2025 Victoria and Oak Bay Reports

[Sam7]

Out in the water early to set the crab traps for some clients of mine and their kids that have never ocean fished. Dropped the traps off fished for about 1/2 hour with no action. Went back to the dock to pick them up for 6:30.

Started out front at Macaulay and with in 30 minutes we had our first hit, just so happens that our second rod went off, then our third rod went off, all within about 15 seconds. Little bit of a scramble since they were all inexperienced. In the end the first rod was gone within 10 seconds, third rod (middle 45’) just hit and left, second rod stuck around long enough to be brought into the boat. Their 13 year old landed his first salmon, 87cm wild…… quick picture and back in the water he went.

Managed to bring in a 72 & 70 springs as well, both wild and reds, and as well we kept a couple of pinks. Rods out of the water at 10:30. Springs weighed in at 12 lbs and 10 lbs big boy bit on bait at 77’, the other two springs on my spoon at 66’

Crab traps were decent, had 30 crabs combined in three traps, but unfortunately only 3 keepers. Always amazed at the kids when the traps come up. They love the anticipation and the excitement of crabs crawling around the deck.

 

[Strait shooter]

6 o’clock start this morning. First spring at 6:45. 74 cm. Second one at 9 am. 76 cm. 2 keeper crab and lots of females.

 

[Stoshe]

3 of us out by 6 a.m. beautiful conditions and incredible sunrise. Released a few shakers. Finally around 8 we hit a great fish on anchovy that measured 84. Next spring was on a white hootchie - strong fish measured 89! Around 9 we hit another spring on anchovy - 80cm and clipped All fish were caught between 66 a 76 feet using 20# balls. We also landed a clipped coho about 7/8 #’s on a white hootchie. Counted 40+ boats on the waterfront on our way in at 10.
Stosh

 

[Sam7]

Late post:

Took the Neighbors out for a night bite on Monday, on the water at 5ish, lines up at 7:45

Nada!

Not a sniff. Plenty of bait in the water, marked several fish, but no takers. About a dozen boats out there, didn’t see any flashers or nets out.

Three traps down, about 30 crabs again, and only 3 keepers in the last trap we pulled.

Talked to a couple of other people at the dock, and they had nothing either.

I guess we wait for the next school to swim into the area.

 

[Slack-tider]

A late start today, 930 out front. Lots of bait on the surface and on the finder. Marked fish at all levels. 2 chinook around brotchie released at the side of the boat. Green flasher with no bananas. 70' on the DR in 120" water. Released a couple pinks. They seem to be thinning out. Looking forward to Oct 1st and the new regs.

 

[wagonmaster]

Yup, I think the pinks have mostly moved on. Only fished from about 8:30 until 10:00. Got our two springs at 9:30-9:45. Didn't see any caught, although we were not where the majority of boats were right close to the harbor.

 

[islandboy]

Looking forward to Oct 1st and the new regs.

Why Oct 1st?

FN0593:
"AREA 19 FINFISH CLOSURES:

The following areas are closed to fishing for finfish:

Effective 00:01 hours September 1 until 23:59 hours November 30, 2025 - Subarea 19-12 [Saanich Inlet, south of Christmas Point].

Effective 00:01 hours September 15 until 23:59 hours November 30, 2025 - Whiskey Point: The waters of Saanich Inlet in Subarea 19-8 inside a line from Whiskey Point to Verdier Point.

AREA 19 CHINOOK NON-RETENTION:

Effective 00:01 hours August 1 until 23:59 hours October 15, 2025, the following areas are Chinook non-retention areas:

Subareas 19-7 to 19-12 [Saanich Inlet]

AREA 19 CHINOOK RETENTION OPPORTUNITIES (EXCLUDING THOSE CLOSED AND NON-RETENTION AREAS/PERIODS LISTED ABOVE):

Effective 00:01 hours August 1 to 23:59 hours August 31, 2025: One (1) Chinook per day with a maximum size limit of 80 cm on marked and unmarked Chinook.

Effective 00:01 hours September 1 to 23:59 hours December 31, 2025: Two (2) Chinook per day, no maximum size limit.

