CartFishing Report for Week Ending April 15, 2018
SALTWATER
OVERVIEW – The Chinook fishing was FAIR around the south Island with most of the Chinooks running from 3 to 18 lbs in size. Halibut fishing was FAIR this past weekend.
COAST-WIDE HALIBUT REGULATIONS: Effective at 00:01 hours on April 1, 2018 fishing for halibut will be opened coast-wide until further notice.
Limits and sizes: -The maximum length for Halibut is 115cm. -The daily limit for Halibut is one (1). -The possession limit for Halibut is two (2), only one (1) of which may be over 83cm in length.-The annual limit is six (6) Halibut per licence holder, as set out on the 2018/2019 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence.
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.cfmto 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 was GOOD on Saturday but a bit slower on Sunday. Most of the fish are from 3 to 8 lbs in size with the occasional larger one to 11 lbs. The winter springs were spread out throughout the Sooke area. Most of the salmon are close to the bottom in 100 – 140 feet of water but there are some at mid water depths. Spoons such as Skinny G’s, Coho Killers and 3.5″ G Force spoons have been good. Hootchies in White, Glow/Green and Purple Haze are the top choices in plastic baits. Anchovies are still the most popular choice for those fishing bait. Good choices for teaser head colors are Army Truck, Bloody Nose and Purple Haze. For flashers, Red/Glow Hot Spots, the Delta Guide Series UV Moon Jelly, Madi and the Lemon Lime Chartreuse are popular. There were a few halibut caught this past weekend.
BECHER BAY– Salmon fishing was FAIR this past week. Most of the fish were caught inside the bay from Creyke Point to the marina. The fish have not been too large this past week with the larger ones topping out at 9 lbs. Anglers are fishing close to the bottom in 100 to 140 depths. The majority of anglers are using spoons with Coho Killers, Gibbs Skinny G’s in green/glow and green/silver colors the favorites. The GIBBS Highliner Guide Series Outfitters, Madi, Lemon Lime and Red/Glow Hot Spot flashers have been working well. Hootchies in White, Glow/Green and Purple Haze are the top choices in plastic baits.
PEDDER BAY– Pedder Bay Marina reports FAIR salmon fishing. The majority of the salmon have been from 3 to 6 lbs in size but some larger ones up to 10 lbs were caught. It’s been best inside Pedder Bay but slower at Whirl Bay. Most of the fish have been caught close to the bottom in 80 to 140 feet of water. The majority of the salmon have been from 3 to 6 lbs in size but some larger ones up to 10 lbs were caught. Squirts were the hot lures this past week with a green and glow, Purple Haze or UV white good color choices. Spoons have been producing the best and the Skinny G’s, AP Tackleworks and Coho Killers are the top choices. Green with either silver or glow has been the color choice in spoons. Flashers that are popular include the Guide Series Madi, Outfitters and Lemon Lime.
HALIBUT - Halibut fishing was FAIR this past week and most of the boats got skunked.
VICTORIA – Fishing for salmon was FAIR off the waterfront this past week when the winds weren’t too blustery. The early part of the week produced the best action. Most of the fish are still small, from 3 to 6 lbs in size, but some larger ones up to 12 lbs have been caught off the waterfront. In closer, there were springs from Brotchie Ledge to Trial Island. The best depths to fish were 90-140 feet but we’ve heard of some larger fish being caught at mid-water depths. Spoons have been successful in getting hook ups with Irish Cream Skinny G’s, Green/Glow AP Tackleworks Anchovy 4” spoons and Green/Glow Coyote spoons popular choices. Most of the boats out fishing were not after salmon this past weekend as the emphasis was on halibut.
HALIBUT - Fishing was SLOW for halibut this past week. Constance Bank and William Head produced a few, but not too many.
OAK BAY– Salmon fishing is FAIR in Oak Bay. There are salmon coming in from the Gap and from the Flats but not lots of them. Most of the salmon have been on the small side, but some nicer ones to 17 lbs were caught on the weekend. The salmon are feeding on needle fish and close to the bottom where the feed is located. Most of the anglers have been either bottom bouncing squirts and spoons or jigging close to the bottom. Best bets for Oak Bay trolling lures are Skinny G and AP Tackleworks spoons and Jellyfish squirts. Jiggers are doing best with Deep Stingers and Point Wilson darts.
HALIBUT - Fishing was FAIR for halibut.
SIDNEY– Salmon fishing was SPOTTY in the Sidney area. That said, the largest spring salmon of the week on the south Island came from Sidney waters. Mark Kosick caught a 26 lb hatchery spring at Coal Island, 20’off Shag Rock, using Tiny Strip in a Green Rhys Davis teaser head. Anglers using spoons found that APT Sandlance spoons, Coho Killers and Gibbs and Needle G spoons the most productive this past week. Suggested colours are Kitchen Sink and Irish Cream. Anchovies and Tiny Strip were also good producers of fish with teaser heads in Glow or UV Purple.
Notable Catches – Mark Kosick caught a 26 lb hatchery spring at Coal Island, 20’off Shag Rock, using Tiny Strip in a Green Rhys Davis teaser head.
Please send photos (in jpeg format) and descriptions of your notable catch to our email info@fishingvictoria.com
FRESHWATER
OVERVIEW – Fishing was PICKING UP in most lakes for trout and bass and SLOWING DOWN in the rivers for steelhead. There is increasing anticipation of this coming Saturday’s Elk Lake trout and bass derby.
