Winter Chinook Fishing Report Vancouver Harbour, BC. November 30, 2025 – Calm Seas, Fresh Catch & A Reset for the Soul
Good weather days are hard to come by in the winter, but when everything finally lines up… oh my.
Mesmerizing backdrops, calm waters, and warm sunshine made today one of those perfect fishing days you just don’t forget.
We hit the water at 8:30 a.m., dropped the traps, and started fishing around 10am. I followed my instincts and spent the morning working the freighters in Vancouver Harbour—same winter maneuver: tap the bottom with the downrigger ball, then bring it up 5-10 feet. I kept a close eye on the fish finder, looking for bait schools. Many fishermen say, “find the bait, find the fish,” and today that advice proved itself once again.
It wasn’t a fish-after-fish kind of day, but landing a keeper chinook is always a win in my books. Trapping wasn’t hot, but we still managed 3 prawns and 2 legal Dungeness crabs. Give it another month and I bet the harbour will be filled with keepers—so many were just 1/8" to 1/4" shy.
What made the day even better was serving a fresh catch-and-cook dinner for the family. Seeing them enjoy the meal is pure satisfaction. The garlic mussels and bok choy rounded out the plate perfectly. Ending the weekend on the water always resets me for the week ahead. That “water therapy” does wonders—my soul feels recharged and I’m the happiest camper in town.
Today’s outing also reminded me of the epic solo trip I had last winter in the same area with the same maneuvers. If you haven’t watched that video yet, I highly recommend it—just don’t hold your breath too long while I struggle to net my keepers solo, lol.
🎣 Watch it here: https://youtu.be/cDZXo4a5iHk?si=XMn2tk6mNTllgCEI
Fishing Details:
130 FOW
@Gibbs black flasher
Hit and Run Cop Car spoon
Plenty of crab in the harbour, but few keepers
Prawning still needs some experimenting… stay tuned 😆🦐
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Well, that’s it for today’s fishing report.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you on the next one!
