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SPORT HALIBUT SEASON OPENS

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco): Open 12:01 a.m. Thursday May 1, 2008, 7-days per week until 70% of the quota is reached, or until July 20, 2007 whichever comes first. The fishery will reopen on August 1, 2008 and continue three days a week, Friday through Sunday, until the remaining quota is reached, or Sept. 30, 2007 whichever comes first. It is unlawful to fish for, retain, or possess any bottomfish, except Pacific cod and sablefish with halibut on board

Westport (Marine 2):

May 06, 2008

SPORT HALIBUT SEASON OPENS

Marine Area 2 (Westport/Ocean Shores): Open 12:01 a.m. Thursday May 1, 2008, and then continue 2-days per week, Sundays and Tuesdays until the quota is reached or Sept. 30 whichever occurs first. The northern nearshore area will be open on Fridays and Saturdays in addition to the days that the offshore area is open, until the quota is reached.

La Push (Marine Area 3 & Forks):

May 06, 2008

SPORT HALIBUT SEASON OPENS

Marine Areas 3 and 4 (Neah Bay/La Push): Open at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 3-days per week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until the quota is reached. If sufficient quota remains, the fishery will reopen on June 17 (Tuesday) and June 19 (Thursday) in area 4B and shoreward of a line approximating 30 fathoms from the Bonilla-Tatoosh line south to the Queets River.

Bottomfish - We are now fishing bottomfish, so far the fishing has been red hot for lings. Sea bass fishing was slow last week, it took a while to get the limit. This week the swell dropped and the bass schooled up thick on a couple nearshore pinnacles we found, I could not keep up with the fish coming on board.

Halibut - Season opens May 13th, from what I heard there might actually be a small drop in effort. Seems with the record fuel prices there are a few people that can't afford to bring there boats out. Gas is now $3.86 a gallon in the marina. We will be in Neah Bay in June for Canadian halibut as well as July 20th to August 10th as we do not expect a long salmon season.

Salmon - A king only season opens June 1st this year on the whole WA coast, one fish limit. The regular two fish limit season opens July 1st in La Push. We are estimating three weeks of season(15 days). Very small quota this year. Releasing very small silvers would help, also remember that there is a mortality rate charged to all fish you tell the checker you turned loose.

Albacore Tuna - We have never run many tuna trips earlier then late August before but this year we will be starting August 10th. We missed some awesome tuna bites Last August while we were salmon fishing.

For more info call Jim Richeson, Top Notch Ocean Charters/Quillayute River Guide Service/Jims Cabin Rentals; Toll Free (888)501-5887 or (360)374-2660; jricheson@centurytel.net; www.forks-web.com/jim

Neah Bay (Marine Area 4):

May 06, 2008

SPORT HALIBUT SEASON OPENS

Marine Areas 3 and 4 (Neah Bay/La Push): Open at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 3-days per week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until the quota is reached. If sufficient quota remains, the fishery will reopen on June 17 (Tuesday) and June 19 (Thursday) in area 4B and shoreward of a line approximating 30 fathoms from the Bonilla-Tatoosh line south to the Queets River.

No report this week

Submitted by Capt. Tom Young, Tommycod Charters
Email: tommycodcharters@aol.com
1-800-283-8900

Sekiu (Marine Area 5):

May 06, 2008

No report this week

April 11 - 30, 2008: Closed.

For more info call Olson's Resort (360) 963-2311 or on the web www.olsonsresort.com

No report this week

Marine Area 8.1:

May 06, 2008

Open till April 30 for salmon

Lingcod opened May 1

For more info call Gary Krein at All-Star Fishing Charters,
800-214-1595 or 425-252-4188 Email gary@allstarfishing.com

Marine Area 8.2:

May 06, 2008

Open till April 30 for salmon

Lingcod opened May 1

Try the artificial reef off the south side of Gedney Island. We managed to get 4 keeper lings off this reef on opening day

For more info call Gary Krein at All-Star Fishing Charters,
800-214-1595 or 425-252-4188 Email gary@allstarfishing.com

Marine Area 9:

May 06, 2008

Closed for salmon

Halibut remains open

Lingcod opened May 1

Lingcod fishing opened with fair success as we got lings on all trips so far. Most of the boats are sticking with live bait or jigs. The live bait has been the best for us.

