So far most have been giving information on pink fishing in the freshwater. I would only focus the effort on saltwater pinks as they are strong, fresh, very willing to bite and excellent for eating.
Peak time in tidal Fraser starts from around September 5th (Richmond... so maybe September 6th in Langley. No kidding, I fish for pinks hard starting late August and the last three seasons September 5th is always the first day I bump into them in Richmond, Delta, New West).
For the spinning setup: Rod, I would go with something that is rated between 4 and 10lb test. The spinning reel, get a Shimano in the 2500 or 3500 series. Don't get a rear drag one, a front drag will still be intact after 200 fish in two weeks.
My recommendation: Shimano Sonora 2500FA. Line should be Maxima Ultragreen 8lb test, strong yet light enough and handle abrasion pretty well. Lighter setup is fine too, but I find it puts too much stress on the gear (especially expensive light setups...) after so many fish.
Lures: Anything works really. Gibbs 1/4 or 1/8 Crocs in pink, green, orange, yellow, red... Spinners, Blue Fox if you want to spend the big bucks. My spoons if you want to go cheap.
FA's Zinger sounds good too, exccept he fishes differently to the rest of spin guys. He casts with his baitcasting setup and jigs it back. It works well if the fish are really far out as he can cast further than others with the solid lure. Most of the time is unnecessary, as fish are 20, 30 feet from shore.
Technique: Cast and retrieve. The lure does not necessarily have to be on the bottom. Many times the pinks will "nibble" on the lure as the fish follows it back to shore. When nibbles take place, continue to reel in and most of the time a solid strike will take place soon after. Don't lift your lure out of the water too soon as many times the fish will strike right by your feet.
Two hours before incoming tide to peak tide is prime time, but there are excepetions. Many times I find they will actually sneak in the river when the water is at its lowest.
Locations: Not sure about Langley, but they should be passing through Derby Reach too. In Richmond, Delta, Surrey etc, anywhere along River Road will produce fish. Don't fish areas where strong current exists. Find spots where the water is sluggish right by the main channel.
For freshwater, drifting a pink worm under the float in main flow will get you into many fish. For the Fraser, if you find some sluggish water, chuck a spoon or a pink marabou jig and be prepare to get a pair of sore arms. To avoid pinks when fishing for coho in the Vedder, simply fish shallower with bait.
For eating, ocean fresh fish are fantastic for the BBQ. I would think they are good when smoked too. I don't bother with any freshwater pinks, saving my quota for the hatchery coho if I am going that far.
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Topic: next years pinks... (Read 18906 times)