Victoria Reports - Spring and Summer 2011

[NautiGirl]

Hali tides today- time to use some banked OT

Hali fishing today out of Cattle Point. Good day for a kite. New anchor didn't want to bite out deep with the wave jumping out in Haro Strait. No fish, except dogs close to shore by GHead. Moved to the east side of Discovery to hide from the whitecaps and rollers. More dogs. Finally got more weight in halibut back than I donated in bait to the fish gods. Around the tide/current change just after 12. Pipe jig and large herring.

Nice warm day and fairly calm water behind the island, but blowing hard.

Pulled some salmon out this morning just in case. It's BBQ and G&T time. Mini vacation in paradise . Tropical islands, big game fishing, gin soaked drinks, and fresh BBQ seafood

 

[TheRock]

Any one been out on Oak bay Flats lately? Been very quite here since the killer whales passed through last weekend.

 

[scott craven]

Put in a good shift this a.m. from 8-2pm
lots of bait showing, small needlefish .
Slower than usual, but there were a few Springs around as well.

 

[Dave S]

Went out in search of the illusive halibut today. Beaut of a day. Tried Albert Head for a couple hours with just a doggie. Then headed to constance for the slack around 4:00pm and came back with nothing. I must be doing something wrong. Tried everything from lead head jig, herring off spreader bar, herring with big hootchie over it on spreader bar, salmon belly with big hootchie over it on spreader.........

When you guys jig for halibut, do you always have rod in hand and bounce off bottom, or do you throw in rod holder and just wait?
How far off bottom is best for spreader bar?

Epic day out there though. Saw a few with chickens on the bank, and lots trolling for salmon but didn't see any action.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Karma-Kazi]

When I use the hootchies I rig them up the leader about 8-10 inches leaving jsut the bait on the hooks exposed. Just somthing I do not sure about others.

-Steve

 

[boomer]

Hey, scent,scent,and more scent,is the trick,120 to270 for depths,pick a spot and stay as long as you can they will come to you. Good luck boomer keep the jig 1 to 4 feet from bottom jig for awhile then stick it in rod holder for Awhile

 

[TheRock]

Went out in search of the illusive halibut today. Beaut of a day. Tried Albert Head for a couple hours with just a doggie. Then headed to constance for the slack around 4:00pm and came back with nothing. I must be doing something wrong. Tried everything from lead head jig, herring off spreader bar, herring with big hootchie over it on spreader bar, salmon belly with big hootchie over it on spreader.........

When you guys jig for halibut, do you always have rod in hand and bounce off bottom, or do you throw in rod holder and just wait?
How far off bottom is best for spreader bar?

Epic day out there though. Saw a few with chickens on the bank, and lots trolling for salmon but didn't see any action.

Thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave, I'll answer your questions and give you some tips when I reply to your P. Message... though its so tough going right now for Halibut locally.. We were halibut fishing several weeks ago at spot that we know that has been always consistent for us in the past years.. We were anchored up and there was a commercial long liner just south of us ! to the North of us not that far there was a second commercial long liner !!! So here we are trying to catch a halibut between two commercial long liner that have been working this area for weeks probably or months... I have been seen them working out there almost every trip we go out on the water this spring. This 88-12 split gives them the right to literally rape all our halibut in our local waters and leave us nothing for the sport, they have ruined the halibut sport fishing here locally! it’s a bloody shame !
So don't feel bad that you are not catching, its been a very tough grind for halibut for the sports this spring here locally... It’s a shame that a few commercial guys can ruin the sport halibut fishing for so many ! I still believe there should be NO commercial fishing for Halibut or salmon here in Juan de Fuca East... its to small of a fishery to allow commercial fishing down here... why can't they go commercial fish up North ! and leave the few halibut we have done here for the Sport fishing to enjoy...?.... is that to much to ask for?
this 88-12 split has to go ! Just not acceptable !

 

[Dave S]

Do any of you guys use oils or butt juice for getting scent out? If so, do you inject the oils or juices into the bait?

