Fishing Reports, September 3, 2021
Washington
Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)
The WDFW closed chinook retention here as of August 27th. Fishing remains open for other species. Details here: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8437
no report this week.
Marine Area 2 (Westport)
The WDFW has announced that the recreational salmon season will close here on September 4th. Details here: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8467
Halibut fishing is open here Thursday-Saturday until September 25th if the quota is not reached. Details here: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8316
“Left the dock in La Push under the cover of darkness. Went north on the edge of C-Closure and quickly picked up many +sized Cohos with extra fins. Marked quite a bit of bait and ended up with 3 hatchery Coho fishing 280-330ft of water. Also, landed a football-shaped Chinook approximately 12 lbs. All fish caught on White glow hoochie with a sparkle skirt.
With the salmon in the bag it was on to the SW Corner for some fast-paced Halibut fishing. First fish was on upon hitting the bottom at 540 feet. Landed 15+ fish in 45 minutes on 2 drifts. Finally selected two fish that were doubled up on a pipe jig and grub on top. 35lb fish on top hook and a 30lb fish on the bottom hook.
Moved on to the Prairie to put the Lings in the box. Banging the pipe jigs without any bait this time. It was on again at first drop and doubled up multiple times. Ended up selecting 3 +17lb and a 10lb’er. Also put a nice yellowtail rockfish in the box as well.
With 3 limits each of each species, it was time to head to the barn and deliver the groceries. Water was amazing with a 1 ft swell and no wind. Managed 33MPH on the way back even with the extra passengers. Great day on the last day of salmon in Area 3.”
Report & pics submitted by “Slay Ride” from Shoreline.
Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)
“Coho, Pacific cod, and halibut from Neah Bay on Thursday the 2nd… Not red hot, but solid action. Lots of shaker blackmouth trolling back to Sekiu. We stopped fishing after a while because it felt like we were just injuring small salmon”
Halibut fishing is open here Thursday-Saturday until September 25th if the quota is not reached. Details here: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8316
The WDFW has lowered the chinook retention to one fish in MA 4, as of July 24th. Details here: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8314
The chinook fishing has slowed off of Neah Bay. Fish are still averaging in the teens, with a few in the 20’s and the coho so far are small, with clipped fish in the 7-9lb range, but lots of unclipped fish out there.
The Makah Nation, including Neah Bay continues to be closed to the public due to COVID-19 – so most sportfishers fishing in Area 4 are running there from Sekiu. As of August 25, 2021, the Makah Nation web site states that the Makah Nation will be closed to the public until at least October 1, 2021. For more information, please see the Makah Nation website here: https://makah.com/
Report & pic submitted by Sam from Port Angeles.
Marine Area 5 (Sekiu)
Coho are showing in greater numbers, but they are still on the small side and there are a number of unclipped fish to sort through in order to retain some clipped fish. The fishing has been steady and Sekiu has been crowded, as the Makah Nation is still closed to visitors – so most of those folks fishing MA 4 are launching out of Sekiu.
Marine Area 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait)
Halibut fishing has been decent, with fish up to 50lbs. being caught.
Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands)
The WDFW closed Area 7 to all salmon fishing on July 7th. Please see the article here for more details: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8279
Prior to the closure, the salmon fishing had been good, with lots of small herring around and chinook in the teens caught…
Marine Area 8.1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island, Skagit Bay)
no report this week
Marine Area 8.2 (Ports Susan and Gardner)
The WDFW re-opened the Tulalip Bubble fishery on August 13th, until September 6th. Details here: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8370
Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet)
The WDFW has suspended chinook retention in MA 9, as of 12am on August 5th. Details here: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8337
The pink fishing has been good in Area 9, with more action being on the east side – Possession – than by Point No Point / Foulweather. Some ocean coho are starting to show up, with about half of them being clipped fish so far.
For tips on catching pinks and how to handle them once you’ve caught them, see our article here: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/818
Marine Area 10 (Seattle / Bremerton)
The WDFW suspended chinook retention in MA 10 on August 22nd. Details here: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8415
no report this week
Marine Area 11 (Tacoma / Vashon Island)
The WDFW suspended chinook retention in MA 11 on August 25th. Details here: http://salmonuniversity.com/archives/8420
no report this week
Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal)
no report this week
Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound)
no report this week
Freshwater – Grays Harbor Rivers
no report this week
British Columbia
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is no longer providing printed BC Sport Fishing Guides from previous years or link to access an online PDF version.
Interest in the Guides has diminished and there is an increasing gap between the information in the paper guides and the actual online fishing regulations.
