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Author Topic: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates  (Read 87616 times)

Blood_Orange

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #120 on: September 12, 2015, 07:34:19 PM »

Thanks for the reminder Rod!
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leadbelly

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #121 on: September 12, 2015, 07:49:02 PM »

Hit the low incoming around 5 , got three and a hand full of bites, saw nothing else caught

funny after the 1st two people nearby both ran and put jigs on, although briefly
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Rodney

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #122 on: September 12, 2015, 10:30:43 PM »

IMO, most people are focusing too much on looking for surface activities, worrying about commercial fishery impacts. Instead more emphasis should be placed on what you are using, how you are using it, and why it is not working at the time and location you've chosen.

I don't get to fish during the pink salmon season as often as I would like anymore, but the few times we got out, we have gotten fish pretty much every time except one. This includes the times when no one else was getting anything and no fish could be spotted on the surface. Ten or fifteen years ago I was able to fish everyday in September during odd years, sometimes working through every tide. I feel because of that, I have been able to figure out when and where fish should be travelling through, and go with full confidence that we'll get fish. Even though the run has been downgraded from 15 million to 6 million fish, with 2 million fish still to come from the ocean, that is still a lot of fish to target! More often than not fish are still moving through when they are not showing themselves on the surface. In fact, I've probably caught more fish when they are not showing than when they are.

This morning was a good example of why paying attention is so important. We arrived late at Mastqui Trail Regional Park, at when the tide was almost peaking. The beach directly in front of the parking lot was packed. While the odd fish were caught, it was pretty quiet overall. Just about everyone waded out to their waist, which is probably worst thing you can do when targeting pink salmon since they are shallow travellers. I can understand why fly fishers need to, for more back casting space, but there really is no need to go that far out if you are chucking spoon with a long rod.

We decided to walk further down the river to where there were only one or two more people below us. The odd fish could be seen showing their back around 40 feet from shore, roughly the same distance where most were standing further up. As the fish travelled up, they suddenly had to change path and moved much further out. Most were probably too busy moving and avoiding human obstacles than paying attention to the lures and flies.

We stood on the beach most of the time when we fished. My dad managed to hook four during the two hours and missed quite a few others due to the light takes, they were all caught in that travelling lane. Fish were still showing up and moving out as they went upstream when we had to leave.





Flytech

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #123 on: September 13, 2015, 06:41:27 AM »

IMO, most people are focusing too much on looking for surface activities, worrying about commercial fishery impacts. Instead more emphasis should be placed on what you are using, how you are using it, and why it is not working at the time and location you've chosen.


Amen Rod!

Scooterguy

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #124 on: September 13, 2015, 10:52:22 AM »

Even though the run has been downgraded from 15 million to 6 million fish, with 2 million fish still to come from the ocean, that is still a lot of fish to target!

Not to mention no more blackberries at 5 rd. it is down from hundreds to tens :-[ My daughter saw nothing on surface. very disappointing year for her as well. :'(

just wondering what the anglers did when they caught nothing :o.

Lol

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bbwong

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #125 on: September 13, 2015, 11:14:35 AM »

People will wade to their head if they have swimming goggles. ;D ;D
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kevzabob

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #126 on: September 13, 2015, 11:22:25 AM »

People will wade to their head if they have swimming goggles. ;D ;D
I agree was out at Langley Duncan bar at first light which was fine. But as more and more people arrived I noticed that most looked like they were trying to wade out to where the seals were. Not to mention the boats come out and Anchor 20 ft off shore and start casting towards your spot. I don't blame the fish for zipping up and running for their natal streams.
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Sandman

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #127 on: September 13, 2015, 07:35:17 PM »

I don't blame the fish for zipping up and running for their natal streams.

And zipping and running they are.  Here are a few of the many bright fish I hooked at the Harrison River mouth, where I headed after hearing 4.5 million fish had already past mission.  Even the males had hardly a hump.





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Tangles

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #128 on: September 13, 2015, 09:35:06 PM »

Hi Rod and thank you for the good report. I agree on all points you make 100% and I also had my fair share on Fraser pinks so no complaints there but it still doesn't change the fact that this year's cycle is nothing like the 2013 one. Numbers from test fisheries are in line with the 6mil forecast hence the much lower catch rate, it just isn't anything close to 2013. I even think (my own speculation) that the catch rate is much lower than 1/4 of 2013's if we say that the run numbers are 4 times lower, because these fish now are using different travel lanes thus often out of reach.
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bbronswyk2000

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #129 on: September 13, 2015, 09:43:30 PM »

I find them running in the same path they used in the last few cycles. Just fewer fish. I have caught a good number of them. I am glad they will be opening the tributaries though as it will be nice to get out for a few hours when time allows and not have to even worry about seeing other people.
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Rodney

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #130 on: September 14, 2015, 11:48:15 AM »

Just uploaded two fly pattern videos for pink salmon onto our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMEfoo8Hjz8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfGwNtpYKQo

Thanks to Todd at Fred's Custom Tackle for doing this.

juno

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #131 on: September 14, 2015, 09:32:09 PM »

was  at hope 2 days ago, lots of fish surfacing, a big male broke me off my lure, fly  fishers next to me were getting  some. Way better than in the south part of the fraser river.  going to the lake fishing next. maybe hit Hope  again on the way back
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Fillibert

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #132 on: September 15, 2015, 02:49:54 PM »

How come with all these fishermen on the banks there are not any bycatches. You'd think pike minnows and some trout would be hooked as well. But all I get is sardine sized fish bumping my lure
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DanL

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #133 on: September 15, 2015, 03:12:49 PM »

Was out for a few hours Sunday on the rising tide in the lower. Only saw a few other people out but managed to land one and saw another caught.

Another thing I noticed was that the water clarity seems to be quite a bit better this year. Probably 2 ft visibility. And very little debris, ideal conditions really.
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Flytech

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Re: 2015 Lower Fraser River Pink Salmon Fishery Information & Updates
« Reply #134 on: September 15, 2015, 03:25:44 PM »

How come with all these fishermen on the banks there are not any bycatches. You'd think pike minnows and some trout would be hooked as well. But all I get is sardine sized fish bumping my lure


A guy I was fishing beside caught two hatch steelie smolts on Thursday. Watched a kid pull in two large pike minnow yesterday.