Victoria Reports 2015

My buddy went out this morning to Constance Bank...boxed two nice winter springs...6 or 8 pound average. I saw a picture of him holding a pair of fish in a boat.
 
830-12 on the OB Flats. Danced around the Brotie Rock and seen some big bait balls. Let a small one go. Tried the crab trap in Ross bay with no success. Not much action out there today on the epp tide. More boats around the harbor and saxes point. Anchovies were the winner with bloody nose on the bottom
 
Found an old TC article from July 2013 that summarizes fishing Sooke/Victoria area. Note the tip to fish backeddies on the ebb. Interesting, as I've always thought that fishing the slack to flood change is more productive. What tide do you fish?

We are in the magical time of the year for salmon fishing in the Victoria area and it’s time to get out there. We have sockeye, coho, pink and spring salmon in the area. You will have to visit the DFO’s website for up to date limits and regulations before you head out, but as I write there is no sockeye retention, two hatchery marked coho retention (Oct. 1 it becomes 2, one of which may be wild), two wild or hatchery less than 85 centimetres or hatchery marked greater than 85 centimetres chinook and four fish limits for pinks. It is too early for chum salmon. Our area is Area 19 and 20.

I have caught summer fish all the way from several miles east of Discovery Island all the way west to Muir Creek. The best most consistent fishing is always from Race Rocks west to Sheringham Point, the latter being the hotspot as I write. From Race Rocks east to four miles south of Discovery, the three intermingling species of coho/pink/sockeye tend to beetle across the huge area with catches being highly localized and fewer in number. Then the fish turn up Haro Strait heading for home, the Fraser River. The Pender Bluffs at 90 feet is the spot for sockeye should any retention be authorized. Tide lines off the Race east, and coming in to the Quarantine Buoy nine kilometres off the Breakwater is commonly the closest these species come in numbers to the Victoria water front. Having said this I have seen chinook, pink and coho caught in Ross Bay by shore anglers.

Typically, big springs are caught 50–75 feet deep in water that is 120 feet or less. You fish the nooks and crannies on shore, Swordfish Island, and right off the Breakwater being two examples of tight to shore chinook fishing. Look at your chart and find ebb tide back eddies as this is where springs hole up waiting for the flood. The east side of Clover Point typifies such a spot, as does the ebb tideline that streams west off Otter Point a prominent point of structure on the Muir Creek side. The back eddy allows you to come in close to do the rock wall at Otter Point until you hit the ebb tide line and repeat the circle. Do remember that there are good flood tide spots, too. The Owen Point ledge in Port Renfrew is hottest on the last two hours of the flood. Closer to home, Creyke and Aldridge points in Becher Bay are good flood tide spots.

Have three plans in mind before hitting the water, and don’t hesitate to fish where your records show catches. Don’t head over to the boats and put out lines. In the Sooke area you fish tide lines for coho/pinks (sockeye travel with them) all the way to the U.S.A./Canada border — but the first to third tide lines usually produce. Instead of fishing tight to others, find good looking tidelines, put out flashers with 34-inch leaders to plastic or tin lures, pickup speed and cruise back and forth across tidelines until you contact fish. Then you circle around the spot, the result usually being limit catches. It is very satisfying to be on the fish when there is no pack of boats around.

- See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/sports...time-catch-them-1.560303#sthash.yEpuJdH5.dpuf
 
The best tide to fish depends on where you are fishing...
for example:
on a strong flood the Oakbay flats become a large backeddy in the lee of
Trial island. bait and fish move around freely.
conversely on a hard ebb the west side of Trial becomes the backeddy with Trial
breaking the ebb currents.
Knowing the structure and how currents affect the area is important.
 
There is some interesting topography and structures on both sides of Trial. The Bait ball I traveled over was at 915am yesterday between Trial and Brodie Rack. It was hugh, approx half a football field. Never seen anything like it. That area really demostrates the difference between tide changes and current changes.
 
Another nice one today and again 9" herring in it's stomach
 
Man....the seal problem off the waterfront is ridiculous. Forget the wolf cull, we need a seal cull. Not because I got sealed 3 times today, but they are following fish into the rivers and all that. I don't need to list all the issues dealing with seals, it's all been talked about before......just saying.
 
Hopefully the Transient Killer Whales in the San Juans and Puget Sound will come clean up some of the seals in our area after they finish up down there.

Bugs -pm sent. I'll be on the water tomorrow pm.
 
Why wait for the transients to do your dirty work? It just takes one well placed swing O the gaffe. Start with the ones at the ones at the dock you can bait them right in
 
Why wait for the transients to do your dirty work? It just takes one well placed swing O the gaffe. Start with the ones at the ones at the dock you can bait them right in

Nice One.
This would go over especially well at Oak Bay Marina. Start swinging your seal club in front of the kids feeding them herring tid bits.
Your big chance to be on the 6 o'clock news.
 
Pulled 6 home from the flats after three afternoons..all on the sitka spoon again.
Nice half hour visit from the feds during prime time yesterday.which resulted in a ticket with "all good" as the offence.
During which we wrapped my buddys line in the kicker.i was precariously dangaling out the stern cleaning the mess as the po po cruised away..serve and protect like.
 
Isthe Esquimalt anglers ramp good to go at all stages of the tide? Any surprises I need to know about?
 
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