Fishing Club

Fishing in BC  ......

Fishing Tour

Saltwater Fishing in BC

Abbotsford

• 8-11 anal fin rays (Pacific salmon have 11-13 rays)
• very noticeable, large, black spots on the gill cover (not common on native salmon)

• may have very noticeably eroded or worn fins from containment in net-pens

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Angling Finfish

Spiny Dogfish


Spiny dogfish are mediumsized sharks with dark gray or brown on the back and pale gray or white on the belly; small dogfish have irregular white spots on their back or sides.  Average length is between 75 and 105 cm, however large females can be 160 cm and 10 kg. Both dorsal fins are preceded by spines. Spiny dogfish live 25 to 30 years.

Due to relatively high levels of mercury in the tissues of large (and older) dogfish, it is recommended you eat only those fish measuring less than 60 cm. The daily limit is 20.

Eulachon



Eulachon, also known as oolakan and candlefish, are small (20 to 25 cm) fish found from Alaska to California. They are distinguished from other smelt by the presence of common centre rings, running parallel to each other, on the gill plate and having the pelvic fins in front of the dorsal fin.

When fishing by means of a gillnet for eulachon or smelt, the net cannot exceed 7.5 m in length and the mesh size must be greater than 25 mm, but less than 50 mm. Check current limits.

Flatfish (Flounder & Sole)

As larvae, flatfish resemble other fish in having an eye on each side of their head. However, the skull changes so that both eyes are on one
side of the head when they become young adults. Both eyes are on the dark-coloured side of the body, while the other side is eyeless and white. Flatfish lie on the bottom with the dark-coloured side up; some can change colour to match their surrounding environment. Flatfish are oval or diamond-shaped and have long dorsal and anal fins. Most flatfish are “dextral”, which means the eyes and pigment are on their right side.

Sole/Flounder are often misidentified as small halibut. They can be found in waters up to 305 meters deep, and may be fished using the same methods as for halibut. The combined daily limit for flounder and sole is 8.

Greenling



Greenlings are a small, elongated fish with a long dorsal fin split into long sections; one along the spine area, and the other along the anal fin area. Most are inshore species foraging in rocky habitat or kelp and eelgrass beds. The two species of interest to anglers are the kelp greenling and the lingcod. Kelp greenlings reach approximately 50 cm in length, and have small mouths and five centre lines on each side. The sexes are coloured differently: males are brown with blue spots on the head and back, while females are golden-brown with red spots.

Found in shallow, sometimes intertidal areas with rocky or weedy bottoms, greenling are easy to catch. They will take almost any bait or lure. Although they are often mistaken for lingcod, they do not reach the same size. They may also share a similar olive hue but tend to be much more brightly coloured. The daily limit is 3.

Halibut



Halibut are the largest flatfish species in B.C.
They are mottled olive-green, brown or black on the dark coloured side and white on opposite.
The mouth is large with cone-shaped teeth and the tail is broad and slightly forked. Females are larger than males growing up to 267 cm in length and weighing 226 kg. Male’s maximum size is 140 cm and 56 kg.

No one may fish for or retain halibut from January 1-31. Visit halibut for more information.

Halibut Length-Net Weight Table

Length	Weight dressed, head off, without ice & slime
99 cm	9.2 kg (20.3 lbs)
111 cm	13.3 kg (29.3 lbs)
131 cm	22.7 kg (50.1 lbs)
146 cm	32.3 kg (71.2 lbs)

Herring




Pacific herring are silvery fish that form huge schools. They are blue-green on the back and silver below, with large, toothless mouths and large eyes. Unlike shad or sardines, they have no spots and they have large scales, unlike smelts. Although they can reach lengths of 46 cm, most in B.C. are less than 25 cm.

This small fish is the foremost baitfish in the Pacific Northwest, utilized by recreational salmon anglers who fillet it into "strip" for trolling and casting. They may be caught by herring jig or rake, or by using a dip or cast net. The daily limit for herring is 20 kilograms.

Lingcod

Lingcod are large predators with huge mouths armed with numerous sharp teeth. They are brown with darker marks of different colours, spots or shades on the back and sides. Female lingcod grow to 150 cm, although males rarely exceed 100 cm.