For more info, call Gary Krein at All-Star Fishing Charters, 800-214-1595 or 425-252-4188 Email gary@allstarfishing.com ; www.allstarfishing.com

All-Star Fishing Charters - Delivering Quality fishing on Puget Sound

We headed up to Port Townsend again this weekend in search of Halibut. Saturday, the wind was a blowin' and we were forced to return to the docks for the day hoping for a better Sunday. We awoke at first light, elated with the sight of flat calm water. My good friend Anthony followed us out on his boat "Mad Money" as he made the earl;y morning run out from the festivities on Lake Union. We decided to fish closer in near Admiralty Inlet in 200 feet of water. It didn't take long for the glow stuffed Kajiki squid to entice a 63 pounder for breakfast. My buddy Doug Vodder worked it slowly to the harpoon. At the same time only 50 feet from us, Anthony hooked up a nice 35 pounder. By 9:30 am we were heading back to Everett for some picture taking outside Anthony's HomePort Restuarant. Nothing like exciting a hungry crowd with fresh fish! My friend Anthony was back on the log boom on the lake by noon showing off his morning prize. What a fantastic year it has been for halibut fishing so close to home.

Pictured above, Anthony with his 35 Pound Halibut

Pictured above, Doug Vodder with a 63 pound Hali

Report submitted by Nelson Goodsell, PSA SNO-KING, FISHTALE 2

No report this week

Submitted by Michael Jamboretz, Jambo's Sportfishing (425) 788-5955; (206) 595-9526 www.jambossportfishing.com

Seattle area (Marine Area 10):

May 06, 2008

Ling cod fishing is now in its second week. Yesterday I talked to Slim, one of the fish checkers and he thought the catch was down from last year. While he has seen some lings almost over the legal size, he has heard of many undersized fish released. No one location has been better then the rest. I would recommend to examine the tide book and fish at the time of the tide change.

Shrimping went off with good success for most folks, with lots of limits reported. I managed to get 7 limits in area 11 and plan to be in 10 Wednesday. With the big tides, use lots of weight in the pots and multiple buoys so your rope is not pulled under. No word as of now whether there will be additional days of shrimping.

For more info, call Tom Pollack, Auburn Sports & Marine 253-833-1440

Closed for Salmon

For more info call Gary Krein at All-Star Fishing Charters; (800)214-1595 or (425)252-4188 gary@allstarfishing.com; www.allstarfishing.com

No report this week

Matt McCulloch , www.tyeecharters.net , (206)799-2530

 Marine Area 11:

May 06, 2008

No report this week

Submitted by Captain Bill Devers, www.pugetsoundsalmoncharters.com; e-mail salmoncharters@comcast.net

Hood Canal (Marine Area 12):

May 06, 2008

Shrimp in Area 12 were plentiful and seemed to be larger then last year. Despite a big tide swing, most shrimpers that had their pots properly weighted easily took their limit. The next open day on Wednesday, May 7th, it will be more difficult as there is a -3.7 tide. This is coming off a 10.2 high tide, so this is a 13.9 ft. tide change. This makes shrimping very difficult, so have at least 14 pounds of weight in your shrimp pot. Expect most of your shrimp to be taken in Area 12 between 11am and 1pm, as the tide will be slowing then.

Remember shrimp are diurnal (sensitive to light), so the brighter the day, the deeper they are and vice versa. If the weather report is right, (cloudy and overcast) look for your best depths from 150' to 250'.

