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June 10, 2013 By Fishing Guide

Fathers Day Fishing Best Sturgeon Fishing Adventure

Chad’s Fishing Charters Father’s Day Special: Fill a Boat for Only $550

Surprise the most important man in your life today with an amazing fishing trip he won’t forget!

Chad’s Fishing Charters Can Make This Happen.

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Make Father’s Day extra memorable by embarking on a fishing adventure of a lifetime off the famed Fraser Valley Waterways, made possible with the professional fishing guides of Chad’s Fishing Charters.

For only $550 you can jump on a boat and explore one of the most beautiful valleys in British Columbia, Canada, where stunning mountain vistas serve as a natural backdrop for the lush and expansive stretch that is Fraser Valley Canyon.

Whether you crave for the adrenaline-filled excitement of sturgeon fishing or prefer a family-friendly adventure of salmon fishing, we offer some of the most exceptional fishing charters this side of Canada. With our carefully-maintained and beautiful boats, first-class fishing equipment designed to weather the best of the British Columbia seasons, and professional guides, each fishing trip is guaranteed to give you a fantastic time.

With our slash-rate Father’s Day offer, this fishing adventure couldn’t get any more exciting! Allow our boats and guides to take you on a Fraser river fishing voyage where you can reel in massive fresh-water sturgeons or any of the species of Pacific salmons that thrive in this sports fishing paradise.

With Chad’s Fishing Charters, you get a fantastic Fraser River fishing trip from one of the most trusted third-generation fishing guides in all of British Columbia, Canada.

The Chad’s Fishing Charters Experience

Specializing in sturgeon fishing and backed by three generations of Fraser river fishing and angling experience, Chad’s Fishing Charters is in a league of its own. Not only do founder Chad Helmer and his team of professional fishing guides ensure a safe and convenient trip, they are also known to go the extra mile to make sure that the fishing adventure is by all means an adventure. Each trip guarantees a catch, whether it’s the colossal freshwater sturgeon or the equally impressive Sockeye salmon and other varieties.

With Father’s Day just around the corner, Chad’s Fishing Charters offers you the opportunity to hop on and fill a boat for a day of Fraser River fishing adventure for only $550. This deal already includes the use of a clean, spacious boat equipped with top covers and floor heaters, fishing equipment and gear, and a fishing guide that is unrivalled in experience and professionalism. There’s definitely no better time than Father’s Day to surprise someone with this chartered fishing trip!

Get This Father’s Day Offer now, and Fill a Boat for Only $550!

Give us a call or drop by our online booking section today to avail of this once-in-a-year deal from Chad’s Fishing Charters. Get all the benefits of a truly worthwhile sturgeon fishing and salmon fishing trip through the breathtaking Fraser Valley for one excellent price.

If you think every Father’s Day should be unforgettable, you’re looking at the right deal. Chad’s Fishing Charters is prepared to make this annual occasion a truly memorable one, through a world-class Fraser River fishing experience that can only be describe as world-class.

May 15, 2013 By Fishing Guide

A Beginner’s Guide to Sea Fishing

A Beginner’s Guide to Sea Fishing

Newcomers to the joy that is fishing at sea can find themselves baffled at a number of things, especially if they’ve thrown themselves in at the deep end without going through the basics first or doing some sort of preparation.

One particularly common point of confusion is which tackle to choose. It would be no lie to say that there are many types of tackle available, and as each method of sea fishing suits different sorts of tackle, things can get mighty perplexing. If you’re unsure of what tackle you need, you may end up wasting your cash.

Are you hoping for some action-filled sports fishing, or do you prefer a more sedate style, where you can read a book and soak up the rays as you wait for a fish to start nibbling? The tackle you need will differ depending on your chosen style, so sink your teeth into this guide and get educated.

Ways of Catching a Fish

If you really simplify things down to a point, it could be said that there are only two ways to catch a fish – either by scent or by attraction. There are many subtypes of sea fishing, but generally speaking they can all be sorted into one of these two major categories.

Scent

To use scent to catch a fish, you’ll need to find a bait that matches the scent of the fish’s usual food. Sometimes you can use the exact thing – a bit of squid, a lug worm or a morsel of fresh mackerel, for instance.

