Vedder Opening Day 2024: My Salmon Season Predictions

[@pixelfishflintyt8537]

it feels like your salmon season predictions for last year were just yesturday. crazy how time flies

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

right? The older I get the faster time flies.

[@bradball9065]

Awesome video Petr, thanks for all the work put into the Vedder and trying to make it a better fishery. Congrats on the Steelhead season, I caught my first one after trying for a few years. Had to enlist the help of a guide from Pacific Rivers Outfitters, well worth it and for what it's worth I think guiding would suit you well, I'm sure a lot of folks on the river would appreciate the opportunity to fish with you! All the best.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it. Congrats on the Steelhead, they are a special fish.

[@tommycrant8383]

Well said .I do look forward to your videos and do appreciate you informing others on some better fishing practices. Thanks and I’ll probably see you on the river petr

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

I appreciate the kind comment. tight lines!

[@stewbeef2825]

I must agree with you I saw an increase in snaging. Love what you are doing and appreciate your effort. Education is the key. Hope one day I see you on the Vedder.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

For sure. I'm out most days in October, so you'll probably see me in or on the river.

[@Mrtomgoose]

I don't care your prediction accurate or not, I just put a like thumb for your wonderful video.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

I appreciate that

[@ShenpaiWasTaken]

Thanks for the update! Consider me better informed. Even though i fish the skagit in wa i really do enjoy listening to you and seeing how things im canada are. The number of fish you catch is pretty crazy. I think i do pretty good landing 40-60 coho a year. Best of luck with your independent venture! Its easy to believe you're the best at what you do.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Thank you very much for your positive comment. I like watching some of the content from WA as well. Fish don't see borders.

[@Dennis.t903]

Good to see some Rocky Mountain whitefish in the river. When I first started steelhead fishing the Vedder 40 yrs ago we caught tons of Rocky Mountain whitefish and Bull trout.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

The rocky mountain whitefish are still the most numerous species in the river. There are about a hundred of them in every run, but they rarely bite anything except very small beads. If you want them, caddis fly larvae will get you a bite nearly every cast.

[@rowdymacd]

27 steelies! That’s impressive. I went strictly fly only this year and hooked 6 landed 4. Thought I was doing good lol. Thanks for the videos 🍻

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

That's pretty good on the starvation stick. I found a few good spots, about 1/2 of those fish came out of maybe 4 spots, the rest were all over the river.

[@rowdymacd]

Awesome. I have found since the flood there is a ton of fishable water. Especially for the fly. Shouldn’t be saying this in July but I can’t wait for winter. Dying to get out again haha

[@VANCOUVERRx]

Great video Peter, i really battled hard to win the derby myself, but of anyone else who coulda won it, im glad it was you. See you on the river ✅

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Thanks for the comment. Catching the biggest fish is just luck, getting them consistently is where the skill is. tight lines.

[@mannyferreira5753]

Great video Peter thanks realy appreciate your videos.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Glad you like them!

[@crankbaiter_fishing]

This should be put as a Mandatory course on the website before giving away a salmon License! I don't fish the Vedder but I make sure to tune into your information videos.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

This year I'm putting my "money" where my mouth is. In early September I will be offering a free course on salmon regulations at the Library.

[@divewithRJ]

Hey man! Im interested if your offering guide services!

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Thanks, I looked into working as an assistant guide for a local store, but I'm not sure yet if it will happen.

[@wescrawford4384]

Hey!! I had a question for you. You comment a few times about preserving the Vedder fishery. Do you think it's headed to being a fishery that no longer produces?? Similar to Capilano?

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

The fishing pressure on this river is enormous. We have a set of regulations that somewhat level the playing field and give the fish a chance. I'm referring mostly to barbless hooks and no snagging. If we get to a point where a lot of people are snagging, the balance shifts and the fish will be wiped out in a short time. As things stand now, there are some places on the river where almost everyone is snagging, but most places are ok. I'd hare to see snagging become the norm.

[@wescrawford4384]

@@petrhermanadventures9509 oh I see!! Thanks for the reply!! Hope people stop snagging! Takes the fun out of actually fishing and catching!

[@ChipDarby13]

I hope the coho numbers are good enough for a Vedder newbie like myself to catch a couple when I come down from Lillooet in October 🙏🎣

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

October is the best month, but don't get discouraged if you don't succeed. I didn't catch a single coho my first year on the river, just chinooks and pinks and a couple of chum.

[@ChipDarby13]

@@petrhermanadventures9509 I will be disappointed if I go home empty handed, but also I’m just excited to try a new fishing experience.

[@1elemnt1]

What type of setup do you find is most likely to get hook ups on Coho? I was thinking of just using spoons cause im a noobie

[@markyodogawa]

Always enjoy your videos and appreciate your focus on legal practices. I love fly fishing and basically only target trout and whitefish. Have seen many treat the whitefish as a nuisance and throw them on shore to die. Whitefish are a sign of a healthy river, they are a part of the salmonid family, and they are fun to catch on the fly.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

surprisingly good to eat as well. Many people have a hate on for Northern Pike Minnow and can't tell the difference from a whitefish. Both species are a natural part of the ecosystem and should be treated with respect.

