OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

rokchucker · Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 36 Location: Ft Assiniboine AB

Hi yall.just started figgering out where to go this spring for a fishin trip. i heard guys talkin about the skeena river for spring salmon,but no one knows anybody whose boated it..just wondering if anyone knows if this river is navigable with a jetboat between hazelton and prince rupert. thinkin probably a 10-12 dayer.any input or info would be appreciated .thanx

highnwild · Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 6 Location: FSJ

Rivers good....timing seems a little early, unless your talking steelhead or the odd jacks,,,, springs dont start to really hit the skeena in any great numbers until june and being that far up to spawn that early would seem odd. Maybe im wrong, hope not to miss lead you so contact this guy at this link and youll get your answer. http://www.noelgyger.ca/weekly-fishing-reports/feb-20-27_2011.pdf

shallowminded · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Peace River

June is a little early for chinook the best run for them is middle to late July! I have fished the river for 20 years it's easy to navigate as it's a big river! I have never been up river past terrace though, not much for bars up river from town; from what you can see from the highway! Fishing can be dependent on river conditions and commercial boats at the mouth! There's lots of rivers flowing into the skeena as well, so if the fishing is the shits you can go for a tour! Id recommend the gitnadoix river all the way to alistair lake!

rokchucker · Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 36 Location: Ft Assiniboine AB

thanx alot for the info ,guys.now i can start planning.never fished in bc before.what sorta tackle should a guy use for steelhead and springs?

Gus · Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 2 Location: Edson

For springs i would use ambassaduer 7000's or shamano calcutta 400 or 700 series with and 8'-11' rod depending on whether your fishing from a boat or from shore. From a boat something in the 8'-9' range rated to 30 lb min. the shorter lighter rods are nice for backbouncing since they are lighter and you get a better feel. From shore a 10.5 OR 11 FT rod is nice so you can cast a long ways. I've fished the skeena the last 4 years the last week of July and timing seemed to be good but i guess in late june early july you get more but on average smaller fish. We were getting from 3-8 hookups a day backbouncing last year. Biggest one we got was 52lbs and the smallest was 34lbs.

rokchucker · Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 36 Location: Ft Assiniboine AB

hey shallow...are you sayin you can run the gitnadoix to alistair with a jet boat?that would be a cool side trip i think.

shallowminded · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Peace River

Yeah you can run all the way to the lake it's actually an easy river to run, ive only been on it in July (low water), last time I was up there me and my brother took his boat; a 20' marathon. There's only one spot with some nuggets you gotta look for it's at a bit of a canyon which you can see from the skeena! Other than that it's the usual gravel and log jams, which we got close and personal with but that's another story.. Anyway the river takes some skill for the first half and the second half is easy cruising up to the edge of the lake! It's an awesome trip! The biggest challenge is when you get to the lake it can get swampy and it splits up lots and sandy bottom! Last time we could see the lake but couldn't get on it too much debris and no main channel we killed the motor and tried to push the boat through channel after channel but no go! I'll try to post some pictures once I get back home from work next week!

As for tackle Gus has the idea I've only used the Abu Garcia ambassadors and a 7000 is perfect and from shore 11' medium action (I like fenwick's and shimanoo's)! If your casting a long ways out heavy action 10' ugly sticks! 12-16oz weights! we use spinning glows and we dont use any bait!! Biggest we pulled in last year was 52lbs as well

shallowminded · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Peace River

Gitnadoix.. I think this is 2005

shallowminded · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Peace River

shallowminded · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Peace River

shallowminded · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Peace River

shallowminded · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Peace River

shallowminded · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Peace River

shallowminded · Joined: 25 Jun 2009 Posts: 15 Location: Peace River

52lbs

Canadian Turbine · Joined: 02 Oct 2010 Posts: 38 Location: BC

A few years ago we did some jetboat hunting around Deese Lake and bagged our moose in 3 days and stii had another 10 days to kill before the wifes expected us home so we droppe our meet off in Terrace and hit prime COho fishing in the Skeena. Limted out in 3 days. Best vacation I ever had.