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[Fishiefish]

Does anybody know if there are already Salmon along the Pitt River? I was thinking if they are in the Fraser they should reach Pitt soon enough. Maybe I should use Salmon eggs next

[Rodney]

In a few weeks from now, you should be able to catch pink salmon, but keep in mind that there is no fishing for chinook salmon and catch and release for all other species of salmon. If you are fishing upstream from Pitt Lake, which I don't think you are, then there is a bait ban in that section of the river.

[Fishiefish]

Okay then I'll be sure to know how to distinguish Pinks from other Salmon. Would they take worms or have they lost their appetite by this stage already?

[Rodney]

For pinks, use spoons. 1/4oz brightly coloured ones (pink, green, orange, chartreuse). Gibbs Croc is a good starting spoon. Tie it onto 8lb test main line, cast and retrieve.

These are what I use.



Dew worms may work for coho at times.

[Fishiefish]

Oooh I see. So do I retrieve it so that the spinner or spoon comes in their direction, or will they just come after it themselves?

[Rodney]

Retrievals for a spoon and a spinner are slightly different. The spinner tends to create more drag because of the rotation of the blade. When the fish hits, the blade "stops spinning". A lot of time, this feels like a sudden loss of tension on your line, followed by a tug. Set the hook when that happens. For spoons, the tension is less because of the lack of drag. I sometimes like to twitch the rod to produce a better fluttering action on the spoon. Usually the bite on the spoon simply feels like a strong tug. In the last couple of seasons when fishing for pinks with spoons, I've found that a school of them would be "nibbling" on the spoon as it is being retrieved. Perhaps they are not bites, they are most likely due to the pink salmon bumping into the long shank hook before they reach the spoon. When this happens, keep retrieving or slow down the retrieving speed. Most of the time, the fish will commit soon after. Don't lift the lure out of the water until it is by your feet. Many times the fish strike just feet away from you.

[Fishiefish]

How fast should you retrieve it? Sometimes I snag 

[Rodney]

That would be the key of this whole fishery. If you're snagging up, retrieve faster, or reel faster when you get closer to shore as most rocks are in the shallows. If you are too fast, you won't work your spoon through the fish. It takes lots of time to find that perfect retrieve speed.

[Fishiefish]

Oooh! Guess I should practice using a spinner and find the right speed, since the Coquitlam river's just a biking distance. Is there a way to pack a fishing rod without dismantling it?

[Rodney]

When I was in high school, biking to fishing was the norm. If you are fishing for pinks, you only need a 6 to 8 ft long spinning rod. When in two pieces, it's only 3 to 4 ft. You can just tie or put in your backpack. The other option would be tying it to the top tube of your bike frame, but make sure you do a good job so it doesn't fall off while riding. Breaking the rod is not your worry, having the rod caught in the wheels and making you crash is.

[Fishiefish]

I have an 8ft rod and 8lb test line, so I guess that'll keep them from breaking free? I've biked to Lion's park before and saw three guys fishing there too. Probably a sign that there's already fish there  Oooh...I've never crashed before, though I did collide with a bike twice in my lifetime. I hope my stuff fits in my backpack. It's just my fishing rod and tackle box anyways.

[Rodney]

I've never had a problem with 8lb test when fishing for pinks. Just check for scratches once awhile after a few fish are caught. There have only been a few times when the line broke for me - Hooking either a chinook or chum salmon, or being a bit too impatient while netting the fish. The gear is pretty minimal. Rod, reel, and a small box of spoons.

[Fishiefish]

Guess I have what I need then! So does that mean that the other species are bigger and stronger than pinks?

[Rodney]

Chinook salmon (10 - 40lb) are indeed much bigger than pink salmon (4 - 8lb) and there is a chance to hook one when you're fishing for pink salmon, but rare. Landing a chinook salmon on 8lb test line can certainly be done, but the rod used for pink salmon may not be adequate enough to handle them. I would concentrate on fishing for pink salmon and don't worry about the other ones first. Once you get a hang of the smaller species, you can get yourself heavier gear for bigger species.

[Fishiefish]

Woah, sounds like my rod would break. I don't even know how much it takes for a fish to snap a rod . Anyhow, I hope there's lots of Pinks coming up, rather than lots of Chinook.