Halibut and Boat Size.

[jaymasta]

Been reading the forums for a while now and thought I would join as I am a frequent "small" vessel fisher here in Victoria. I have looked through many post and pictures and most of the boats I see are itimidating to me to say the least.
Anyways I have a 15ft double eagle 60hp, in fair condition, I have GPS, depth sounder etc. I am sure many of you know or could visualize the boat. I think it is fairly seaworthy for the size of boat that it is. Anyways I keep it in oakbay and frequent cattle point. I am new to Halibut fishing but have been salmon fishing for 10 years now mostly in sooke and the waterfront. I am just wondering what your thoughts are on this size of boat fishing for halibut. I would like to try constance bank however I have never been out there and I am not sure it is a safe situation for a boat this size. I am not willing to anchor at this point, just simple drift fishing. I feel like around discovery and trial island is my best bet giving the location of boat launch and short boat ride etc...any thoughts or other guys head out that way in these small boats? do you see them out there?
Thanks for any adivce.

 

[jaymasta]

I don't really want to anchor right now, and don't have the money for a decent setup. Is drift fishing for Halibut a waste of time? I am saving for a new kicker/trolling motor for salmon fishing this summer (only one big item a time for my boat). I have learned about the tides and currents and have the book so I will certainly be checking them before I go out, I have been researching/talking with people about halibut fishing for a few weeks now, two of which are guides from the queen charlottes and have given me lots of good advice and gear which was nice. I have been on a boat anchored in a sticky situation and it ended with one of the cleats exploding into bits in the air and losing the whole setup trying to get the anchor up for almost an hour. That particular situation has put me off anchoring for this season at least.
I certainly know my limits and have had to call it a day many times when it starts blowing, been out to chenau marina a few times from Oakbay without being able to get into the water due to the wind/chop. Would you not recommend trying to do the constance bank thing in my boat?

 

[doger5]

I own a 17 ft double eagle and I fish every year out at big bank 20 miles offshore west coast, no problems but watch the weather before you go .

 

[Cuba Libre]

quote: Is drift fishing for Halibut a waste of time?

Absolutely not! Fast tides make it less productive, but just choose weak tides and you should do OK. I had a 17.5 Hourston for years. 12 mile was my self imposed offshore limit and I usually tried to stay no more than 7 miles offshore and have done just fine.

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[Tips Up]

Had the same set up for years. No problems with taking that boat to Constance. Just pick your days. good weather...good tides.
Most important thing no matter what advise you get is to stay within your personal comfort zone.
Also you should have a kicker.

Tips

 

[the fog ducker]

17 foot DE , Great boat , but...
, 20 miles , HFShyte , thats pushin the envelope dude , if it's the same 20 miles most of us hit , your a trooper , can't remember the exact date , but just this last summer , I went out at 6:30 am , **** on a plate , made it to 23 , within 1/2 hour , we had NASTY seas , Hard breakin 6 footers , took me almost 2 hours to get back to the surf, had to tack off course to stay dry ,Got to see what my Boat was made of , in a real fricken hurry , I was the only boat out there , my friends were REALLY scared man , How much fuel you haul ?? , CAREFULL .. rollin dice..
m2b

fd..

quote:Originally posted by doger5

I own a 17 ft double eagle and I fish every year out at big bank 20 miles offshore west coast, no problems but watch the weather before you go .

thefogducker@hotmail.com

 

[Duffer]

Jay I used my old 16 ft Fiberform out at Constance for yrs. I prefered to drift fish also just have to find the sandy bottoms so you get a good drift. Watch the tides and the weather and shouldnt have a prob. Oak Bay flats should be good for Hali but I didnt fish it very much from what Ive heard its best to anchor around there. Any how good luck and just keep an eye on the weather many times I had to turn around.

 

[Luna]

Originally posted by doger5

I own a 17 ft double eagle and I fish every year out at big bank 20 miles offshore west coast, no problems but watch the weather before you go .


[/quote

Good weather or not no thanks!! Hope you have solid motor/hp, dual batteries, kicker with charging unit, radio, GPS sounder, hand held GPS, survival suits, tow rope,tool box and extra plugs ect., radar deflector, and on.
I could take a sea doo out there too but NOT!! Big balls to be out at La Parouse in a 17ft'er. Your life and my 2 cents sorry to be harsh.

 

[Luna]

Lots of opportunity around where your boat is at Cattle Point. Lots of good hali spots around Trail, Discovery and the Flats and not to far out depening on current. If you were going to go for a run in your size of boat(with only 1 motor) I would investigate Haro Straight over Constance. Currents are more mellow (generally)and weather is not as big of an issue(generally) but you still need to pay attention and do your homework. PM me and I can give you some spots from that area. Do you have a chart plotter?

 

[jaymasta]

I do have a kicker motor right now a 4hp johnson and it runs ok, its just quite loud and stinky and I just want a new one when trolling for salmon and backup in general. preferably a 6hp 4 stroke.

 

[scott craven]

I agree with Luna, no need to run to Constance for Halibut
there's lot's of good spots close to Oakbay.
the problem you'll find with drift fishing is bottom hangups.
i lost more gear while drifting than while anchored.
Your boat is seaworthy, just watch the weather forecasts.

