Fishing Reports for September 27
Washington
Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)
no report this week
Marine Area 2 (Westport)
The hot water off of Westport has kept Albacore fishing strong and has also brought us a few exotics too!
Captain Andy at Far Corners Sportfishing caught a potential state record Opa on Sunday, September 24.
Report submitted by Mark Coleman, All River and Saltwater Charters; 425-736-8920. The cover image of this week’s report, showing the potential record-setting Opa, was also contributed by Coleman.
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
Chuck Payne with a good size eater. There have been some Chinook a lot bigger than this caught.
We’re coming down to the last few days of Summer salmon in the San Juan Islands. There have been some nice kings around. Saturday is it, so get out there and get some. You never know when that next bite could be a forty pound trophy. There are also a lot of nice fat clipped Coho around. It sure is a shame we can’t keep these fish or fish on them in October.
Crab is over at the end of the month too. Last shot at a Dungie feed. Remember to get your Summer catch cards turned in or recorded ASAP. We’ll see you on the water!
Submitted by Kevin Klein, Team Parker Boats NW. The cover image of this week’s fishing reports was also contributed by Klein and features Kaiden Riedesel with a nice Chinook he caught off the West side of San Juan Island.
Marine Area 8.1
no report this week
Marine Area 8.2
no report this week
Marine Area 9 (Admirality Inlet)
no report this week
Marine Area 10
“The Coho are growing up!” Kathy yelled as the SuperSonic Silver took to the air in another epic teener battle in the deep water off Shilshole this weekend.
We waited out the early morning (sleeping) and focused on the tide change a bit later in the day. The sun was “full on” and the water was glistening calm, so we dropped our gear to 120 -140 feet on the Scotty. Once we found the schools below, we just started figure eights till our limits were aboard. It was a metal piscator and hootchie show for us once again. I think the extra action of the big metal piscators riles the fish up to bite.
Go find your teener !
Report submitted by Nelson “Spud” Goodsell – Salmon for Soldiers, IGFA Life Member, FISHTALE2.
Marine Area 11
The salmon fishing remains pretty good although the Mature Chinook are mostly in the rivers there is good opportunity for Coho and immature Chinook (Black mouth) the local fishermen have been trolling flasher and artificial squid or spoons for Coho and fishing 30’ to 60’ deep, concentrate on the tidal rips. Some favorite areas are out off of The Slag area and between Pt. Defiance and Pt. Dalco along the shelf area where you will find lots of tidal rips especially on the outgoing tide.
For immature Chinook try trolling similar gear but generally deeper 120’ to 150’ deep in 130’ to 180’ of water. The Clay banks area to the shelf area on the outgoing tide is very popular but there should be immature chinook in most of the usual haunts like Quartermaster Harbor, Slag, Pt. Evens and Pt. Dalco.
Crabbing is closed; remember to report your catch.
Learn fall fishing opportunities and how to pursue them Basic Fishing Youth/Parent Ages 8+ October 14, 2017, Saturday 10 am to 12 noon Cost $15 Point Defiance Marina
Squid Fishing Class October 21, 2017 Saturday from 4-6 pm Ages 8+ /Adults Cost $15
Fall Fishing Class November 11, 2017 Saturday from 10 am to 12 noon Adults age 15+ Cost $15
Sign Up at 253-591-5325
Crabbing is closed until further notice on a winter crabbing in January, 2018
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.
Marine Area 12
no report this week
Freshwater – Buffalo Lake
Lake levels are still high and unless you have shallow hull you should plan on launching at the resort. Peter Dan Rd has been repaired after a landslide took out the rode this past spring making it easy to access this lake from Grand Coulee.
Fishing for Rainbow Trout, averaging 16″, and Kokanee, averaging 12″, is excellent. Kokanee can be caught from the surface down to 30′ whereas the bulk of the triploid Rainbows are holding at 25-35′ down in 30-60′ of water. I found nearly all my fish trolling herring dodgers with Brad’s Superbait “Kokanee Cut Plugs” stuffed with Powerbait or scent pads soaked in Pro-cure garlic oil, “Baboom” was the best color.
Water temperatures are dropping and slower troll speeds in the 1.5-1.7 mph were producing best for the Rainbows. Many of the Kokanee were infested with copepods but the Rainbows were largely parasite free.