Biological assessments have indicated that lingcod stocks in the Strait of Georgia waters between Vancouver Island and the mainland are severely depressed and require protection if the stocks are to rebuild.

In those areas where lingcod can be retained, record your catch immediately on your licence.

There is a minimum size limit of 65 cm in Areas 11, 12 and 20 to 27. The length of a lingcod means the distance measured along the body from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. The minimum size limit for a lingcod with the head removed is 53 cm, measured along the shortest length of the body to the tip of the tail. The pectoral fins should remain attached.

See table for limits. Note: Meat can sometimes have a green tinge to it, which turns white when it is cooked.

Mackerel



Two species are commonly referred to as mackerel in B.C. One is the Chub or Pacific mackerel which is a streamlined fish with two dorsal fins and a series of five small finlets between the second dorsal and tail. They have blue-green backs with wavy irregular vertical lines; can reach more than 60 cm in size, although most are around 45 cm. The other species is Jack mackerel which is similar in appearance except that the second dorsal fin is long with only a single finlet following. These fish are blue-green above and silvery below with a series of large scales along the lateral line. They are generally larger than Chub mackerel, reaching about 80 cm.

Mackerel are from the tuna family and are frequently encountered off the west coast of Vancouver Island during years when warm waters from the El Niño current are prevalent. They are rarely found inside the Strait of Georgia. The daily limit for mackerel is 100.

Rockfish



Rockfish are bass-like in appearance, with large mouths and eyes, spines on the head and gill plates, and prominent fins. Colour varies between species with shallow water rockfish generally having dark colours (green, brown or black) and deep water species usually orange or red. There are 35 species of rockfish known from British Columbia. Depending on the species, rockfish can range from 18 cm in length up to 120 cm.

Inshore rockfish need your help. Catch monitoring and research programs have indicated inshore rockfish stocks in the Strait of Georgia are at very low levels of abundance. Rockfish are very slow growing and do not reproduce until they are quite old, from 7 to 20 years, depending on the species. They also live for a long time; the maximum age for yelloweye rockfish is 118 years and 95 years for quillback rockfish.

Unlike salmon, rockfish rarely survive after being caught, therefore one way to ensure their survival is to avoid catching them. Another way is to fish away from rocky reef areas.

DFO has initiated a rockfish recovery strategy, which includes Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs). RCAs have been established to help protect rockfish by restricting fishing activity in and around the waters where these fish live.

Permitted sport fishing activity in an RCA includes:

• hand picking or diving for invertebrates
• fishing for crab or prawn by trap
• fishing for smelt by gillnet
  　

Sardine

Pacific Sardines, commonly called pilchards, are a small migratory fish related to herring and shad. Sardines migrate to B.C. from California during the late summer and remain until the fall when they migrate back to California to spawn. They can be recognized by a row of black spots on the sides of the body under the scales. Sardines are most frequently encountered off the west coast of Vancouver Island during years when warm El Niño waters are prevalent. They are rarely found inside the Strait of Georgia.
The daily limit is 100.

Smelt

Smelt are relatively small, silvery fish. They move in large schools along the coastline during migration to their spawning grounds on beaches and in estuaries. Smelt usually reach only 15 cm.

Smelt fishing is closed from June 15 to August 15 inclusive, in waters of the Lower Mainland east of a line from Reception Point on the Sechelt Peninsula, to Thrasher Rock Light and to the most westerly point of the International Boundary in the Strait of Georgia. These same waters are also closed to sport fishing for smelt from 8 a.m. Monday to 8 a.m. Thursday at all other times of the year. 

When fishing for smelt or eulachon by means of a gillnet, the net cannot exceed 7.5 m in length and the mesh size must be greater than 25 mm, but less than 50 mm. 
A floating buoy clearly marked with the name of the owner must be attached to each end of the net. The daily limit is 100.

Stanley Park smelt fishers

Fishing for smelt in Stanley Park requires special consideration of other users of the seawall. Dip net fishers must ensure that they do not pull their net poles back into the paths of passing pedestrians or cyclists. Gill-netters should pick their nets in such a fashion as to avoid leaving scales and parts of the fish on the path, making it slippery for others. In addition, gillnets must not block or impede traffic on the seawall. Garbage and waste must be placed in Parks Board garbage cans, and public washrooms available in the park must be used at all times.