Submitted by Tom Nelson, Salmon University

Marine Area 13:

May 06, 2008

No report this week

Submitted by Captain Bill Devers, www.pugetsoundsalmoncharters.com; e-mail salmoncharters@comcast.net

Tuna Report - Washington Coast:

May 06, 2008

No report this week

Submitted by Ward Norden

 

Lake Washington:

May 06, 2008

We took Thursday off from the lake to do some personal "fun" fishing in Area 10 for lingcod. We took SU staffer Terry Weist's advice on riggings, locations and live bait fishing. We had a wonderful time, but could not connect on any lings, although the live bait fishing for sand dabs made up for it! These little fish are really fun to catch. Overall consensus seems that the lingcod fishery is off to a slower than normal start for many areas. On Sunday I fished the Lake WA with Chris Knight. I could not have asked for better company or weather. We had clear skies and zero wind. It actually felt like early summer. The water temps started out at 50 degrees in the morning and by afternoon we had 53 degrees surface temp. We ended up hooking several cutts (some long distance releases) and a small blackmouth (yes there are resident kings in Lk WA....but not legal to keep). All fish were caught on herring trolled 100ft behind the Scotty release clips and depths ranging from 25ft down to 50ft. While I certainly wouldn't characterize it as 'red hot', fishing for cutts has markedly improved over the past 2 weeks. More bait is starting to show as are the squawfish chasing them in the shallows. Bass continues to be slow with the spawn delayed perhaps by two weeks. Perch should be right behind them. Brian Lull Special Moments Guide Service www.specialmomentsguideservice.com

Lake Chelan:

May 06, 2008

What's hot is trolling for Lake Chelan kokanee and Rufus Woods triploids. Roses Lake continues to produce ten to fifteen inch rainbows. Lake Chelan's lake trout fishing has been inconsistent during this reporting period. Also on Lake Chelan, the season is open for landlocked Chinook.

For kokanee on Lake Chelan, fish Mack's Lures Kokanee Pro Wedding Rings behind a Hot wings. Bait each hook on the Kokanee Pro with a kernel or two of Pautzke's Fire Corn. Troll those at about 1.5 miles per hour from 12 to 35 feet deep over near Lakeside and Minneapolis Beach. Use a snubber and / or a very limber rod to minimize the loss of hooked fish. Some of these kokanee are a very chunky 14 inches. If the bite is hot, fish a Mack's Lures Imperial Spoon 2' behind a smile blade. That will let these little guys show off their acrobatic nature.

On Rufus fish #1/0 black wooly bugger flies behind an action disk by wiggle fin to consistently produce those triploided rainbows. Vary your speed and zig zag often to produce these mostly 2 to 5 pound fish.

On Roses Lake, fish rainbow power bait on a 30" leader with a slip sinker from a snugly anchored boat at either end of the lake.

On Chelan, troll F-7 luminous chartreuse flatfish for lakers in the trench at 1.6 mph. To target the Chinook I'd suggest Rushin Salmon Wobblers by Critter Gitter and whole herring behind a dodger. Remember the limit is one per day with a minimum size of 15 inches. Also, we have caught some Chinook on those F-7 flatfish.

The kids tip of the week is remember the shorter attention span of children. The rule of thumb is usually about one minute of focus per year of age. Have an alternative plan to occupy the small children when the fishing action is less than what you hoped for. Snacks, games and other activities help to make the overall experience positive. Also, it is time to break out the sunscreen. Don't let them fry in the first few sunny days of spring.

The safety tip of the week is to watch out for the slime on the launch ramp at Roses Lake. It is amazingly slick. It's never funny when you take the fall.

Pictured above on 5-2-08, Arny Forner of Manson and friend Edgar Schroeder of Renton with their nice half day bag of Mackinaw and Kokanee.

Pictured above on 5-4-08, Ray Kakinski of Snoqualimie with a 5lb 4 oz Rufus Rainbow. He fished with his son Andy.

For more info call Anton & Sandra Jones of Darrell & Dad's Family Guide Service; darrellanddads.com; antonj@aol.com or call (509)687-0709 or toll free at (866)360-1523

Moses Lake and the Potholes are setting right at 49 degrees with some warmer spots in shallow water areas. The Walleye bite is still on hold as are some of the Bass areas. If you're looking for some good Trout Areas try Warden lake, as there are some nice carry overs or you could move to the Quincy area as it seems to be warming a little faster with water temps running 53 to 56 degrees. I'm looking at about 2 more weeks till the good bite starts. We still need warmer water.

