been the harbour entrance, Finlayson Point, Clover Point and Brotchie Ledge. Your lure should be close to the bottom when trolling off Victoria. The same depth and technique has been working well out at Constance Bank. Spoons have been very successful in getting hook ups. Green Spatter Back UV Coho Killers, 3.5” Cop Car spoons or AP Tackleworks herring spoons have brought good results.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Lakes and Rivers

Fishing was PICKING UP in most lakes for trout and bass as water temperatures are rising. Winter run steelhead fishing is slowing down in most rivers on both sides of the Island. Lots of the fish being caught now are kelts.

Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com

Oregon

Tillamook Bay

no report this week

Willamette River

no report this week

Great Lakes

Lake Michigan

no report this week

Get this, and all Salmon University updates,via email.

Salmon University Staff
Salmon University is the top online resource for fishing in the Pacific Northwest. Follow us on Twitter @salmonuniv for the latest news and other updates.

Wikipedia