Attraction

Catching a fish by attraction comes in two flavours – visual and behavioural. This means that your lure has to both mimic the behaviour and the appearance of your target fish’s normal food source. There are loads of lures, from hard wood ones to soft, jelly-like ones, so just ask around and you’ll find the one you need.

Traditional Sea Fishing

Traditional sea fishing is what most people think of when you say the words “sea fishing” – standing on a boat in the ocean just waiting for a bite. It’s classed as fishing by scent, and is still the most common method. You’ll need patience, a 13 foot beach caster rod and a 6oz lead.

You can also get much longer rods, which allow you to cast over a greater distance, but these are not strictly necessary. Although it’s unlikely that your boat will need any modifications, it might be worthwhile looking at Shipserv’s tools to see whether you could benefit from some changes.

Lure Fishing

The other main type is lure fishing, also called spinning. It is rapidly gaining popularity in the fishing world because the UK is finally catching up in making the necessary equipment available.

It is a more dynamic style, as you need to put in more effort to catch a fish – you have to make the lure imitate the actions of the fish’s normal prey. Lure rods are usually about 8 foot long, and are a lot lighter so that you can be more accurate. Speak to someone in your local tackle store to find out what specific lure you need.

Fancy a fully guided trip? See here for more information.

June 27, 2012 By Fishing Guide

BC Sturgeon

All About BC & Sturgeon in North America

BC Sturgeons are native to North American and Asian subtropical and sub-Arctic rivers, lakes and coastlines. They are anadromous toothless bottom feeders who eat a variety of dead fish and mammals. They enjoy small fish for an appetizer, swallow whole salmon for lunch, and can feast on baby seals. Sturgeons spawn upstream much like salmon do, and feed in river deltas at the mouths of still water lakes by built up sediments. These monsters can also venture out to the ocean, but they usually prefer to sta in lakes and rivers.

Sturgeons are one of the oldest bony fish in existence. Sturgeons date back to 200 million years old, making Canada their home, and making British Columbia known for some of the best sturgeon fishing in the world.

Sturgeons are not only as old as dinosaurs, but they are practically the same size. Sturgeons are among one of the largest species of fresh water fish, ranging from 7-12 feet in length. Some species can grow up to 18 feet long and several hundred pounds!

Not only are sturgeons large and valuable, they are slowly becoming destinct. They are very slow growing and they mature very late in life. Because of their slow growth, they are more vulnerable to other threats, such as pollution and habitat reduction and erosion over time. Sturgeons are more endangered than any other species and they are highly at risk of extinction due to overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction.

Because sturgeons are declining in numbers, they are increasing in value. Certain species of Sturgeons are treasured for their ovarian eggs. The eggs, which is a luxury food also known as caviar, are harvested, making the sturgeon the most valuable of all harvested fish.

In the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland area of British Columbia, White Sturgeons can be found in the Fraser River, Harrison River, and Harrison Lake. Sturgeon fishing in BC begins in May to June. You can find these creatures in deep, slow moving pools during the day and in shallow areas at night when they are feeding. To catch a sturgeon you should use a bell sinker and a hook that will hover near at the bottom of the lake or river. Sturgeons are not fussy eaters so a bunch of worms will do the trick. Cheese, salmon eggs, snails, clams, and leeches also work wonders, but make sure your sinker is at the bottom and the bait can move about so the sturgeons won’t be able to resist the bite.

Chad’s Fishing Charters will guide you for a thrill of a lifetime. Hooking a sturgeon will be your most memorable and exciting catch that you will never forget. It’s worth the hard struggle to reel in the might and powerful, prehistoric great White Sturgeon. Contact Chad’s Fishing Charters today to book a guided Sturgeon Fishing Charter!