Special Moments Guide Service, Eastside - Curtis L Welch
call 509-764-2441 home or 425-830-4713 Cell
Westside - Brian Lull - 206-331-8719.

Ucluelet, BC:

May 06, 2008

No report this week

For more info, call Sam Vandervalk, 877-777-4344 Salmon Eye Fishing Charters www.salmoneye.net

May is now here and the first few months of fishing in Barkley Sound and Ucluelet have shown some promise. May is often termed as the true start to saltwater fishing in this area. Barkley Sound is located in a vast area just south of Ucluelet and north of Bamfield. Barkley Sound is situated in protected waters which cover 800 square kilometers and hundreds of islands. Most months of the year one can often easily fish these waters. Charter guide fishermen and sport anglers will often cruise into the protected and pristine waters of the Sound when a southeasterly is blowing on the open ocean.

May, June, and July are the months that many migrating salmon are making their way down the Vancouver Island coastline and enter into Barkley Sound to feed on the rich bait fish. Usually many of the local salmon fishing charter guides and sport fishermen will be fishing on the outer edge of the Sound known as the surf-line. Some of the years' best fishing can occur at Meares, Cree, Austin Island, and Edward King during this time. We are expecting some excellent Chinook and Coho fishing during the next several months. Predictions of mid-summer and late summer returns to the various spawning grounds down the coast are very favorable. Of course in August the return of the Robertson Creek Hatchery salmon and the Nitnat Hatchery salmon come into Barkley Sound also.

PORT ALBERNI INLET AND BARKLEY SOUND

There currently is not any fishing in the Port Alberni Inlet. Predictions for a lower than normal return of Sockeye Salmon (150,000) to the Somass River system means that a sport fishery in the Inlet will not begin until August. Returns of Chinook and Coho in August and September to the Robertson Creek Hatchery and the various tributary streams in the area are forecast to allow for some extremely good fishing. The Labor Day Weekend Salmon Fishing Derby should have excellent fishing opportunities for all anglers. The Port Alberni Inlet should have a very good return of five year old returning Chinook which means some very large salmon will be swimming the waters of the Inlet during the Derby. The Port Alberni salmon Derby dates are August 30th through September 1st.

Barkley Sound salmon fishing has been on the slow side over the past few days. Meares and Mayne Bay have produced some nice Ten to fifteen pound feeder Chinook. Watermelon and Cop Car Coyote spoons in the four inch variety have been working as have various colored hootchies in whites and blue-green. Forty-two to forty-four inch leader has been working behind either a green or red hotspot flasher. Many guests have been enjoying the prawn and crab catches on each day of our Barkley Sound trips. We are expecting the Barkley Sound Salmon fishing to really pickup in May as the migratory fish begin to make their way down the coast to their spawning grounds to the south.

UCLUELET (West Coast)

Like Barkley Sound the fishing in the waters close to Ucluelet has been on and off. We have already picked up our first few halibut of the year. Beginning May 1st we will begin fishing the big bank with salmon-halibut combo fishing. The largest recorded fish to date is thirty pounds which was picked up by some very excited guests who were fishing with guide Kevin. Guide Mike has been fishing fairly close to the Ucluelet Harbor and has had some great days near the light house, Sail Rock, and Beg Island. Just a few miles out Mike has been doing well on halibut up to 25 pounds. The salmon which are weighing up to fifteen pounds have been best in 100 feet of water and have been hitting brass spoons with five feet of leader either with a flasher or without. The watermelon and copcar coyote spoon have also been reasonably good.

Pictured above, the Thompson family from Alberta, who experienced a great Seafood Safari Day. The halibut, rockfish and salmon were caught a few miles out from Ucluelet. The prawns and Crab were picked up in Barkley Sound close to Mayne Bay. Their guide was Mike Marriott.