Pacific Spirit Park smelt fishers

Pacific Spirit Park includes all beaches from the Fraser River's north arm around Point Grey to Acadia Beach, near Spanish Banks Beach. Park hours from the start of Daylight Saving Time to Labour Day - 8 am to 9 pm. All other days - 8 am to dusk. Fishers are not allowed to access the park outside of these hours. Liquor, camping and fires are not permitted in the park.

Please observe the rules.

Sturgeon



Sturgeon are made up of a tough, elastic, fibrous connective tissue (cartilage), and can grow to six metres long and weigh over 600 kg. Their elongate body usually ranges from greenish grey on the back to light grey or white on the belly. Instead of scales, their bodies have five rows large armour-like plates know as scutes. They have long noses and projecting mouths, located on the lower part of the head, accompanied by four fleshy whiskers known as barbels. There are two species of sturgeon in B.C.; both white and green sturgeon occur inshore and in large river systems. Only the smaller green sturgeon can be found further offshore.

In all tidal waters there is no retention of sturgeon. 

In the tidal waters of the Fraser River, barbless hooks are required.

If fishing for sturgeon, an angler may only use one line, and must release any sturgeon caught. The B.C. government has also taken action to protect sturgeon in the non-tidal portion of the Fraser River, and have a tagging program in place. See the provincial regulations.

Surfperch



Surfperch have compressed deep bodies with large eyes and relatively small mouths. The striped seaperch sports bright blue and gold stripes; the pile perch is silvery with black vertical bars; and the shiner perch is silver with vertical gold bars. The shiner perch is the smallest surfperch, reaching 20 mm in length, while the pile perch is the largest, growing up to 45 cm in length.

Perch give birth to low numbers of live young and may be subject to local population depletion in areas of high fishing pressure. It is requested that anglers release all perch, that will not be retained, with the least possible harm. The combined daily limit of perch is 8.

　

Angling Shellfish

Shellfish refers to aquatic invertebrate (without a backbone) animals. Shellfish such as crabs, clams and sea urchins have a hard outer shell, however some species such as squid, sea cucumbers, and octopus the shells are hidden or absent.

Bivalve molluscs
are shellfish with two shells, such
as clams, oysters, scallops and cockles.

ABALONE

Northern abalone have thin, oval shells with an irregular reddish or greenish upper surface, sometimes marked with blue or white, and often overgrown with encrusting organisms. The interior is iridescent white with a faint pink and green sheen. There is a series of three to six raised holes allowing water currents to pass over the abalone’s gills.

Due to serious conservation concerns, the entire coast of B.C. is CLOSED to harvest of abalone. Northern (or pinto) abalone are protected in Canada under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). Illegal harvest is considered to be the most significant threat to northern abalone recovery.

Help stop the illegal harvest and sale of abalone - report violations to 1-800-465-4336. For further information, visit the abalone website.

CLAMS

The five clam species of primary interest to fishers are Manila, native littleneck, butter, razor and varnish clams. Manila and littleneck clams are similar in appearance, both possessing lines that go up and across on the outer surface of their shells. Manilas are elongated in profile and purple on the inside of the shells, while littlenecks are round with white on the inside of the shells. Butter clams are large and thick shelled, with only common centre lines on the shells. Both varnish and razor clams have a shiny brown covering on the outer surface of the shells.

Varnish clams are round in profile with a large external ligament at the hinge, while razor clams are oblong in shape. Manila, littleneck, butter and varnish clams live in gravel and sand beaches in protected bays. Razor clams live on wave-swept sand beaches open to the Pacific Ocean.

The Lower Mainland area is closed to clam harvesting.

The most effective method for digging manila clams is an ordinary short-tined garden rake. On beaches with extensive populations of littleneck clams, diggers use long-tined rakes. The butter clams, lying further below the surface and further down the beach, are usually dug with a garden-type, long-handled potato fork. Razor clams are dug individually with a short-handled, thin-bladed shovel. Harvesters are encouraged to fill in holes to reduce predation on exposed juvenile clams. 

