Chinook begin arriving in late July and will show in larger numbers by Aug. 15 at the latest. Hotspots include Lone Tree, Coulson’s, China Creek Wall, Dunsmuir, Underwood, and the Narrows. Some have fished Dog Mountain and just up from the Ski Club but success rates have been minimal. Not even COVID-19 could stop the 49th edition of the Port Alberni Salmon Derby held over the Labour Day weekend, but it was a closer call than most participants might have realized. Second place went to Ken Danroth of Port Alberni with 25 lbs caught at Polly’s Point, and Parksville’s Mike Pattison came in third with 23.6 lbs caught at China Creek.

The inlet historically offers sockeye salmon fishing in June. Three-and-a-half-inch spoons in Irish Cream, Cookies and Cream, cop car, and a four-inch Gibbs green glow are great choices. The West Vancouver Chinook and coho will begin to show in early August and begin to peak later in the month and into September. Flashers in blue, green glow, chartreuse, and even red with at least a 6′ leader are best. Senior Membership - $65.00. Depending on the size of the baitfish, many spoons from 2″ to 4″ work well with leader lengths of 50″ to 5′. It wasn’t until 1972 when Fred Duncan, then the publisher of the now defunct Alberni Valley Times, came up with the idea of a Labour Day festival to keep people in town. In the latter half of the month the coho salmon also begin to migrate to the nearby streams and rivers. Downriggers; Downrigger accesories Those few anglers on the water have been fishing depths from 60 to 150 feet.

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Current predictions estimate 170,000 pieces to return to the Somass River. This is wonderful news for the many anglers who have been waiting for the past few years to have an opportunity to land a tyee. September weekdays are like those in June with very few people out on the water fishing.

With this forecast the salmon fishing in Barkley Sound and the Alberni Inlet will be world-class throughout September. READ: Port Alberni cancels 49th annual Salmon Festival, “We were following the advice of (the B.C. The sandy banks off the west coast out to twenty miles provide rich resources of baitfish. The coho mortality rates are down, and they are increasing in return numbers to local water systems in late August and September. Consequently they were able to raise enough money to offer $33,500 in prizes. With the predominant age class of four and five year old fish migrating in big numbers to local streams and rivers there will be some nice-sized Chinook for sport fishermen fishing the Sound. Coho follow the Chinook migration, and both species will be in a good mix. The 2018 festival should have some fantastic results, as the returning Chinook run to West Coast Vancouver Island includes a mix of three-, four-, and five-year-olds. webapi.showLayerControl(true); Those who prefer trolling with hootchies purple haze, green spatter-back, and various glow whites tend to work well behind green and blue flashers. Chartreuse, Cop Car, Army Truck, and Green Haze are often good anchovy teaser head colours. “We won’t clean the fish, we won’t keep the fish, due to COVID-19 rules,” he said. The front side of Fleming Island and Sandford across from Bamfield has also provided some nice salmon up to ten and eleven pounds. The trout fishing in June is often extremely good.

Anchovy in a Glow Army Truck, Purple Haze, Green Haze, and Cop Car teaser head with six feet of leader behind Purple-Gold, Green-Gold or Purple Haze flasher should have some excellent success. The feeder Chinook fishing should improve dramatically if the herring spawn is as fantastic as it has been over the last few years. The sport fishing out on the Big Bank, South Bank, and even Long Beach can have non-stop action with some very quick results, with opportunities to land not only Chinook but hatchery coho and halibut. Kirby Point up to Edward King and also the Whistle Buoy all the way down to the Bamfield Wall have these hard fighting Chinook sitting normally in 100 to 150 feet of water. Second place went to Ken Danroth of Port Alberni with 25 lbs caught at Polly’s Point, and Parksville’s Mike Pattison came in third with 23.6 lbs caught at China Creek. Hootchies in pink and blue or pink and black seem to work even better.

Some of these “early Chinook summer run” salmon can weigh over 20 lbs. July should provide for some excellent sportfishing opportunities for pink salmon for many anglers on Vancouver Island’s west coast. The Bamfield Wall, Swale Rock, and even the Pill Point area can present fantastic fishing opportunities for Chinook and coho averaging 6 to 8 lbs.

Most of the salmon retained in June and July have been migrating to the big watersheds of the Pacific Northwest. Sport fishermen using anchovy often have the best success. 2020 Membership Fees. Barkley Sound locations such as Cree, Meares, Kirby, and Edward King have all been on fire when baitfish are holding. The sport Chinook fishing season will be excellent through the Labor Day Salmon Fishing Derby, held annually in Port Alberni. September is not only a fabulous month for sport fishing, but it is also the time of year when there are some terrific fishing derby opportunities. Sail Rock, Great Bear, Mara Rock, right back to Mayne Bay, and over to Swale Rock can also provide some great winter Chinook opportunities. Current regulations allow for possession of one halibut and two Chinook per person. This year’s derby dates are September 1-3. Salmon Fest president Dan Washington stands with $15,000 Salmon Festival winner Jim Boorman and Trent and Harlen Morse. The salmon are in shallower water in September.