Included in our spring fishing packages is the Seafood Safari. We have had tremendous success with prawn and crab fishing. The rock fish and ling cod fishing has also really picked up. The days in May will become wonderfully warmer and longer and the Seafood safari is a great opportunity to fish in Barkley Sound for shellfish and the open Pacific for halibut and salmon.

We are looking for some good sized halibut in May. Last year we had a few halibut over 100 pounds which guide Mike picked up at the area close to Sail Rock with guests. May and June should also produce some good sized Chinook migrating down the coast.

SOMASS-STAMP RIVER SYSTEM

We have now finished the Winter Steelhead fishery in the Stamp. The last few weeks saw some very good fishing in both the upper and lower river. We are now organizing for the fall Coho-Chinook and summer Steelhead fishery. This is a great fishing opportunity for those keen anglers who prefer guided or non guided freshwater fishing aboard drift and jet-boats. For those keen fly-fishing enthusiasts, this again is a remarkable fishing adventure.

Pictured above, guide Rollie with guest Alex who was fishing with dad Glen (who is not in picture). This was Alexs' first ever winter steelhead. Alex is from Saskatchewan. The steelhead was picked up on the Stamp River close to Port Alberni B.C.

For more info, call Doug Lindores at Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing (250)724-2502 Cell (250) 731 7389 www.catchsalmon.ca or or www.catchsalmon-ca.com; dlindy@shaw.ca

Quatsino Sound/Winter Harbour:

May 06, 2008

No report this week

For more info call Greg Vance, The Outpost at Winter Harbour, Guided Charters and Accommodations  www.winterharbour.ca  winterharbour@telus.net   250-969-4333

Vancouver Island Overview

Fishing remained SPOTTY overall for winter springs. Halibut fishing was GOOD and anglers have been getting fish up to 87 lbs!

www.fishingvictoria.com

Sooke, BC:

May 06, 2008

Salmon - Salmon fishing was SPOTTY for winter springs, but very few anglers were out fishing. Most boats caught a spring or two, with some of the fish falling within the slot size for retention. The best depths have been from 115 to 150 feet. There are larger fish west of Sheringham Point for those anglers willing to travel a long distance. The best plastic baits to try are the Tiger Prawn, Glo Below or White hootchies or squirts. The best flashers have been the Silver/Green and the Jellyfish. With spoons try Army Truck, Mongoose or a Green/Glow color combinations with 4", Gypsies, Titans and Coyotes. Anchovies are still catching fish and for teaser heads try Rhys Davis Anchovy Specials or JDF Teasers in Army Truck or Purple Haze.

Halibut -Halibut fishing was GOOD near Jordon River with a half dozen fish in the 40 to 50 lb range weighed in this past week. Extra Large herring and/or Octopus are the most popular baits and are usually fished off spreader bars. However, if the dogfish become a nuisance, you can use Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or the Glow in the Dark bullet Jigs.

Becher Bay

Salmon fishing was SLOW this past week, but hardly anybody was out all week. The Bedford Islands was the best spot with several springs in the 4 to 7 lb size caught there recently. The fish have been close to the bottom in around 115 of water. There are a few bigger fish, the one's that have to be released Beechy Head. Anchovy and herring are the popular baits these days for winter springs. Purple Haze gear (flashers, teaser heads, squirts and hootchies) has been producing well recently and would be a good bet. If you fish spoons, try Mongoose or Green/Glow color patterns. In plastic baits, Purple Haze and White hootchies have been effective. The Cricket squirt has also been good. The most productive flasher was the Purple Haze.

 Pedder Bay

Salmon - Salmon fishing was SPOTTY this past weekend. We've only heard of a few springs being caught in the bay, the largest weighing 9 lbs. But again, very few people went out. Anglers trolling bait should use small to medium anchovy or herring in Purple Haze or Glow teaser heads. The best flashers have been the Purple Haze and the Jellyfish. If you prefer to fish artificial bait, give Mongoose, Green/Glow or Army Truck 4" or 5" Coyote, Gypsies or Titan spoons a try. For plastic baits, Cricket, Purple Haze or White hootchies and squirts are good for springs.