Manila Clams        Butter Clam



Razor Clam             LittleNeck Clam



Varnish Clam

Immediately prior to harvesting, check for shellfish closures with the nearest DFO office, or by calling 604-666-2828, or visit the sewage and biotoxin contamination closures website for PSP and other shellfish closures.

Daily limits vary according to area and species. Check the shellfish table for limits. 

CRABS

Crabs have three to four pairs of walking legs and a pair of claws that are used for feeding and defence. Female crabs carry egg clusters on the underside of their bodies.

Crabs shed their old shell in order to grow, increasing in size before the new shell hardens, in a process called molting. Although there are nearly 100 species of crab in B.C., the two species of most interest to fishers are Dungeness crab and Red Rock crab. Dungeness crabs are graybrown on the back and yellow underneath, and their claws have white tips. Red Rock crabs are brick red above and white below, and their claws have black tips.

Dungeness crab must be at least 165 mm in width. Redrock crab must measure at least 115 mm. Undersized crab must be returned to the water immediately. A crab is measured in a straight line through the widest part of the carapace, or shell, from outside the points. Harvesters are advised to measure crabs using a caliper device.



Redrock Crab                                  Pacific (Dungeness) Crab

For information on harvesting crabs, visit Crabs and Crabbing.

MUSSELS

Mussels have bluish-black shells curved in a distinctive “D” shape, like a flattened teardrop. The inside of the shell is pearly violet or white. Projecting from between the shells on the flat side is a bundle of tough, brown byssal threads, which are used to anchor the mussel to hard surfaces. Inshore waters support the native blue mussel, which can reach nine cm in length. Wave-swept rocky shores have beds of the larger California mussel, which grows to 25 cm in length. The Blue mussel has a smooth outer shell surface with growth rings, while the California mussel has raised radial ribs.

Immediately prior to harvesting, check for shellfish closures with the nearest DFO office, or by calling 604-666-2828, or visit the sewage and biotoxin contamination closures website for PSP and other shellfish closures.

Check the shellfish table for limits. In the Pacific Rim National Park the combined daily limit for mussels is 12.

OCTOPUS

The octopus has eight tentacles that sometimes stretch 4.8 m across in a 45 kg specimen. The octopus is a mollusc that is related to the squid, oyster, clam and snail. The giant Pacific octopus is the major species on the west coast and also the world's largest. It is illegal to use jigs, gaffs, spears, rakes or any other sharp-pointed instrument to take octopus. It is recommended that harvesters use a very sharp knife to kill Octopus quickly.

Daily limit is 1.
　

OYSTERS

Pacific oysters are large shellfish that are the primary species cultured in southern B.C. Their shells are thick with a rough sculptured appearance. Shell colour varies: the outside is a combination of browns, greens and grays, often with sharp purple fluting near the edges. The interior is white and satin smooth. The two shells of the oyster are held together by a ligament at the hinge and a large adductor muscle.

The North Coast (Areas 1-11) is closed to the harvest of oysters due to PSP concerns.

The Lower Mainland area is closed to oyster harvesting.

Immediately prior to harvesting, check for shellfish closures with the nearest DFO office, or by calling 604-666-2828, or visit the sewage and biotoxin contamination closures website for PSP and other shellfish closures.

Return oyster shells to the beach, preferably where you collected them. Oyster larvae survive at a much better rate if they settle on the old shells. 

NOTE: Permission is required to harvest oysters from marked oyster farms.

Check the shellfish table for limits.

Olympia Oysters

The Olympia oyster (Ostrea conchaphila) is the only native oyster along the west coast of Canada. It is a small oyster species, with a maximum reported size of 9 cm, although most individuals are less than 5 cm. Large clusters of Olympia oysters once existed in the Strait of Georgia, however only small groupings have survived. They exist in a few sites on the west coast of Vancouver Island but little information exists on populations in Johnstone Strait or the Central and North Coasts. Given the history of poor resilience to directed harvests and the relatively limited number of sites where Olympias occur, recreational fishers are asked to not disturb these oysters.

Fishing restrictions may be introduced in the future.
　

