Fishing Report
Sponsored by
Whatcom
Counties Fishing PRO Shop.
Freshwater Fishing Saltwater BC, Canada
FISHING REPORT
December 3, 2011
By Ken Shagren, Fishing Pro Staff, Dave's Sports Shop
"Remember to check the official WDFW regulations before going out!"
Welcome to the Dave’s Sports Shop fishing report. Check in with us as we attempt to keep you informed on where the fish are biting and what is working to catch them. We will try to keep the information current so that we can help you decide where the best opportunity for success will be located.
If its December then its time for anglers to
start thinking steelhead. There have already been reports of fish
taken from the Cascade River, a tributary of the Skagit, and rumors
of fish hooked in the Nooksack as well. Keep in mind that there is
an emergency closure of the North Fork of the Nooksack between the
Mosquito Lake road bridge and 1000 feet below the Kendall Creek hatchery to
protect brood stock and help achieve egg-take goals. Look for
Nooksack hatchery steelhead to show up in fishable numbers by mid
December with the peak of the run generally showing up in early
January.
The Cascade fishes well using corkies, yarn and eggs. However, jigs
or pink rubber worms below a float are popular as well. This stream
is best when it begins to drop after a rain and the total water
volume reaches approximately 10,000 cfs. The Nooksack River is
rarely clear in the month of December making “plunking” tactics the
most effective method. This time tested rig consists of using pink,
peach or red and chartreuse (to name some of the more popular
choices) Spin N Glos with bait eggs or shrimp cast out with enough
weight to stay in place on the bottom. Drift fished Corkies and yarn
or Spin N Glos and yarn paired with bait are good choices for the
Nooksack if fair weather would allow the water to clear.
Don’t give up on chum salmon in the Nooksack during the month of
December either. This year anglers have had great success drifting 4
to 6 inch pink worms with a purple or chartreuse/lime Spin N Glo on
top. Who would of thought, but that combination looks like a winner
for the “dogs”. Also, don’t be surprised if a late coho shows up in
your creel count. December silvers are not unheard of in the
Nooksack. Salmon season remains open on the main stem Nooksack and
the South Fork Nooksack until December 31.
December 1 marked the opening of winter
hatchery chinook or “black mouth” fishing in Area 7. Success will
largely depend on how much bait is working in the area that you are
fishing. As the saying goes, “Find the bait and find the fish.” In
the San Juan Island group the best areas tend to be the north end of
Orcas Island at Point Thompson, Point Doughty and Parker Reef,
President’s Channel, Point Lawrence, Eagle Bluff and Tide Point
Area, Thatcher Pass, Lopez Pass and Spring Pass.
Crab season continues to be open seven days a week until December
31. The Dungeness crab limit is 5 with a 6 ½ inch minimum size and
all must be males in a hard shell condition. The Red Rock crab limit
is 6 with a minimum size of 5 inches of either sex.
FRESHWATER
Even though the Vedder is in good shape despite
recent rains, this fishery is in a definite transition period. There
are a few chums and occasional coho still coming into the system,
but most salmon are well upstream by now. Mid December marks the
beginning of the steelhead season on the Chilliwack/Vedder and
metalheads will enter the system all the way into April 2012. Float
fishing with yarn tufts, imitation eggs, jigs, pink rubber worms or
bait is the primary method here. Look for the Vedder system to be
good for steelhead by early January.
SALTWATER
We will resume reports from Vancouver Island and vicinity in early spring. Check back with us then.
This Fishing Report is Sponsored by Dave's Sports Shop in Lynden. Check them out for all of your fishing and hunting needs. www.DavesSports.com
Post your own reports and read other users
Fishing Trip
Reports and discussions.
Visit the
Fish Whatcom FORUM
 |