REMINDER: Chinook minimum size limit is 45 cm in Subareas 19-1, 19-3, and 19-4. The Chinook minimum size limit in Subareas 19-5 to 19-12 is 62 cm"

 

[Slack-tider]

I stand corrected. Thanks Islandboy. Senior moment. I meant Sept 1st.
Effective 00:01 hours September 1 to 23:59 hours December 31, 2025: Two (2) Chinook per day, no maximum size limit.

 

[eroyd]

Out today. A little slower. Couple of good Springs lost out front and a couple of small springs released. Lots of crap floating around today. Did get a couple of pinks South of Trial, very shallow 10 pulls behind the prop wash with just a spoon. I think these weaker flood tides aren't stacking the bait and salmon in close as much. Hopefully the next cycle will be hot again.

Did well with Lings today.

 

[eroyd]

 

[kingspring]

Dandies!!

 

[Stoshe]

Started at 6:05 am. At 6:07 we hit a small legal clipped spring. Normally I would have released one that small, but
Since it was only the second clipped spring caught on the same boat this August, we kept it. Caught a few shakers and pinks over the next 3.5 hours. And, lost 2 nice springs one on white hootchie and one on anchovy 55/70 feet deep with 20# balls.
Lots of bait everywhere. Counted under 20 boats on the way in at 9:30.
Stosh

 

[Tjwilson]

Started today at around 7:15 off of Sax had some good action right away with a chinook to the boat and then lost a good one possibly over sized with the lack of a net on board, active fishing handful of ok sized chinooks till 9am slowed down, picked up again around 11:30 till 1pm with lots of action couple good COHOs. Only one pink all day.

Green flashers and spoons kept us busy

 

[islandboy]

Quiet morning got busy quick. Aside from a few salmon swirling on the surface in bait, I came up empty.
Saw a number of small fish caught. Only saw one nice spring netted.
On the plus side the new Lithium battery worked well.
Here's what a skunk looks like:

 

[Whole in the Water]

Launched at Esq Anglers at 8 am today in a buddy’s boat and fished till 2pm from McCauley Pt to past Brotchie Ledge.

Lots of boats out front. Not a lot of larger fish seen landed. Lots of shakers. We kept 1 hatchery coho and 2 springs about 68 cm. Fishing small spoons between 50-130 ft.

My experience is these long, slow neap flood tides are usually not as productive as the shorter, stronger spring tides. Beautiful day on the water until the wind picked up around 3pm.

 

[Doug]

Got back out fishing after taking a week off.

Started at 620 and had action in first 5 minutes with winter springs and let go a couple of springs in the high 60s range. Then landed two 77cm and a 69 which was bleeding so we kept it, done at 720. Pulled up the crab taps after 2.5 hr. soak and got 4 keepers and lots of female.

All the fish were deep at 85ft on the DR and close to bottom and caught on Bait . No clipped fish again but got another white.
Pinks were sitting at 60ft so we fished below them and had none to the boat.

Today and the next two days the tide flow and bite times are perfect first thing in the morning.

 

[eroyd]

Slow for me this morning. Blew past the bulk of the boats in front McCauley and started half way across the harbour mouth. Five mins. in a solid hit, played the fish to the surface to where my stinger hook broke off. Lots of shakers. Two wild coho and a winter spring down around the flagpole.

Stayed out long enough to see the classic boat parade. Picked up a derelict crab trap. Is there a Harnett on here? No phone no.

 

[Original]

Launched around 6am and fished Mcaulay to Brochie. My suuper spoon was only catching smalls but buddy’s big bait was what they wanted. Landed 2 in the mid 70’s and a beauty clipped coho as well as another smaller clipped. We were done on springs so tried for Hali with no luck. Ya never know what you are going to see and this strange cloud hailed on us.

 

[Sam7]

Late post:

I was out Sunday, left before the sun came out to set 1 trap on my way to the halibut grounds out at the mud hole.

Long uneventful day, 5 dogs to the boat, 2-3 dog bites, and landed 1 pacific cod. I gave it the ol “15 more minutes” 10 times and still didn’t get a halibut strike. Rods were in the water at 6:30 and off the anchor at 3:15.

1 trap had 6 in it, but they were all female

 

[Mozart]

Yah it's that time of the year. After mating all the males got too tired had to rest the females come out to feed getting ready for spawning in the fall.