You need a Colville Tribal Fishing License to fish this under pressured lake. Limits are 5 Rainbows and 5 Kokanee per person.
Report submitted by Tyler Hicks, Cascadia Kayak Angler, North 40 Outfitters – Fishing, spiltmilt@gmail.com, 509-422-9840. The cover image of this week’s fishing reports was also contributed by Hicks.
Freshwater – Lake Chelan
no report this week
Freshwater – Potholes Reservoir
With Sand Hill cranes arriving by the thousands and flocks of geese and ducks in the air, it’s a sure signs that the seasons are changing. With Walleye the number fishery going on it remains a mystery. One day many fishermen are doing good and the next dya drawing a blank. I spent all day fishing with my friend Jeff Dillon and covering the lake fishing most all good spots we drew a blank. The next day taking another friend with him they had a 10 Walleye day. With the water level now much higher bass fishermen are going up in the dunes for great success. Perch fishing on the main lake remains slow however a neighbor of mine regularly is bringing home 50 or more perch in one of the seep lakes that has no limit on perch. Not big in size like 8 inches on average but good fillets and very tasty this winter.
While early morning temperatures are cool the afternoon temperatures are comfortable. It may rain but so slight the west siders do no bring their rain gear out.
Submitted by Tom Pollack (retired).
British Columbia
Vancouver
Dan with a dandy chinook!
September was a pretty good month for fishing in Vancouver. We enjoyed fairly consistent waves of big chinook salmon and over the last week we have seen improved numbers of coho salmon. We have roughly one more month left to target migrating salmon before we shift our focus to winter chinook salmon in late October.
Over the last month we have spent the majority of our time off the Fraser River Mouth and near Capilano River Mouth. As usual, these fish are coming in waves as they prepare to enter the river. We have had some days where we have hooked over a dozen big fish on a charter and some days where we have to work for a hook up or two. For the most part, most trips did well with some decent fish averaging in the 10 to 20 pound range!
A limit of Chinook from the weekend.
Looking forward to the next month we will focus on two local fisheries. The Capilano Mouth fishery should be productive for chinook salmon in the 10 to 30 pound range until the fall rains slow things down around the 15th of October. There will also be some coho around as well. The Mouth of the Fraser should heat up for coho and chum salmon in October and we should have some good fishing up until the last week of October. Last year we had pretty good action for chum and coho until October 27th or so. A longer 6 or 8 hour charter on the flood tide is a good bet in October. If you can line up a good long flood tide and a calm day in October the Fraser Mouth can be a very good bet.
We have been running a mixture of anchovies and herring while targeting our late run chinook and coho salmon. We have been very successfully running Gibbs Delta Madi, Lemon Lime, Slurpee and Bon Chovy Flashers recently. As we progress into October we will likely start to run a few more Skinny G’s, glow hootchies, and G Force Spoons for returning coho to the Fraser River.
Last year we had our winter chinook salmon start very early and we enjoyed some very active fishing by late October/early Novermber in Howe Sound. With the abundance of bait in local waters, we are optimistic that we will be in for another strong early start. Our winter chinook fishery seems to be getting year by year as local ocean conditions seem to be improving.
Sturgeon fishing has been quite good in the Fraser River and will continue for the next couple months. As more and more salmon pour into the Fraser River fishing sturgeon fishing should continue to be productive for the next couple months!
Give us a call or an email if you would like to get out on the water!
For more info call Jeff or Jason at Bon Chovy Fishing Charters (604) 763-5460,bonchovy.comemail: info@bonchovy.com. The cover image of this week’s report was also contributed by Bon Chovy.
Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound, and Ucluelet
no report this week
Bamfield
no report this week
Becher Bay
Salmon fishing was GOOD this past week for coho in Becher Bay. The coho salmon fishing is now the main focus of local anglers. Many Coho up to 14lbs have been reported caught off Beechy Head and Secretary. The best depths have been 60’ – 80’ in 300+ feet of water. The springs are scattered from the Bedfords to the Trap Shack. The best depths to fish for the springs have been from 40 to 80 feet and very close to the shoreline. Anchovies are the most popular bait for springs while spoons and hootchies are more popular for coho. Good teaser heads have been the Bloody Nose, Mint Pearl and Chartreuse. The best color combinations for spoons have lots of green on the spoon, including the Irish Cream. For flashers, the Gibbs Highliner Guide Series Outfitters and Lemon Lime, or the Bon Chovy have been working well.
