Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Silver on October 09, 2014, 09:55:11 PM

Title: White springs in Fraser
Post by: Silver on October 09, 2014, 09:55:11 PM
Do the majority of the late spring salmon migrate to the Harrison river? 

Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: Magz on October 10, 2014, 12:02:44 AM
Harrison and vedder have fall white spring returns.
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: Silver on October 10, 2014, 12:30:52 AM
Harrison and vedder have fall white spring returns.

So I take it that my attempts to fish the Fraser above the Harrison mouth is pointless?
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: BCfisherman97 on October 10, 2014, 12:39:40 AM
Whites go up the Thompson too
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: Silver on October 10, 2014, 01:08:48 AM
For bar fishing from shore. Would the areas between mission and the Vedder be best?
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 10, 2014, 01:54:39 PM
Have you tried Derby Reach? It used to be a great bar fishing spot from what I could remember. I haven't bar fished in years so I can't really say for sure. I can't think of anywhere else off hand except maybe around Island 22 but I know the farmers closed all the roads there because people were polluting up the area's and vandalising.
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: Silver on October 10, 2014, 03:08:19 PM
Have you tried Derby Reach? It used to be a great bar fishing spot from what I could remember. I haven't bar fished in years so I can't really say for sure. I can't think of anywhere else off hand except maybe around Island 22 but I know the farmers closed all the roads there because people were polluting up the area's and vandalising.

Thanks for the advise. No, I have not tried these spots...but Derby Reach, Cattermole, and Barrowtown are locations that I am going to try next.
Nice to hear an association to a spot I have yet to try as I only have read limited info on these spots, as a result of my searching efforts.
A little help can help tremendously,  I wasted a whole Saturday last week because I was too far up river.
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: firstlight on October 10, 2014, 03:34:31 PM
There is definitely a good portion of Whites go up the Harrison.
Is a good portion of Coho too.
Personally I wouldn't fish it above the Harrison but that's just me.
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 10, 2014, 03:41:40 PM
Yeah, unless you are a nature nut and can be entertained. It can be pretty troubling when you fork over cash for gas and what not for not much of anything.

Derby Reach was always a fun place to go, you used to be able to camp right by the river too.
Peg Leg is good too if you got a quad, rip up to the far end of towards harrison mouth is a nice spot you can walk it as well but its not much of a fun hike, waters nice and slow there though you can almost do the tradition float fishing like you'd do for trout as a kid on a small lake. Might be to slow for bar fishing, mind you when I think of bar fishing, I always uses roe + spin 'n glos lol. so you always needed good flow to keep the glo up and spinning.  :o
Deroche used to be great but again the general public farmers to blocked off a lot of the trails for similar reasons to Island 22, fishermen not respecting the property or the reserve.

Grassy Bar, I don't know if there is much fishing to be had there but it might be worth looking at its, kinda troubling though because its rather close to the Eco reserve, so I don't know if you can even access it.
Otherwise all thats left up in that area is Queens Island and Wellington Bars and right in the middle is the Island 22 Boat launch.
You may consider trying;

Brownsville bar (off scott road)
Coquitlam River bar (Under the Port Mann)
Two bit bar (Not sure exactly where but its in the Fort Langley area)
Mission Bridge
Pitt River

But be careful some of these locations require  a tidal license


Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: Fish Assassin on October 10, 2014, 04:06:40 PM
Derby Reach or Edgewater Bar used to be a favourite destination for company fishing derbies.
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: RalphH on October 11, 2014, 04:28:10 PM
the Harrison has by far, the largest natural run of Chinook in the Fraser system. They are also all white springs though red springs do travel through to systems above Harrison Lake. White springs in the Vedder-Chilliwack were transplanted from Harrison stock as are many other the LMR and FVR.
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: Silver on October 13, 2014, 09:13:33 PM
I focused on a few areas above mission bridge...as I am geared for the faster current.

I went to island 22 (first time) and was discouraged to pay and walk past the gate to see the fishing bar...the pay station guide said fishing was poor and didn't think anyone was bar fishing?

Gill road bar was completely dead with only a handful of campers.

I was told that you can bar rig in the Vedder canal...went and found it extremely low, silty, and with no current.

Total waste of time today...

