CartFishing Report for Week Ending January 29, 2012
Fishing Report for Week Ending January 29, 2012
SALTWATER
OVERVIEW – Bad weather continues to limit the fishing effort. Salmon fishing was BETTER for winter springs in many areas.WhirlBay and Constance Bank had the largest numbers of fish. Seals are still a problem for anglers fishing off ofVictoria. The seals do not appear to be a problem either west or north ofVictoria.
Visit our facebook page to see reports, news and videos by our guides and staff from their most recent trips!
Sooke – Salmon fishing was FAIR for winter springs up to 12 lbs early in the week. Most of the salmon are still 6 to 8 lb fish. The fish are deep, from 120 to 160 feet on the downrigger, in 100 to 180 feet of water. Much of the action is coming from off the harbor and SecretaryIsland and along the Bluffs to the trailer Park. The fish are not very selective and being caught on all types of gear. Anchovies have been working best in Bloody Nose and Army Truck teaser heads. Hootchies and squirts are good in Purple Haze, Cloverleaf and Glo Below. The best flasher has been the Silver Betsey and Silver Fever Hot Spot. Cop Car or Green/Silver Coyote spoons have also been good for springs.
Becher Bay – The fishing was GOOD for winter springs. Anglers were reporting lots of salmon up to 14 lbs forWhirlBay and theBedfordIslands. Inside the bay, the action has been consistent for springs up to 12 lbs. Fishing close to the bottom is the key to success in both areas. The majority of anglers fishing for springs have switched from using bait to artificial lures as the fish are not very selective and are being caught on all types of gear. Anchovies are still catching a lot of fish though. The best teaser heads for anchovies were the Purple Haze and the Bloody Nose. The best flashers have been the Green/Silver Hot Spots and Oki’s. Hootchies and squirts were good in White/Silver, Glo Below and Mint Tulip. Cop Car, Glow/Green or Green/Silver spoons have also been good for springs.
Pedder Bay – Salmon fishing was GOOD but not too many anglers were out due to the weather.WhirlBay was hot and many anglers caught limits there. Some anglers fished in the bay near the yellow Can Buoy or the Deep Hole. Anglers have doing fairly well there on springs up to 15 lbs. There still is good fishing on the William Head side of the bay and inParryBay too. The fish are not very selective and are being caught on all types of lures. Bloody Nose and Purple Haze teaser heads have been the most popular ones when using bait and the best flashers have been the Silver Betsey and Purple Haze. Hootchies and squirts were good in Glo Below, Mint Tulip and Purple Haze. Coho Killer spoons in Green/White and Green/Silver Coyote spoons have also worked very well for the springs.
Victoria Waterfront – Salmon fishing was GOOD out at Constance Bank. Almost all the boat s came back from there had some fish up to 10 lbs, or reported releasing smaller 3 to 5 lb, but legal, springs. The east side of the bank was hot for those anglers bottom bouncing in 120’ to 150’ of water. The seals are still a problem for some anglers on the bank. Close in, anglers were getting fish up to 14½ lbs while fishing near Clover Point. However, there was not nearly as much action along the waterfront as there was offshore. The “coffe club” at Esquimalt Anglers had a derby along the waterfront and the winning fish weighed 9.9 lbs. There were only 7 salmon weighed in by 26 boats fishing. The derby area did not include Constance Bank. The fish are not very selective and are being caught on all types of lures. Anchovies have been working best in Bloody Nose teaser heads. Coho Killers, Green/Glow and Army Truck spoons are working well for winter springs. Hootchies and squirts are good in Electric Chair, Cloverleaf and Glo Below. Good flashers have been the Green/Glow and Green/Silver Hot Spots.
Oak Bay – Salmon fishing was GOOD on the Flats for winter springs up to 10 lbs. Anglers are catching the fish while trolling in the Gap and on the Flats. The best bet is trolling right on bottom in 100 to 150 feet of water with squirts, Baitrix tiny strip, small anchovy or Coho Killer spoons. Good squirts are the Cloverleaf, J-79 and Electric Chair. With spoons, 3½” or 4” Gypsy, Titans, and Coyotes in Cop Car or Silver/Green colors and the Gold Star Coho Killer. Glow in the dark flashers would be the best choice for springs now.
