2025 Victoria and Oak Bay Reports

Went out yesterday to fish OB with King Crab. Figured that we would get out and try to catch some clipped springs before it closes until Aug. It was a beauty sunny calm day but very low tides. We started off by catching two 5-6 lb hatch springs that we released. We then got in two really nice big scrappy springs but had to release them beside the boat because they were wild. We finally got in to a pair of 73cm hatchery springs that we kept. We were finished spring fishing so we had a quick jig for Rockfish and I got a nice Cabezon. DFO were on the20250528_133252.jpg water checking boats.20250528_133201.jpg
 
Fished Oak Bay this morning after hearing some stellar reports. First hour of daylight at the Gap produced nothing, though lots of bait and birds. Out to the flats where I joined the big boys. Where did these big boats come from? Must be here for the derby. Fishing was pretty slow with the odd fish here and there. A bit of a flurry of activity around 7:30 when I got two in 20 mins. and other boats got hit. Slowed down again so I tried in shallow toward Greater Chain, where I found a bunch of bait and got two more. Nothing today over 10lbs so I kept nothing.

Sure got bumpy. I kind of overstayed my welcome being stubborn and all.

Crab trap was loaded. Nice to see more hard shell than soft for a change.
 
I was at Esq Angler yesterday morning for coffee and at 8am+- some guys came in with 20.8lb clipped spring. Nice fish.
I wounder if it was the derby winner?

Then at 830 a 22lb Ling was brought in by some spear fisherman. They were not in the derby.

There were only about 12 trailers in the parking lots so it was a slow day at the boat launch for a Sat, derby day.
 
That was exactly the derby winner, I didn’t get to see the guy’s boat
 
Too bad most of area 19 and 20 are closed for chinook retention as of today, with the exception of Saanich Inlet and that special triangle in Becher Bay.
Unfortunate about Esquimalt harbour (19-2) being closed due to fuel spill as it is open for any two chinook.;)
 
Was in the Derby expecting a gong show at the launch but surprised at 5am only 4 trailers. Beautiful sun rise and great fishing conditions. Slow to start but eventually my Peetz setup goes off 8.5lb wild released. Fished nervously with all the commercial traps on my reg tachs but we were getting the odd one but all wilds & released. Albert head had boats but we only seen 1 net out. Trolling back towards Sax had double with a small wild and a 101cm Hali on a Peetz spoon.
Last tach has been good for me lately but just out front of the launch my ball got caught on one of those commercial lines then wrapped up in the kicker and with the big chop and wind I had to cut it free. Most of the rain missed us but we could see it pouring all around.
Thanks for an exciting Derby Day and great job hosting the weigh in.
 

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Original said:
Was in the Derby expecting a gong show at the launch but surprised at 5am only 4 trailers. Beautiful sun rise and great fishing conditions. Slow to start but eventually my Peetz setup goes off 8.5lb wild released. Fished nervously with all the commercial traps on my reg tachs but we were getting the odd one but all wilds & released. Albert head had boats but we only seen 1 net out. Trolling back towards Sax had double with a small wild and a 101cm Hali on a Peetz spoon.
Last tach has been good for me lately but just out front of the launch my ball got caught on one of those commercial lines then wrapped up in the kicker and with the big chop and wind I had to cut it free. Most of the rain missed us but we could see it pouring all around.
Thanks for an exciting Derby Day and great job hosting the weigh in.
Click to expand...
OMG your kidding me the water looked like that yesterday morning! I think you saw not many trailers in parking lot because most of us assumed it would be howling with wind out front. A lot of people including us fished in Sidney that day for derby.
 
Out for halibut this morning, anchored up and fishing at 6:30.

Double dogs at 7:30, dropped new bait, checked the bait 45 min later, both were a bit tangled, reset and back down they went. I ended up with a small chicken, 67 cm at 9:00. Caught the halibut on Mackerel on a circle hook. Dogs were on a salmon belly and the other was herring

Great day out there, and more boats than I expected. Then I read there was the halibut derby out of Cheanuh
 

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Original said:
Was in the Derby expecting a gong show at the launch but surprised at 5am only 4 trailers. Beautiful sun rise and great fishing conditions. Slow to start but eventually my Peetz setup goes off 8.5lb wild released. Fished nervously with all the commercial traps on my reg tachs but we were getting the odd one but all wilds & released. Albert head had boats but we only seen 1 net out. Trolling back towards Sax had double with a small wild and a 101cm Hali on a Peetz spoon.
Last tach has been good for me lately but just out front of the launch my ball got caught on one of those commercial lines then wrapped up in the kicker and with the big chop and wind I had to cut it free. Most of the rain missed us but we could see it pouring all around.
Thanks for an exciting Derby Day and great job hosting the weigh in.
Click to expand...
 
Well went out for hali first time today, tried drifting off Pedder bay. No fun at all! Around 10am the wind was blowing pretty good and seas were almost too lumpy to stand up. When we got to our spot found it impossible to stay relatively close to where we wanted to be. Not the best introduction to halibut fishing for us, that's for sure :confused:
 
Lewy said:
Well went out for hali first time today, tried drifting off Pedder bay. No fun at all! Around 10am the wind was blowing pretty good and seas were almost too lumpy to stand up. When we got to our spot found it impossible to stay relatively close to where we wanted to be. Not the best introduction to halibut fishing for us, that's for sure :confused:
Click to expand...
Lewy said:
Well went out for hali first time today, tried drifting off Pedder bay. No fun at all! Around 10am the wind was blowing pretty good and seas were almost too lumpy to stand up. When we got to our spot found it impossible to stay relatively close to where we wanted to be. Not the best introduction to halibut fishing for us, that's for sure :confused:
Click to expand...
Ya, the wind never did lay down, windy was completely off today
 
Lewy said:
Well went out for hali first time today, tried drifting off Pedder bay. No fun at all! Around 10am the wind was blowing pretty good and seas were almost too lumpy to stand up. When we got to our spot found it impossible to stay relatively close to where we wanted to be. Not the best introduction to halibut fishing for us, that's for sure :confused:
Click to expand...
It was pretty snotty out there. Don’t get discouraged, try another low current day with less wind. We fished in 175-210. A little bit of back trolling, about 10% of the time. 1 rod with 80lb braid and spreader bar and one with a big lead head and swim tail and 40lb braid to keep them separated. We often ended up fishing the same side of the boat but didn’t have a bad tangle.
 
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