Fishing Report for Week Ending July 2, 2017

SALTWATER

OVERVIEW – Windy weather put a damper on fishing this past week. Salmon and halibut fishing have been GOOD. The Pink salmon run has started in the Sooke area.

For the latest details on recreational fishery openings and closures in your area:

1. A) Call 1-866-431-FISH or 604-666-2828 (24-hour phone line);


2. B) Visit our web page http://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfmto find applicable fishery notices; or


3. 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 fishing has been GOOD for salmon over the last week….. when you could get out. Secretary Island to Otter Point has been good and pink salmon are also showing in the catches in addition to springs ranging from 8 – 24 lbs.  There have been reports of springs into the 30’s being released.  Most anglers are using bait with anchovies being the most popular choice. Lots of small squid were in the area so hoochies are also effective. Good choices for teaser head colors Red, Tiger Prawn, Glow chartreuse Tiger Prawn and Bloody Nose.  For flashers, the Delta Homeland Security and Red/Silver Hot Spot have been working well. Hootchies in all White, Glow/Green and Purple Haze have been effective recently as well.

 BECHER BAY– Salmon fishing was GOOD this past week when it wasn’t blowing too hard.  There have been lots of salmon in from Aldridge Point to the Trap Shack.  Besides springs into the teens, lots of pinks have also been showing up. The best depths to fish have been from 40 to 70 feet. Anchovies are now the most popular bait. Good teaser heads have been the Bloody Nose and Mint Pearl. Trolling Skinny G spoons on a 36” leader has been working great. The best color combinations being Nickel/Blue, Nickel/Gold and Bananas. For flashers, the Homeland Security and Raspberry Jelly have been working well.



 PEDDER BAY– Pedder Bay Marina reports FAIR salmon fishing when the wind isn’t too bad. There has been hatchery springs weighed in as heavy as 22 lbs.  The bay was fishing well again this week, and it was out of the wind, with the most productive area being near the can buoy. Anchovies are now the most popular bait. Good teaser heads have been the Bloody Nose and Mint Pearl.  Skinny G’s in the new nickel colours have been catching springs as well. Hoochies and squirts with a green and glow, or uv white have been popular color choices this week.  Flashers that are popular include the Madi, Bon Chovy and Chartreuse Twisted Sista.

HALIBUT– Halibut fishing was GOOD this past weekend but it was way too windy for most boats. Most anglers that were fishing for halibut are using extra large herring, salmon bellies and/or octopus for bait. Also working well were the 8” Powerbait Grubs and Delta Hali Hawgs.

 VICTORIA – Fishing for salmon was SPOTTY off Victoria this past week. The most productive area has been Constance Bank and the harbour mouth with a few better sized fish into the 20’s being caught. That said, most boats fishing the waterfront came up empty.  Some pink salmon are also starting to be caught out at the bank.  Spoons have been very successful in getting hook ups, Nickel/Blue Skinny G’s, Coho Killers, 3.5” Cop Car spoons have brought some hookups.

HALIBUT– Halibut fishing was OKAY this past week. The halibut have been fairly deep with depths of over 300 feet the most productive. 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 FAIR in Oak Bay this past week. There has been some good-sized fish into the mid teens coming in from the flats. Some good choices for lures are the Blue/Nickel Skinny G’s and 4” AP Spoons.  The salmon are feeding on needlefish and have been at depths from 80 to 135 feet, depending on where the feed is located. Most of the anglers have been either bottom bouncing or jigging close to the bottom.  Good jigging lures have been Point Wilson Darts and the Delta Mac Fish.

HALIBUT– Halibut fishing was GOOD this past weekend but it was way too windy for most boats. 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 FAIR to GOOD this past week. The best spots have been Hambly Point and Sidney Spit with springs being caught into the high teens. Early in the week Fairfax produced some nice fish. There has been lots of bait around the Powder Wharf and the springs should show up there soon.  There have been reports of Pender Bluffs starting to pick up.  Anglers using spoons found Coho Killers, Gibbs Needle G and AP Tackleworks needlefish spoons the most successful spoons this past week  Suggested colours are Trap Shack and Bon Chovy.  Anchovies and Tiny Strip were also good producers of fish with teaser heads in UV Purple.

Notable Catches – Please send photos (in jpeg format) and descriptions of your notable catch to our email info@fishingvictoria.com

 

FRESHWATER

OVERVIEW – Fishing was GOOD in most lakes for trout and bass.

COWICHAN RIVER – The Cowichan River’s water level is at summer levels, just under 0.4 meters. Lots of people are now using float tubes to drift down the river during the day, so that can put the trout down. Fishing for trout in the fly only area has been GOOD. Fish a Dry Fly in the early morning and later in the evening or fish a Nymph in the faster water.  Both have been working well.

TROUT– Trout fishing is GOOD on most lakes in the South Island. Trollers should fish at the thermocline, where the fish are suspended during the day. 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 most of the time to get into the cooler water levels. Trollers are catching trout with worms fished behind Gibbs Gang Trolls and on Gibbs Wedding Bands. 2” Tomic Plugs have also been working well for trout.

BASS– Bass fishing is GOOD as we enter the summer months. There have been many reports of good catches of fish as large as 6 lbs. Soft plastics rigged Carolina style and crank baits are working well. The most productive colors in 4” Yum baits are Smoke or Pumpkinseed. Top water plugs are also fun and effective in the summer, especially at dawn and dusk. 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 – Please send photos (in jpeg format) and descriptions of your notable catch to our email info@fishingvictoria.com

 

FISH TIP OF THE WEEK

What’s your Line? Is it strong and kink free or is it weakened from hard fishing? If it is monofilament, it’s a good habit to regularly check the first 20 to 30 feet of line for kinks, nicks, and scratches. Cutting off the weakened section can reduce the chances of losing that big one to a broken line. And it’s a good idea to replace your monofilament line every year.

2017 Island Outfitters Leader Boards

Halibut

1) 72.1 lbs – Trevor Skakun – Oak Bay – April 22^nd

2) 68.9 lbs – Duane Sapelak – Discovery – Herring – March 24^th

3) 68.6 lbs – Chris Hansen – Oak Bay – April 22^nd

4) 67.8 lbs – Trevor Sedonic – Race Rocks – May 18^th

5) 64.6 lbs – Albert Lacharity – Constance Bank – April 23^rd

 

Trout

1) 5 lbs – Chad Vandermolen – Langford Lake – April 29^th

2) 3 lbs 11 oz – Marcel Allarie – Elk Lake– May 6^th

3) 3 lbs 4 oz– James Baluch – Langford Lake– May 8^{t h}

4) 3 lbs 1 oz – Jeremy Herron – Elk Lake– April 8^th

5) 3 lbs 0 oz– James Baluch – Langford Lake– May 6^th

 

Salmon

1) 32 lbs – Rick McAmmon – Victoria Breakwater – June 12^th

 

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 31^st win a special prize. See our event pages for details on upcoming events at http://fishingvictoria.com/events/

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