HALIBUT -Halibut fishing was GOOD this past weekend. Halibut weighed in this week were 87, 65, 53, 51, 44, 26 and 24 lbs in size. Laurie Spears weighed in an 87 and a 53 lb halibut this past week. Dan Hamill brought in a 65 pound halibut off Border Bank was using a Pink Lucky Jig. Fish have been caught in the Race Rocks area and near William Head as well. Large herring and/or Octopus are the most popular baits and are usually fished off spreader bars. However, if the dogfish become a nuisance, you can use Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or the Glow in the Dark bullet Jigs.

Victoria/Sydney, BC:

May 06, 2008

Victoria Waterfront

Salmon - Salmon fishing was SPOTTY this past week. Anglers reported that the springs were scattered from Albert Head to Trial Island, and not really concentrated anywhere. There have been a few hatchery springs up to 12 lbs caught, besides the smaller slot limit size. In all areas the springs have been close to the bottom. Anchovies or herring strip have been the most productive baits. Good flashers have been the Red/Glow and the Purple/Glow Hot Spots and Oki's. Plastic baits such as Cricket, Tiger Prawn or Purple Haze squirts fished behind White Glow or Purple Haze flashers have been catching fish too, especially if the fish are deep. Spoons have been very effective at times and the Cop Car, Green/Glow and Mongoose patterns have been the best.

HALIBUT - Constance Bank and Albert Head were GOOD for halibut this past week. We've heard of lots of hali's up to 50 lbs coming from the bank at slack tide. Extra Large herring and/or Octopus are the most popular baits and are usually fished off spreader bars. However, if the dogfish become a nuisance, you can use Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or the Glow in the Dark bullet Jigs.

 Oak Bay

Salmon -Fishing was SPOTTY this past week. The best depths to fish have been from 100 to 115 feet and you should fish close to bottom around the ledges and reefs. If you use bait, try small anchovies in Glow teaser heads. Also effective are squirts in Tiger Prawn J-79, Cricket or Purple Haze colors. Smaller Spoons such as 3.5" or 4" Watermelon and Cop Car Coyote spoons are always a favorite in Oak Bay at this time of year.

HALIBUT -Halibut fishing was GOOD this past week. Quite a few halibut up to 55 lbs were taken there in the past week. Extra Large herring and/or Octopus are the most popular baits and are usually fished off spreader bars. However, if the dogfish become a nuisance, you can use Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or the Glow in the Dark bullet Jigs.

Sidney

Fishing was NOT BAD near Sidney. There were 82 salmon weighed in during the Port of Sidney Marina Derby this past Friday and Saturday. Eighty six boats fished in the derby and fish were caught near Wain Rock, Coal Island, Moses Point, Fairfax Point and near Hambley Point. It was quite slow in the Sidney Channel and down near the Powder Wharf. First place went to Rob Nau for a 30.5 lb spring caught near Arbutus Rock on cut plug herring. Rob won $18,000 in prize money and side bets. Second place and $2,500 went to Bruno Bauer for a 21 lb spring. Third place went and $1,000 to Mark Schinman for a 20.2 lb spring.

Port Renfrew

Updates for this area, as well as current statistics, can be found at http://www.portrenfrewmarina.com/.

NOTABLE CATCHES

Laurie Spears weighed in an 87 and a 53 lb halibut this past week. Dan Hamill brought in a 65 pound halibut off Border Bank was using a Pink Lucky Jig. First place went to Rob Nau for a 30.5 lb spring caught near Arbutus Rock on cut plug herring. Rob won $18,000 in prize money and side bets. Second place and $2,500 went to Bruno Bauer for a 21 lb spring. Third place went and $1,000 to Mark Schinman for a 20.2 lb spring.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Double up for halibut! When you bait up a herring for halibut, add a small piece of octopus to the trailing hook. That way, if a halibut steals your herring, you can leave the bait down and get the fish when it comes back for the octopus a few minutes later.

