Harbour Chandler
Nanaimo fishing report - May 27, 2018
Rookie fishermen Calum Mathews and his brother getting it done without modern electronics or electric downriggers! 18 pound Spring caught on an Irish Cream spoon.
By Steve Vavrik, The Harbour Chandler
Our Chinook fishing is still going strong. Try to fish at least one tide change to assure you are out there for 'the bite', and if you aren't getting fish, change location. Best lures have been silver knight super yellow tail, and our awesome new silver knight super Herring Aid. (I love this new spoon. It's the nicest new colour pattern I've seen in a long time).
Many Chinook have moved in closer to shore, so the small boats and fishermen without down riggers can now access them. Jigging is very productive in the usual locations. Basically look for birds feeding on bait. Don't be afraid to fish in water as shallow as 45 ft. The Harbour Chandler's own Dane Christensen (technically his 6 year old caught the fish) tubed out his boat jigging in 20 ft of water off Neck Point. I also received a report that 5 Fingers is producing limits.
It's almost Coho season on the coast, and it's looking like the best one we've had since the blue-back fishery ended in the mid 1990's. Last weekend I had customers complaining that they can't get past the Coho to catch any Chinook. In my mind that's not the worst problem to have. Coho season should open up on June 1st (that's the historical opening date), although DFO has not posted anything yet.