SCALLOPS



Of the 10 species of scallop known from B.C., only four are of interest to fishers. Spiny and pink scallops are relatively small (less than 10 cm) and reddish in colour. Weathervane scallops are large (15 to 20 cm) with brown upper shells and whitish lower shells. Rock scallops are large (up to at least 20 cm) with thick, rough shells often overgrown with encrusting organisms. Spiny, pink and weathervane scallops are swimming scallops, while adult rock scallops attach themselves to objects.The North Coast (Areas 1-11) is closed to the harvest of rock, pink, spiny and weathervane scallops due to PSP concerns. 

Immediately prior to harvesting, check for shellfish closures with the nearest DFO office, or by calling 604-666-2828, or visit the sewage and biotoxin contamination closures website for PSP and other shellfish closures.

Check the shellfish table for limits.

For more information about scallops.

SEA CUCUMBERS



The daily limit for sea cucumbers is 12. 

For more information on sea cucumbers.

 

SEA URCHINS





The daily limit for sea urchins is 12.

For more information on sea urchins.

 

 

SHRIMP & PRAWNS

Shrimp have two body sections protected by a hard outer covering called a carapace. They sport antennae, eyes, mouthparts, and feeding and walking legs. The muscular abdomen extends behind the carapace and has swimming legs and a fanlike tail. Most shrimp live three years: one as a juvenile, one as a male and one as a female. Five of the 85 species of shrimp found in B.C. are of interest to fishers: coonstripe, humpback, smooth and spiny pink shrimp, and prawns. Coonstripe shrimp are red-brown with irregular brown and white oblique lines on the carapace and abdomen. Humpback shrimp are red-tan with dark red and bright white markings.Pink shrimp are uniform translucent red. Prawns, the largest shrimp in B.C. (25 cm in length), are red with white horizontal bars on the carapace and at least two pairs of white spots on the abdomen. Coonstripe shrimp live in shallow water on or near pilings and floats; humpback shrimp on soft or hard bottoms; pink shrimp on soft bottom; and prawns in rocky areas.

The daily limit for shrimp is 200 and the possession limit is 400.

For conservation purposes, prawns carrying eggs under their tail should be released.

Check the shellfish table for limits.

Visit shrimp and prawns for further information on harvesting and gear.

SQUID

Squid are swimming soft-bodied animals characterized by a muscular tube called the mantle. The mantle has fins at the narrow end, contains the internal organs and is open at the end supporting the head, arms and tentacles.



Squid have large eyes, 10 arms and two feeding tentacles that have suckers and sometimes hooks on pads at the ends. They swim slowly using their fins and force water from the mantle through a siphon for burst of greater speed. Depending on activity level, squid change colour rapidly. Three species are of interest to B.C. fishers: opal squid, neon flying squid and Humboldt squid. Opal squid are relatively small (up to 13 cm in B.C.) and are pale lavender in colour. They are found in inshore waters, most noticeably when they gather in large schools to spawn in shallow water. Neon flying squid are relatively large (up to 100 cm and 5 kg). They are mauve on the upper surface and silvery or gold below; the tentacle sucker rings are distinctivewith four large teeth and numerous smaller teeth in between. Humboldt squid are very large (up to 200 cm and 45 kg) and are brown or red in colour.

Please Note:
Make sure you know what the size and catch limits are for the species that you intend to harvest.

Provincial Parks, National Parks, and ecological reserves, may have species limits or restrictions. Be sure to check with the local DFO office or Park Office prior to harvesting.

AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES

Plants and animals which do not occur naturally in an area are referred to as aquatic invasive species (AIS). In marine waters, some AIS have been introduced for commercial reasons. Pacific oysters and Manila clams are prime examples of such species on the West Coast. Other, not so welcome exotic species, may arrive in the ballast water of foreign ships, on the propeller or hull of recreational boats, through pet stores, research institutions, or with live imported bait or seafood.

AIS can be detrimental to our native populations of plants and animals. Your help in documenting aquatic invasive species in our waters is needed.

European Green Crab



The European green Crab (Carcinus maenas), has arrived in B.C. waters. Surveys conducted in 2006 found green crab in Barkely Sound, Clayquot Sound, Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet. Green crab may pose a serious threat to estuarine and marine ecosystems on the West Coast of North America as they are voracious predators feeding on a variety of intertidal plants and animals, including oysters, mussels, clams and juvenile crabs.