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

BRITISH COLUMBIA – FRESH WATER REPORTS

OVERVIEW -Trout fishing is GOOD and bass fishing is PICKING UP, on the local lakes. Please remember that bass are closed for retention on all southern island lakes through June 15th.

Cowichan River -Water levels are around 0.55 meters near Lake Cowichan and there have been lots of insect hatches on the river. Anglers have beeen catching both brown and rainbow trout when fishing the river. Bead head nymphs, salmon fry and egg patterns are the best wet flies to use now. However, there have been some real big hatches on the river and dry flies are also catching some fish. The best dries have been Goddard caddis and various Mayfly patterns. Mid day is also the best time to fish the river.

Local Lakes

Trout fishing is GOOD on most lakes in the south island. The water temperature is warming, there's increased insect activity and the fish are more active. Anglers fishing Powerbait from shore have consistently been catching some nice rainbows. Pink Powerbait Eggs with Shrimp scent has been the hot bait recently. Elk Lake has been slow for 2 to 3 lb rainbows, but Langford and Prospect have been good. Some fly anglers are reporting good success with chironomids. Other fly anglers are fishing with the old standbys: Micro-Leeches, Wooly Buggers, Careys and Doc Spratleys, but mayfly and caddis nymph patterns such as Pheasant Tails, Halfbacks and Gold Ribbed Hare's Ears are also good to try. Gear fishermen have been doing well trolling Luhr Jensen Needlefish spoons in a variety of colours or Tomic Wee-Tads in frog or rainbow patterns. Flatfish and/or Kwikfish have also been effective in sizes 7 and smaller in Frog, Yellow with Red Spots or Blue/Silver. Smaller Rapalas in Rainbow Trout or Brown Trout also work well, as long as they get down deep enough. Also, Willow Leaf Lake trolls with a worm-tipped GIBBS Wedding Band will almost always catch some fish. By the way, all wild rainbows and cutthroats over 50 cm must be released at Cowichan Lake.

Bass Fishing

Bass fishing has been PICKING UP as the water temperature is slowly warming. The bass are starting to move into a little shallower water prior to spawning. By dragging a tube, soft plastic or grub you can find some more active, feeding fish in 12'-15' of water. Look for transition spots like humps or drop-offs that border good spawning areas. This is your chance to catch some of your biggest fish! Shawnigan Lake, Prospect Lake and Elk and Beaver Lakes have been the best spots for bass. St, Mary's Lake on Saltspring Island would be another good spot to try.

Please remember that bass are closed for retention on all southern island lakes through June 15th.

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

Fraser River System

May 06, 2008

No report this week

See Steelhead University

Tracey John Hittel
Kitimat BC Canada
250 632-9880
250 639-4277

thittel@uniserve.com

OREGON

  North Oregon Coast

May 06, 2008

No report this week

ALASKA

Alaska in a Weekend

Ever wonder what to do on the weekend? Sure it's easy to mow the lawn or go wash the car or even tackle that "honey do" list. But, have you ever thought of fishing in Alaska for the weekend? It's not impossible and even easier than you think if you plan your weekend to Wrangell, Alaska. Just a few hours from Sea-tac airport and you can be fishing for some of the most sought after sport fish in Alaska. Wrangell is an island conveniently located between Ketchikan and Juneau in the famous pristine waters of the Inside Passage. These calm protected waters offer world class fishing only minutes from town. No crowds, no seasickness, good bag limits and incredible scenery make Wrangell very desirable to anglers looking for something different in experience and attitude, but don't limit yourself to just a weekend. Once you have fished Wrangell and experienced the feeling of this small fishing community, you'll want to stay as long as you can.

In May and June you'll find yourself targeting King Salmon that are returning to the mighty Stikine River to spawn in a freshwater tributary up river or you might get into some Kings heading back to Anita Bay roughly 8 miles from town. Whether you land a wild Stikine River King or net an Anita Bay hatchery King, you soon realize that the two King runs make for some awesome fishing action. One big attraction to Wrangell during our King Salmon season is the annual Wrangell King Salmon Derby which usually begins around the second Saturday of May and runs to the second Sunday of June. This is a great time to be in Wrangell and experience the local "competitive spirit" that hovers over the town until that last King is weighed in and the prizes are handed out. Wrangell has a great derby which pays out well over 50 places however; the $6,500.00 first place prize is always the derby favorite. You should come up and give it a try, not a bad way to pay for your fishing adventure now is it?

