Sea-Run’s Weekend Fishing Report – December 30th, 2017
With 2017 nearing the end, and 2018 closing in on us, there are so many exciting opportunities ahead of us in the fishing world.
The snow is falling, the rain is freezing, and the outdoors are more interesting than ever. The start of the New Year always gives Winter anglers the goosebumps - Winter Steelhead, Winter Chinook, Cutthroat, Bull Trout, and much more. Whether you want to bob around in the local saltwater catching some tasty Winter delights, or trudging through the snow on a local river looking for some Winter Chrome, you can get out there and look for a bend in your rod.
River FishingSteelheadWe were certainly hoping for a much better start to the Winter Steelhead season, but fishing has remained quite tough thus far for most places. It is always tough to make judgments on December fishing as it is not always the best indicator to determine how the year will be, so it's always a good idea to remain positive. Each and every day is different when it comes to Steelhead fishing.
One of the most popular fisheries (the Vedder-Chilliwack River) has fished quite slow in the month of December. The river has maintained ideal conditions for earlier season fishing - Lower levels with good clarity. Fishing pressure has remained relatively low (likely due to the slower fishing), but you never know when that bigger push of fish will enter the system. All of the guys here at the store have been fishing steadily over the course of December and will always give you an honest and most up-to-date report.
Presentations and bait choices for early Winter Run Steelhead will not be as important as covering water. To some degree, having the right thing at the end of your line can be a deciding factor on whether or not you will elicit a bite, but earlier Winter fish tend to be quite aggressive. Sizes of your baits or flies should often match the current water level and clarity. With that being said, carrying a good variety of presentation selections can be the difference of getting fish and not getting fish on any given day. Check out our “Fishing Reports” Section on our website for more detailed early season Winter steelhead bait or fly selections ~
http://www.sea-run.com/river-fishing-report/ ~
Guided Steelhead Trips and Steelhead ClassesIf this is the year you want to learn how to catch Steelhead, this is your opportunity to learn from some of the best.
Guided Winter Steelhead TripsSea-Run will once again be offering Guided Walk and Wader Winter Steelhead trips for the 2017/2018 Season. During your guided trips, our main objective is to put you on fish. You will be shown typical steelhead traveling and holding water, adjusting your gear to proper depths, bait and lure choices, covering water, and much more. See our Guided Trips page for more information: ~
http://www.sea-run.com/guided-trips/ ~
Winter Steelhead Fishing Classes - Upcoming on January 3rd and 9thWe will cover water types, gear setups, artificial and natural baits, steelhead habits, depths and much more. See our Winter Steelhead Fishing Classes page for more information: ~
http://www.sea-run.com/winter-steelhead-gear-fishing-class/ ~
Bull TroutThe Winter months are ideal times to target Bull Trout. Both residualized and sea-run fish are available to be had. Fishing egg imitations such as Troutbeads, glo bugs, gormans egg, and wool presentations all imitate eggs well, but Troutbeads will probably be your best bet
. Flesh patterns in colours of white, tan, and salmon pink are ideal as well. Bull Trout can be found in most coastal rivers, and sourcing out rivers that carry a good capacity of biomass (ie. dead salmon) are often good targets.
Cutthroat TroutA very underrated fishery this time of the year, our local cutthroat fishery is not one to forget. Cutthroat are beautiful fish - Acrobatic and aggressive. There are a lot of opportunities to get a taste of this fishery from the Lower Mainland to the Fraser Valley. Both resident and anadromous (sea-run) cutthroat trout are available depending on the area or watershed you are fishing. Resident and anadromous fish can be found in most small streams and bigger bodies of water throughout the Winter as they either wait or search for food. A main staple to a cutthroat’s diet in the early Winter months are salmon eggs. These fish will also specifically target smaller fish such as salmon fry or stickleback.
Most Fraser River tributaries will see populations of both resident and anadromous fish year round, so finding good water heights and clarity will often be your only deciding factor on where to fish. Once we get further into the Winter months, the mainstem Fraser itself and its backwaters can produce extraordinary results once water levels drop to their lowest of the season. Like Steelheading in a way, this fishery often requires anglers to cover a lot of water in a day in order for success. Cutthroat can often be quite transient, meaning they tend to move around to different locations quickly in search of their next meal.
In situations where salmon or salmon eggs are present, egg imitations will be your best bet. This means the use of Troutbeads or glow bugs are necessary. In areas of stagnant water, try stripping attractor patterns such as woolly buggers and sparkle buggers or minnow patterns such as stickleback imitations or fry imitations.
Saltwater ReportIt's almost January and you know what that means... Winter Chinook. Well, it's been Winter Chinook "get-em" time for quite a while now, but the opportunities surely expand as we leap into the New Year. Fishing has been quite productive so far across the board. Good numbers or good sized fish have been getting caught consistently. Areas including the Mouth of the Capilano, Bowen Island, Tunstall, and Howe Sound have all been productive.
UV and glow flashers paired with matching spoons or hootchies are your go-to tickets. Greens and blues and great contrasts for these aggressive and feisty feeders. Following baitfish can be absolutely imperative this time of the year.
What's hot:
Pesca Spoons- Forage Leprechaun
- Forage Green Lantern
- Gut Bomb
- Blue Balz
- Clupea
Goldstar Coho Killer- Irish Cream
- Homeland Security
Goldstar Kingfisher Spoons- 3.5" Herring Aide
- 3.5" Irish Cream
- 3.5" Homelans Security
Cheers and Tight Lines,
Sea-Run
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Topic: Sea-Run's Weekend Fishing Report - December 30th, 2017 (Read 1887 times)