2020 Victoria and Oak Bay Reports

[tinboatrobb]

I would have to agree rockdog. One of the best fisheries we had.

 

[Kildonan]

I think you are seeing the results of the Esquimalt Harbour net pen release which is no longer. It was ended a handful of years ago by DFO. I believe the concern was that they were using Nitnat fish and the proximity of these fish to the Cowichan River. Ridiculous, but I believe that was the reason.

Those were good times fishing for those netpen fish. The Cowichan River reason is one for sure, amongst some other stuff. Too bad, was a great fishery for a long time.

 

[oak bay master]

I think you are seeing the results of the Esquimalt Harbour net pen release which is no longer. It was ended a handful of years ago by DFO. I believe the concern was that they were using Nitnat fish and the proximity of these fish to the Cowichan River. Ridiculous, but I believe that was the reason.

Been down off the front 4 times came home with fish every time. Sunday was the most recent, brought home a 10 released 1 in the low 20's and lost 2 all by 10 then we left

 

[Stosh]

Blame DFO for not allowing Esquimalt Angler’s net pen fish to help feed the starving Killer Whales, and some of us.

 

[sundance]

I think you are seeing the results of the Esquimalt Harbour net pen release which is no longer. It was ended a handful of years ago by DFO. I believe the concern was that they were using Nitnat fish and the proximity of these fish to the Cowichan River. Ridiculous, but I believe that was the reason.

3 Stupid Reasons after releasing 100,000 fry every yr in Esquimalt Harbour
Mite stray to Cowichan River, who would Harvest them , no River near by
Never cost DFO ONE RED CENT so no more showing up for August fishing out front ?
Third yr since we quit that very fish showing up anymore, they were all Nitinat stock we used
And brought down in December in egg form then raised in Goldstream Hatchery again no Money or support from DFO
AND trucked to Esquimalt harbour raised in net pens , kicked out of the pens we built with Esquimalt Anglers Funds
And released at FN boat ramp till 3 yrs ago , now nothing , they don’t care , they wonder why the west Coast returns get worse every yr ? Tried starting up a net pen at Ogden Point , with Ok from all authority’s in that area EXCEPT DFO ,
For the 3 reasons I mentioned earlier now we keep working at Craigflower/ Colquitz creeks to keep building up the
Coho survival runs

 

[oak bay master]

Worst year yet. Wonder if that run is done or just late.

I totally disagree, this I'd one of the best in a long time, for numbers of fish per trip and size been very few trips that we didn't catch a fish

 

[fish brain]

So how about a proposal to DFO to harvest a couple of hundred fish from the Cowichan and use them as the brood stock. Cowichan numbers have been well above the expected returns for a couple of years.

 

[rockdog]

3 Stupid Reasons after releasing 100,000 fry every yr in Esquimalt Harbour
Mite stray to Cowichan River, who would Harvest them , no River near by
Never cost DFO ONE RED CENT so no more showing up for August fishing out front ?
Third yr since we quit that very fish showing up anymore, they were all Nitinat stock we used
And brought down in December in egg form then raised in Goldstream Hatchery again no Money or support from DFO
AND trucked to Esquimalt harbour raised in net pens , kicked out of the pens we built with Esquimalt Anglers Funds
And released at FN boat ramp till 3 yrs ago , now nothing , they don’t care , they wonder why the west Coast returns get worse every yr ? Tried starting up a net pen at Ogden Point , with Ok from all authority’s in that area EXCEPT DFO ,
For the 3 reasons I mentioned earlier now we keep working at Craigflower/ Colquitz creeks to keep building up the
Coho survival runs

It’s a real shame. DFO can’t seem to get anything right.
Thank you for you efforts over the years with the net pens Sundance. (I believe I met you a few years back at an Esq Anglers derby). Those fish brought my son and I some of our best memories fishing together.

 

[Slabbedout]

Fished the waterfront this eve. Got 2 rod smashing hits on bait but never stuck and then managed to get one to hold on to a 3” AP herring spoon. Saw one other boat net a fish and another lost at the boat. All the action seemed to be right tight to the breakwater. I was marking some large balls of small sized bait.

Pretty sure I saw Irish wolf as we where headed out

 

[oak bay master]

Fished the waterfront this eve. Got 2 rod smashing hits on bait but never stuck and then managed to get one to hold on to a 3” AP herring spoon. Saw one other boat net a fish and another lost at the boat. All the action seemed to be right tight to the breakwater. I was marking some large balls of small sized bait.

Pretty sure I saw Irish wolf as we where headed out

View attachment 56559

Nice one!

 

[tinboatrobb]

Another 5 hr shift in the waterfront and nada. Fished saxe point to clover then out halfway to constance back in to brotchie and back to saxe point. Covered a lot of water. Did not see a fish caught. Back to Oak bay tomorrow.

 

[Irishwolf]

Also out today. 7-noon. Fished sax to the can mostly. First pass at Macaulay I picked up what I thought was dinner until I saw the fin. Wild coho about 8pounds - back she went. Then same as Tinboatrob, nothing for the next 4 1/2 hours. There was more bait around sax but after an hour of passes I moved on.

Saw one net out but quickly put back. Likely another wild coho.

Definitely slow this year...

 

[scott craven]

Don't feel bad, 4 reports from good fishermen i know and all zero's today.

 

[Thiago]

Lots of boats yesterday at the Breakwater, I was casting from shore, no luck though. I also didn't see anyone catching salmon.. The Killer whales came by around 6 PM, it was fun!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bvuNnnTsjB5rjBn96

Good luck with fishing this long weekend, weather will be good, high 20s...

 

[tinboatrobb]

Decided to forget the waterfront today and stayed in oak bay for some bottom fishing. We got two 10lb ling cod and one of them was blue. Ended the day with 4 big hard shell dunggies.
Awesome morning with slow currents and no wind, tee shirt weather at 7:00am.

 

[Sam7]

Slow, slow, slow

Went out first thing, left the dock when it was still dark and light was starting to show. Started at Saxe After dropping the crab trap off, trolled MacAlay to Green can several times before heading over to the breakwater to see if anything was happening there, nope & nope!

Started out with about 30 boats until the wind came up out of nowhere. Then folks started heading in. Big wave Dave had it at 10, windy said it was going to be 8, Harling point weather station registered it at 26k at 9:15. I then counted about 9 boats, after the exit. It did calm down a bit by 11:30 just at tide change but still nothing after tide change, from MacAlay to the breakwater. 7 crabs in the trap, all male, all undersized.

 

[tinboatrobb]

Stayed close to home again today. My wife hooked this 13 lb ling cod. With the disappearance of springs we go for lings. Anyone smoke ling cod? Thinking of trying it.

 

[Kildonan]

Very slow at Esquimalt today. Multiple laps from Saxe to breakwater. Nadda. I saw one fish caught in 6 hours of fishing.

 

[Ghostprof]

Stayed close to home again today. My wife hooked this 13 lb ling cod. With the disappearance of springs we go for lings. Anyone smoke ling cod? Thinking of trying it.

Damn, that's a sweet fish. Do you mind my asking what you used for lure/bait? My son and I have been trying out off Discovery off and on all summer with very limited success (i.e., one ling we could keep). We've tried needlefish jigs, lighthouse megabyte swimbait, herring on spreader bar, jighead with herring ... We get rockfish, kelp greenling, cabezon, ... but lingers of the keepable variety elude us.

 

[kingspring]

Your gear is all good, it’s more about location and tides.
Fishing some structure, slow drift into deeper water,
Keep over your gear.

Low slack, and the hour before and after.