Chinooks are running in the Shuswap

[Bigdad013]

If anyone is headed out to the shuswap fishing, be prepared for some good battles. The Chinooks are hitting fast and furious. We are averaging about 8 big fellas in the morning for a couple of hours, then it gets to hot for me, anyways. Average size 20-30 lbs. You can't keep them, but sure is alot of fun.

[mikebossy]

r u kiddin? that sounds awesome, would love to see some pics taken b4 u get too hot,
thanx in advance
Mike

[Bigdad013]

Couple of average ones

[Walleye101]

How are you catching them?

[1bluZebec]

Bar fishing?? whats your setup for the springs?? I need to buy a 10-12' rod here in the next week and some t bar rigs and leaders. oh and cant forget the spin n glows:) good job dude nice pics

[mikebossy]

How are you catching them?

x2???
green with envy lol
thanx
Mike:sHa_shakeshout:

[Stally77]

Can't wait! On my way there right meow! :sHa_shakeshout:

[Magspec]

yep looking like black boots already thats sweet

[marlin1]

hot weather and good salmon fishing , so envious

[Bigdad013]

Our hot lure was a chrome apex, down between 30-50 ft, 2.5 mph. Just past the outer marker or right in front of white pines on mara lake. Good luck, it's a blast right ow

[Crusty]

It's illegal to fish for chinooks in Shuswap or Mara. Leave them alone so they can reproduce. One good fight could very well do them in.:snapoutofit:

[CBintheNorth]

It's illegal to fish for chinooks in Shuswap or Mara. Leave them alone so they can reproduce. One good fight could very well do them in.:snapoutofit:

This is very true.
The only reason more people don't get tickets is because lakers and rainbows are open.
"Honest officer, I was fishing for lakers!".

3 years ago we were honestly trying to catch a laker or rainbow for supper but couldn't. We caught 5 salmon over three mornings of fishing and they were tough to revive in spite of proper handling.

The lakes should just be closed during the run.

[Crusty]

When you are specifically targeting Chinooks it's not legal and just not right. They can be caught legally if you want to retain one. The lake fishing closure would not be fair but really the best fishing for rainbows and lakers is on either side of the salmon run.

[waterfowler1969]

Reallywhat is the problem? You can catch and keep them a 2 miles away.

[Bigdad013]

It's quite ironic that catching them in the Shuswap is illegal, but then you can keep them in the Shuwap river on their way up to Mabel. (Special License)
And just for the record, we don't target the Chinooks, they just happen to be in most of my fav honey holes. At least we release, up river they are keeping them.

[Crusty]

Read the title of your thread. Your thread is about catching chinooks and the battles. The difference is you release a tired dieing fish that "might" make it to spawning, probably not. You catch them in the river and RETAIN your catch not waste it.

[Bigdad013]

So I guess you being so moral, you never fish in the spring for rainbows or in the fall for lake trout during their spawn.......

You can't control what the fish hit. We have had chinooks hit where you would never expect them to be. How do you control that? Nobody supposed to fish from July to end of Sept? Those fish are in my fav laker holes and my trout alley as I like to call it. Sorry, if I hook-up a few chinook in my quest for trout so be it, you can't control that. I'm not going to apologize for saying it's a blast, because it is.

[Crusty]

How many lakers and Bows did you catch in your honey holes my friend? Your using the only excuse you could have. I am just saying the title is inviting more folks out to catch the chinooks. Your back peddling a bit pal. I'm done.:bad_boys_20:

[Bigdad013]

No lakers, lots of bows, averaged 4-6 bows every outing. No lakers in the last month. Not backpeddling anything. I fish out there at least 10 weeks a season. Yes I stated the lakers are running and if you hookup it's a battle. Get over yourself, coming from the guy that catches them at mabel. Are you sure all the salmon you caught had spawned? So tell us all, the solution to not hooking up the salmon. I'm all ears. And no I'm not going to stop fishing out there for 8 weeks.

[CBintheNorth]

I think what Crusty is trying to say is, that advertising a fish being in a lake that is illegal to target is pointless and spreads the wrong kind of info.
I couldn't comment on whether it should or shouldn't be illegal, only that it is.

It wouldn't be much different than stating "There's huge elk in Jasper and if you could shoot one, that would be awesome".

Not trying to pick up his battle, just trying to interpret what I'm reading.

[Crusty]

Thanks , CB, you get it. I fish in the river with a license and keep what I legally catch. I don't fight the crap out of them and release them and advertise it.