I don't want to give up for the season. do I need to focus only on the lower river as previously suggested, and I take it I will need the lighter bar rig gear? This is why I did not go to Derby or any location lower than Mission.
Aren't the lower areas less productive because the river is wider?
Are the springs done for the season?
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: colin6101 on October 13, 2014, 09:43:48 PM
Most of the people I have met who are bar fishing the vedder canal are chucking roe out on the bottom. At times this can be very productive and not much current is needed at all.
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 13, 2014, 10:00:11 PM
Springs shouldn't be a good while yet, usually they run right up to November but they start to thin out, I've heard of people catching in early December. I can confirm november for in the vedder, last year during November long weekend (US thanksgiving) we watched a couple springs get hooked up one by my aunt and two by a father son out of towners. This was at the camp run I think, I am more of a GCS person (ugh Geocaching was a horrible summer addiction)

I am assuming when you say fast current, you are using a 16-20oz weight?
I wanted to pick up bar fishing again myself but my reel is MIA and not sure my little bait caster would do much. Anyway, I think that would be  mostly fine for places like port mann or maybe around annacis island? Might have to go a little lighter but near as I can tell it looks pretty fast.

Also there was a post not long ago mentioning that fish are actually found reasonably close to shore. So I don't think width is going to be to much of an issue. Or I hope, Like I said I haven't done it in awhile I am just going on what I can remember so hopefully something in this rambling will be useful, Lol.

I wonder if you couldn't just float fish that part of the Canal you were at with roe dragging bottom? Like the old tried and true worm/float we all did as kids for trout, haha.
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: Silver on October 13, 2014, 10:20:36 PM
Springs shouldn't be a good while yet, usually they run right up to November but they start to thin out, I've heard of people catching in early December. I can confirm November for in the vedder, last year during November long weekend (US thanksgiving) we watched a couple springs get hooked up one by my aunt and two by a father son out of towners. This was at the camp run I think, I am more of a GCS person (ugh Geocaching was a horrible summer addiction)

I am assuming when you say fast current, you are using a 16-20oz weight?
I wanted to pick up bar fishing again myself but my reel is MIA and not sure my little bait caster would do much. Anyway, I think that would be  mostly fine for places like port mann or maybe around annacis island? Might have to go a little lighter but near as I can tell it looks pretty fast.

Also there was a post not long ago mentioning that fish are actually found reasonably close to shore. So I don't think width is going to be to much of an issue. Or I hope, Like I said I haven't done it in awhile I am just going on what I can remember so hopefully something in this rambling will be useful, Lol.

I wonder if you couldn't just float fish that part of the Canal you were at with roe dragging bottom? Like the old tried and true worm/float we all did as kids for trout, haha.

Yes, I'm set up exactly like the instructional video...large spin & glows, heavy weights, oversize hooks and rig, etc.

I was looking forward to success with all of this heavy stuff...all sockeye season and up until now I have yet to see anyone bar fishing in the upper Fraser bars from shore.
I'm sure it's because I'm in the wrong spots at the wrong times...

Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: A Frayed Knot on October 13, 2014, 10:59:37 PM
I don't think thats it, I think the gillnet fisheries and all the pressure on the fraser if anything has spooked everything, the rain we have been getting off and on and especially this past weekend, has probably contributed greatly to fish just going hard to spawn. Water levels are a double edges sword, to low, they hold a lot and usually aren't much for biting. Heavy rain usually means, the levels are nice and high so they push hard to get to the smaller streams and rivers, its like the green light at a drag race. Haha.

I can't say for sure but thats my best guess. We used to camp for a weekend bar fishing, it was very hit or miss even at island 22, and we'd boat from the launch across and I remember it being kinda slow, its kind of the nature of bar fishing sort of like trolling you have to be completely distracted for it to work well, its a huge waiting game. All in all, even when we went for the overnight or weekend long trips, it was a rough go as well.

I hope this video will help ease the pain. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4EYAbI73hw
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: RalphH on October 14, 2014, 06:14:12 AM
there will be few if any springs now above the mouth of the Harrison.Gill Road is beyond that. In my experience on both the Harrison and Vedder it tails off rapidly in the last half of October most years. Some years there is a push of fish in late October or early November.
Title: Re: White springs in Fraser
Post by: Silver on October 14, 2014, 11:53:51 AM
there will be few if any springs now above the mouth of the Harrison.Gill Road is beyond that. In my experience on both the Harrison and Vedder it tails off rapidly in the last half of October most years. Some years there is a push of fish in late October or early November.

Does this mean that the Springs are done, or that just above the Harrison?
I really want to have one last Hurrah on the upper river, with the use of my big river tackle.
I will soon go to Barry's and get geared for the lower...but hopefully not until I catch a spring with my current set up's...is my quest fruitless without a boat?