February/March 2025 - Area 13/Vancouver Island North

February/March 2025 - Area 13/Vancouver Island North

As we roll into February and March here in Area 13 the best winter chinook opportunities are yet to come!

As you would expect we've been running our plugs hard whenever there's a weather window to get out for a few hours. We've been seeing fairly sparse schools of Chinook moving through the area, so being able to take advantage of a limited bite time is crucial. Resetting quickly with plugs or spoons without a dummy flasher enables anglers to get back into the zone to make the most of what might be the only school of substantially sized fish to move through on that tide. Chinook at this time of year are primarily focused on sand lance during the winter months and trolling correspondingly near the bottom produces the most consistent results. There are opportunities during slack tides to jig for these tasty fish as sand lance will move off the bottom to feed in the water column when the current drops in speed so don’t be afraid to change it up! Additionally, jigging near the bottom presents a chance at encountering some tasty and sustainable Pacific Cod which are great fighters as well as some of the best tasting white fleshed fish on the coast. Shimano Flat Falls, Point Wilson Darts, Daiwa SK Jigs, and Zzingers are are great jig choices for this fishery. Remember that if you are fishing for salmon while jigging barbless hooks are still required. I recommend single 3/0 Owner Barbless tied assist style using Owner Solid Rings, the how to video can be found here.

Freshwater opportunities are still out there at this time of year for those willing to bundle up as well. Rivers on Vancouver Island and the mainland have been clear and low for a while now, making for challenging conditions. However, most steelhead should be in the rivers at this point but will be laying low and easily spooked. Small natural presentations on light leaders and lots of foot work are the name of the game at this point of the season, effort can be rewarded! Conditions should improve as we get further into February with some warmer temps and precipitation forecasted towards the second half of the month.

Tight Lines!

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