The Herring Ball
The Queen Charlotte Islands is home to one of the most rich and diverse marine environments in the world. They are a place where nature is in full control, and man is only a seasonal visitor. During the winter, only lodge care takers and a handful of loggers populate the rugged hundred miles of coastline on the west side. And in the summer, anglers arrive in search of that perfect trophy catch.
Due to the dramatic drop-off caused by the continental shelf ten to twenty miles off shore, Langara Island is home to one of the best commercial fisheries for halibut, salmon, black cod and rockfish. Salmon’s major food source is herring, and since the herring fishery was discontinued in these waters a few years back, I’ve noticed a healthy jump in the local salmon stocks. More herring means more salmon, which is why the herring ball is such an important phenomenon.
A herring ball occurs when a school of herring gets attacked by a predator (like salmon or white-sided dolphins), creating an all-you-can eat feeding frenzy for the hungry fish. You can see herring balls on your depth sounder and from the surface of the water. On the surface, the water seems to be boiling with activity — you see fish jumping and eagles and gulls dive-bombing just to get a piece.
Herring balls can be massive. I’ve witnessed herring balls the size of several football fields and ranging from sixty to one hundred feet deep. The trick to fishing salmon in these masses is to fish the edges or the top and the bottom. The salmon will try to corral the herring, feeding on those that don’t swim to the centre of the ball — a classic case of survival of the fittest.
Our cut plug herring is meant to imitate a wounded fish. A good idea is to drive up to the herring ball and then, with the boat in neutral, free spool your bait straight down through the herring. As it passes through the bottom of the bait ball, the line will go slack. Reel!! Get tension on the line, set the hook, and you’ll be yelling “fish on!!”