2025 Victoria and Oak Bay Reports

[silver spring]

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 the water checking boats.

 

[eroyd]

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.

 

[scott craven]

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.

You must have got soaked !!

 

[Doug]

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.

 

[Iska]

That was exactly the derby winner, I didn’t get to see the guy’s boat

 

[scott craven]

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?

20.81 lbs Kyle Jones

 

[eroyd]

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.

 

[Original]

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.

 

[kaelc]

Great report. Sorry you lost the ball.

 

[SpringVelocity]

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.

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.

 

[Sam7]

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

 

[kingspring]

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.

 

[kingspring]

Nice Hali on the spoon!!