Sea-Run’s Weekend Fishing Report – January 20th, 2018We are well through January now and have many fisheries underway at the moment. Winter Steelhead, Winter Chinook, Cutthroat Trout, and Bull Trout are all a few of the species available to be caught at the current time.
Overall, the Winter Steelhead fishery has been off to a slower than average start for the most part. December saw some pretty low numbers of fish, and January has virtually been very similar. There has been the odd day of better fishing mixed in between many of the slow days, but as a general basis, fishing has been slower. With that being said, you can’t chase reports when it comes to Steelhead fishing, and you can’t always expect fishing to remain steady after hearing a good day. “Make the reports, don’t chase them.” You never know when a good push of fish can come through.
Winter Chinook fishing has remained steady over the last few weeks, and things should continue to remain steady over the course of the next while.
Bull Trout and Cutthroat Trout are great species to target in the Winter months, and January is an exceptional time to target both of these fish. Many river systems hold good numbers of both resident and anadromous fish.
River FishingSteelheadMost river systems have remained fishable this season, so there has been a lot of opportunity for angling in December and January. We have found ourselves amongst some wet weather this week, and there is more in the forecast. Some rivers will benefit from this rain, and some will not. Temperatures are said to be in the lower ranges which will fall as snow at higher elevations, so it will only be a guessing game at this point.
Your bait and lure choices will often depend on the water conditions that given day. As a “general” rule of thumb, a smaller bait or lure choice is used with clearer water conditions, and a larger bait or lure choice is used when the visibility is less and the water is a bit more murky. Good January baits / presentations include jigs, plastic eggs, egg clusters, pink worms, roe bags, shrimp/prawns, wool ties, blades and more. If you're swinging a fly, contrasts of pinks / oranges, and blacks / blues are often your best bets. Flies should often be in the 3.5" to 5" range for most water conditions.
Winter Steelhead fishing has been slower than normal for most river systems. This most popular system (Vedder-Chilliwack) has seen generally slower than average fishing with the odd decent day mixed in. Each and every day is a new day, so you never really now when some fish will be around. Putting your footwork in is critical. These fish will rarely come to you - You need to go to them. Make every cast count, and cover water effectively and thoroughly. Have confidence in what you're fishing! We all go through doldrums and have our slow days, so do not overthink your gear or presentations too much. Fish hard and fish smart.
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/ ~
NEXT Winter Steelhead Fishing Class - Upcoming on January 23rd, 2018 We 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 TroutNow is the time! January is easily one of the better months to target Bull Trout in our local rivers. Resident and anadromous frequent most coastal BC rivers. Fishing egg imitations such as Troutbeads, glo bugs, gormans egg, and wool presentations all imitate salmon eggs well, but Troutbeads will probably be your best bet
. Salmon that have spawned (or even still spawning) will have eggs laid in the gravel that often get flushed out during higher water events, and Bull Trout key in on this. Flesh patterns in colours of white, tan, and salmon pink are ideal as well.
Bull Trout have been caught in good numbers the last couple of weeks, and we have also seen some large ones as well!
Cutthroat TroutWeather permitted, Cutthroat fishing has remained quite productive off of the beaches and in our local rivers. These fish are incredibly transient - There one day, gone the next. With that being said, putting in some footwork (or boat driving) is often necessary to locate these fish. January and February have always been some of my favourite months to target these little elusive silver bullets. Don't hesitate to fish a stripped dry fly as they are often more than willing to take flies off of the surface, and at times this can be even more effective than a sunk fly.
*A 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 ReportOur Winter Chinook fishery is seemingly quite a bit hotter than what we are experiencing in our rivers for Winter Steelhead. Chinook fishing has remained quite steady these past 2 weeks with good numbers, and good sized fish being caught.
Fishing can fluctuate tide to tide, and locating good sized schools of baitfish can be tricky, so pay attention to your depth sounder and whats going on beneath you. If you have done a tac and picked up fish or had bites, mark your areas and go back through. Do not be afraid to play with different depths throughout the day as well.
If you're wondering what to use for Winter Chinook, our main suggestion is always to keep things fairly simple. Don't over complicate or analyze your lures and flashers too much. Sticking with colour contrasts of green, blue, and black are good choices for winter fish. For example, pairing up a green glow / UV flasher with a green glow / UV spoon, and pairing up a blue glow / UV flasher with a blue glow / UV spoon is a good way to pair your colours.
Check out some of our top lure choices below, and some new colours from local company Pesca.
What's hot:
Pesca SpoonsNEW: Pictured left to right:
- Contraband
- Green Lantern
- West Coast Express
- Last Call
- Happy Hour
- Just The Tip
- Forage Leprechaun
- Forage Green Lantern
- RSG Gut Bomb
- RSG Blue Balz
- RSG 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 - January 20th, 2018 (Read 2555 times)