Fishing Report January 30th, 2020

Welcome to the new year.

This is our  first report for 2020

We are out on the water regularly now and have been experiencing some better fishing.
Its been a very busy start to our year with all the administrative work we do during the first month of the year. This has taken me personally off the water more than I like but it needs to be done.
January is typically one of the more challenging months for fishing in the Fraser valley. The steelhead run that is in the Chiliwack river really doesn't materialize until the end of the month. Now as we head into February and the days get a bit longer we focus on steelhead in earnest.

This week has been fair with good conditions and even water flows. There has been a clay slide up river which has produced some colored water and decreased visibility. I personally prefer this situation as we have fish that are more aggressive and will sit closer to the edge of the river.  Key in these conditions is larger sized offerings and slower presentations so the fish can see items better.  The real advantage to colored water is that fish can migrate freely up river without getting trapped in low clear water pools. This keeps fish moving and migrating fish bite better.
best baits have been large worms, wool patterns and fresh roe when you can get it. beads, Colorado blades and small offering will work as the water clears and warms up a bit.

Sturgeon fishing on the Fraser has been consistent. The fish are in their wintering areas and are pretty well conditioned this year. We have been doing a bunch of sturgeon tagging over the last few weeks and will be out periodically in the next few weeks doing sturgeon conservation work. This is a great time to get on the water with friends and family and help out the sturgeon at the same time. Each time we fish we will be actively tagging and providing solid data for our fisheries managers to base decisions off.

If you are heading out in the next few weeks there are a few key points to consider
1. Tide plays a huge factor during the winter, fish feed primarily on the outgoing tide as the current increased and they can smell food sources easier
2. Good bait is critical- This is very important, old freezer burned bait does not provide consistent fishing.
3. Position of boat, Anchor further upstream of the school. These fish are tightly packed together and can be foul hooked if you fish in the middle of the school

I hope you have great days on the water in the coming weeks.
See you out there !!
Oliver