Sidney – Salmon fishing has been FAIR aroundSidney. Not too many anglers have been out and we’ve only heard of one 8 lb spring from Moresby and one just legal spring from the south end of the Sidney Channel. There are lots of fish around the minimum size length but a few bigger ones too. Many anglers have been fishing for springs using anchovies in Bloody Nose, Purple Haze and UV Green teaser heads. Squirts have been out producing hootchies recently and the hot patterns for springs now are the J-79, Glow Below and Electric Chair. Mongoose Coyote spoons have also been working well. Homemade Tiny Strip is also working very well.
Notable Catches – Please send photos and descriptions of your notable catch to our email info@fishingvictoria.com
FRESHWATER
OVERVIEW – Fishing is SLOW on the local lakes for both trout and bass in this cold, winter weather. In fact many lakes had ice over them. Steelhead fishing is going strong in the rivers.
Cowichan River – The water level on theCowichanRiver over 2 meters with poor clarity. Fishing had been very good but it’ll be slow now until the water clears. The Riverbottom and Bible Camp areas have been the best area to fish and drift boaters. Some of the bank anglers had been catching fish. For steelhead, good lures to fish are Spin ‘n Glo’s, Corkies, Gooey Bobs and the always reliable Pink Worm. Although many anglers are successful catching winter runs on flies, most anglers chose to use floats and gear.
Local Lakes – Trout fishing is SLOW on most lakes in theSouth Island area, especially since many of the lakes had ice this past weeek. As the water temperature drops the fish are not as active causing the action to slow down.
Many anglers are catching trout on both Powerbait, Gulp! Eggs, or worms. Fly anglers are mostly using Wooly Buggers or leech patterns. Trollers have been doing OK with a variety of lures but we’ve heard tat the Orange Hot Shot has been good. Chris Jones sent us pictures of 22” and 18” rainbows from fullerLakethat he caught on the Orange Hot Shot. The Rhys Davis Baitrix Trout lures and UV Mini Strip Teasers work well for larger fish too. Other good trolling lures are the Apex Trout Killers with the police car one of the best and the black with silver glitter spots taking second place. Flatfish and/or Kwikfish have also been effective in sizes 5 to 7 in Frog, Yellow with Red Spots or Blue/Silver. Smaller Rapalas in Rainbow Trout or Brown Trout patterns also work well. Lastly,WillowLeafLaketrolls with a worm-tipped GIBBS Wedding Band will almost always catch some fish. The biggest trout continue to be caught atElkLakewithLangfordLakebeing your next best bet to hook into a real “lunker”. By the way, all wild rainbows and cutthroats over 50 cm must be released inCowichanLake.
Bass Fishing - Bass fishing is SLOW. Slower presentations such as soft plastics work as the water cools. As winter approaches, look for the fish to move into deeper water and suspend. They might become less active and take a little more “coaxing” to bite. LangfordLake,ShawniganLake,ProspectLake and Elk andBeaverLakes are the best local bass lakes. St. Mary’s Lake onSaltSpringIsland is also a great lake for bass fishing.
Notable Catches – Please send photos and descriptions of your notable catch to our email info@fishingvictoria.com
Having a hard time getting braided line to hold in the release clip when trolling for salmon? Here’s a good trick. Wrap a few turns of line around a toothpick and use the release clip to hold the toothpick in place. Works like a charm.
