Sidney

[Tsquared]

What's going on? Any reports?
T2

 

[firelight]

was out to fairfax sunday, nada for us, one other boat there said they got one.

 

[Tsquared]

Thanks Firelight--I am trying to decide where to try on the weekend.
T2

 

[NautiGirl]

After burning gas to get lots of little shakers in Sooke, waterfront, and Constance in late Dec and early Jan, I decided to do more research and follow my nose. Last week I saw someone got a big 20lb spring around Sidney. I looked on Fishtactic site's fishing report history and saw that there is a consistent rating of good to excellent in the last two weeks of Januaryand first two weeks of Feb around Sidney with more large ones caught in the high teens/around 20lb. Maybe it is a run of early spring that hangs between Fairfax, Coal Island, Saanich Inlet and Kuper/Tent Island. So I ished around Coal Island on Saturday at the end of the ebb to just past it and we had 6 bites, with 5 landed in three hours. We kept 2, and released the rest, as we were just looking for dinner. The largest was about 10lbs, but there was only one undersized shaker in the lot. We saw solid action amongst the handful of boats out at the time, but no high teeners in sight. We only saw one seal and he didn't hound us either. All in all, it was a great day out and more rewarding than the seal fight and "shaker fest" off the Vic waterfront.

 

[ChoveyRoller]

Thanks for the report. We are hitting up Sidney on Saturday.

 

[NautiGirl]

I just saw the Gulf Islands 2013 thread with the high teeners near Galiano - check it out

 

[ChoveyRoller]

Sidney was great for us yesterday. Fished from 9 -1.
5 keepers, three hatch, two wild. Lots just undersized released. Lost a few nice ones that were very acrobatic.
All fish were caught in back eddies behind islands on the ebb. 135ft
Coho killers out fished everything.

Full bellies of needle fish.

 

[NautiGirl]

Nice. Thanks for the update. I think I'll head that way again tomorrow.

 

[fishinforever]

Nice fishies chovey. Thanks for the pics and report! Can't wait to get out again

 

[rockdog]

Man, I wish I went Sidney today, instead of the water fron

 

[scott craven]

Nice Chovey, way to go !

 

[fortyfour]

Nice work Chovey! sounds like a pretty fun day out there. Great report and thanks for the photos! looks like the needlefish are pretty thick. I might need to take a trip that way and give these new needle fish lures I've got a try.

cheers,
44

 

[NautiGirl]

Any action in Sidney this weekend? I'm thinking of heading out tomorrow

 

[Fish Rider]

Fished saturday and sunday this weekend. Saturday fished from 8-2 landed a 9lbs on first pass and one shaker by coal island. Sunday fished from 7:30-1 nothing at coal island or fairfax point. Crabbing was excellent both days!!! FR

 

[NautiGirl]

Slow today as well. It was thick with seals from James island to the spit, and more so around coal and the little islets. dozens of seals travelling in packs. dropped trap by Powder Wharf and di one pass towards Darcy on the ebb, then pulled and ran down to coal. a few boats there, but no action, except the seal show. Trolled bach to the spit and the red can, then ran down the end of James on the south side for one last pass and picked up one around 8-10lbs. Short but fat. No crabs by powder today.

The commies dropped crab traps along the sidney channel while we were at coal and there are some submerged yellow commercial ball floats in the channel on the Darcy side off James in about 120 ft that only show at low tide. you just see a riffle by two of them , then one partially submerged at low tide.

 

[Fish Rider]

There was alot of seals on saturday in a pack of 12 by coal island and sunday.

 

[ChoveyRoller]

Slow today as well. It was thick with seals from James island to the spit, and more so around coal and the little islets. dozens of seals travelling in packs. dropped trap by Powder Wharf and di one pass towards Darcy on the ebb, then pulled and ran down to coal. a few boats there, but no action, except the seal show. Trolled bach to the spit and the red can, then ran down the end of James on the south side for one last pass and picked up one around 8-10lbs. Short but fat. No crabs by powder today.

The commies dropped crab traps along the sidney channel while we were at coal and there are some submerged yellow commercial ball floats in the channel on the Darcy side off James in about 120 ft that only show at low tide. you just see a riffle by two of them , then one partially submerged at low tide.

Thanks for the report!
Last time we were in the channel at low tide , old and new floats just started popping out of the water everywhere as the current slowed down. People underestimate the currents there.
We are debating what to do next weekend...... Sidney or west???????

 

[Hoochiebob]

The commies dropped crab traps along the sidney channel while we were at coal and there are some submerged yellow commercial ball floats in the channel on the Darcy side off James in about 120 ft that only show at low tide. you just see a riffle by two of them , then one partially submerged at low tide.

Bastards owe me some gear after I snagged one of their lines on my downrigger. 18" scotchman totally submerged underwater.Didn't pop up until we dragged enough slack in the line. I know it is within their rights to crab there, but they act like they own the place. I watched their aluminum skiff run right over my trap floats and drag them 100 ft before someone noticed.That certain someone was under power and not at the helm; instead he was busy baiting his traps.
Be forewarned!!

 

[xrocx]

Hey hoodiebob where abouts in Sidney is the crabbing and these commercial pricks, I'm gonna be out there this week as well in the inlet , but I'm new to these areas .. I don't wanna be loosing gear on submerged bouys

 

[Andrew P]

It was a gorgeous morning in Sidney Channel this morning. It doesn't get any glassier. The fishing was slow for me but I did manage to take home a barely legal 63cm hatchery marked chinook. There was lots of birds feasting on 1" bait fish. I am assuming these are young herring??... The water was thick with them. The salmon was STUFFED with needle fish. Got it on the bottom near the red can. blue glow needle fish hootchie(thanks Dave S!) and a magna glow flasher. I was testing out a peetz reel that I just got from my grandpa. He'll be happy to know it still catches fish

Does anyone know the logic of why the size limit is different north of Cadboro Point? I would assume these are all the same hatchery American chinook from Sidney through Constance. So why the difference?