 

[Charlie]

Can I suggest one remember he said - “FIFTEEN FEET”. There is a small difference between a 15 and 17 foot boat. As in two “very big” feet! I didn’t even know Double Eagle ever made a 15’ boat?

Now, I know Constance Bank is only about seven miles or so from Oak Bay, but I also know there are rip tides, some pretty good tidal flows, and that is “not” really the nicest water, at times? Especially, once you round Trial Islands – it can change there between the tides and winds! I have also seen it flatter than a pancake several times, especially early mornings and later evenings!

Would I run a 15 foot boat from Oak Bay to Constance Bank… no doubt “I” would, but that’s “me”. It is very much on experience and comfort level!

Putting a “kicker” on a 15’ boat? For what reason would that be? It can't be a comfort level 5 miles out of Victoria, at one of the most fished areas in the area? First, is that transom strong or wide enough support that? Then can it even be mounted high enough to get the prop out of the water? The beam has got to be around 7 feet? That’s almost like me putting a kicker on my 12 foot Zodiac. Which btw, I mounted a transom fish finder unit and that alone changed the water flow enough while on plane rised the starboard about 6” higher than the port. I had to take that back off and replace with a through hull! This is 60HP engine here, it will troll down just fine and probably use “less” fuel than the kicker, with no addition weight. If it is a comfort level... tune it up and don't fish any remote areas. Coming in on a kicker from Constance? If he is the only one out there where he would “have” to do that – he has “no” business being there! In addition, it would be a very short response time, even if he had to call the Coastguard! If anyone has ever had to come in on a kicker 7 miles against the tides, they know set back and relax… IT IS GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME! There is “NO” way, I would put a “kicker” on that small of a boat, for any reason! Trust me… take the tow!

Twenty miles offshore in a 15’ foot boat? I have ran a 15’ boat 20 miles offshore to Big Bank and Rats Nose in my younger years (it was actually a 16’ cuddy). If anyone were to ask me "now" if they should do that… I would simply smile and say, “Are you nuts” - Sometimes my 30’ isn’t big enough! And... I do watch the weather - like a hawke!

Just IMHO!

 

[No Limitz]

I would say 20 miles out is a stretch for a 15 footer and a 4 hp kicker is not big enough to get you home safe - 9 hp min.I have been in your shoes before in wanting to go where the big ones are but trust me plenty of Halibut can be found near shore. I have been chasing Halibut for over 15 years now and most of my fish have been caught within a stones throw from shore.I fish around Rupert and the Charlottes and even up there while lots of guys are out getting pounded offshore.I will tuck in and find a calm bay and either drift or anchor and do quite well. I have caught Halibut in as shallow as 90.Keep in mind that these guys will eat mostly anything they can get there lips on including crab and prawn so they will roam.
When I had my 17 footer I used to back troll into the current if it was calm enough. Your 4 hp would be perfect for that. Play around in bays or find a reef or pinnacle and fish the downstream edge of it and like I said start in about 90 feet and worked your way out deeper. The key is patience.
Good luck.

 

[porcupine]

You don't always have to go far to catch halibut and size does not always matter. Here are a couple of pictures of halbut taken from small boats last summer off Victoria.

 

[juandesooka]

quote:Originally posted by Charlie

I didn’t even know Double Eagle ever made a 15’ boat?

I had a "16 foot" Hourston and it was actually 15'6". Double Eagle's hull seems pretty much identical, and I suspect that's the boat here.

I'd call that more of an inshore boat, don't know I'd want to straying too far from land. "Can" you do it vs "Should" you do it. If you do, make sure you keep a close eye on the weather and have clearly defined "time to go" rules ... rather than the classic "it's not so bad out here, let's stick it out another hour" mistake!

For halibut though, I'm no expert on Victoria waters, but Oak Bay is regularly on the big catch listings locally....seems to be a pretty good bet?

 

[chris73]

Charlie: a 7' beam on a 15' boat? Try 5'6".

 

[KCW]

Me and a buddy caught a 159 lder , oak bay flats a few years back in a 15.5 ' boat . We both have bigger boats now , but no big hali's like that again and he's out there alot trying.

 

[Charlie]

quote:Originally posted by chris73

Charlie: a 7' beam on a 15' boat? Try 5'6".

I was trying to be optimist!

 

[jaymasta]

For now I am going to stick around Oakbay. I might venture out towards constance bank once a get my new kicker and with another buddy in another boat on a nice day at least to get a feel for where it is and how far out it is.
Below is a picture of my boat.
I have seen quite a few of them around, there is a kicker bracket on the boat which is where I have my current 4hp kicker mounted and where I will mount the new kicker. I want to have a reliable kicker/backup motor for trolling for salmon and to have as a backup "just in case". Trolling with my 60hp gets expensive and I don't like idling the motor for long periods of time is a mid 90s 2stroke. I tried it once last year just to see and burned through 15 liters of gas in 4-5 hours, My 4hp uses less then half that. The current 4hp motor moves my boat pretty good for what it is, I have been out east sooke many times in a good tide and it gives me good control of my boat and will push me along well, its just an older motor and smokes pretty good and is louder then I would like for a kicker. When trolling for a few hours at a time the noise gets to you.
Going to head out friday and attempt my first go at halibut fishing off Oakbay if the wind stays down.

 

[bananas]

Don't even worry about constance there are just as many if not more fish in oak bay no need to join the sheepole at the bank.lol.