June 23, 2012 By Fishing Guide

Best Practices Releasing Sturgeon Fishing BC Rivers

Sturgeon Fishing Guide To Releasing

The majority of white sturgeon populations in British Columbia are listed under the federal species at risk act and are open to angling. Since the populations in the lower and middle Fraser river are relatively healthy, they are able to support exciting world class fishery. How ever, these populations are still vulnerable to impacts from angling, habitat destruction, pollution and salmon net fisheries, and they are still provincially and nationally designated as endangered. In addition to being endangered, white sturgeon mature after 17 to 20 years and can live for more then a 100 years, so impacts or injuries can be long lasting. As such all sturgeon angling in the province is catch and release only and will be more strictly managed in the future. Indications are that catch and release sturgeon can be a low impact activity. However, to minimize harm to fish, extra care and attention must be taken to ensure there health and survival, and to maintain this treasure fishery. Anglers should abide by the following capture and handling practices:

Angling tackle should be heavy enough to handle these potentially large fish. Use heavy rods and reels, and at least 100lb test line. Play and release fish as rapidly as possible. A fish played for to long may not recover.

Only barb less hooks are promited while sturgeon angling, so hooks are easily removed. Well embedded hooks can be removed with long needle-nose pliers, or a hook remover. Grab the bend of the hook and twist, and the hook will dislodge. Be quick, but gentle. A fish that is deeply hooked, hooked on or near the gills, or bleeding profusely has a much lower chance of survival once released. You can improve its chances by cutting the leader and releasing the fish with the hook left in. The line will rot and the hook will eventually fall out.

Leave the fish in the water wherever possible. A fish suffocates when its out of water, and is more at risk of internal injuries do to its own weight, especially if it is large (greater then 1.5 m in length).

Land larger fish in shallow water near the shore. Do not drag any fish onto the shore or out of the water. Do not land a large fish at the boat and then tow it by the tail to shore. Towing a fish to the shore is very damaging to the fish and can lessen ‘chances of survival or even kill it. If you land a large fish at the boat, then release it at the boat. Smaller fish can be landed on the boat by lifting and cradling it with gloved hands underneath and behind the front fins and just forward of the tail. It should be placed into a wetted sling. A fish should never be pulled into a boat using a rope or by its gill plates, mouth or pectoral fins. Use as many people to cradle the fish as is necessary not to hurt it.

If you handle a fish, then do so with care. Keep your fingers away from its gills and out of the gill plates, and don’t squeeze or hug the fish. If you want photographs then leave a larger fish in the water, smaller fish should be cradled. Have your camera ready and be quick so the fish is only briefly disturbed. Take the time to hold the fish in the water to recover. Point the fish up stream in the current while reviving it, and when the fish begins to struggle and swim normally, let it go.

June 23, 2012 By Fishing Guide

Helpful Guide To Fishing The Fraser River

Fraser Valley Catch Limits

The following list provides some helpful hints for your fishing experience on the local rivers, namely the Fraser, Harrison and Chilliwack/Vedder Rivers. We urge you all to assist in efforts to help look after this valuable resource by respecting the river, the fish and your fellow angler.

Ensure you have the required licenses;
Learn to identify your catch by reading the Regulations;
Know your limit and stay within it;
Record your catch accurately;
Pinch your barbs on all hooks (single only);
Use a maximum of 36” leaders on the Chilliwack/Vedder rivers to reduce Sockeye interception;
Release all foul hooked fish;
Respect the fish with proper handling;
Show consideration to fellow anglers;
Clean up your mess and encourage others to do the same;
Obey all laws and report violations to the Observe Report & Record line by calling:

Toll Free at: 1-855-316-6461 or Cell: 1-604-316-6461

Salmon Trout Catch Limits on the Chilliwack/Vedder River:

4 Hatchery Coho per day, any size (marked with clipped adipose fin);
4 Chinook per day, 1 only over 62 cm that must be marked on your licence (under Region 2);
4 Pinks per day (returning on odd years only 2009, 2011, 2013, etc);
1 Chum per day;
0 Sockeye; no retention all year.

NOTE: Total of all the above is 4 per day. There is a 2 day possession limit of 8.

NOTE: There is a conservation concern for Cultus Lake Sockeye and every effort must be made to avoid catching this species.

Trout Catch Limits on the Chilliwack/Vedder River:

4 Hatchery Rainbow Trout per day between July 1 to April 30 (no minimum size limit).

Steelhead Catch Limits:

1 Hatchery Steelhead per day. (Mark your licence immediately;stop fishing on the Chilliwack/Vedder river for the day).

IMPORTANT: Catch limits are subject to change and Fishery Notices override any of the above.

Helpful Guide To Fishing The Fraser River Provided By Fred Helmer http://www.fredscustomtackle.com/