Rachel Islands

The Rachel Islands sit southwest of Prince Rupert in British Columbia's north coast waters, a cluster of rocky islets and reef edges that drop into working depths of 40 to 150 feet. Pacific Halibut hold along the deeper gravel and mud flats through the April to August peak, while Chinook Salmon push through in two distinct windows, February to April and again April to July, followed by Coho Salmon from May into September. Rockfish stack tight to the reef structure and pinnacles from February through July, responding to jigging with metal jigs and leadhead jigs with soft plastics worked close to the bottom. Downrigger trolling with whole herring, anchovy in teaser heads, and trolling spoons covers the salmon lanes along the island edges, and drift jigging with heavy metal jigs or leadheads matches the halibut depths on the surrounding flats. Tidal exchange around the islands concentrates bait against the structure, keeping predators oriented to the drop-offs through the working depth band.