About The Vessel

About The Skipper

About The Rates / Packages

The Vessel: The Predator is a 24-foot 1993 Mako walk-around cuddy cabin style sportfisher powered by twin 2003 225hp Mercury Optimax outboards. A true high-end fishing machine, the Predator will get you out to the best fishing locations quickly, and with the softest ride of any boat in its size class. Equipped with four (4) Scotty downriggers, a Walker electric downrigger with underwater camera system, and top-of-the-line Shimano rods and reels, the Predator usually trolls four to six lines depending on sea conditions. The large amount of open deck space, walk-around cuddy design, and great maneuverability of the Predator allows for great ability to fight and chase down large fish if necessary. Back:

Your Skipper:

Your skipper, David Korsch, caught the fishing bug young during the odd fishing trip for trout, bottom fish, and salmon. By the age of six, every summer (and most weekends throughout the year) were spent at the family's cottage in Halfmoon Bay, and fishing became an obsession. Hundreds of hours each year were spent in pursuit of Chinook and Coho salmon, and a vast knowledge of their habits and movements was being created as angling skills were honed.

In 1986, at 22 years old, David began his professional guiding career. He was hired by the fledgling Vancouver Fish-on Guiding Services, operating out of Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver, as a summer job while he finished up his last years at the University of British Columbia. During the following summer, David decided to continue guiding for Fish-on while attempting to find a permanent job. His degree in Forest Resource Management, with a heavy emphasis on stream rehabilitation and fisheries, had very limited job opportunities during the late 1980's, and most potential jobs would have required him to move to the interior regions of British Columbia - away from his saltwater salmon fishing.

David continued to guide for Fish-on during subsequent years while continuing to look for his ideal permanent job. During the spring of 1990, after four years of guiding for Fish-on, the operation was absorbed by Sewell's Marina. David bought his first boat in order to join Sewell's fleet of charter boat owner/operators, and Predator Charters was born.

A member of Shimano's field staff, David is presently one of Vancouver's most experienced saltwater guides. His many thousands of hours guiding in the area, and his attention to detail has made David one of Vancouver's most consistently productive charter skippers. David also works with Fisheries and Oceans Canada tagging any released Chinook, and he began collecting a DNA sample from each fish (released or retained) in 1998. He is pushing Fisheries to begin a Chinook DNA study in order to help get a better picture of their migration and growth patterns, so he began collecting the DNA so the raw data will be there if they decide to begin the study.

Predator Charters operates year round, as the winter is David's favorite time of year to fish personally. The winter Chinook fishery takes more knowledge and skill in order to be consistently productive, hence he finds successful encounters with winter Chinook more rewarding.

Being a real student of what drives salmon to feed, having a background in Fisheries Management, and a desire to unravel all the intricacies of the winter fishery, David began a detailed analysis of his catches. Since 1990, he has recorded very specific information about all salmon caught aboard the PREDATOR - especially Chinook. This catch data and analysis is located in Catch Records, and any serious angler will find the information very interesting as tide, moon phase, and barometric pressure results will have applications world wide.
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Salmon Fishing Charters:

The Predator generally carries up to four anglers/guests, and all charters include fuel, tackle, bait, and the cleaning and bagging of the day's catch.

2005 rates (effective March 1st, 2005) based on "up to 3 anglers/guests" are:

• 5 hours (minimum trip): $425.00 + GST
  
• Additional hours: $80.00 + GST
  
• A fourth person can be added for an additional $25.00 + GST
  

• Bottom Fishing:
  
  Though typically bottom fish are not targeted on charters aboard the Predator, with some advance notice, bottom-fishing trips can be arranged.
  
  The best bottom fishing is generally located some distance from any population centre since these slow growing, territorial species can get fished out fairly easily. For this reason, extended trips to the Gulf Islands are the best option for a serious bottom-fishing trip. In local waters, targeting Rockfish and Red Snapper (Yellow-Eye Rockfish) in deep water (250ft or more) produces the best chance of landing some decent sized fish.
  
  2004 Rates:
  Please inquire. Rates will be based on my salmon fishing charter rates, but will be modified to some degree depending on the specifics of the trip.
  
  
• Estuary/River Fishing:
  
  Approximately 1/2-hour run from the marina, we are lucky enough to have a good-sized stream/estuary system which is accessible only by boat. The estuary has some very good sea-run Cutthroat Trout fishing in both spring and fall, and during the fall months, excellent river fishing for Coho and Chinook is available due to virtually no angling pressure.
  
  For the estuary fishery, anglers can either wade or use the Predator as an angling platform while casting to the Cutthroat, and for river anglers, the Predator can be used to get to and from the river. While pursuing these fish, crab and prawn traps would have been deployed since the area also has good populations of both these crustaceans types and little pressure.
  
  2004 Rates:
  Please inquire. Rates will be based on my salmon fishing charter rates, but will be modified to some degree depending on the specifics of the trip.
  
  

Most recent revision: March 20, 2005
Copyright © 2005, Predator Charters.
All Rights Reserved.

E-MAIL: Predator_Charters@PredatorCharters.com