Fishing Report for week ending April 2, 2017
SALTWATER
OVERVIEW – Fishing was GOOD for winter springs when the weather wasn’t too windy. Halibut fishing was also GOOD but was slowing down as the week progressed.
For the latest details on recreational fishery openings and closures in your area:
- A) Call 1-866-431-FISH or 604-666-2828 (24-hour phone line);
- B) Visit our web page http://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm to find applicable fishery notices; or
- C) Follow our sport fishing Twitter account https://twitter.com/sportfishingbc
Visit our facebook page to see reports, news and videos by our guides and staff from their most recent trips.
SOOKE – The salmon fishing has been GOOD for springs. Most of the fish are running from 8 to 12 lbs in size. The best fishing has been in 110 to 130 feet of water. Good areas have been near the Bluffs, the Trailer Park and Muir Creek. The salmon are holding close to the bottom so you have to troll deep. Most of the anglers are using artificial lures and the Skinny G needlefish spoon in the Outfitters color scheme has been the most effective lure. The top spoons for Sooke anglers have lots of glow, red or Moon Jelly as the primary color. Good choices for teaser head colors are UV Green, Chartreuse, Bloody Nose and Purple Haze. For flashers, you can’t go wrong with a Super Betsey, Madi or Bon Chovi Flasher. Hootchies in White, Glow/Green and Purple Haze have been effective recently. Halibut fishing has also been good and Lisa Yakimovich reported landing a 70 lb (132 cm) halibut on Wednesday.
BECHER BAY – Salmon fishing was GOOD this past week. The best fishing has been near Aldridge Point and the Bedfords. Top catch of the week was by Jim Senese who landed an 18.8 lb hatchery spring near Aldridge Point at 110 feet on the downrigger. Church Rock to the Bedfords produced a few springs up to 12 lbs. Most of the anglers are using artificial lures and are trolling close to the bottom. Spoons, especially G-Force and Skinny G spoons, in Bon Chovy or Outfitters’ colours have been very effective. Anglers using bait are catching their share of salmon and are finding anchovies in glow teaser heads have been working best. For flashers, the Betsey, Lemon Lime and Green/Silver Hot Spot have been good.
PEDDER BAY – Pedder Bay Marina reports GOOD salmon fishing for hatchery springs from 10 to 14 lbs in size. A rough average would be 1.5 springs per boat. The fishing was better in Whirl Bay. Most anglers are using artificial lures and trolling close to the bottom, but anchovies are also producing well. The fish haven’t been too picky about what they will strike Spoons, especially G-Force and Skinny G spoons in Outfitters’, Bon Chovy or No Bananas colours, have been very effective. Hootchies and squirts with a green and glow color combination have been good plastic baits to use, especially with a 30” to 36” leader. Anchovies were still working this past week. Good choices for teaser head colors are UV Green, Chartreuse, Bloody Nose and Purple Haze. Flashers that are popular include the Betsey, Lemon-Lime and Madi.
HALIBUT – Halibut fishing was GOOD this past week. Most anglers that were fishing for halibut are using extra large herring, salmon bellies and/or octopus for bait. Also working well was the 8” Powerbait Grubs and Delta Hali Hawgs.
VICTORIA – Fishing for salmon was SLOW this past week. Constance Bank was where the most consistent action occurred. Springs caught there were as large as 10 lbs. Closer in, the 80 -140 foot depths have been best off the waterfront. Good areas have been the harbour entrance, Finlayson Point, Clover Point and Brotchie Ledge. Your lure should be close to the bottom when trolling off Victoria. The same depth and technique has been working well out at Constance Bank. Spoons have been very successful in getting hook ups. Green Spatter Back UV Coho Killers, 3.5” Cop Car spoons or AP Tackleworks herring spoons have brought good results.
HALIBUT – Halibut fishing was GOOD this past week. Constance Bank was the best location to fish.. Most anglers that were fishing for halibut are using extra large herring, salmon bellies and/or octopus for bait. Also working well was the 8” Powerbait Grubs and Delta Hali Hawgs.
OAK BAY – Salmon fishing was GOOD recently. There are springs up to 12 lbs on the flats near Brodie Rock and in the Gap. All of the anglers have been either bottom bouncing or jigging close to the bottom. Good trolling lures have been Coho Killers, Bon Chovi or Outfitters Skinny G spoons or AP Tackleworks needlefish spoons. Sandlance lures and squirts (needle fish) are best in pearl, white & green, or white glow. Good jigging lures have been Point Wilson Darts and the Delta Mac Fish.
HALIBUT – Halibut fishing was GOOD with fish taking salmon heads or bellies, large herring and octopus. Fritz Christo landed a 49 lb halibut fishing solo at Discovery Island using Octopus and Salmon belly in 170 ft of water. Be sure to get setup about an hour and a half before the slack to catch the tide swing and to be able to stay on the bottom. Most anglers that were fishing for halibut are using extra large herring, salmon bellies and/or octopus for bait. Also working well was the 8” Powerbait Grubs and Delta Hali Hawgs.
SIDNEY- Salmon fishing was VERY GOOD this past weekend The Sidney Anglers held their club Premier Salmon Derby on the weekend. The winner was Doug Ellison with a 13 lb 12 oz spring. Gerry Fisher came in second with a 13 lb 4 oz spring and Wayne Lucier came in third with an 11.7 lb spring. The best areas were Hamley, Coal Island, Saanichton Spit and the Sidney Channel. Anglers using spoons found small Coho Killers, Gibbs Needle G and AP Tackleworks needlefish spoons the most successful spoons this past weekend.. Anchovies and Tiny Strip were also good producers of fish.
