Saanich Inlet

[Rum Buddies]

Was out Saturday morning and only managed one around 5-6lbs, released to swim another day. Lots of bait and arches on the sounder and a great tan.

Will be back out for an evening tow in a few days.

 

[rockdog]

There is a lot of crap suspended in the water, from Bamberton to goldstream. So much, that I'm hoping that's why I couldn't seem to connect with the bottom on my sounder. When I was fishing Pat Bay, no problem. After I moved to Bamberton, my sounder didn't work. Only caught bottom a couple times. Any one else have that issue?

 

[Rum Buddies]

I was down at the dock this morning and the water is covered in brown sludge(algea bloom), so that could be messing with your sounder. Even in pat bay we could see a lot of suspended crap on the sounder around 20-50', most bait we saw was right in the mud.

But hey, guys got skunked in sooke on the weekend too....

 

[Karma-Kazi]

Sooke Was smoking hot thurs/fri then I went 11 hours without a bite over sat and sunday. Love reading these reports!

-KK

 

[mhbradley]

I was down at the dock this morning and the water is covered in brown sludge(algea bloom), so that could be messing with your sounder. Even in pat bay we could see a lot of suspended crap on the sounder around 20-50', most bait we saw was right in the mud.

But hey, guys got skunked in sooke on the weekend too....

Dirty algae water in west Vancouver as well

 

[Rum Buddies]

yup lots of dirty water out there, pulled another hatchery out of the inlet yesterday though. There's fish there, gone 3/4 the last week.

 

[WaterRats]

yup lots of dirty water out there, pulled another hatchery out of the inlet yesterday though. There's fish there, gone 3/4 the last week.

How big are you pulling out of the inlet?

 

[markustyson]

Went out yesterday from 0900 to 1200. Nothing but jellyfish on the lines. Upper 40' is still brown and murky which had an effect on the sounder. Got to try out the new rigger for my tin though. Navy ship in Pat Bay was sending out audible "pings" every 10 seconds. Other than no fish it was a nice day.

 

[Dixsea]

I have a lot of issues with jellyfish on the line and down rigger cables. Sure have noticed tons of bait over the last few years. Gonna start some putting in some more serious time and see how we do.

 

[Rum Buddies]

How big are you pulling out of the inlet?

Biggest 20lbs, smallest 9lbs all clipped. I'm in Hong Kong this week so not sure if they're still hanging around, I'll be back out next week.

Fish UV squirts in mud, troll fast.

 

[casper5280]

You fishing right on the bottom then Poppa? Or fishing higher up.


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[Rum Buddies]

You fishing right on the bottom then Poppa? Or fishing higher up.


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Since I'd love to see other guys fishing(and catching) in the inlet I'll spill my beans.


Fish the 140' depth of pat bay all the way to the reef off coles bay and back, with needlefish UV squirts. If you get a hit, don't keep trolling off down the bay, pound the sh*t out of the area you got the hit. Troll fast and constantly touch bottom with your DR ball, which means you'll likely have 180' or more cable out to hit bottom in 140'. In the middle of the bay it's all mud so you're safe, touch bottom ever 10 mins to make sure you're in the zone.

That's what's been working for me.

I'll be back out next weekend, overseas atm.

 

[DVL U Know]

Out for a run down the inlet today, picked up some crabs and did some half hearted fishing without much luck. Had out the whole family including my 5 year old daughter with her Barbie fishing rod...awesome!

18

 

[eroyd]

Did some exploring in the Goldstream estuary just outside the park. That place is a desert compared to 30 years ago. Use to be all eel grass teeming with life. Now it's bare mud flats with the odd crab and dead jelly fish. No wonder why salmon don't venture that way like they use to.

 

[WaterRats]

Since I'd love to see other guys fishing(and catching) in the inlet I'll spill my beans.


