2018 Victoria and Oak Bay Reports

Went out today to try out a new spot, fished 7-12, got a few dogs, a skate, yellow eye and then finally a big Hali that we fought for about 25 mins and when I was trying to get a measurement at the side of the boat because I was worried it was borderline could have been 133 at the nose or a bit over, and it thrashed and the hook ripped out and it was gone! Beautiful day on the water though!
Now, if you would just tell us the spot...
 
Anchored off constance today with no luck just a ton of dog fish and a few rat fish. Going to head out tomorrow and do it again. Anyone else out today have a report or a recent hali report.

Did a short couple hours Sunday, that started off with a couple dogs (usually 3-1 hali ratio) but then it was dead and never got that Hali. Troubleshot my sounder and radar, 95% of systems working on the new to me boat thanks to slow fishing. Might have to go for crab as well on Friday but even that has been slower.
 
Was also out on Sunday. Have to admit this was the first time I've ever had to scrape the windshield of the boat before. She was good and frozen. Spent a good 8 hours on the water and tried everything from Salmon to Hali to Prawn and Crab. Picked up a nice little Lingcod, but sent him back down to grow a little more. I'll try and meet up with him again when the season opens. No hits on salmon and I think when we started our run for hali the tides out towards race were way too strong. Couldn't find bottom. The luck came in on crab though. Limited out on some beautiful red rock and the family had a great Sunday dinner. Now just to fix my transducer. Looks like I hit some drift wood on the ride back to the ramp.
 
Was out yesterday from 8am to 4pm. Drifted around out from Albert Head for Hali for several hours with not luck. Couple of hours trolling and kept 1 small spring 4-5lbs and released another. Right off the bottom 120ft of water. Great day with my grandson (age 10) who wanted to know how we were going to share the little salmon. He caught it but it's grandad's boat he said. LOL.
 
Out off Albert Head from noon to 5 today and got the skunk off today. Got a 4 lb early on glo hootchie at 50ft in 150ft of water so switched up the other side to hootchie with no luck for a while. Went back to my trusted tiger head chovie teaser with my new improved trailing hook (Tks Stizzla) and got 4 more all around the same size. Released those looking for a teeny but that never came to the boat. Best hit of the day managed to disappear after a couple good tugs but the bait looked untouched so thinking that trailing hook almost had him. Lots of boats out towards discovery island, I was all alone which was nice. Creel guy only counted 4 fish today said mine was second biggest & no hali reported. Was so nice to be out and actually have more than checking bait to do lol.
 
Nice job out there! Way to try different depths. If the anchovies are getting lots of hits, I might just have to make the switch to them on one side too. I’ve been spoons only all winter. Keep up the good work!
 
Fished oak bay Monday, tides were ripping but tried a new spot I found on the chart and it paid off. Got a 105cm Hali within an hour of anchoring and another probably oversized that we lost 15 mins later, pulled gear once the Scotsman was buried underwater and the lines wouldn’t stay close to bottom.
 
Snuck out this am and back to my usual of checking my bait lol. Had a football size rock fish and a nice ling both released and swimming back to the bottom. Question, is there a depth in general that there is no need for a release device? Both today were in less than 100 ft and swam away quickly.
 
Snuck out this am and back to my usual of checking my bait lol. Had a football size rock fish and a nice ling both released and swimming back to the bottom. Question, is there a depth in general that there is no need for a release device? Both today were in less than 100 ft and swam away quickly.

I was always under the impression that rockfish have issues if brought up from deeper than 30 to 40 feet. If the swim bladder is blown up they should be released with the use of a descending device (either homemade with leadhead jig or a purchased one such as Seaqualizer). There are some threads that will show how to convert a leadhead jig to a release device.

...Rob
 
I was always under the impression that rockfish have issues if brought up from deeper than 30 to 40 feet. If the swim bladder is blown up they should be released with the use of a descending device (either homemade with leadhead jig or a purchased one such as Seaqualizer). There are some threads that will show how to convert a leadhead jig to a release device.

...Rob
Harbour Chandler up in Nanaimo also has the release rigs quite cheap... they were giving them away with purchases of ling lures at the boat show...
 
I managed to sneak out for a few hours today on the high tide 12-3 off Mcaulay point. Was a little lumpy for me by myself but was marking fish on the bottom at 135 ft.
I had an AP spoon on one side at Gretzky (99ft) and my tiger teaser with trailing hook(Tks Stizzy) at 132ft . The one at the bottom started to bob and yup fish on. I'm reeling up and the wind catches my bow and now I'm the clown in the circus, threw the kicker into nutural got the fishy up to the boat but can't quite reach the net looked back and fishy has my trailing hook and swam away with it. If you catch a fish off Mcaulay with a hook in its mouth pls return my hook. Only bite I had and that was at 1;00pm. Good luck on the weekend guys n gals.
 
Out again today from 1-4:30 off Albert Head. Got a nice one to the boat again and he shook the hook, only one other bite with a small rock cod that swam away. Was nice calm day again with no rain. Sunday should be another good day with an early morning bite and high slack bite at 3;30 with calm seas and no rain. Go get em and report back. I would be going out again but I'll be working. Oh ya a yellow chrome teaser with small chovie got the spring hootchie got the rocky.
 
Yes,no place to hide from the wind today,looks like a one day derby (Sunday).I'm sure there are people out there braving it out though,I'll wait for Sunday-Monday.
 
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