2010 Winter Fishing Report

Jan, and Feb are great months for feeder springs, good numbers feed around the local waters during this time of year with legal size winters mixed in. Look to Trail Islands, Secret Cove area and around to Halfmoon Bay for keepers, Epsom, Buccaneer Bay or out to Bjerre Shoal for good numbers. Trail Islands and Davis Bay always have good numbers through the winter with Sargents Bay being a good area to look for a winter keeper. Key this time of year is to hug the bottom, many of the productive areas have sand bottoms so let those cannon balls get down and tap so you know you are getting down to the hot zone. Clear winter water drives bait fish and feeders down to 140-170 during mid-day, and if you mark feed on your sounder get your gear in the same zone. Shiners are a likely prey for salmon, they hug the sandy bottoms and don't school up like herring, you will see them as a yellow line along the bottom if you have a colored sounder, get your lures down where the shiners are. Army/truck patterns work well when shiners are around, also the Trapper coyote spoon is a good shiner imitation. With the short winter days the evenings just before dark is a productive time for big fish. They move into shallower depths to hunt, give Sargents or Halfmoon Bay a go, I like around the 80ft depth just as and just after the sun goes down.

Crabbing always picks up in the winter, look to 20-60ft Davis Bay for some nice big keepers. Prawning will improve as the little guys grow fast, so look to the 300ft as a starting point. Please check the areas you are prawning in, there have been closures in winters past and they may be in place now.

Clams - prior to harvesting clams always check to make sure you are not digging when there is a PSP Closure by checking out DFO's Fishery Notice on PSP levels at: DFO Red Tide Closures for area 16 or call (604) 666-2828.

To view DFO Management Area maps in order to ensure you know where the boundaries are for various areas or sub-areas that you are interested in fishing, check out their website at: Management Areas Pacific Region.

You won't get better fishing information for the Sunshine Coast.

We hope to see you soon!!!!

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