2020 Sidney Reports

[Gham]

Hello - I have never fished in the Sidney are before but will be there in the 2nd week of August. Just wondering if worthwhile to bring prawn traps along? Not asking for specific areas (but don't mind if you want to share ). Just wondering if the effort is worth it this time of year.

Should be some prawns in Saanich inlet if you drop your traps in there. Anywhere in the 200’-240’ range on the left side of the inlet as you enter

 

[Gham]

Fished first light at Powder warf Saturday to get the gear ready for next weekend. Lots of action as soon as I had lines down, released a few smaller ones (4-8lbs) and had a beauty on around 8am that ended up straightening the hook when I grabbed the leader to release it. Was north of 20 lbs.

 

[The Skeptic]

Fished Wednesday -9:30 to 5:00. Tried jigging my favorite ling cod haunts to no avail. The dogfish weren't even interested. Trolled anchovies at Fairfax, Coal and Powder Wharf. Only saw fish on the sounder at Coal. No takers in any spot. Managed to double up on two of the smallest dogfish I've ever seen caught. They didn't even shake the flashers free from the clips. I saw some boats at Coal, did anyone have any success out there?

 

[Reel Hungry]

Y

Hello - I have never fished in the Sidney are before but will be there in the 2nd week of August. Just wondering if worthwhile to bring prawn traps along? Not asking for specific areas (but don't mind if you want to share ). Just wondering if the effort is worth it this time of year.

You bet. Prawning was great earlier on. I’ve heard it has slowed a bit now.

 

[Reel Hungry]

Has anybody got any halibut in Sidney this year? I had success on the outside but would love to start fishing them closer to home. I don’t see much chat on Sidney halibut. Back side of Morsby?

 

[MadJigga]

Has anybody got any halibut in Sidney this year? I had success on the outside but would love to start fishing them closer to home. I don’t see much chat on Sidney halibut. Back side of Morsby?

Good luck!! They haven’t seemed to like the Sidney area the last couple years. At least for us

 

[ziggy]

Same here. Been a bust last couple of years

 

[carpeweekend]

The area most fished is east of the south end of Sidney Island and south of Hamley between Sidney Island and Darcy Island. As the boys above say, it has been slim pickings the last few years. Kind of strange as halibut are migratory and you would think that they would come back every year? I blame Trudeau.

 

[MadJigga]

The area most fished is east of the south end of Sidney Island and south of Hamley between Sidney Island and Darcy Island. As the boys above say, it has been slim pickings the last few years. Kind of strange as halibut are migratory and you would think that they would come back every year? I blame Trudeau.

Vote Blue for more Halibut in Sidney!! Hehe

 

[scott craven]

As the boys above say, it has been slim pickings the last few years. Kind of strange as halibut are migratory and you would think that they would come back every year? I blame Trudeau.

Very similar to area's in Haro and Oak bay that used to produce....

 

[chris73]

It's everywhere in the JdF, there have been less halis around this year. Picked up west of Victoria around June but spring was terrible. Westcoast has been good. Whatever that all means but fish stocks are variable, that's not new.

 

[scott craven]

This trend has been going on for 3 or 4 years now.
some caught but overall numbers are way down.....

 

[Gham]

I’ve got 1 hali this year between Darcy and Zero rock out of about 10 trips

 

[The Skeptic]

Has anybody got any halibut in Sidney this year? I had success on the outside but would love to start fishing them closer to home. I don’t see much chat on Sidney halibut. Back side of Morsby?

I recommend you try the east tip of Gooch Island, where that strange dip in the RRZ is. On the ebb tide a large, slow eddy forms that you can drift without getting shot out into the strait. Or you could also anchor. Its a large eddy next to a deep strait and a lot of smaller fish live from the kelp on Gooch all the way to the sea floor in 250+' of water. If you soak bait there long enough I am sure you will find a halibut. I suggest hali hawgs to avoid dogfish. I havent caught one there yet but I have only tried the once.

 

[Reel Hungry]

Thanks for all the replies! I’m going to try again in the fall as the dogfish are a bit much. I’ll post anything I get. Would sure like to find a spot out here.

 

[Stizzla]

I met up with @carpeweekend for an adventure on his new hunk of tin this morning:


We got to coal early and the current was RIPPING at like 5knts so we packed up and took off. Well... almost packed up. With my thick coating of rust I forgot to put the cannonball in the boat and it ended up spooling the rigger. He’s now officially been Stizzla’d!
No damage To the boat (thank the sweet lord!), and he had a spare spool so we went to fairfax and we were back in business.
Got a nice bite that didn’t stick and a few more mixed in with some rockfish before we hit a nice one. Battled me hard and I thought it was going to be over the slot, but it was just a feisty 11#er. Green coho killer mid column past the point.
Had some laughs, good music and packed up. (Including cannonballs).
Crab spot was loaded with nice ones. My little girl gets to eat her favourite food again.


Thanks again Greg!

 

[Reel Hungry]

I recommend you try the east tip of Gooch Island, where that strange dip in the RRZ is. On the ebb tide a large, slow eddy forms that you can drift without getting shot out into the strait. Or you could also anchor. Its a large eddy next to a deep strait and a lot of smaller fish live from the kelp on Gooch all the way to the sea floor in 250+' of water. If you soak bait there long enough I am sure you will find a halibut. I suggest hali hawgs to avoid dogfish. I havent caught one there yet but I have only tried the once.

TooFunny! Went to Coal tonight about 6pm and got a halibut on a coho killer! Haha, let it go as it wasn’t very big.
Picked up a nice 12# spring and lost another. (Actually My wife got it and I lost it).
Nice to be out spring fishing.

 

[Gham]

Seems a lot of people haven’t checked the regs. Lots of boats fishing Fairfax and coal in the non retention areas and keeping fish.

 

[Gham]

That being said, the only decent sized fish I got yesterday was in the non retention area off Moresby. Last pass of the morning after trolling the east side with no luck, I went through the non retention area and had one on within a few minutes. Scrappy mid teen that hit as I was holding the rod about to pop it off the clip.

 

[markustyson]

Went out Sunday evening. Beautiful flat calm. Fished Hamley and picked up a 10lb white spring with some fight. 55 ft on a green/chrome skinny G.