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 OKAY in Oak Bay this past week. From the reports that we have had, there have been feeders up to 10lbs coming in over the last week. The best fishing was on the flats between 80’ – 140’ of water fishing the bottom. The Outfitters G-Force spoon trolled behind a Raspberry Twisted Sista was a good option last week.
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 FAIR salmon fishing. The coho salmon fishing is now the main focus of local anglers. The best fishing was in the 500+ foot depths and towards the international boarder. Spring fishing has really slowed down. Trollers are doing best trolling close to the shore and along the kelp, from 25 – 65 feet on the downrigger and with anchovies for bait. There have been reports of Coho’s into the low teens and very few chinooks. Good teaser heads to fish have been the Bloody Nose, Chartreuse and Mint Pearl. Spoons are also producing well, especially the smaller ones around 3.5”. The most popular spoons right now are the Irish Cream Coho Killer, the White Lightening Coho Killer and the Ourfitters G Force spoon. Flashers that have been producing are the No Bananas and the Twisted Sista in chartreuse.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com
Sidney
Sooke
The salmon fishing was VERY GOOD this past week. Many coho between 8 lbs and 15 lbs have been reported. The best fishing has been at a depth of 80’ in 400’ or deeper of water. Otter Point has been one of the bests spots to be this past week. Spring fishing has really slowed down. Most anglers fishing for springs are using bait, with anchovies being the most popular choice. Good choices for teaser head colours are chartreuse and Bloody Nose. For flashers, the Bon Chovy and No Bananas have been working well. Hootchies in white and Army Truck have producing well. Spoons and Coho Killers have been good for catching Coho in the colours Irish Cream and White Lightening.
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 GOOD off the waterfront this past week. The most productive area was Constance Bank again this week. Few pink salmon are still being caught and they have been from 4 to 6 lbs in size. The best fishing for coho are at a depth of 70’ on top of the bank or a depth of 120’ on the edge on Constance, fishing the bottom. The coho the have been reported have been a size range from 5lbs – 12lbs with the odd mature fish. The best teaser heads have been the Bloody Nose, UV green or red or Army Truck. Spoons have been successful in getting hook ups the Irish Cream Coho Killer or pink Hootchies being good options for gear.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com
Lakes and Rivers
The Cowichan River’s water level is still low but getting better. Fishing for trout in the fly only area has been GOOD at dawn and dusk. Fish a Dry Fly in the early morning and later in the evening or fish a Nymph in the faster water. Both have been working well.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com
Oregon
Lake Michigan
How: The fishing was good last weekend. We are finding colder water and schools of baitfish in 30 to 100 feet of water The temp break was down 25 feet to 47 degrees. Chinook numbers were down this last weekend with some five to seven pound Lake Trout picking up the slack. Lakers were active on the bottom in 90 feet of water. Coho are still coming on flasher flies on the wire divers 3 set 130 feet on the line counter. Brown trout were solid on 2,3,4,5,6 and 8 color lead core on boards with regular size Vulcan spoons. The OL Sherbet color was best all season. Chins went for Vulcan spoons in blue/silver or green/silver. Downriggers on the bottom with size 0 dodgers and Spin n Glows are taking the Lakers. Reapers and Vulcans have been working for us. The small silver Vulcan in green or blue has also been good on the lead cores for exciting Rainbows. I hope this helps.
Lake Trout action was a big part of our catch all week on magnum spoons 100 to 130 down or Spin n glows.
Brown Trout action was hot on small spoons on lead core.
Rainbow Trout were slow hitting Vulcan Dolphin Green and Silver spoons in the top 40 feet.
Coho have slowed down most of them came 70 down on Magnum Reapers Fish N Chips spoons or flasher flies.
Where: Bait fish are in 30 to 100 I fished anywhere inside of 100 feet in Whitefish Bay. Near shore action on McKinley pier has improved the black Chinooks and a few Browns being caught. Head northeast and set lines in 30 feet. Troll northeast have a great fishing season. Let’s go fishing!
Jim Hirt charters out of Milwaukee, WI. with Blue Max Charters. He can be reached at 414-828-1094 or visit his web site at http://www.bluemaxcharters.com
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