Sucks that the commercial guys are allowed to rape the local spots. Especially since they are also allowed to take soooooo much. JERKS!

 

[Charlie]

Went out in search of the illusive halibut today. Beaut of a day. Tried Albert Head for a couple hours with just a doggie. Then headed to constance for the slack around 4:00pm and came back with nothing. I must be doing something wrong. Tried everything from lead head jig, herring off spreader bar, herring with big hootchie over it on spreader bar, salmon belly with big hootchie over it on spreader.........

When you guys jig for halibut, do you always have rod in hand and bounce off bottom, or do you throw in rod holder and just wait?
How far off bottom is best for spreader bar?

Epic day out there though. Saw a few with chickens on the bank, and lots trolling for salmon but didn't see any action.

Thanks,
Dave

Dave... I would stick with Constance or even run out to Border. As stated get a lot of scent on the bait and keep it on or close (bottom bouncing). Keep the lines straight down and to do that try back trolling into the current.

Albert Head, I don't know about that one? You do know if you are fishing those humps off Albert Head towards Victoria you are well within 2 miles from Macaulay Point outfall pipe! That and Clover Point outflow are two areas I would not recommend eating any thing that comes off the bottom!

"The environment report, by MacDonald Environmental Services in Nanaimo, showed years of flushing Greater Victoria's toilets into the ocean has created contaminated seabed sites full of unsafe levels of toxins such as copper, mercury and lead. That report was released publicly July 26, 2006."

 

[wolf]

WHOA slow down guys... for a sec Im all against the 88/12 and have been figting along you all but before you start ointing fingers get all the facts please...... the local guy who has the quota has had that before most of us have been fishing its been there a VERY long time and it really isnt a lot ...... I personally dont have a problem with a real halibut holder who accually fishes his quota..its the slipper skippers i have the problem with.

The local guy also doesnt fish where we are as I have had a chat with him at length about this in the past heck he has even shown me where he fishes.... (sorry sworn to secrecy) and he sets his gear VERY deep away from us all as he doesnt need/want hassle as well he does just fine in water a sport would never think of fishing.
The ones Rock have mentioned dont know who they are?????? sure they werent the prawn boats?? as i know there is 3 of them working the waterfront?????


Good luck Wolf

 

[TheRock]

This year I've noticed a lot more commercial fishing locally, been seeing the boats out there working hard, often bump into long line sets when travelling around on the water. Yes some could be prawn boats, but from what I have been hearing from others and chatter on the radio they are halibut long liners, and the area we were fishing we heard was worked over by the long liners for weeks.. is what I heard, true or not I don't know but when see those guys mile long line sets.. sure make you wonder, and gets you all worked up when you it’s a struggle to catch a a few halibut for fun on sport gear... my buddy fishes up in Renfrew.. this spring the commercial long liners were reel bad up there they had all there sets every where off of Carmanha working it hard for months.. he was up there early this season fishing halibut before the long liners started and he had some amazing fishing reports to share with me... just mind boggling... then after the commercial long liners started up.. they had to travel farther west to get away from them in order to fish halibut.. so the commercial do impact on the quality of our fishing... its frustrating.. it’s a huge ocean.. why can't they go way up north?

 

[TheRock]

Hi Charlie, Technically halibut should be ok because they just migrate thru the area and they aren't residents but anything that spends time there is questionable ~ like Ling Cod . I found the report if any one is intrested in reading it.. http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/main/prgs/docs/sq_crd_outfalls.pdf
http://communities.canada.com/victo...s/backgrounder-greater-victoria-s-sewage.aspx

Dave... I would stick with Constance or even run out to Border. As stated get a lot of scent on the bait and keep it on or close (bottom bouncing). Keep the lines straight down and to do that try back trolling into the current.

Albert Head, I don't know about that one? You do know if you are fishing those humps off Albert Head towards Victoria you are well within 2 miles from Macaulay Point outfall pipe! That and Clover Point outflow are two areas I would not recommend eating any thing that comes off the bottom!