1) 231.4 lbs – Terry Zarelli – Race Rocks area – Octopus- March 25th
2) 194.4 lbs – Al Crow – Sooke – Salmon Head – May 14th
3) 127.5 lbs – Reg Day – Sidney– June 26th
4) 124.6 lbs – Todd Steen – Sidney– May 27th
5) 101.9 lbs – Reg Day – Sidney – June 27th
1) 47.1 lbs – Ian Robinson – Port Renfrew – Anchovy – July 29th
2) 40.0 lbs – Dave Stubbs – Constance Bank – Hootchy – August 20th
3) 36.4 lbs – Brandon Salter – Waterfront – Anchovy – August 7th
4) 33.0 lbs – Bill Campbell – Trap Shack – Anchovy – July 5tth
5) 32.8 lbs – Joe Zammit – Trap shack – Anchovy – July 16th
Island Outfitters starts and ends the year with the free for fun and prizes Salmon and Halibut Leader Board. Simply weigh your catch in at Island Outfitters and the top five fish in each category on December 31st wins a special prize. Everybody who enters a fish gets a prize! Maybe it will be you bringing in the big one! Please let us know as early as possible about your up coming events in 2012!
See our event pages for upcoming events!
April 6th and 7th: Island Outfitters 18th Anniversary Sale: Our storewide annual sale with LOTS of great deals and bargains.
April 14th. The 5th Annual Elk Lake Take a Kid Fishing Derby. Tickets are Adults - $25, Children under 16 - $10. All ticket holders are entered into the draw for a new boat and motor package. First place prizes of $1,000 for the largest tout and the largest bass. This derby has live release weigh boats and weigh-station located strategically on the lake. For more info contact us at 350-475-4969.
April 28th: The Sidney Salmon Derby. Rod Tickets are only $100.00 each! Banquet Tickets are $22.00 (including HST). Scales close at 4:00pm.- Banquet Dinner at Tulista Park starts after 4:00pm. Prizes to be won! 1st Place; $5,000 2nd Place; $3,000 3rd Place; $2,000: Plus Draw Prizes and 50/50 Tickets! All proceeds go to Salmon Enhancement Tickets available at Island Outfitters
May 12th and 13th: The 16th Annual Just for the Halibut Derby. First prize is $7,500 cash, 2nd prize is $2,500, and 3rd prize is $1,000 cash. A hidden weight “Bonus” prize is sponsored by SG Power. Tickets are available at Island Outfitters, Pedder Bay Marina or Cheanuh Marina. Call 250-
SALTWATER
OVERVIEW – Bad weather continues to limit the fishing effort. Salmon fishing was BETTER for winter springs in many areas.WhirlBay and Constance Bank had the largest numbers of fish. Seals are still a problem for anglers fishing off ofVictoria. The seals do not appear to be a problem either west or north ofVictoria.
Visit our facebook page to see reports, news and videos by our guides and staff from their most recent trips!
Sooke – Salmon fishing was FAIR for winter springs up to 12 lbs early in the week. Most of the salmon are still 6 to 8 lb fish. The fish are deep, from 120 to 160 feet on the downrigger, in 100 to 180 feet of water. Much of the action is coming from off the harbor and SecretaryIsland and along the Bluffs to the trailer Park. The fish are not very selective and being caught on all types of gear. Anchovies have been working best in Bloody Nose and Army Truck teaser heads. Hootchies and squirts are good in Purple Haze, Cloverleaf and Glo Below. The best flasher has been the Silver Betsey and Silver Fever Hot Spot. Cop Car or Green/Silver Coyote spoons have also been good for springs.
Becher Bay – The fishing was GOOD for winter springs. Anglers were reporting lots of salmon up to 14 lbs forWhirlBay and theBedfordIslands. Inside the bay, the action has been consistent for springs up to 12 lbs. Fishing close to the bottom is the key to success in both areas. The majority of anglers fishing for springs have switched from using bait to artificial lures as the fish are not very selective and are being caught on all types of gear. Anchovies are still catching a lot of fish though. The best teaser heads for anchovies were the Purple Haze and the Bloody Nose. The best flashers have been the Green/Silver Hot Spots and Oki’s. Hootchies and squirts were good in White/Silver, Glo Below and Mint Tulip. Cop Car, Glow/Green or Green/Silver spoons have also been good for springs.
