2024 Victoria and Oak Bay Reports

[Roberth]

Fished the waterfront this morning. One spring about 7 lb released in 90 minutes. Went to Albert Head. Didn’t even get the third rod down and I had a mid 20’s on from 75 ft. Almost a double header but 55 ft didn’t hook up. Got another about 20 at 75 ft. One came in north of the point and one south of the point in 130 ft of water. Using
6” sardines

They were both whites something about a mid twenties spring going airborne a couple of times gets the heart pumping

 

[tinboatrobb]

There were very few whites this year, we usually have 3 or 4 in the first 10 days of August off the waterfront. Our first one came in early September this year, thank god as it was way over 80cm. I think that the bigger run is still coming.

 

[Doug]

I keep a diary noting where the fish were caught, gear used, type of fish and also included photos each time out that go into the cloud.

In Aug the boat I fish on, we landed (not me) 61 Springs and 6 of those springs were white and mainly caught in mid Aug and we also got one on Sept 1st. Out of all the fish, 5 fish were hatchery clipped and the heads went into Esq Angler box with the name of the person who landed it. With having a DFO guide number, I put my # on the tag and all the information related to that persons catch come to me in Feb. This will provide me and the Esq Anglers a better understanding of what hatchery the fish came from. We hope.

Looking back at my records we usually catch 2 X the amount of hatchery fish in the Sooke area. Maybe due to the net pen? We usually catch more whites in Sooke too.

I sure Tinboatrobb forecast comes true. We are now focusing on Coho fishing and going out tomorrow so I'm hopefully there are a few Springs mixed in and I have a great fishing report.

 

[Doug]

Fished today from 645 to 1030 and there were 8 boats fishing at 645 and 16 boats at 1030.

Since I heard a 29 lb spring was caught in Victoria on Monday we decided to try out front and not Coho fish. Got one small (62cm) clipped (head into the box at Esq anglers) winter spring at 80ft on the DR and on bait. Then a coho here and there but all wild. Only saw one net out and I think it was for a coho.

Dropped the crab traps today and got 3 red rock and 3 Dungeness keepers. The male crabs must have move because we had lots of females in both traps this time.

 

[islandboy]

Fished today from 645 to 1030 and there were 8 boats fishing at 645 and 16 boats at 1030.

Since I heard a 29 lb spring was caught in Victoria on Monday we decided to try out front and not Coho fish. Got one small (62cm) clipped (head into the box at Esq anglers) winter spring at 80ft on the DR and on bait. Then a coho here and there but all wild. Only saw one net out and I think it was for a coho.

Dropped the crab traps today and got 3 red rock and 3 Dungeness keepers. The male crabs must have move because we had lots of females in both traps this time.

At 10:15 I had a double, a Sandab (anchovy) and a wild Coho (about 8 lbs on a pink hoochie) off Macaulay Pt in 80' of water. Both still out there.
Most of the fish I marked were between 30' and 40'.
Louie said his 29er was in 180' between brotchie and the flagpole. Too far for me.

 

[Doug]

At 10:15 I had a double, a Sandab (anchovy) and a wild Coho (about 8 lbs on a pink hoochie) off Macaulay Pt in 80' of water. Both still out there.
Most of the fish I marked were between 30' and 40'.
Louie said his 29er was in 180' between brotchie and the flagpole. Too far for me.

We fished Clover Point to Brotchie and did two passes and nothing showing up on the sonar and no bites so we moved to the water front.

We were just out a little deeper than you where when we saw you hook up and release the fish. It sure takes a lot of skill to row and fish and then try to play a double header. Good job.

I like your flag pole, it makes it easier to see your vessel.

 

[Rayvon]

Lost a teenager spring at about 7:30 and then kept an 8 lb. clipped coho.Some bait and fish on the sounder but not a lot of nets out from 7:00-10:00. today.

 

[Aces]

Only one lost and few missed strikes for me on the flats this pm. Did see a few nets out so there are still some decent springs around.
Jigged up a few bottom fish including a yellow eye. Only the second one I've seen in these parts. Note: a two pound cannon ball won't sink these guys. Had a tough time getting it back down.