Notable Catches – Top salmon of the week was caught by Jim Senese who landed an 18.8 lb hatchery spring near Aldridge Point at 110 feet on the downrigger. Lisa Yakimovich reported landing a 70 lb (132 cm) halibut on Wednesday in Sooke. Fritz Christo landed a 49 lb halibut fishing solo at Discovery Island using Octopus and Salmon belly in 170 feet of water. The Sidney Anglers held their club Premier Salmon Derby on the weekend. The winner was Doug Ellison with a 13 lb 12 oz spring. Gerry Fisher came in second with a 13 lb 4 oz spring and Wayne Lucifer came in third with an 11.7 lb spring.
Please send photos (in jpeg format) and descriptions of your notable catch to our email info@fishingvictoria.com
FRESHWATER
The Elk Lake Take a Kid Fishing trout and bass derby is on April 8th!
OVERVIEW – Fishing was PICKING UP in most lakes for trout and bass as water temperatures are rising. Winter run steelhead fishing is slowing down in most rivers on both sides of the Island. Lots of the fish being caught now are kelts.
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC has started their stocking of spring catchable rainbow trout into Vancouver Island lakes. On March 29th, Lookout Lake received 200 catchable trout and Ida Anne Lake 50 catchable trout averaging 247.19 grams. On March 28th, Elk lake received 1,750 catchable trout averaging 226.75 grams. On March 22nd, Shawnigan Lake received another 500 catchable trout averaging g 240.6 grams. On March 14th, Shawnigan Lake received 1,750 catchable trout averaging 242.6 grams. On March 10th, Thetis Lake received 1,500 trout and Colwood Lake 250 trout averaging 236.54 grams. On March 6th, Durrance Lake received 1,000 trout and Glen, Kemp and Matheson Lakes received 500 trout averaging 231.7 grams. On March 2nd, Elk Lake and Prospect Lake were each stocked with 1,750 trout weighing 238.82 grams each. To find out about stockings all over the Island and the province, as well as the different strains being released, click on the link http://www.gofishbc.com/Stocked-Fish.aspx
COWICHAN RIVER – The Cowichan River water level was topped out at 2.2 meters on Thursday and has being dropping since then. The water level is no at 2.02 meters near the lake and 1.72 meters near Duncan today. There has been a slide at the Clay Bank pool and the river is discolored with low visibility downstream. There are steelhead in the river but most of the fish are kelts. The Riverbottom to Skutz falls area has been best for steelhead. Fishing for trout in the fly only area has been good. Bead head nymphs have been working well there.
TROUT – Trout fishing is PICKING UP on most lakes in the South Island. Shore anglers are catching trout on Powerbait, Gulp Eggs, or worms while fishing close to the bottom. Pink, Chartreuse and Fluorescent Yellow have been good choices recently for Powerbait. Fly anglers are fishing Wooly Buggers, Leeches and Micro Leech patterns on full sink fly lines. Trollers are catching trout with Gibbs Gang Trolls and Gibbs Wedding Bands. 2” Tomic Plugs have also been working well for Trout.
BASS - Bass fishing is PICKING UP during the day. Soft plastics rigged Carolina style work best but deep diving crank baits work well too. The most productive colors in 4” Yum baits are Smoke or Pumpkinseed. Nick Skevington reported catching some nice bass while trolling in Elk lake with a short body, shad shaped, deep diving crank bait, one long cast length behind the boat at 2 - 2.5 mph in 14 - 20 feet of water. Langford Lake, Shawnigan Lake, Prospect Lake and Elk and Beaver Lakes are the best local bass lakes. St. Mary’s Lake on Salt Spring Island is also a great lake for bass fishing.
Notable Catches – Mason Croacher landed a 2 lb 3 oz rainbow trout at Elk Lake on March 29th to take over first place on our leader board.
Please send photos (in jpeg format) and descriptions of your notable catch to our email info@fishingvictoria.com
FISH TIP OF THE WEEK
Are you up to date on fishing regulations? Many anglers assume that the rules are the same from year to year but that’s not the case. We’ve just started a new annual cycle and often hear of anglers being caught for not knowing the current regulations. Don’t be one of these and review the current regulations before going on your next fishing adventure.
2017 Island Outfitters Leader Board
Halibut
1) 68.9 lbs – Duane Sapelak – Discovery – Herring – March 24th
2) 58.0 lbs – Sam Anderson – Oak Bay – Octopus – March 23rd
3) 55.5 lbs – Patrick Cunliffe – Oak Bay – Herring – April 2nd
4) 51.7 lbs – Jarek Malinowski – Discovery – Herring – March 24th
5) 49.4 lbs – George Kahan – Constance – Herring – March 24th
Trout
1) 2.3 lbs – Mason Croacher – Elk Lake – Powerbait – March 29th
2) 1.12 lbs – Brock Heppell – Langford Lake – Powerbait – March 21st
3) 1.11 lbs – Leia Bouchard – Langford Lake – Powerbait – January 29th
4) 1.11 lbs – Gage Heppell – Langford Lake – Powerbait – March 21st
5) 1.10 lbs – Leia Bouchard – Langford Lake – Powerbait – January 29th
Salmon
We are waiting for the first large salmon to be weighed in at the store.
Island Outfitters starts and ends the year with the free for fun and prizes Salmon, Trout and Halibut Leader Boards. Simply weigh your catch in at Island Outfitters and the top five fish in each category on December 31st win a special prize.
See our event pages for details on upcoming events at
http://fishingvictoria.com/events/
We are having a garage sale in our parking lot on April 1st and 2nd Come and get some great bargains!
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