Tuesday, 21st of May 2013

Share Your Local Knowledge and Qualify for Weekly Prizes

The Angler's Atlas is built on a foundation of sharing fishing maps with our members. As part of building a more comprehensive website we also want our members to share local knowledge about their fishing places. The site allows any member to post their own photos, comments and map markers to a lake.

To encourage more members to contribute their local knowledge we are providing two incentives for our members: Weekly prizes this fishing season (May to August) and official recognition of the members with the best posts on the website and in newsletters (see below).

Fishing Ambassadors for Week of May 5th

Lucky Bug LuresWe've got some great contributions this first week of May. The winner of the weekly prize is Adrianlepitre for the excellent fishing tips on Comox Lake, Boomerang Lake, Okay Lake, Maple Lake and Healy (Panther) Lake. These lakes are located on Vancouver Island between Nanaimo and Courtenay. Thanks for the tips, and we'll be sending out a pack of Lucky Bug Lures for these great contributions.

Other great posts for the week from:

And some great map markers from:

What is the West Coast Grand Slam?

It’s spending a day fishing the North West coast of Vancouver Island catching salmon, halibut & prawns (though some people like to spread it over several days).  Do it in your own boat or on a guided trip you will find lots of action.

Salmon

Chinook - Huge schools of these hardy strong fighting fish are already moving down Island. These fish are aggressive feeders that move into the mouth of Esperanza Inlet to feed on the abundant school of bait.

Coho - This year’s run of West Coast Vancouver Island Coho is projected to be the largest run in years. As a result Fisheries is moving the limits up from the past several seasons. This season you can keep 4 Coho per day. That’s a lot of fish!

Coho are exciting fish to have on the line, they are acrobatic and often set more than one line off at a time -“DOUBLES”.

Halibut

Lots of these fish are close in shore early in the season. Hali’s are often hooked as incidental catch when trolling deep at Ferrer Pt., off Bajo Reef, and on the Highway. These are white flaky delicious eating fish that can really test a fishermen and the equipment especially if caught on salmon gear. There are many well know Hali. Holes in our area, known for consistently producing halibut when fished with a spreader bar & an extra-large herring. Local guides or a chat at Westview Marina’s tackle shop will get you to the hot spots. 

“Happy Fishermen/women are those who Catch Fish”

Prawns

These critters are thick throughout Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet. If you are bringing your boat DO NOT FORGET YOU PRAWNING GEAR. If you are being guided ask if the trip includes Prawning. Limits are 200 per day. That’s a lot of PRAWNS!

For more info about fishing, moorage, accommodations & charters contact Big John at Westview Marina & Lodge (250) 934 7672.
john@westviewmarina.com
www.westviewmarina.com

sponsored advertorial

Go Fish Chetwynd

The town of Chetwynd sits in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Northeastern B.C., surrounded by numerous lakes and rivers.

There are five rivers in the area where anglers can test their skills-the Murray, Sukunka, Pine, Moberly and the mighty Peace; all of which provide excellent fishing opportunities. The first river you may notice is the Pine as it follows Highway 97 into and out of town. Many of the rivers in the area start in the Rocky Mountains and are high energy systems with lots of action. The largest is the Peace River and it is regulated by two large dams upstream of Hudson's Hope. But if you are looking for calmer waters look to the Moberly River as it meanders its way across the land.

In addition to the rivers, many lakes dot the landscape, and we feature several here. These include lakes right beside the highway, such as Sundance (Hwy 97), Gwillim (Hwy 29), Moberly (Hwy 29) Lakes and others that are geared for anglers seeking a backroad adventure, such as Stewart and Jackfish Lakes.

The waters around Chetwynd carry a wide variety of sportfish, including rainbow trout, char, pickerel (aka walleye), Artic grayling, northern pike, burbot and dolly varden.

If your preference is ice fishing, there is still time in early March to get out on the frozen water before break-up.

