2024 Victoria and Oak Bay Reports

[islandboy]

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?

I was caught between the breakwater and the pilot boat/Coho doubled up wake a year or so back. Folks on the breakwater got a show as I all but disappeared into the trough.
Pretty happy with how the dory responded. Now I avoid them like the plague.

 

[kaelc]

Couldn’t imagine! Nice work not getting swamped. Sure it a tight set of waves they throw up. I don’t recall how fast I was going, but didn’t want to get all the way off the throttle and was taking a long way around the coast guard research vessel. Boys were playing in the cuddy and said “again again!”

 

[Lund14]

The pilot boats don’t seem concerned with swamping anglers

Honestly I fish in a 14 ft tin boat and have always felt the pilot boats are very respectful when they are around boats that are fishing.

 

[kaelc]

Honestly I fish in a 14 ft tin boat and have always felt the pilot boats are very respectful when they are around boats that are fishing.

That's good! We saw a few small boats out in the afternoon, but the wind had kicked up when we crossed the harbour mouth. I wasn't fishing at the time, and I told the boys to make sure the hatch was shut (I looked to double-check) and closed my window.

 

[Golferboy]

Seems to me that the bigger the wake, the less they care about disrupting other boats. Grew up fishing on lakes back east. Manners were to slow down or go a bit out of your way when going past another boat. Not here. If you are in their straight line to the marina, tough luck. Funny thing though, the biggest boats lose the least time when the slow for a lousy 30 seconds.

 

[Original]

Got out yesterday afternoon 12-430 with a buddy. Didn’t take long for the first wild to hit and an hr in we got a nice clipped bonked and in the tub. Was quiet 230-330 then another bite came on with a couple more wilds. I had dinner plans so on the last tach 415 on our way to the crab trap a big fish showed up on the Lowrance. I quickly adjusted my depth and boom ,it was on. These bigger wild cohos sure act like a spring. There was no way to tell in the water if it was clipped due to thrashing so on the 3rd attempt we netted the fish. Buddy had his camera ready, a quick snap and she swam away.

 

[tinboatrobb]

Honestly I fish in a 14 ft tin boat and have always felt the pilot boats are very respectful when they are around boats that are fishing.

The new boat puts out very little wake when it is moving fast. I too fish out of a 14ft Lund off the waterfront and have never had a bad experience with Pilot boats. Always turn into the wake, if you did not see it coming you should not be a boater.

 

[jackfish]

The new boat puts out very little wake when it is moving fast. I too fish out of a 14ft Lund off the waterfront and have never had a bad experience with Pilot boats. Always turn into the wake, if you did not see it coming you should not be a boater.

Not sure I agree with that. I had a yacht come within about 50 feet of my boat while I was jigging and the wake rocked my world. Completely unexpected as I had my back turned and was stationary in 50' of water, not expecting a multimillion dollar tub to sneak up on me. I cussed the captain as loud as I could and got a wave and a smile back.

 

[islandboy]

Arrived back at the dock and wouldn’t you know it……..3 DFO officers waiting at the dock. Asked how I was doing, said I was doing great…….but I did a boo-boo. I explained I caught a couple of hatchery coho and while I was halibut fishing I filleted them up. And then I got the look! I said I have pictures to verify that they are coho, and that the fins are missing. He took a look, asked for my license, we had a brief (ok a bit more than brief) discussion……….and let me off with a warning.

Watched this video and remembered your encounter. Wonder if they'd be okay with butterflied filets.

 

[Hot-Streak]

Went out on the water today to test the boat after getting some work done we trolled the waterfront for about 2 1/2 hours. Got 5 hits 4 wild and 1 keeper hatch coho.

Took out a friend who owns a hewescraft with a similar layout like my silver streak. His brother in law usually drives for him while trolling and he runs the gear. On my boat I showed him how I can plan a route for trolling and let the autopilot drive.

His brother sat in the passenger seat and keep looking at the steering wheel turn itself. My friend and I had a chuckle that his brother-in-law no longer had a job on the boat.... so we made him fight a fish.

Hits came on bait and spoons at about 70ft. Nice size wilds so hoping they are around 1st October

 

[eroyd]

Tried for Lings today. I've caught more Lingcod when I'm not targeting them. Ha Ha. Did have something very big on but only got it half way up. Big head shakes, I suspect a halibut. Trolled for salmon for an hour on the flats but nothing.
Got waved down by two guys on a paddleboard. They had lost their paddle. Towed them in as they were getting cold just using their flip flops and hands as paddles. Wearing shorts. Makes you think how a fun outing can turn to a disaster when your not prepared.