Pedder Bay – Salmon fishing was GOOD but not too many anglers were out due to the weather.WhirlBay was hot and many anglers caught limits there. Some anglers fished in the bay near the yellow Can Buoy or the Deep Hole. Anglers have doing fairly well there on springs up to 15 lbs. There still is good fishing on the William Head side of the bay and inParryBay too. The fish are not very selective and are being caught on all types of lures. Bloody Nose and Purple Haze teaser heads have been the most popular ones when using bait and the best flashers have been the Silver Betsey and Purple Haze. Hootchies and squirts were good in Glo Below, Mint Tulip and Purple Haze. Coho Killer spoons in Green/White and Green/Silver Coyote spoons have also worked very well for the springs.
Victoria Waterfront – Salmon fishing was GOOD out at Constance Bank. Almost all the boat s came back from there had some fish up to 10 lbs, or reported releasing smaller 3 to 5 lb, but legal, springs. The east side of the bank was hot for those anglers bottom bouncing in 120’ to 150’ of water. The seals are still a problem for some anglers on the bank. Close in, anglers were getting fish up to 14½ lbs while fishing near Clover Point. However, there was not nearly as much action along the waterfront as there was offshore. The “coffe club” at Esquimalt Anglers had a derby along the waterfront and the winning fish weighed 9.9 lbs. There were only 7 salmon weighed in by 26 boats fishing. The derby area did not include Constance Bank. The fish are not very selective and are being caught on all types of lures. Anchovies have been working best in Bloody Nose teaser heads. Coho Killers, Green/Glow and Army Truck spoons are working well for winter springs. Hootchies and squirts are good in Electric Chair, Cloverleaf and Glo Below. Good flashers have been the Green/Glow and Green/Silver Hot Spots.
Oak Bay – Salmon fishing was GOOD on the Flats for winter springs up to 10 lbs. Anglers are catching the fish while trolling in the Gap and on the Flats. The best bet is trolling right on bottom in 100 to 150 feet of water with squirts, Baitrix tiny strip, small anchovy or Coho Killer spoons. Good squirts are the Cloverleaf, J-79 and Electric Chair. With spoons, 3½” or 4” Gypsy, Titans, and Coyotes in Cop Car or Silver/Green colors and the Gold Star Coho Killer. Glow in the dark flashers would be the best choice for springs now.
Sidney – Salmon fishing has been FAIR aroundSidney. Not too many anglers have been out and we’ve only heard of one 8 lb spring from Moresby and one just legal spring from the south end of the Sidney Channel. There are lots of fish around the minimum size length but a few bigger ones too. Many anglers have been fishing for springs using anchovies in Bloody Nose, Purple Haze and UV Green teaser heads. Squirts have been out producing hootchies recently and the hot patterns for springs now are the J-79, Glow Below and Electric Chair. Mongoose Coyote spoons have also been working well. Homemade Tiny Strip is also working very well.
Notable Catches – Please send photos and descriptions of your notable catch to our email info@fishingvictoria.com
FRESHWATER
OVERVIEW – Fishing is SLOW on the local lakes for both trout and bass in this cold, winter weather. In fact many lakes had ice over them. Steelhead fishing is going strong in the rivers.
Cowichan River – The water level on theCowichanRiver over 2 meters with poor clarity. Fishing had been very good but it’ll be slow now until the water clears. The Riverbottom and Bible Camp areas have been the best area to fish and drift boaters. Some of the bank anglers had been catching fish. For steelhead, good lures to fish are Spin ‘n Glo’s, Corkies, Gooey Bobs and the always reliable Pink Worm. Although many anglers are successful catching winter runs on flies, most anglers chose to use floats and gear.
Local Lakes – Trout fishing is SLOW on most lakes in theSouth Island area, especially since many of the lakes had ice this past weeek. As the water temperature drops the fish are not as active causing the action to slow down.
