Points to remember when Salmon Fishing

see also Points to remember when Salmon Fishing in Freshwater

• Purchase a tidal waters sport fishing licence and a salmon conservation stamp prior to fishing for salmon.
   
• Barbless hooks are required for all salmon fishing (plus cutthroat trout and steelhead). Both single and treble barbless hooks are acceptable except in the tidal waters of the Fraser River. If you are pinching a barbed hook, crimp the barb flat against the shaft, such that any cloth material dragged across the crimped barb would not snag the material.
• A person may angle in the tidal portion of the Fraser River with two hooks, artificial lures or artificial flies, attached to a fishing line. Bar rigs with single barbless hooks are acceptable.
  
• Check to determine if the area you intend to fish is open.
   
• The aggregate daily limit (total daily limit) for all species of Pacific salmon from tidal or non-tidal waters combined is four.
   
• The total possession limit for salmon is eight, of which only four may be chinook. This possession limit includes all salmon caught on either a tidal licence or a non-tidal licence, or a combination of both.
   
• Unless otherwise specified in the limit table, all retained chinook must measure 45 cm or more from the tip of nose to fork of tail. All coho, sockeye, pink and chum must measure 30 cm or more.
   
• The coast-wide daily limit for chinook is two. The total chinook aggregate annual limit is 30 from any tidal waters, of which at most:
  • 10 may be caught in the tidal waters of the Fraser River;
  • 15 may be caught in the waters of Area 12 to 18, 28 and 29 and that portion of Area 19 north of Cadboro Point;
  • 20 may be caught in the waters of Subareas 19-1 to 19-4 and 20-5 to 20-7.
  Note: Subareas 20-1 to 20-4 (west of Sheringham Point) is part of the total chinook aggregate annual limit of 30 from any tidal waters.
   
  
• You must immediately record in ink on your licence all chinook retained.
   
• It is illegal to catch or attempt to catch salmon by wilfully foul hooking.
   
• Return the head of your salmon with a missing adipose fin to a Salmon Sport Head Recovery Depot near you.
   
• There is no limit to the number of fishing rods a licensed fisher may use in tidal waters, other than the tidal waters of the Fraser River where the limit is one line per angler.

A hatchery marked fish is a fish that has a healed scar in place of the adipose fin. The adipose fin is the fleshy appendage found on salmon located between the dorsal fin and the tail.

Anglers should use three or more distinguishing characteristics to properly identify all salmon. This would, for example, aid in identifying juvenile chinook from adult pink salmon.

Be aware of hook and line and downrigger entanglement risks in the vicinity of the UVIC Venus project in Pat Bay, Saanich Inlet. For more information, visit: www.venus.uvic.ca/notice.php

Points to remember when Salmon Fishing in Freshwater

• Check to determine if the location you intend to fish is open.
• All limits are subject to closure times. If an area is closed, If an area is closed, the retention limit is zero (0).
• It is illegal to catch or attempt to catch salmon by snagging or with snares.
• It is illegal to wilfully hook a salmon on any part of its body other than in the mouth. You may not retain any accidentally foul-hooked salmon.
• It is illegal to sport fish for salmon and trout, except by angling.
• Return the head of your salmon with a missing adipose fin to a Salmon Sport Head Recovery Depot near you.
• There are no salmon in Region 4 (Kootenays). For information on other freshwater species in Region 4, refer to the B.C. Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis.
• Check each region’s Salmon Table for the definition of an “adult chinook” for that area.