Fish the 140' depth of pat bay all the way to the reef off coles bay and back, with needlefish UV squirts. If you get a hit, don't keep trolling off down the bay, pound the sh*t out of the area you got the hit. Troll fast and constantly touch bottom with your DR ball, which means you'll likely have 180' or more cable out to hit bottom in 140'. In the middle of the bay it's all mud so you're safe, touch bottom ever 10 mins to make sure you're in the zone.

That's what's been working for me.

I'll be back out next weekend, overseas atm.

Thanks poppa. Since being new to salmon fishing I'll take all the pointers I can get. So far this season it's only been the one for me and that was just a baby compared to some of the fish I've seen guys pulling and posting on here lately.

 

[cameo20000]

Good yo hear about the activity in the inlet. I fished Tod inlet to Willis point for the first time in 1948 in a rowboat with
my dad. He fished with his dad from 1910. I grew up in Brentwood bay, as a kid worked at the Anchorage Marina, took my first clients out when I was 11 years old. Started running a boat from Creed's landing when I was 13. The fishing was great compared to today.
Met clients from many far away places. I'm now collecting items to try fishing the old way, peetz rod and reel, wire, planer. Would like to find a Roy Smith flasher lost my last one 3 years ago near Sointula.

Rhys Davis used to give me strip heads free , Tommy Moss and Jim Gilbert ran boats , the derbies were exciting. I remember
one derby around 1947 had a car for first prize, they gave out free lucky louies to us kids. The derby started with a big bang cannon, it would wake me up when I was 4 years old. Precisely at 6AM.
That was when he used to go by hors and buggy to his
The good old days. The inlet was teeming with herring, grilse springs and coho. Fall coho fishing with polar bear bucktails was amazing.

Glad a few remember the inlet in good days. My grandfather was helpful in the inlet acquiring sportsfishing only status a way back.
He traveled to his Brentwood bay cabin by horse and buggy.
Oh by the way the 24 ft boat I ran as a teenager had a twin Easthope, that was the best for fishing. I have been looking for a 4 hp easthope for awhile, for my Davidson Chugger. help

Gord

 

[Rum Buddies]

thanks for the flashback Gord, would have loved to see the inlet in it's prime. Sadly I started fishing it after it had crashed, but we still got fish here and there.

Tons of life out there now, sea lions chomping on chum and 100's of porpoise(not sure why they're there?). We saw some coho jumping off cherry point last week, all in 4' of water or less a little skinny to get the big boat close enough.

 

[SpringVelocity]

I was one of the crew in 80's before down riggers fishing bamberton... It was what got me into this sport. It was extremely depressing to see the inlet and brentwood village as well as all the marinas gilberts/brentwood that got hammered when we lost the fishery. You have no idea the economic downturn it had on that area. So many memories of renting gilberts and brentwood boats leaving that dock at 5am to fish the cement plant..Water so calm fish everywhere.

It is encouraging your previous posts Poppa so lets hope the feeders come back stronger this year.. I will be trying here and there also in the winter/spring months..

 

[ChoveyRoller]

My neighbour, who is in his 80’s, was telling me that “back in the day” they loved fishing for lings at Willis point. They used homemade lures and said the coho were a nuisance as they would hit their jigs before they could get them down to the lings that they were targeting.

 

[KennyD]

Hi, DVL.
THAT BRINGS Back memories for me too. I remember going with my father in law in the 80s and jigging squid inside the island in about 20 feet of water, then rigging them on a tandem treble mooching setup of #10 hooks and a 2 oz. weight. One memorable August week we went back three days in a row and loaded up on springs this way. All in the 19 or 20 pound range!! The jig was a herring fly jig with eight or so yellow feathers that the squid found enticing. Sometimes the would squirt black ink all over the boat and sometimes a spring would grab the squid on the jig before we could get it back to the boat. With the jig line testing out at about 4 pounds we had to take all of the tension off the reel and let the spring just go wherever he wanted to. I remember babying one back into the net but losing 3 or 4 others. Good times! Wonder whether squid still go in there onto the shallow mud?