Was supposed to be in Bamfield last weekend June 9-12 with my son and friends on a second boat but unfortunately trip was cancelled due to the highway closure.
We decided because we had the time booked off, boat ready, food purchased and we’re really looking forward to a weekend on the water that we would do a staycation and fish 4 days from home. My boat is 17ft Double Eagle on a trailer and I live in Langford so I can fish anywhere from Sooke to Sidney within half hour drive.
Friday June 9
Put in a couple hours work on the laptop while my son pulled out the crab and prawn traps. Then at the crack of 10 am we were off to Saanich inlet. We dropped the crab traps and our prawn traps then spent 4 hours fishing for lings. We caught a few lings but could not find a keeper.
We pulled the prawn traps around 3:00 and all were loaded! Was surprised how big the prawns were for this time of year. We kept our limit on jumbos and had to throw back 100-150 good prawns.
Crab traps were empty.
Sat June 10
Launched in Beecher Bay and figured we would troll salmon for first couple hours starting in the open retention area. The bay was full of bait and marking fish. On the second pass in front of lamb island a fish hit and popped hard off the rigger. Battle was on with a nice fish. My son plays fish to the boat and sure enough about a 15lb hatchery! We circled through same spot and rod goes again. I played a fish to side of boat about 8-10lb. This one spits hook while we are looking for the fin.
Couple more passes with nothing so we headed off to find some ling cod. We always talk about trying for lings in Sooke but never do so today was the day. We caught a bunch of undersized and one nice keeper.
Sunday June 11
Weather and tides look great so we are off at 5:30 am to launch out of Pedder Bay and go for halibut. This time with another friend on board. Water is like a lake and we get set up on one of my favourite spots.
After sorting through a bunch of dogs during the slack we start to swing on the ebb. The Hali bite came on and we boated 3 halibut! Including this one 125cm and 58lb! Would have been a great derby fish.
Monday June 12
Considered being responsible and going back to work and sending kid to school but weather and tides were perfect again and my son put up good argument that he was caught up at school and teacher wasn’t expecting him…. So we headed out to same spot again. At 9:30 we got a double header and put 2 more hali on the deck.
Turned out to be a great weekend. Not the Bamfield experience we were looking for but I think we made the best of it. Fished multiple species in multiple locations and had a great weekend with my kid on the boat.
We decided because we had the time booked off, boat ready, food purchased and we’re really looking forward to a weekend on the water that we would do a staycation and fish 4 days from home. My boat is 17ft Double Eagle on a trailer and I live in Langford so I can fish anywhere from Sooke to Sidney within half hour drive.
Friday June 9
Put in a couple hours work on the laptop while my son pulled out the crab and prawn traps. Then at the crack of 10 am we were off to Saanich inlet. We dropped the crab traps and our prawn traps then spent 4 hours fishing for lings. We caught a few lings but could not find a keeper.
We pulled the prawn traps around 3:00 and all were loaded! Was surprised how big the prawns were for this time of year. We kept our limit on jumbos and had to throw back 100-150 good prawns.
Crab traps were empty.
Sat June 10
Launched in Beecher Bay and figured we would troll salmon for first couple hours starting in the open retention area. The bay was full of bait and marking fish. On the second pass in front of lamb island a fish hit and popped hard off the rigger. Battle was on with a nice fish. My son plays fish to the boat and sure enough about a 15lb hatchery! We circled through same spot and rod goes again. I played a fish to side of boat about 8-10lb. This one spits hook while we are looking for the fin.
Couple more passes with nothing so we headed off to find some ling cod. We always talk about trying for lings in Sooke but never do so today was the day. We caught a bunch of undersized and one nice keeper.
Sunday June 11
Weather and tides look great so we are off at 5:30 am to launch out of Pedder Bay and go for halibut. This time with another friend on board. Water is like a lake and we get set up on one of my favourite spots.
After sorting through a bunch of dogs during the slack we start to swing on the ebb. The Hali bite came on and we boated 3 halibut! Including this one 125cm and 58lb! Would have been a great derby fish.
Monday June 12
Considered being responsible and going back to work and sending kid to school but weather and tides were perfect again and my son put up good argument that he was caught up at school and teacher wasn’t expecting him…. So we headed out to same spot again. At 9:30 we got a double header and put 2 more hali on the deck.
Turned out to be a great weekend. Not the Bamfield experience we were looking for but I think we made the best of it. Fished multiple species in multiple locations and had a great weekend with my kid on the boat.
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