For current fishing regulations in your area, please see the online Sport Fishing Guide at: https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/index-eng.html
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact your local fisheries office at: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/contact/regions/pacific-pacifique-eng.html
Bamfield, Barkley Sound, & Port Alberni
2021 ALBERNI VALLEY SALMON FESTIVAL 50th ANNIVERSARY September 4th to 6th
Labor Day weekend is upon us and that means it is Salmon Festival time in the Alberni Valley and areas of Barkley Sound. The Derby takes place on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with fishing beginning each day at 6 am. This year marks the 50th anniversary of this popular Alberni Valley and area event. The derby closes on Labor Day Monday at 3 pm with the final weigh-in. The Derby headquarters once again is once again at Tyee Landing. Any potential winning fish for each of the three days must be weighed in at Tyee Landing. There are fantastic prizes with the winning fish and the top three salmon for each day winning prize money. The largest salmon will win a lucky individual $10,000 with daily prizes for the top largest fish valued at $5.000, 2,000 and $1,000. The cost per rod for 2021 is $50. Some of this money will go to “local” enhancement.
The Alberni Valley and much of Barkley Sound has experienced very warm and dry weather conditions during the summer. The Chinook and Coho are waiting for fresh water before entering the many streams, creeks and rivers. There has been minimal migration into the Somass River system. In Barkley Sound fresh Chinook and some Coho are moving in with the late August and early September migration. Many of the salmon migrating into the Sound will migrate up to the inlet and into the Somass system.
The best fishing at this time is in Barkley Sound. The Alberni Inlet over the past three weeks has also experienced some excellent Chinook fishing. The inlet has experienced some commercial fishing, which has slowed the sport fishing over the last few days. However fish will continue migrating and the inlet should fill up with salmon in time for the derby. Barkley Sound has been fantastic and the fishing has been “World Class”. Swale Rock, Pill Point, Wittlestone, Beale and Little Beale, The Bamfield Wall, Austin, Meares, and Assets have all been fantastic sport fishing locations and should remain this way for the next few weeks. The salmon in the sound have been feeding very hard during much of the day and of course on tide changes the bite is even better. The salmon are in fairly shallow water in the sound and Inlet. Fishing between thirty and fifty feet is not uncommon. The best lures in the inlet have been the Octopus hootchies in the O-2, O-16, purple haze and the AORL 12. The best leader length for these hootchies has been thirty-eight to forty-two inches. Anchovy in the inlet was a very good choice at the beginning of the season and still is a great choice but many sport anglers are have success with hootchies. In Barkley Sound bait in a variety of teaser heads is working the best. Army Truck, green haze, and the herring aid seem to be a great choice with the leader length being six feet. At this time of year green gold and purple gold flashers are by far the best. With approximately 140,000 Chinook salmon returning to West Coast Vancouver Island the Derby weekend should have some great results. The number of five year old’s returning are approximately 17% which means there could be some nice sized fish landed during the derby and into September.
Tight lines, Doug Lindores
Report & pics submitted by Doug Lindores, Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing (888) 214-7206 dlindy@shaw.ca; www.catchsalmon-ca.com
Ucluelet
no report this week
Becher Bay
Cheanuh marina reported that salmon fishing has been SLOWER over the past few days. Only about one in three boats was coming in with a salmon. Anglers targeting chinooks were having spotty success catching slot size springs. Depths of 50-70 feet have been the best for catching springs. The pink salmon were found out farther into the strait and 20-50 has been the zone for pink salmon. Anchovies have been the best bait for salmon, but many anglers are using spoons due to the anchovy shortage. Spoons such as Skinny G’s, Wee G’s, Coho Killers, Coyote spoons and AP Tackleworks spoons have been good for springs. Anglers using herring for bait are doing as well as when they were using anchovies. Good choices for teaser head colors are Chartreuse, Tiger Prawn and Bloody Nose. Popular flashers have been Jelly Fish Glow, The Bon Chovy, the Madi and the Super Betsey. Coho fishing has slowed down. Most anglers fishing coho and pinks are using spoons and pink hoochies. Halibut and Lingcod fishing was SLOW this past weekend. Crabbing has been GOOD inside the bay
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.
Oak Bay
Fishing was SLOW on the Flats this past week. There were still springs around but not nearly as many as in previous weeks. Most springs have been between 6-12 lbs in size, but some smaller feeder springs are moving onto the Flats. Not many pinks have been caught here recently. Small spoons and squirts have been the best lures in this area. Halibut fishing was SLOW in Oak Bay. Crabbing has been FAIR nearby.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.
Pedder Bay
Salmon fishing has been GOOD at the mouth and inside Pedder Bay. Pinks and springs were being caught from the mouth of the bay all the way west to the Bedfords. Most of the pinks have been from 3-6 lbs in size. Coho fishing has slowed down. Most anglers fishing coho and pinks are using spoons such as Skinny G’s, Wee G’s, Coho Killers, Coyote spoons and AP Tackleworks spoons. Anchovies have also been excellent for all salmon. Good choices for teaser head colors are UV Green, Purple Haze and Bloody Nose. Popular flashers have been Jelly Fish Glow, The Bon Chovy, the Madi and the Super Betsey. Halibut fishing was SLOW this past week.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.
