FSC Daily Fishing Report - Sunday, November 8, 2026

Conditions Report: Sunday, November 8, 2026

Winter on the coast is a game of windows. You watch the forecast, you wait, and when a gap opens between the storms, you go. Today we found one. Captain Jason ran the 27' Boston Whaler Conquest out of Coast Marina for a midday half-day charter, slipping in between two southeast systems that had the Strait bracketed on both sides.

The gap held fair. Air temperature sat at 9°C, feeling closer to 7°C with the breeze, under broken clouds and a clean 10 km of visibility. The light SSE wind barely registered at 4 knots, and the seas stayed at one metre or less — a light chop over cold green water. The marine forecast promised southeast building to 10-20 knots by evening, but we were back on the dock before it arrived. Tides ran an ebb through late morning into a low at 12:48 PM, then the flood began pushing toward the 4:36 PM high. Seymour Narrows gave slack before flood at 12:24 PM, right in the heart of our trip.

The Catch

We worked the Hump in Discovery Passage, dropping hoochies behind flashers to 220 feet on the downriggers and trolling around 2.5 knots. Tiger Prawn was the color that earned its keep. The new moon had the solunar rating at Excellent, and the major feeding window from 10 AM to noon lined up with the start of the trip. When the flood began moving bait through the system, the rods started firing. The fish were chrome bright winter feeders, mostly 12 to 16 pounds, with the best of the day going 16. The real story, though, was Wally — Michael's six-year-old son, up from Calgary for his first winter Chinook. He held that fish like he'd been doing it for years. Twelve released, three kept, and one boy who caught the bug for good.

What's Running in November

November is winter feeder season in Campbell River. These are resident Chinook that stay in the Strait through the cold months, feeding hard on bait balls and hitting deep-trolled gear. They run smaller than the big fall Tyee fish — typically 8 to 15 pounds, with the occasional 16-pounder like today's best — but they're retainable, they're abundant, and they fight above their weight in the cold water. Under DFO Area 13 regulations these feeders are fair game to keep, which makes winter a rewarding time to get out when the weather allows.

Book Your Trip

Winter fishing is all about catching the windows, and we watch them closely so you don't have to. If you want chrome bright Chinook and a warm cabin between drops, now's the time. View our salmon fishing charters to see what a winter day on the Conquest looks like, and Check rates and availability for the coming weeks at fishingstoriecharters.com.

Weather: 9°C, broken clouds, light SSE wind 4 knots, 10km visibility | Water: 1 metre or less, light chop with a clean green surface