"The environment report, by MacDonald Environmental Services in Nanaimo, showed years of flushing Greater Victoria's toilets into the ocean has created contaminated seabed sites full of unsafe levels of toxins such as copper, mercury and lead. That report was released publicly July 26, 2006."

 

[sammyslabber]

Dave... I would stick with Constance or even run out to Border. As stated get a lot of scent on the bait and keep it on or close (bottom bouncing). Keep the lines straight down and to do that try back trolling into the current.

Albert Head, I don't know about that one? You do know if you are fishing those humps off Albert Head towards Victoria you are well within 2 miles from Macaulay Point outfall pipe! That and Clover Point outflow are two areas I would not recommend eating any thing that comes off the bottom!

"The environment report, by MacDonald Environmental Services in Nanaimo, showed years of flushing Greater Victoria's toilets into the ocean has created contaminated seabed sites full of unsafe levels of toxins such as copper, mercury and lead. That report was released publicly July 26, 2006."

Charlie,if you haven't fished the Victoria water front then don't comment on it's state of affairs...i've caught many a salmon/halibut on or close to the areas you mentioned...anyways fish migrate to/ from the areas in ?...granted the envidence shows in the Past outfall pipes/industrial wastes were likely culprits of the contaminated seabeds...this however was most likely caused by storm drain runoff also from heavy industry & the twinning of the two outfalls.Over the years it has vastly changed with the removal of solid & other toxins at the source & the demise of much of the formentioned industry..true a lot of us are not happy about the ongoing dumping of sewage(in any form) into the Victoria waters.

So if you want to get on a soap box(Mrs.Stuarts) start your own crusade to clean up the (US) waters in your own backyard...By the way it's Mr.Sammy.

To further answer Dave S ? ... yes Dave summer can be a bad time for Dog fish nevertheless halibut are present in areas such as yes(Charlie) Border Bank...Haro str.-Race Rocks & all points in between...pick any spot scent the area... if it's a good one stick it out...hopefully when the dinner bell sounds the halibut will cruise your area... halibut move around a lot so keep trying...good luck... sammy

 

[Dave S]

Do you guys think crab in the area between Saxe point and Albert head is bad to eat? I have been dropping my trap there for about a year now and see lots of others including commercial guys, but that doesn't mean it's safe to eat em.

Thanks for all the great help guys!!
Dave

 

[reelfast]

rumor had it the tribes were long lining our side of the border starting in march. our whopping 13 day halibut season was pretty much a bust although i am sure WDFW will come out with wegi board numbers to demonstrate that rec anglers caught more then their quota, ahha!

mr sammy, we have plenty of polution down this way. what we don't have is a major municipality pumping millions of gallons of raw sewage out into the strait. couple that with residents who sit on their hands and wait and wait and wait for action to occur, well you know the rest. and whatever you do, make sure you don't get downwind in wyoming!

 

[scott craven]

Crabs are filter feeders, their guts and gills can retain toxins but it doesn't affect the meat.
If you check the reg's you will see a recommended limit for consumption
of the hepatopancreas (guts)

 

[Last Chance]

I've eaten tonnes of crab/prawns from the Victoria area.. Eat 'er up, the bad stuff stays in the guts.

 

[sammyslabber]

I've eaten tonnes of crab/prawns from the Victoria area.. Eat 'er up, the bad stuff stays in the guts.

maybe also steer clear of crab dishes served in china town restaurants...like prawns they suck em back guts & all ...just turn off the lights if you don't glow you're good to go...sammy

 

[wolf]

EVER wonder why LC and I are so big!!!!MMMMMMMM crab..... LOL LOL

 

[TheRock]

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/main/prgs/docs/sq_crd_outfalls.pdf
The report seems to suggest that the main areas of concern are within
100yards of the outfall and everything seems pretty dilute after
that...

.932 nm Nautical Miles (1,640 yards) .. out from Macauly pt.
1.7nm Nautical Miles (3,000 yards) from out fall to Yellow cann bouy is the same
distance to Albert head spots