COWICHAN RIVER – Rains in the past week have increased the water level on the river. Near the lake the water level is at 1.7 meters and near Duncan it’s at 1.45 meters. There are fewer steelhead spawning in the river now and most of the fish being caught are kelts. Fishing for trout in the fly only area has been picking up with increased inset activity. Some warm weather should really pick up the trout activity.
TROUT – Trout fishing has been PICKING UP for trout to at the local lakes due to the recent trout stockings and as the water temperatures warm up. Shore anglers are catching trout on Powerbait, Gulp Eggs, and 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 Muddler Minnow patterns on full sink fly lines most of the time to get into the lower water levels. There have been some chironomid hatches too. 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.
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC has been stocking spring catchable rainbow trout into southern Vancouver Island lakes. On March 26th, Lookout Lake received 225 trout averaging 263.58 grams. On March 21st, Shawnigan Lake 304 trout and Dougan Lake received 500 trout averaging 263.58 grams. On March 13th, Shawnigan Lake received 600 trout, Thetis Lake 1,000 trout and Spectacle, Glen and Dougan Lakes 500 trout weighing 249.33 grams. On March 9th, Elk Lake received 1,800 trout, Prospect Lake 1,000 trout and Ida Anne Lake 250 trout averaging 255.17 grams. On March 8th, Durrance Lake received 1,000 trout, Shawnigan Lake 829 trout, Kemp and Matheson Lakes received 500 trout and Poirier Lake 300 trout averaging 246.87 grams. On March 3rd, Elk Lake and Prospect Lake were each stocked with 1,800 trout weighing 247.48 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
The 12th Annual Elk Lake “Take a Kid Fishing Derby” was held this past Saturday. There were 306 adults and 85 kids participating. It was a great success for both trout and bass anglers, even if the fishing was a bit slow due to the weather.
The top 5 winners in each category were:
Trout Bass
1) 3 lbs 1 oz – Bob Johnson 1) 7 lbs 2 oz –Andrew Grant
2) 2 lbs 9 oz – Rick Cohen 2) 6 lbs 15 oz – Nolan Barron
3) 2 lbs 3 oz – Mason Richman (JR) 3) 6 lbs 12 oz – Chris Rempel
4) 2 lbs 2 oz – Rob Rouchard 4) 6 lbs 0 oz – Drew Mackie
5) 1 lb 15 oz – Peter Grossman 5) 5 lbs 15 oz – Cody Clifford
All of the trout caught were rainbow trout and the top bass were Largemouth bass. The winner of the draw prize of a 14’ Lowe boat, Yamaha motor and trailer was Russell Cote.
Visit our facebook page for lots of pictures and details on the derby.
BASS– Bass fishing is PICKING UP on Island lakes. Most lakes are starting to produce as larger fish are moving into the shallows pre spawning. During the day, spinner baits and crank baits are working well at times. Soft plastics rigged “Texas Style” are also a good choice when fishing drop offs and deeper structure. The most productive colors in 4” Yum baits are Smoke or Pumpkinseed. Drop shot fishing can also be very effective this time of year. 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 – The 12th Annual Elk Lake “Take a Kid Fishing Derby” was held this past Saturday and Bob Johnson won the trout category with a 3 lb 1 oz rainbow trout and Andrew Grant won the Bass category with a 7 lb 2 oz bass.
Please send photos (in jpeg format) and descriptions of your notable catch to our email info@fishingvictoria.com
FISH TIPS OF THE WEEK
Be careful when anchoring for halibut. Don’t crowd another boat that is already anchored near where you want to fish. Anchor lines getting tangled or hung up on each other can present a very dangerous situation that you should avoid for your own safety.
Big jigs are a very effective way to catch halibut as most anglers know. You can improve your jigs by adding Berkeley GULP or Powerbait to your lures. The large size and scent of this attractants should increase your hookups on the big flatfish.
2018 Island Outfitters Leader Boards
Trout
1) 8 lbs 8 oz – Rob Waldner – Langford Lake – Fly – March 31st
2) 5 lbs 4 oz – Kayden Howes – Elk Lake – Corn – February 12th
3) 4 lbs 11 oz – Allan Edgar – Langford Lake – Powerbait – January 12th
4) 4 lbs 5 oz – Tyler Clough – Langford Lake – Powerbait - April 2nd
5) 3 lbs 1 oz – Bob Johnson – Elk Lake – Green Carey fly - April 14th
Salmon
1) 23 lbs 8 oz – Sonia Benedic – Clover Point – Mint Tulip Hoochie - February 26th
2) 14 lbs 8 oz – Hannah Cottier – Constance Bank – Skinny G – February 11th
3) 10 lbs 8 oz – Grace Cottier – Constance Bank – Skinny G – February 11th
Halibut
1) 73.8 lbs – Brian Dow – Constance Bank – Herring – March 16th
2) 70.7 lbs – Ray Hawthorne – Discovery Island – Herring – March 10th
3) 64.1 lbs – Chad Dobranski -– Discovery Island – Herring – March 10th
4) 61.1 lbs – Trevor Walton – Oak Bay – Mackerel – March 10th
5) 59.1 lbs – Jesse McCullough – Race Rocks - Octopus – March 10th
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/
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