 

[John Ingram]

Tried for Lings today. I've caught more Lingcod when I'm not targeting them. Ha Ha. Did have something very big on but only got it half way up. Big head shakes, I suspect a halibut. Trolled for salmon for an hour on the flats but nothing.
Got waved down by two guys on a paddleboard. They had lost their paddle. Towed them in as they were getting cold just using their flip flops and hands as paddles. Wearing shorts. Makes you think how a fun outing can turn to a disaster when your not prepared.

you fall in that water at any time of year and take a gulp of it your gone........Lucky Lucky

 

[Randy M]

Tried for Lings today. I've caught more Lingcod when I'm not targeting them. Ha Ha. Did have something very big on but only got it half way up. Big head shakes, I suspect a halibut. Trolled for salmon for an hour on the flats but nothing.
Got waved down by two guys on a paddleboard. They had lost their paddle. Towed them in as they were getting cold just using their flip flops and hands as paddles. Wearing shorts. Makes you think how a fun outing can turn to a disaster when your not prepared.

Good on you for towing them in. My striper got towed into OB marina. I was very thankful as I had water in my gas so both motors were out. Have installed a new filter with glass bottom so I can see whether there is water in the filter or not.
Regarding salmon fishing, my friend caught a nice 7 lb spring on saturday am on OB flats. fishing small spoon in 80 feet of water at 9:30 am after fishing for 1.5 hours.
One question, any one catching coho on OB flats or nearby?

 

[islandboy]

Coho still hanging around Macaulay point. 20' deep in 90'of water - pink squirt.

 

[King Crab]

Good on you for towing them in. My striper got towed into OB marina. I was very thankful as I had water in my gas so both motors were out. Have installed a new filter with glass bottom so I can see whether there is water in the filter or not.
Regarding salmon fishing, my friend caught a nice 7 lb spring on saturday am on OB flats. fishing small spoon in 80 feet of water at 9:30 am after fishing for 1.5 hours.
One question, any one catching coho on OB flats or nearby?

We released a nice wild coho off the flats this morning and lost one behind the boat.

 

[ziggy]

Fished off Albert Head yesterday and was amazed at the amount of bait just to the west. At one point my kicker suddenly slowed down and when I went back to see what was going on the water was filled with tiny fish. Water was covered with rafts of birds and the sounder showed bait cloud after bait cloud. We had a couple of hits that didn’t stick and then released a wild. Pretty quiet all in all especially, or maybe, because of all the bait.

 

[Doug]

Fished off Albert Head yesterday and was amazed at the amount of bait just to the west. At one point my kicker suddenly slowed down and when I went back to see what was going on the water was filled with tiny fish. Water was covered with rafts of birds and the sounder showed bait cloud after bait cloud. We had a couple of hits that didn’t stick and then released a wild. Pretty quiet all in all especially, or maybe, because of all the bait.

I’ve tried for Coho numerous times off Albert Head and get one here and there, but never none stop action like out off Beecher Bay or Sooke area. I find Albert Head is OK for winter spring fishing and it always looks so promising see lots of bait fish on the sonar all the time. I've seen others fishing the AH area but never get close enough to ask them how fishing is going.

I’m hoping the winds are low starting on Friday, so we can get offshore and finally get to keep a nice size wild Coho and maybe catch a few clipped ones.

Good luck to everyone, and catch them while you can because they will be mostly gone by mid Oct.

 

[Mokie’sBuoys]

Trolled straight out of the harbour heading to 200’ of water and at 195’, 55’ on the DR, got a 6# clipped coho. Minutes later while changing spoons on the other rod, another hit, released a wild coho of the same size but not before the other rod with the flasher on the surface and the spoon just hanging below started peeling out line. Fish was still on when I picked up the rod and landed another clipped coho! Less than 45 min fishing wasn’t ready to head in so moved in shallower to try for a spring no luck there just another smaller coho released. Great day on the water!!

 

[Original]

Got out for the afternoon bite 11-4 which was a bit slower than yesterday. Struggled to get a fish to the boat with 3 nice fish winning the battle butt my pals moto of stay to make it pay came through for us today. His rod goes off hard off Mcaulay point takes some runs. Won’t cooperate, stays down, goes under the kicker but ends up in the net. 16 lb white female spring “bonk” what the H my rod gone off and a wild Coho hits the deck. 1 Crab .

 

[kingspring]

Nice work!