How to identify:
five lateral carapace spines; carapace width up to 10 cm;
three rounded lobes between eyes; rear legs are flattened for swimming;
colour varies from yellow/green to reddish/brown for live animals and
‘washed or baked’ red for moults.

Tunicate Species

Several exotic tunicate (sea squirt) species have invaded Canadian waters. At least six of these species have been reported in B.C. and most are the focus of ongoing monitoring and research projects. Those of concern include individual or solitary tunicates (clubbed tunicate and vase tunicate) and grouped or colonial tunicates (golden star tunicate, violet tunicate). Tunicates generally are found on a variety of submerged structures (e.g.: docks, buoys, ropes, anchors, pilings, boat hulls, etc.). Many of the exotic tunicate species have the ability to overgrow native species affecting community structure and dynamics.

How to identify:
colonial tunicates grow in dense colonies of individual organisms (zooids) with a gelatinous texture. Solitary tunicates can be distinguished by the arrangement of the zooids.

Mitten Crab

Mitten crabs, originally from Asia, are another exotic species to North America. This crab poses a serious threat to freshwater and tidal water ecosystems, and was first discovered on the west coast of California in 1992. There is reason to believe that they could migrate into B.C. waters.

Mitten crabs live in freshwater but migrate to tidal water to reproduce (they are the only freshwater crab in North America). They can eat salmon, trout and sturgeon eggs and may threaten successful spawning of these species. They have also been known to damage fish habitat due to erosion of river banks.

These crabs are easily identifiable by two hairy, equal-sized claws. They have a notch between the eyes and may be up to 100 mm wide. The colour of Mitten crabs varies from light brown to olive green.

Zebra Mussels

Zebra mussels, a freshwater mollusc, are an introduced or exotic species to Canada. They were introduced to the Great Lakes System in 1988 and have spread rapidly to inland lake systems in Ontario, likely aided by recreational boating traffic.

Zebra mussels are invisible to the naked eye in their early life stages (called veliger), when they can be transferred unknowingly in pipes, live wells, bilge water and baitfish buckets. They are generally found in shallow (6-30 feet), algae-rich water.

Where Zebra mussels have colonized, often in large clusters, they have clogged municipal and industrial water intake lines, covered boat hulls, fouled beaches, killed native clams and disrupted lake ecosystems.

At three weeks, they begin to form hard shells and will resemble loose gravel or silt. Even at this early stage, Zebra mussels can attach to hard objects by "holdfasts" –strong, tough, byssal threads.

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Angling Lake fish















































　

Note: Child (Under 16 years of age), Senior (Over 65 years of age), Adult (Between 16 and 64). For children, there is no special regulations like those in tidal water.

Fishing Tour

| Fishing Salmon |  Fishing Trout | Fishing Sturgeon | 

Salmon

| Bar Fishing | Boat Fishing | Fishing Lake | Fishing Ocean | FishOn | Fly Fishing |

Finfish

| Spring's Fishing |  Summer's Fishing | Autumn's Fishing |  Winter's Fishing | 

• Dogfish
• Eulachon
• Flatfish (Flounder & Sole)
• Greenling
• Halibut
• Herring
• Lingcod
• Mackerel
• Perch
• Rockfish
• Sardine
• Smelt
• Sturgeon

Shellfish

| By Trap | By Net | On Boat |

• Abalone

• Clams

• Crabs

• Mussels

• Octopus

• Oysters

• Scallops 
  Sea Cucumbers

• Sea Urchins

• Shrimp & Prawns

• Squid

• Aquatic Invasive Species

Lake fish

| Bar Fishing | Boat Fishing | Fishing Lake | Fishing Ocean | FishOn | Fly Fishing |

• Rainbow Trout

• Steelhead

• Cutthroat Trout

• Brown Trout

• Dolly Varden

• Bull Trout

• Lake Trout

• Brook Trout

• Lake Whitefish

• Mountain Whitefish

• Largemouth Bass

• Smallmouth Bass

• Kokanee

• Arctic Grayling

• BurbotLing)

• White Sturgeon

• Blask Crappie

• Northern Pike

• Goldeye

• Inconnu

• Crayfish

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