What You'll See Aboard This Week: Glassy Water, Feeding Chinook

Step Aboard to Calm Water and Feeding Winter Chinook

Picture this: you climb aboard at the dock in Campbell River this week and the first thing you notice is how still everything is. We're looking at 6°C overcast skies, a light N wind at just 5 km/h, and a wave height around 0.1m — basically glass out on Discovery Passage. For anyone who worries about getting bounced around, this is about as comfortable and forgiving as a fall morning gets on the water.

What's Biting Right Now

Our target this week is winter Chinook, and the fishing has been steady. These are local resident fish in the 8–15 lb range, and they've settled into Discovery Passage and the surrounding inside waters to feed on bait through the colder months. Unlike the summer migratory run, these residents stick around, which means we don't have to run far or chase them all over Johnstone Strait. The bait is concentrated, the fish are keyed in on it, and that makes for consistent action morning after morning.

How We'll Fish It

We're timing our runs around the morning slack into the flood — that transition is when these Chinook really switch on. Guests can expect to run glow spoons and glow hoochies down deep, typically in the 100–120 foot range, right where the bait is holding. If you've never run downriggers before, no problem — the whole point of stepping aboard is that we handle the gear and the technique while you enjoy the ride and set the hook. The overcast light actually works in our favor, keeping those glow presentations working longer through the morning.

What Guests Can Expect This Week

Retention is 2 Chinook per person per day with a minimum size of 62cm, so there's a real shot at taking home some beautiful winter fillets. Between the calm water, the scenery, and the chance at a chrome-bright winter Chinook, this is the kind of relaxed, productive fishing that makes a Campbell River trip memorable. Expect a comfortable pace, plenty of time on the gear, and the quiet of the Passage in the off-season.

Book Your Spot

Winter Chinook fishing on flat water doesn't last forever, and these calm overcast mornings are prime. If you want to get out while the resident fish are stacked up and feeding, now's the time to lock in a date. Give us a call or book online — we'll have the coffee hot and the rods ready.

Ready to experience world-class fishing in Campbell River? Book your charter trip with Fishing Storie Charters today. Captain Jason and the crew are ready to put you on fish.