By Rodney Hsu

On a sunny September morning, I arrived at a stretch of Lower Fraser River. The tide had just peaked and the current was just perfect. Holding onto my light spinning rod, I stood on the rocks and glanced at the water surface. One, two, three, four.... I could see dorsal fins rising above the surface one after another one and each rise was making my heart beat faster. With the excitement surrounding me, I quickly tie on one of my favorite lures and cast 30 meters out, beyond the school of salmon. As the lure landed on the surface, I let it sank for a few seconds and started retrieving it in slowly. My hands were trembling, knowing the strike was only seconds away. Finally the lure passed through the school, and I could feel the explosion on the other end of the line. The tip of my rod received a huge tap and I immediately set the hook hard. The rod was bending to its maximum, and the fish kicked a few times. Once it realized it was hooked, it started to peel the line off my spinning reel. The sound of the drag broke the morning silence. "Fish on!", I yelled as the beautiful silver pink salmon leaped into the air at the end of my line.

That was the scene back in 1997. I recall that I would hook up to 40 pink salmon during each fishing outings to the Fraser River. The pink salmon is one of the five pacific salmon species that can be found in the Northwest. It's the smallest species, yet it is powerful, easy to catch and incredibly abundant when present. During the pink salmon season, anglers from the young to the old are able to enjoy the thrill of hooking large fish on light tackle. It's a fantastic fish to catch for the novice fishers and children who are constantly looking for exciting actions. Timing is everything if you are after pinks. If timing is right, then most likely you'll catch just as many fish as all the other anglers. If timing is wrong, then it would be pointless to stare at the water. There are also a few tricks to maximize the number of your hookups.

Odd and even

The lifecycle of a pink salmon is two years, a prime factor for its small size. Every August and September, adult pinks will make their way back into their homing streams. In most BC rivers, the pink runs fluctuates between even and odd years. Rivers in the southern regions such as the Fraser River, Indian River, Seymour River, Squamish River and Harrison River have an incredibly strong run during the odd years, while the run is very weak in even years. Rivers in the northern regions have an opposite cycle. The Oyster River on Vancouver Island has its peak runs in even years. Some rivers such as Campbell River have good runs in both odd and even years.

Lure selection

As mentioned earlier in this article, pinks will not hesitate to take any lures. However, some lures do work much better than others. Next time when you go into your favorite tackle shops, look for Gibbs Croc, Koho, Gypsy, Kit-A-Mat spoons, Deadly Dick, Apex and Buzz Bombs. Colours that you should be using are pink, red, orange and green. I have tried out all colours, and all of them work pretty well. If the pinks can see it, then they will bite it. In 1995, I was using a silver croc spoon in the Fraser River and I still had many hookups even though the water was seemingly dirty. Jigging with pink worms and bottom bouncing with wool are also very effective.

Hot pink spots

Hot pink spots are only hot when the pinks are there. For 2001, some of the spots that you may want to check out in the Lower Mainland include the mouth of Seymour River, Lower Fraser River (Garry Point Park, No. 3 Road pier Richmond, North Arm River Road, Alex Fraser Bridge Delta side, Coquitlam River mouth, Chilliwack River, Stave River, Harrison River mouth), Lower Squamish River and Indian River. Between mid August and mid September is the window of opportunity. In tidal areas, high tide is best. Please note: There are possible salmon closures in the Fraser River during September and October so make sure you check your registration guide before heading out.

My personal choice

Being a resident of Richmond, my favorite spots for pink salmon is the Lower Fraser River. Most fishing locations can be reached within minutes of drive, and you do not need waders or a boat to catch them. When fishing in the Lower Fraser, my favorite set up is a light spinning rod (4 to 6lb), a small to medium spinning reel or baitcaster reel that is fitted with 6 to 8lb test line. My choice of lure is Gibbs croc spoon, as its shape and size works quite well in the tidal current. The specific type of croc that I enjoy to use is a 1/4 to 3/8 ounce fire orange/clear crystal. The clear crystal plate makes the orange spoon stands out in the silty water. For more information about Gibbs croc spoons, check out their website!

When I first began fishing in British Columbia, pinks are the first "large" fish that I encountered. After catching all the other species of pacific salmon and other larger fish species, the pink salmon is still one of my favorites. Trust me, once you catch one, you'll be hooked too!