I use the seaqualizer on the down rigger now because of those big yellow eyes

 

[Doug]

Decided to try Coho fishing today, so we went to the west side of Race Rock and fished 300' to 450' just off of Whirl Bay.
Started at 7 and finished at 1045 in pea soup fog 90% of the time. It was slow for the first hour because the tide was Ebbing fast. Once it slowed down we started getting Coho and nice size ones but none were clipped. All at 50' to 40' on the dr and on needle fish/squirt plastics.

Never got a Coho to keep but ended up with two clipped springs and both heads went into Esq Anglers box. Bonus got 5 keeper crab too.

Windy was way off today because it was blowing 13kt at RR. On windy it was going to be under 5kt. With a Ebb tide and west wind at RR is a killer on my body and even with the boat being 32 ft and over 12,000lb+, it was still rocking and rolling.

 

[Rayvon]

Decided to try Coho fishing today, so we went to the west side of Race Rock and fished 300' to 450' just off of Whirl Bay.
Started at 7 and finished at 1045 in pea soup fog 90% of the time. It was slow for the first hour because the tide was Ebbing fast. Once it slowed down we started getting Coho and nice size ones but none were clipped. All at 50' to 40' on the dr and on needle fish/squirt plastics.

Never got a Coho to keep but ended up with two clipped springs and both heads went into Esq Anglers box. Bonus got 5 keeper crab too.

Windy was way off today because it was blowing 13kt at RR. On windy it was going to be under 5kt. With a Ebb tide and west wind at RR is a killer on my body and even with the boat being 32 ft and over 12,000lb+, it was still rocking and rolling.

Are you in the big white Cutwater?

 

[Original]

Got out Wed put in a good effort and bonked a 2 clipped coho and released a few nice sized wild cohos. Looking for that big spring that must be ot there somewhere.
Went out again Thurs am 730-12:30 on a buddy’s boat with his wife. Again we were getting some nice wild cohos then around 11:30 off Mcaulay got a 50 cm spring that was bleeding bad so it went on the licence. We were on our crab trap tach 80 ft and 60 on the rigger off sax point and the fish gods came through. This beast peeled line the sat there like a stubborn mule. Finally got it near the boat and it dove under the boat rapping my knuckles (I’ll never learn) and I was sure this was the spring I was looking for. Into the net and holy cow a clipped coho, my personal best coho.
Measured out at 28 in x19x19 divided by 750= 13.47 lbs. no keeper crabs but it didn’t matter
PS; great job on the building ,it looks great and thanks.

 

[tinboatrobb]

Are you in the big white Cutwater?

Yes he is.

 

[MikeyL]

Yes he is.

I was always wondering who is fishing off of that yacht at the waterfront. Very Very nice vessel!!

 

[Slack-tider]

Left Esquimalt at 630 and did a few runs by Albert Head. No luck and very little on the finder. Buzzed out to Pedder. Tons of bait around the can. All on the surface. You could walk across it. Followed the tide around Bentinck and pick up a beautiful coho in the race. Released the wild. All the way out to Whirl Bay. Nothing. Tried shallow, deep and every toy in the box. Great humpback shows tho. Came back to the Esquimalt around 3 and did a couple runs out front. Long line release that was likely a coho and released a hatchery that was on the small size. It may be my last try...we'll see.

 

[Sam7]

Late Post:

I was out on the water Friday, fishing by about 7:00am after dropping off the crab traps at Saxx point.

Took all of about 10 minutes when the first hit happened, reeled in a 6-7 lb clipped spring, since we were having guests over for dinner on Saturday, and 1 of them doesn’t eat smoked brisket and ribs, she’ll get fresh salmon. The hit came around Macaulay, as I was on my way out to Brochie. I landed another 3 fish that were all wild coho, 1 short line release and another hit that didn’t stick. 82’ on the rigger with bait was the ticket, only had 1 bite on mid rod @ 42’, with cop car, nothing on hoochie from 55’-91’. 3 bites came within about 30 minutes, then very sporadic.

At about 1:00 went to retrieve the crab traps, 4 in the first 1, 1 red, 2 female and 1 undersized. 2nd trap was Christmas (sorta of) 13 crabs in the trap, 1 red rock, many females, 4 males, 2 of which were keepers.