The town of Chetwynd has everything you need to gear up and wind down. From here, it's an easy hike, bike or drive to your new favourite fishing spot. Come and see all that Chetwynd has to offer!

sponsored advertorial

Fishing the Northern Rockies

The Northern Rockies of BC, with its spectacular peaks, lush forests and pristine lakes, is the place to go this summer. Whether it's family fishing you're after, or total backcountry solitude, you'll find it in the Northern Rockies.

Don't let the sandy beach fool you, Maxhamish Lake is true wilderness. This beautiful lake is only accessible by quad from a staging area off of highway 77 (Liard Highway). You will find pike and walleye, and the sounds of nature.

Stunning Muncho Lake Provincial Park and Summit Lake (in Stone Mountain Provincial Park), are both nestled amongst ice-capped mountains and are required stops on your Northern Adventure. You'll be wondering whether to reach for your camera or your fly rod! Of course, the arctic grayling are waiting...

Everywhere you go, you'll be greeted by warm northern hospitality. Come and stay at one of the region's first - rate fishing lodges, or stop at the Fort Nelson Museum that celebrates the region's history and the building of the Alaska Highway.

Take a hike, literally! Guided or self-guided hiking and horseback tours are available, through remote and unmaintained wilderness parks or just off the beaten path. Of course, when you're done trekking through the rugged backcountry, a trip to the Liard Hot Springs is a perfect cap to an exciting adventure.

Tetsa River, home of the Tetsa River Fishing Derby in August, is a great place to camp and enjoy the scenery. Andy Bailey Lake, with its campsites and (non-motorized) boat launch, is a great spot and easily accessible off the Alaska Highway, 30km south of Fort Nelson.

Come North, and find Adventure at its Peak!

sponsored advertorial

'Catch Me If You Can' in Tumbler Ridge

Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, is a dream destination for anglers and outdoors enthusiasts, from the high-energy waters of the Murray River to the lazy day setting of Gwillim Lake Provincial Park, and everything in between.

If trout is what you're after, Moose Lake has them. Test out those new fly patterns on the rainbows in this popular fishing spot. Or take the kids to Quality Lake for some quality time in the regions Family Fishing Waters.

Take a short drive out to Bearhole Lake for fabulous fishing any time of year. Ice fishing for burbot is a great way to spend a sunny winter day. One Island Lake is one of the angling jewels in the Peace country, both for its spectacular scenery and its big fish.

Our famous waterfalls are a must-see on any visitor's list, including Kinuseo Falls - taller than Niagara! Riverboating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, swimming, and waterfall bagging - wherever there's water, Tumbler Ridge has found a way to enjoy it.

Beyond the freshwater adventures, many other attractions draw visitors to the area, including the family-oriented Grizfest Music Festival and the most beautiful half marathon anywhere-the rugged Emperor's Challenge.

There are also signed trails that lead to special and secret places - magical caves, fascinating geological formations and world-class dinosaur trackways.

Grab your thirst for adventure and discover all that Tumbler Ridge has to offer! Visit the Tumbler Ridge website for more information.

sponsored advertorial

Help Improve Our Website (and qualify for a $100 prize)

We want members to contribute their local knowledge to The Angler's Atlas website, and we need to learn what would motivate members to participate. So we have set up a short 10 question survey to get your feedback.

Please take a few minutes to provide us with your opinions and you will be entered into a draw for a $100 prize. The survey runs until May 31, 2013. The winner will be announced in June.

Click here to take survey

Favourite Lakes Followed

With over 600 lakes followed by members, the Follow This Lake program seems to be popular with a lot of members. Click on the image to use the interactive Google map and explore any of the lakes followed.

10,000 Lake Maps for Ontario

We've recently acquired over 10,000 lake maps for Ontario and now we have a problem... where to start? So we've come up with a novel idea: let our members decide.

But to get your lake to the top of the list, we need something from you. We need help building our local knowledge about these lakes. So we want to see your pictures, we want to see access places marked on the map, and we want current information and tips about fishing the lake.

You don't have to give up your hot spots but you can still help build our information base. In return, we'll start adding these maps to the site first. Get started by finding your lake.

If we don't have your lake in our database, just send us an email and we'll get it up right away. Send an email to mail@anglersatlas.com with the lake name(s) and location. Then start posting your local knowledge.