SALMON FISHING and HALIBUT FISHING TECHNIQUES - Queen Charlotte Islands
To ensure we provide an experience tailored to your needs, we offer the following information. If you would prefer to "leave it to the guide" just let him know and he will do the rest. However, if you have some specific goals for your trip, let your guide know and he will target the results you are looking for. While there are no hard rules in salt water fishing, these techniques have been proven over the years. Remember, anything can happen on the water - some of our biggest halibut have been caught while trolling for salmon and some of our biggest salmon have been caught in deep water offshore!!
| Salmon including Coho, Pink and smaller Chinooks | More action but smaller fish | Offshore from kelp beds | Dummy or in-line flashers with anchovies or herring in teaser heads | 2 to 3 mph |
| Larger Chinook Salmon | Less action but larger fish | Within 50 yards of kelp beds | Cut plug or whole herring or a variety of spoons and plugs | 2 mph or less |
| Smaller Halibut | More action but smaller fish | 40 to 60 feet of water offshore from Airport to Tow Hill | On bottom with salmon gear and a herring | Around 2 mph |
| Larger Halibut | Less action but larger fish | 40 to 250 feet of water in various locations | Jigging off bottom with larger piece of meat like herring | Stopped or anchored or slow drift |
The table does not make reference to bottom fish such as Ling Cod, Snapper and Rock Cod. If you have an interest in these fish let your guide know and he will suggest options to you.
At Naden Lodge we utilize three fishing lines in each boat unless there is a strong bite making it difficult to keep three lines fishing. In addition, we almost exclusively utilize downriggers as this technique allows us to control our fishing lines regardless of currents and tide conditions and ensures we place our bait and lures where we want them. If you prefer weighted lines, let our guides know and they will attempt to accommodate you.
The northern Queen Charlottes have a number of excellent fishing spots, any of which can be a hotspot on a given day. As most of the salmon passing by are moving relatively quickly on their way to spawn in their natal streams, experience has taught us that running around chasing a bite normally results in disappointment for our guests. We have typically found that sticking to one general area means more time with your lines in the water and generally better results. However, if you have spent a few hours in one location with little success, please feel free to ask your guide to move to a different location.
We hope you find this information useful. Our guides are there to help you so please ask them any questions you might have.