And then, everybody needs a little humor

 

[Doug]

Got out with Stosh and a friend today and departed the dock at 640, dropped two crab traps in 60 ft of water at Esq Lagoon area. Then coho fished the west side of Race Rocks in 400+- ft of water off Church Rock. First two hours it was none stop action and had 12 coho to the boat and only one clipped. Lots of big (10lb+) wild males with hooked hoses in the mix. The last two hours of fishing it got a lot slower and we got another 5 to the boat and all wild.

Coho were at 35 to 60 ft on the DR, all caught on alligator needle fish/squirt plastics.

Pulled the two crab traps and had 12 keeper and some big ones. Tried chicken legs from Thirty Foods (on sale) and old halibut bait in the other trap. Got crabs in both and the chicken was all gone but the bones. Cannot go wrong with 3kg of legs (crab bait) for $9.

 

[SeaSaw]

Got out this mornig - 7am departure. Trolled the waterfront for an hour, with two small coho and a spring that went back. Burned out to constance and picked up a few wild coho that had a boatside releases - saw a few nets out, but it seemed slow - maybe because of the furious whale show. Decided to head back, but fate tempted us and dropped the lines near ross bay - hooked up with a solid 68cm hatchery hooked nose male coho that went into the box and then a monster wild coho shortly after - cant wait till Oct 1st! Back to the docks at 2 - creel guy said he saw 5 hatch coho and 2 springs come in. What a fantastic day out there.

 

[Hyde-N-Seek]

Got out with Stosh and a friend today and departed the dock at 640, dropped two crab traps in 60 ft of water at Esq Lagoon area. Then coho fished the west side of Race Rocks in 400+- ft of water off Church Rock. First two hours it was none stop action and had 12 coho to the boat and only one clipped. Lots of big (10lb+) wild males with hooked hoses in the mix. The last two hours of fishing it got a lot slower and we got another 5 to the boat and all wild.

Coho were at 35 to 60 ft on the DR, all caught on alligator needle fish/squirt plastics.

Pulled the two crab traps and had 12 keeper and some big ones. Tried chicken legs from Thirty Foods (on sale) and old halibut bait in the other trap. Got crabs in both and the chicken was all gone but the bones. Cannot go wrong with 3kg of legs (crab bait) for $9.

Looks like ur pet crabs are being treated royally from that picture. Chicken legs from thirfty, halibuts and now hatchery coho

 

[kaelc]

Recovered enough from the first cold of the school year to get out yesterday afternoon. Dropped three crab traps off esquimalt lagoon and it was a little too rough for my sons friends stomach to fish where I wanted so ran to oak bay. My sons friend immediately had a wild coho on the buzz bomb he was trolling as i got the first down rigger rod down. Two hits and one more wild to the boat on a white hootchi, as we trolled towards discovery. Set up for Hali in 280, got one dog and no more coho with the buzz bombs. Long run back to the traps, which had smalls and females. Throttled back to under 10kn and took a pilot house wake over the bow and knocked out my windshield wiper, what a nice bunch of guys. Couldn’t imagine what their wakes do to guys in centre consoles? Exhausted and almost thankful I had no fish or crab to clean when I got home after putting the boat to bed. Pretty big smiles about the coho we got to the boat, hopefully they stick around, but I’m banking on a Hali trip or two, also hope they keep it open!

 

[Beachcaster]

Recovered enough from the first cold of the school year to get out yesterday afternoon. Dropped three crab traps off esquimalt lagoon and it was a little too rough for my sons friends stomach to fish where I wanted so ran to oak bay. My sons friend immediately had a wild coho on the buzz bomb he was trolling as i got the first down rigger rod down. Two hits and one more wild to the boat on a white hootchi, as we trolled towards discovery. Set up for Hali in 280, got one dog and no more coho with the buzz bombs. Long run back to the traps, which had smalls and females. Throttled back to under 10kn and took a pilot house wake over the bow and knocked out my windshield wiper, what a nice bunch of guys. Couldn’t imagine what their wakes do to guys in centre consoles? Exhausted and almost thankful I had no fish or crab to clean when I got home after putting the boat to bed. Pretty big smiles about the coho we got to the boat, hopefully they stick around, but I’m banking on a Hali trip or two, also hope they keep it open!

The pilot boats don’t seem concerned with swamping anglers