Port Renfrew
The GIBBS DELTA SUMMER CHINOOK SHOOTOUT was held this past weekend at the Pacific Gateway Marina. There wee 125 chinooks weighed in. The top three fish weighed 27.4, 26.1, and 25.2 lbs. The best fishing spots were Walbran, Camper Creek, Logan, East Point and Wood’s Nose.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.
Sidney
Fishing for salmon was SLOW this past week. Most of the springs were under size and not keepable. Halibut and lingcod fishing was SLOW. Crabbing and prawning has been HIT & MISS.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.
Sooke
Salmon fishing was SLOWER than in previous weeks in Sooke. Spring salmon fishing has been SPOTTY for chinooks. There were lots of slot size fish and some real large ones caught and released as well. Otter Point was the best location to find springs. The pink fishing was still GOOD, but the fish were out in deeper waters and not so much in close to shore. Some sockeyes and hatchery coho have also been caught this past week as well. Many anglers fishing for salmon have been using spoons with great success. Spoons such as Skinny G’s, Wee G’s, Coho Killers, Coyote spoons and AP Tackleworks spoons have been good for springs. For those using anchovies and herring, good choices for teaser head colors are Chartreuse, Tiger Prawn and Bloody Nose. Popular flashers have been Jelly Fish Glow, The Bon Chovy, the Madi and the Super Betsey. Halibut fishing was SLOW. Crabbing has been GOOD in the basin.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.
Vancouver
no report this week
Victoria
Salmon fishing was SLOWER this past week. There were fewer numbers of springs caught along the waterfront. We heard that it was more consistent out on Constance Bank when the wind wasn’t too bad. There were more undersized oversize springs being caught than in previous weeks. Pink salmon fishing was FAIR during the week, but the numbers were slower than the week before. Anchovies and herring have been for all salmon. Good choices for teaser head colors are UV Green, Purple Haze and Mint Pearl. Popular flashers have been Jelly Fish Glow, The Bon Chovy, the Madi and the Super Betsey. Halibut fishing was SLOW at Constance Bank this past weekend. Crabbing was SLOW with most traps holding undersize male crabs.
Submitted by Tom Vaida, Island Outfitters, 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC (250) 475-4969 info@fishingvictoria.com; www.fishingvictoria.com.
Lakes and Rivers
Cowichan River
The water temperature in the river is rising and the “float tube hatch” is strong on warm days. The river is now closed for fishing until September 1st.
Trout
Trout fishing has been SLOW at local lakes. The water temperatures is fairly warm and the fish are deeper near the thermocline in the local lakes. Shore anglers are catching trout on Powerbait, Gulp Eggs, and worms fished just off the bottom. White, Pink, Chartreuse and Fluorescent Yellow have been good choices recently for Powerbait. Fly anglers are mostly fishing Wooly Buggers, Leeches and Chironomid patterns. Chironomid hatches have been happening at most lakes. Trollers are catching the most trout with worms fished on Gibbs Wedding Bands fished behind Gang Trolls. Tomic Plugs in 2”-3” sizes have also been working well for trout at Cowichan Lake.
To find out about fish stockings all over the Island and the province, as well as the different strains being released, click on the link http://www.gofishbc.com/Stocked-Fish.aspx
Bass
Bass fishing continues to be EXCELLENT. Big Largemouth and Smallmouth bass have been quite active and four pound plus fish are being caught regularly. Topwater fishing is good in the early mornings and evenings with anglers having good luck with wake baits, frogs and poppers, Subsurface soft plastics continue to trigger the most bites, with wacky and Texas rig worms at the top of the list. Try fishing close to the docks and near shallow structure. Deep water has been good during the day and jigs and drop shot fishing has been effective. Hot lakes continue to be Shawnigan, Quennell, Langford and Prospect Lakes.
The following is taken from the Canadian Bass Fishing League’s facebook page with permission
“In what appeared to be prime conditions the Canadian bass fishing league set out on elk lake for the final regular season event of 2021 in the boater series. Today was a battle this was a battle of excellent anglers competing for the ultimate prize. With teams competing for not only the tournament title but angler of the year points as well, every quarter inch was crucial. One fish could propel an angler into the league championship winner-take-all invitational event this September. Today it was the tours reigning league championship and multiple tour winners Justin Booth and Tyrone Warth who took home the title. Justin and Tyrone have now been able to apply their skills on two different continents and prove skill knows no restraint of geography. In second place and with a tremendous second place finish is two of the tours “young guns” who are making a names for themself in the local bass scene. Caelen Veenstra put some excellent fish in the boat. It’s no secret now these guys can reel them’ in!!! Rounding out the podium was Rob Bowen and Derek Newton who consistently seem to hover around the top of the leaderboard in nearly every event. Big Bass went to Erick Pay who has quickly been gaining notoriety for being able to produce quality fish in multiple scenarios. Overall, it was another great even and regular season. The league is quickly attracting some of the best bass anglers in the region and all signs point to bigger things still to come! Thanks again to all the amazing members and sponsors. You are the league!”
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
no report this week
You may also be interested in ...