[@gursavedhaliwal1002]

Thank you for another amazing video, Petr. Always a great day when you upload a video! Hoping you have an amazing fishing season, looking forward to seeing you out there!

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Thank you so much for the kind comment. Tight lines!

[@egolawncare]

we appreciate your time in these reports and videos. Even more we like that during the winter time those who know know ;) steelhead don't exist anyways. Def not worth your time if you want to get meat.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Yup, If I'm honest about the gas and tackle and steelhead tag, each hatchery steelhead costs me around $200. Maybe less this year, but over all the years for sure.

[@kenkitsul8076]

Hi. It would be nice to see how many people fish on opening day and if they get any? I guess you will be out there? K

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

I have never personally seen someone get a chinook opening day, but it does happen. I think I'll go toss some roe in there for a while, love spending time on the river regardless of outcome.

[@allancrow134]

Really low numbers of 5(2)Springs in the test fishery at Albion this year. Those fish(early run) are having a hard time for whatever reason when coastwide things seem to be on the uptick.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Yes, I looked at those numbers after I put the video up and the early numbers are something like 10% of the long term average.

[@allancrow134]

@@petrhermanadventures9509It would not surprise me if the Vedder Red Springs have a poor showing this season for whatever reason.

[@eeeffert6042]

fishy friend man is BACK!

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Thanks for watching!

[@ashtoncunningham6981]

I got two reds in September last season .

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

It's quite unusual to get reds that late. There has been a long term trend with more of the white chinooks having orange or red meat though.

[@jamesryan1691]

Great review, great update. Thank you Petr.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@keithl7422]

We need a good lesson of HOW TO READ THE FLOAT when coho bite because a lot of people missing coho bite! I know it's not only bobber down that simple! I just caught a Coho on Capilano River yesterday and the float didn't go down, the float was moving unusual and I set the hook, fish on!! We need more tips about reading bobber while coho bite!! Please 😄

[@justinchan2453]

Yeah I loved to learn more about this as well. Super helpful stuff

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

You are correct, sometimes it's just a twitch. On the other hand I don't want to encourage people to rip their float all the time.

[@Cartersfishinghighlights]

Last year me and my friends were having 10+ red spring days

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

That's awesome. I didn't hear of anyone else having much luck. I guess like any other fish once you figure out what works, you can replicate it.

[@Cartersfishinghighlights]

@@petrhermanadventures9509 yea for sure this year has been tuff tho there not wanting to push up

[@ds-sj2bm]

The best way to fix a poacher is call the RAAP line and report them. Take footage as well.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

That is sound advice, unfortunately enforcement is severely underfunded.

[@ds-sj2bm]

@@petrhermanadventures9509 oh I know but we can't let that stop people from doing the right thing and at least attempting. Best not to get involved physically but take all the footage in the world. It's about all we can do.

[@ВладимирГрачев-ы2и]

Me: Trying really hard to catch my first chinook (or any salmon/steelhead really) in Columbia river and tributaries. Petr: "I landed 30 chinooks while actively trying to avoid them." 😭

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

I hear you, but I'm about a decade ahead of you on experience. Be patient and great things will happen.

[@ВладимирГрачев-ы2и]

@@petrhermanadventures9509 Thank you, that's encouraging! When I picked that up, it all looked approachable enough as there are really a millions of tutorials on every possible aspect of that hobby - like I "know" what bait/lure to use where, how to do all the knots, how to find the right water etc. And while it looks like that I'm following all that to the single letter, I still need a tutorial on how to start getting bites ;)

[@ds-sj2bm]

Christ 50 steelhead. I hope that one day steelheading clicks for me. I was on the river alot last season and I didn't even get a sniff. I consistently catch coho but I just don't know what I'm doing wrong steelheading.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

I've had many years of the steelhead struggle, sometimes a month with not a single bite. They're hard, but not impossible.

[@ds-sj2bm]

@@petrhermanadventures9509 hopefully I have better luck this winter. Hope to see you out on the river again this year.

[@darrengolding4083]

Great video thanks for sharing it

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Thanks for watching, and I appreciate the comment.

[@joesutherland225]

Historically there were pinks all years but many years ago the even year fish crashed and were over fished just about destroying fraser even year pinks never came back

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

I think that there is a lesson there: if you wipe out a run they may never recover.

[@secondlife5704]

Awesome video. Thanks Petr!

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Glad you liked it!

[@fishingreporter2784]

well if Petr did not see the fish, I have to fish somewhere else.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

They might just be hiding lower down in the river. Lots of water still though.

[@zacyule4674]

First

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Thanks for the comment.

[@kenfollis6975]

Hey boys n girls there's NO reason to bounce betty's that call Snagging/ Flossing

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

Swam the river a couple of days ago, found two betties. The Fraser River sockeye fishery is the worst thing that ever happened to the Vedder. I bottom bounce on the Fraser when it's open, but that river and that technique result in almost no foul hooked fish, whereas in a small tributary it's a recipe for disaster.

[@pavelgolubenkov]

I don't know about the Vedder, but Nicomen had way more chum last year than i normally see.

[@petrhermanadventures9509]

There were hardly any. I did a lot of fishing in November when the river is usually thick with them and I only got a few.