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How many Chilliwack River hatchery marked coho salmon did you retain in fall 2010?

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Author Topic: 2010 Chilliwack River fall salmon fishery information & water condition updates  (Read 112641 times)

fishbuster

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Re: 2010 Chilliwack River fall salmon fishery information & water condition upda
« Reply #30 on: September 13, 2010, 11:29:58 AM »

River was up and dirty this morning.  I new I should of waited.  Rookie mistake.  Grounds been saturated enough lately that a day of rain will be making a difference in water levels and clarity.  Pick your days wisely.
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kingpin

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its up 2ft not surprising after that rain
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nosey

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This site can be helpful when planning an outing <http://www.wateroffice.ec.gc.ca>
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mr.p

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I know its up a lot.  But hows the vis in the upper? lower?
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chris gadsden

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When I looked at the Lower around 10 it was fishable.

Banny

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Given the big jump in the water levels and the previously small numbers of fish in the river would you guys focus on the lower river specifically for the next week or will the fish just move right up through the system immediately?  Will the coho and springs move at different rates?

Still trying to learn how these fish move through the river and where to spend my time to be effective.

Thanks, Jordan
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vancook

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Given the big jump in the water levels and the previously small numbers of fish in the river would you guys focus on the lower river specifically for the next week or will the fish just move right up through the system immediately?  Will the coho and springs move at different rates?

Still trying to learn how these fish move through the river and where to spend my time to be effective.

Thanks, Jordan
with lower water the coho will move like steelhead, move up river during the night, so you should be prepared for some leg work.
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yakideath12

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BLOWN!

TOP TO BOTTOM ;D ;D ;D
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Fisherama

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Well nuts!!!  :-\  I get one day this month to fish, so i'll be heading up Wednesday blown or not  ;D ;D
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Fisherama

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Thanks for the update Fin.
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chris gadsden

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Well nuts!!!  :-\  I get one day this month to fish, so i'll be heading up Wednesday blown or not  ;D ;D
High but plenty fishable when I looked at it at 4 PM at Lickman Road area. Good to see it high at this time of year as the long linning can not happen in the Canal area as no land to fish from and the fish will be moving straight through. ;D ;D ;D

chris gadsden

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Conditions this morning were good. As Rodney along with Rhino are still fishing I will let one of them give the report, later. ;D ;D ;D

clujalolo

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will be going out fishing tomorrow...ive been on the chilliwack couple times...whats a good spot you guys recommond..ive been at the end of lickman road. hopefully i leave with something :p

what is everyone using? float fishing? bottom bouncing?

what about bait?
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Rodney

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what is everyone using? float fishing? bottom bouncing?

How to float fish more effectively for coho salmon?

To effectively catch coho on the Vedder by float fishing, you want to keep your offerings in the strike zone. New anglers have a tendency to mistaken the strike zone as the depth where the fish are sitting. It is not. Salmonids look up and strike at the offerings above them. The fish position themselves near the bottom, so the strike zone is usually 1 or 2 feet above the river bed. This technique does not only apply to the Chilliwack River, but also other Lower Fraser River tributaries.

Gear setup

Rod:9' to 10'6" baitcasting or centerpin rod, rated between 8 and 20lb
Reel:Small baitcasting reels or centerpin reels
Main line:12 to 15lb test
Leader:6 to 10lb test
Hook:Size 4 to 2/0

The diagrams below illustrate the correct and not-so-correct ways of float depth adjustment.

Excessive length of leader



For some reason, many people believe a longer leader would produce more fish, quite the opposite! Your hook will always travel faster than your weight in a river. By using a long leader, your hook and bait are lifted up higher from the river bed, away from the strike zone.

Excessive float depth



Some choose to adjust their float depth so the weight is "tapping" or sitting on the bottom. The weight will usually anchor itself to the river bed, while the float drifts slowly or becomes stationary. Two things will result from this setup:

  • You'll snag onto the bottom, and lose your weight, hook and bait.
  • Even worse, you'll end up snagging a pink or chinook in the belly or tail, which can be time consuming to bring in and release.

My way of float adjustment, but not necessarily the ONLY way



So far this has worked very well by producing about a dozen or more coho each season on the Vedder River without losing any hook, weight or line. I usually like to keep my leader length (the line between the hook and weight) around 1.5 feet in length. Judging the depth by looking at the gradient of the river bank and the water, I adjust my float depth (the length from the float to the hook) so that it is about 1 to 2 feet shorter than the actual depth. When this is drifted, the bait will lift a few inches higher, remaining in the strike zone. When the float dips under the water, there is no hesitation as I don't need to question whether it is a snag or a fish. The hook is usually set hard and most of the time the fight is on.



Some other small adjustments

I find these adjustments would connect me into more fish in the past.

  • The float size varies, small (11 grams) in clearer, slower water, while big (25 grams) in faster, deeper water.
  • Tie on enough weight so only about 0.5 inch of your float (or the coloured tip) emerges on the water surface. This allows you to detect the bites sooner.
  • Keep your main line (the line between your rod tip and your float) tight enough without disrupting the drift. Always try to avoid having any line laying on the water surface.
  • Keep the drifts short. A longer drift doesn't necessarily mean a bigger chance to catch a fish. Long drifts also cause inconvenience for nearby anglers
  • Avoid standing in the water, especially when you arrive at a new location. Undisturbed fish have a tendency to stay close to the river bank.


whats a good spot you guys recommond..ive been at the end of lickman road. hopefully i leave with something :p

Some thoughts on fishing locations

The Chilliwack Vedder River is long. Some say it gets crowded, but only at certain spots. To have a good experience, it's best to avoid the busy spots. The busy spots are usually the visible ones that have easy access. These include Keith Wilson Bridge, railway bridge, Lickman Road, Peach Road, Vedder Crossing, Tamahi, Alison Pool, Limit Hole. By going to a spot where less people are fishing, the likelihood of you hooking into some quality fish is bigger since the fish are not spooked. Surprisingly, you can usually find a nice quiet spot by taking a very short walk from one of these busy spots.

clujalolo

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yeh i figured someone would post that. ive read that like 30 times :p. haha

Thanks anyways :p i kinda wanted like a personal opinion.
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