We’ve been spending most of our time fishing out of Vancouver around Sandheads lately, and overall the fishing has been good. We’re catching a nice mix of Chinook and Coho, with a few Chum starting to show up as well.
Like most fisheries, every day is a little different. We’ve had some great days and some slower ones. Fishing pressure definitely plays a part, and lately some of our better fishing has come when we’ve been willing to get away from the crowds and look for our own fish.
Vancouver Salmon Fishing at Sandheads
Sandheads has been our main fishing area through the latter part of September, and there’s a good mix of salmon around.
Most of our productive fishing has been in the 65- to 95-foot range, but I still keep coming back to some of my old faithful numbers—57, 67, 77 and 87 feet. Those depths have produced fish for me for a long time, and they’re still producing.
That doesn’t mean we park the gear there all day. We’ll move things around depending on the tide, conditions, fishing pressure and what we’re seeing. Some days the fish make you work harder than others.
What’s Working Right Now
Anchovies have been working well, along with white and UV hootchies and spoons.
I’m not a big believer in sticking with something just because it worked yesterday. If we’re not getting the action we want, we’ll change depths, change gear or move away from the fleet and find somewhere else to fish.
Some of our better days recently have come from doing exactly that.
Pro Tip: Match Your Flasher to the Water
One thing that’s been making a noticeable difference is matching your flasher colours to the conditions and the colour of the water.
When the water has more of a green colour, I’ve been running more green flashers. When the water is cleaner and blue, I’ll add more blue flashers into the mix.
And if you’re not sure what to run, try gold.
It’s a simple adjustment, but I’ve found that paying attention to the colour of the water and changing the flashers to match can make a big difference. Don’t be afraid to mix things up until the fish tell you what they want that day.
Looking Ahead to October
As we move into October, we’ll keep following the salmon and fishing the areas that give us the best opportunity each day.
We haven’t started prawning and crabbing yet, but we’ll begin around mid-October. Once we get into that part of the season, it gives us another option to add to a day on the water along with the salmon fishing.
October also starts the transition toward our winter Chinook fishery, so I’ll keep these reports updated as the fishing and conditions change.
Come Fishing With Us in Vancouver
We run private 8-hour Vancouver salmon fishing charters for groups of up to four guests. The boat is yours for the day, and fuel, rods, reels, bait and tackle are included.
If you’d like to get out fishing, contact us for current availability.