Now if Silvers and Halibut are on your top ten list, then you'll want to plan on visiting Wrangell in late July thru August and into early September. The later you wait in the summer the better especially, for Silvers because they are packing on lot of body weight and increasing in numbers. It is not uncommon to land Silvers in the 16 to 20 pound range. The biggest Silver landed on my boat so far was 32" and just under 20 pounds. What an awesome fish! Double and triple headers are not uncommon when you are on these fish.

If you are in the mood for some Halibut and don't want to reel them up from Davey Jones' locker, then try Wrangell on for size. Most of my Halibut caught last year were in less than 100 feet of water. No joke. While you can fish for Halibut here early in the season, you may want to wait until later in the summer for these flat fish and be sure to ask for small tides. I always try to book my clients on the smaller tides of the month for Halibut, that way you aren't fighting a big moving tide that wants to sweep your bait off the bottom and away from that barn door.

As you can see, Wrangell has a lot to offer an angler not just in terms of quantity and quality of the fish you can catch here, but also the overall experience of fishing. You won't find any crowds here on the water or in the streets, no large cruise ships in front of town, no long boat rides to the fishing grounds and seasickness is not an issue. If you find yourself on the "Timber Wolf" you'll be amongst friends in a low key no stress environment. Whether you are a novice or experienced angler, a family with children or just out to relax, it doesn't matter, because I promote a good time while you fish and not a high stress "can't make a mistake" environment that you will hate for days to come. That's not fishing, that's work!

If you are truly interested in a fishing trip to Wrangell Alaska then let me help build a custom itinerary or package for you or your group. It can be a very simple fishing trip or an all inclusive adventure package that includes all the luxuries you'd expect to find from a first rate, professional guide service.

New for 2008 is the custom built all aluminum "Timber Wolf" by Svendsen Marine Works in Wrangell. At a healthy 35' and beamy 11', this boat is outfitted with the latest Furuno fish finding equipment, Scotty electric downriggers and unmatched fishing tackle at your fingertips. With a large walk in heated cabin, onboard head, microwave, refrigerator, bench seating for 6, twin forward bunks and most importantly, a coffee maker on board! Powered by twin Mercury 250 hp Verado outboards, your ride to the fishing grounds will be over before you know it.

Pictured above, Guide John Yeager with an August - 18 pound Silver caught with an Ace Hi Fly.

Pictured above, Timber Wolf client John Wolvin with his Wrangell King Salmon.

Pictured above, one happy lady with her Wrangell Halibut.

Submitted by John Yeager, Timber Wolf Charters, 1-888-993-2750, www.timberwolfcharters.com

 Great Lakes

May 06, 2008

Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We had our best action working 30 to 50 feet of water outside the break wall between the main gap to the north gap and off St. Mary's Hospital. We also fished the temp breaks in front of the harbor gaps and marked fish at all depths with good success. Church Mini planer boards and Vulcan regular size OL Sherbet spoons with a 3/8-ounce bead chain sinker running 8 feet ahead of the lure produced very well for Brown Trout. Downriggers with magnum spoons worked great for us running 60 feet behind the balls 8-28 feet down. The Reaper Magnum Peacock and Magnum Fish n Chip were the big guns for Lake Trout. Our best boat speed was 2.2 mph. We ran Slide Divers they took their share of fish with 30 to 50 feet of line out set to number two. We did pick up five Chinooks on magnum spoons on Saturday but none on Sunday or Monday. A class of four inch Alewives is now showing up in the stomachs of the fish. With the Alewives coming in we should see increased action on the Chinook soon. We had our first Coho of the season on Monday.

Submitted by Capt. Jim Hirt (Jim charters out of Milwaukee, WI) 414-828-1094 www.bluemaxcharters.com