Many anglers are catching trout on both Powerbait, Gulp! Eggs, or worms. Fly anglers are mostly using Wooly Buggers or leech patterns. Trollers have been doing OK with a variety of lures but we’ve heard tat the Orange Hot Shot has been good. Chris Jones sent us pictures of 22” and 18” rainbows from fullerLakethat he caught on the Orange Hot Shot. The Rhys Davis Baitrix Trout lures and UV Mini Strip Teasers work well for larger fish too. Other good trolling lures are the Apex Trout Killers with the police car one of the best and the black with silver glitter spots taking second place. Flatfish and/or Kwikfish have also been effective in sizes 5 to 7 in Frog, Yellow with Red Spots or Blue/Silver. Smaller Rapalas in Rainbow Trout or Brown Trout patterns also work well. Lastly,WillowLeafLaketrolls with a worm-tipped GIBBS Wedding Band will almost always catch some fish. The biggest trout continue to be caught atElkLakewithLangfordLakebeing your next best bet to hook into a real “lunker”. By the way, all wild rainbows and cutthroats over 50 cm must be released inCowichanLake.
Bass Fishing - Bass fishing is SLOW. Slower presentations such as soft plastics work as the water cools. As winter approaches, look for the fish to move into deeper water and suspend. They might become less active and take a little more “coaxing” to bite. LangfordLake,ShawniganLake,ProspectLake and Elk andBeaverLakes are the best local bass lakes. St. Mary’s Lake onSaltSpringIsland is also a great lake for bass fishing.
Notable Catches – Please send photos and descriptions of your notable catch to our email info@fishingvictoria.com
FISH TIP OF THE WEEK
Having a hard time getting braided line to hold in the release clip when trolling for salmon? Here’s a good trick. Wrap a few turns of line around a toothpick and use the release clip to hold the toothpick in place. Works like a charm.
Island Outfitters Leader Board – 2011
Congratulations to our 2011 winners!
Halibut
1) 231.4 lbs – Terry Zarelli – Race Rocks area – Octopus- March 25th
2) 194.4 lbs – Al Crow – Sooke – Salmon Head – May 14th
3) 127.5 lbs – Reg Day – Sidney– June 26th
4) 124.6 lbs – Todd Steen – Sidney– May 27th
5) 101.9 lbs – Reg Day – Sidney – June 27th
Salmon
1) 47.1 lbs – Ian Robinson – Port Renfrew – Anchovy – July 29th
2) 40.0 lbs – Dave Stubbs – Constance Bank – Hootchy – August 20th
3) 36.4 lbs – Brandon Salter – Waterfront – Anchovy – August 7th
4) 33.0 lbs – Bill Campbell – Trap Shack – Anchovy – July 5tth
5) 32.8 lbs – Joe Zammit – Trap shack – Anchovy – July 16th
2012 DERBIES and EVENTS
Island Outfitters starts and ends the year with the free for fun and prizes Salmon and Halibut Leader Board. Simply weigh your catch in at Island Outfitters and the top five fish in each category on December 31st wins a special prize. Everybody who enters a fish gets a prize! Maybe it will be you bringing in the big one! Please let us know as early as possible about your up coming events in 2012!
See our event pages for upcoming events!
April 6th and 7th: Island Outfitters 18th Anniversary Sale: Our storewide annual sale with LOTS of great deals and bargains.
April 14th. The 5th Annual Elk Lake Take a Kid Fishing Derby. Tickets are Adults - $25, Children under 16 - $10. All ticket holders are entered into the draw for a new boat and motor package. First place prizes of $1,000 for the largest tout and the largest bass. This derby has live release weigh boats and weigh-station located strategically on the lake. For more info contact us at 350-475-4969.
April 28th: The Sidney Salmon Derby. Rod Tickets are only $100.00 each! Banquet Tickets are $22.00 (including HST). Scales close at 4:00pm.- Banquet Dinner at Tulista Park starts after 4:00pm. Prizes to be won! 1st Place; $5,000 2nd Place; $3,000 3rd Place; $2,000: Plus Draw Prizes and 50/50 Tickets! All proceeds go to Salmon Enhancement Tickets available at Island Outfitters
May 12th and 13th: The 16th Annual Just for the Halibut Derby. First prize is $7,500 cash, 2nd prize is $2,500, and 3rd prize is $1,000 cash. A hidden weight “Bonus” prize is sponsored by SG Power. Tickets are available at Island Outfitters, Pedder Bay Marina or Cheanuh Marina. Call 250-