2022 Victoria and Oak Bay Reports

[sundance]

At the salmon head drop bin there is a pocket with forms to fill out about the fish: date of catch, length of the fish, fishing zone and common name for the location. If you want to find out about the fish you are asked to fill out your contact information, either e-mail or postal address. There are usually some pencils at the pocket of forms. You will receive the story of the fish a few months after you drop it off, and they welcome your comments/feedback.

Thanks for turning in the heads , we check the box every day Creel fellows pick up every 3 weeks , also do a box at Trailer. park at Otter Point , thanks again

 

[Sam7]

Went out today at 6:00am, a touch windy but manageable.

It was fast and furious for about 1.5 hours for us, managed about 9lber in the boat within about 15 min, then shortly after that had a pin-popper that stole my trailer hook and took off, then lost one about 10’ from the boat then had another long line release. Managed a few more hits, but nothing stuck. 7:45, all went quiet…….and the kelp beds moved in and moved us off our tack. Most hits between Green Can and Macaulay and out of those, most were at 66’ with a couple at 54’ Using bait.

 

[Bent-Tip]

Put in a couple of hours in Haro strait looking to stay out of the wind. It was a better day for sailors than fishermen.

 

[Rayvon]

Still a few fish coming in from waterfront,picked up 2 low teens this morning,lost one and released a wild coho.

 

[tinboatrobb]

Picked up 2 nice hatchery coho off Macauley this morning. 3 fun double headers. Couple small springs released

 

[eroyd]

Beautiful dawn off the east side of Chatham. Trolled bait and spoons. Three Springs of about six lbs all on spoons. Bait was much appreciated by small lings that were way off the bottom.
Headed over to the flats and trolled around there like everyone else for two hours. Birds, bait, what else do they want? About to call it day at 10:00 when ping, a rod goes off. Short fight and gone. Well darn. Put the gear back down and in minutes both rods go off. Good scrap with fish number one while no.2 behaved in the rod rest. Number one in the net, number 2 released beside the boat. Organized again and three more cookie cutters released. 6/7 lbs.
Last fish of the morning was a 75cm , 12lb white spring.
No bananas and herring aid skinny g s. On the bottom.
Was a good morning.

 

[Sam7]

Well, no fast and furious today!

Started at sun-up, did the loop, and more loops, and then I did some more loops. Finally at about 11:30 the rod goes off in front of the breakwater. Low and behold I’ve had my first and only fish/hit of the day, it was a whopping 3-4lber that was released to live a another day. Saw a couple of bigger fish toady, but nothing exciting. Probably about 45-50 at one point in the waterfront. Packed it in about 1:00. So much for grabbing a quick one and then heading out to the halibut grounds.…..there is always Monday

 

[Arjento]

Fished oakbay Thursday night we got one 8lb, and lost one long line. Went again Friday but wind was too silly to stay in tack so we called it with no fish. Today went back to give the college try and rewarded with 4 x 6-8lb fish. And not a single fish landed by myself we played 6 fish total and landed 4. Kids played all of them, I set the hook and hand the rod to the fasted kid to the deck.

 

[Doug]

We fished the Vic water front from 615 to 1130. There were about 30 boats fishing in the area. Managed to land 4 fish.
All fish were caught at 75 ft on the DR using bait. We saw other fisherman landing fish. Two fish were white and one clipped so we dropped the head off at Esq Angler.

 

[eroyd]

Hit Oak Bay flats with full confidence this morning after yesterday's success. Today not even a hit. Dunno? I guess I shouldn't have forgotten my bananas.

 

[saltydawg]

Does anyone know the name of this fisherman and his wife. In aluminum skiff. 2:15 today off Pedder Bay. Biggs whales chased a Stellar Sealion into his boat nearly capsizing. There is a very cool video he may want and photographer would like to talk to him.

 

[Double trouble 2]

We fished from sax point to the breakwater and back yesterday. The best day fishing that i can remember. We took home 5 springs and one hatch coho, we put in a long day from 7-5 though. Lost a big one right at the boat and another break a snap swivel. Had my 70 yr. Old uncle who has never caught a fish before land a high teens spring. Seemed like every boat we passed was either pulling out the net or just putting it away. I had a downrigger bind up on me so i threw out the line with a slip weight and still caught a spring on it. Skinny g, apex and anchovies all worked.
One thing I noticed was with all those boats out there people didn't seem to be following the right rod to shore. I never knew where people were going especially at the breakwater. Is that normal?

 

[Bent-Tip]

Yeah always!

 

[islandboy]

Yeah always!

First time out for me. Tried to stay away from the obvious tack most folks were on for that reason. Marked lots of fish at all depths but only managed a small rockfish. Saw a number of fish caught. Good to see.

 

[Rayvon]

Another good day at the waterfront today,I'm not keeping everything but the teeners seem to be mostly white or marbled.All scrappy fighters.A few coho and sockeye in the mix too.Hope they hang around,I'm probably using $5 in fuel per day.

 

[ziggy]

Was out playing bumper boats this morning lol. Glad Im not the only one confused. Managed to hit 4 coho and long line release a couple more, but all that stuck were unclipped so they were released. See lots of marks on the sounder from 20-40’ which I assume were coho given my shallow line kept getting hit by them. Also ran a deeper line at 80’ that produced a small coho as well. No luck finding any Springs today. Lots of bait on the surface!

 

[Kildonan]

It was bad yesterday with people going all over the place, there was no order to it at all. I saw one guy driving up on plane almost hit another boat trolling. I’ll bet it was within 15 feet.

Right rod to shore keeps order.

Be careful out there.

 

[Original]

Kinda a mixed report today Vic & Sooke , launched at Esq 730 seen all the boats and the captain puts down the hammer and lines were in at the head in short order. Fish on before 2nd line down 5lb released so spoon down to 61ft turn around pin proper a nice 7 lb hatch coho. back down and we’ve not quite made the head yet bang double, ones in the net small one released, lines going down and a orca spy hops our boat… clean shorts….look they’re smashing fish near us and there’s more towards Aldridge and out further off the head, had to be 10 or more.Off they go towards Pedder and boom another double with a keeper and a small. Currents and kelp move in it’s only 9am and we slow troll back to Victoria with current with a run through Pedder & William head with shakers so 1:30 we pick up and dropped at Mcauley slow going check my line and I have an eyeball on my hook? Dropped and boom 15 lb hit the deck and a couple more passes and scrapy 11 lb joins us to fill our dance cards. Sorry for long post

 

[Bent-Tip]

Six am Tuesday morning @2xeagle16 and I set up and went straight into the pack. Lots action right away with many short bites that did not stick and shakers too.
Finally started getting decent fish to the boat. A clipped coho and two springs taken. Nothing of size and our biggest fish spat the hook two feet from the net. @islandboy it does get pretty tight in the pack. Most folks are respectful and are watching their gear and yours to make it work. People give you space if you’re playing a fish.
All part of the fun!

 

[rockdog]

Had a decent evening fish tonight. Had the green can almost all to myself. Lines down at about 3 and fished until 630. 3 hits, 1 lost at the boat and kept an #8 and a #16.