Fishing in Port Renfrew
has been spectacular this past week. WE had 12 Halibut onboard
by 10:30 am the other morning. Ron Swan from Sooke hooked onto
this 40lb chinook this afternoon and finished the days fishing
off with a big fight.
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Best
Fishes
Larry Quigley
Here is the local Fishing reports
from our friends at Island
Outfitters
Reported by: Tom Vaida
Salt Water Fishing for July 20
Overview
Salmon Fishing was GOOD MIDWEEK but SLOW ON THE WEEKEND in most
areas. However, the winds were pretty bad on quite a few days,
keeping most anglers off the water. The hot spot last week was
Port Renfrew. Halibut fishing was GOOD. Overall, Port Renfrew
is still the best place to fish.
Port Renfrew
Spring salmon fishing has HOT MIDWEEK but SLOWER ON THE WEEKEND.
We’ve heard reports of lots of boats were getting easy limits
and many fish over the 30 lb mark during the week. Midweek, it
was good from East Point all the way to Nitinat. Unfortunately,
the fish seemed to have moved on by the weekend. We have two new
leader board entries that came from Port Renfrew on Wednesday.
Dan Waters landed a 37.6 lb spring and Cameron Young a 36 lb spring.
Both fish were caught on anchovies. Halibut fishing has been EXCELLENT
out at Swiftsure Bank (much better than the weather) with most
boats quickly getting their limits of 15 to 25 lb halibut. However,
not all halibut at Port Renfrew are small! Kevin McKenna weighed
in a 190.7 lb halibut on Sunday that he caught on herring.
Sooke
Salmon fishing was FAIR this past week with anglers reporting
the best results during the week. Most of the fish were in the
teens or twenties, but some bigger ones into the 30’s came in
too. The “hot spots” were Possession Point, Otter Point, Muir
Creek and Sheringham Point. Most anglers were using anchovies
or small herring in Rhys Davis Anchovy Specials or JDF Teasers
trolled at 40 to 90 ft. Good colors include both Betsy colors
(green and blue), Nose Bleed and Purple Haze. The best plastic
baits to try are the Army Truck, Glo Below or Purple Haze hootchies
or squirts. The best flashers have been Silver/Green, Jellyfish
and the new Super Betsy. With spoons try Army Truck, Cop Car or
any Green/Glow color combinations with 4” Gypsies, Titans and
Coyotes.
HALIBUT Halibut fishing was SLOWER near Sooke last week. Large
herring and/or Octopus are the most popular baits and are usually
fished off spreader bars. Other popular baits have been Mackerel
and salmon bellies. However, if the dogfish become a nuisance,
you can use Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or try some Berkley Powerbait.
Becher Bay
Salmon fishing was FAIR for springs. Anglers are getting some
fish, but the winds have been pretty bad and not too many anglers
have been getting out. Most of the springs were caught from Beechey
Head to the Trap Shack. The best depths have been from 33 to 90
feet and the fish are running in the high teens to the high twenties
in size. Most anglers were fishing from 45 to 85 feet on the downrigger.
The Purple Haze, Bloody Nose and Green Betsy teaser heads behind
the new Super Betsy, Purple Haze and Green Haze flashers have
been the most popular combinations to fish. If you like to fish
spoons, try Mongoose or Green/Silver color Coyote, Titan or Gypsy
spoons.
Pedder Bay
Salmon fishing was SLOW this past week with the weather being
a problem most of the week. Most of the action has come from inside
the bay by the Navy Can, Kelp Beds or by the Deep Hole. The most
productive tactics were trolling anchovies or jigging in Pedder
Bay near the kelp beds. Anglers trolling bait should use medium
to large anchovy or herring in Purple Haze or Bloody Nose teaser
heads. The best flashers have been the Purple Haze and the new
Super Betsy. The best jigs to try are Gibbs minnows and Pro-Troll
E-Jigs. If you prefer to fish metal baits, give Mongoose, Green/Glow
or Army Truck 4” or 5” Coyote, Gypsies or Titan spoons a try.
HALIBUT Halibut fishing was SLOWER this past week. Seven smaller
size halibut were brought in. However, it should be much better
this coming week. Large herring and/or Octopus are the most popular
baits and are usually fished off spreader bars. Other popular
baits have been Mackerel and salmon bellies. However, if the dogfish
become a nuisance, you can use Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or try some
Berkley Powerbait.
Victoria Waterfront
Salmon fishing was SLOW most of this past week, partly because
of all the windy weather. During the week, most anglers were getting
skunked along the waterfront, guides included. However, some anglers
managed to find springs out on Constance Bank on the weekend.
And, the occasional fish was caught further inshore as well. Greg
Kutyn landed his biggest salmon ever, a 20 lb spring caught near
the Breakwater on Anchovy. Dave Bury landed a 14 lb spring on
a MACDEEP while jigging beside the kelp beds at Clover Point.
Good teasers last week were the Plain Green and the chartreuse.
Good flashers have been the Green/Silver and Purple/Glow Hot Spots
and various Oki’ Betsey. Plastic baits such as Army Truck, Tiger
Prawn or Purple Haze squirts fished behind White Glow or Purple
Haze flashers have been catching fish too, especially if the fish
are deep. Spoons can also be effective at times and the Cop Car,
Green/Silver and Mongoose patterns are worth a try.
HALIBUT Constance Bank and Albert Head were SLOW for halibut
this past week but should be much better this coming week due
to moderate tides and slower currents. There have been lots of
dogfish around however. Best baits for Halibut were Octopus and
Herring however try Mudraker/Lucky Jigs or Berkley Powerbait if
they become too much of a problem.
Oak Bay
Fishing was SLOW this past week. A few springs up to 20 lbs were
taken off of the Flats, by the Gap and by 10 Mile Point. The best
depths to fish were from 60 to 140 feet, and right on the bottom
around the ledges and reefs. Anchovies or Tiny Strip were the
best bait. Also good on the Flats are small squirts in Jellyfish,
Purple Haze or J-79 colors. Smaller Spoons such as 3.5” or 4”
Green/Silver and Cop Car Coyote spoons are also a favorite in
Oak Bay at this time of year.
HALIBUT Halibut fishing has been BETTER this past week. Extra
large herring and/or Octopus are the most popular baits and are
usually fished off spreader bars. However, if the dogfish become
a nuisance, you can use Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or the Glow in
the Dark bullet Jigs.
Sidney
Fishing was SLOW near Sidney this past week. Fairfax Point, in
particular, was hot all last week, but much slower this week.
Only a few springs between 10 to 20 lbs were caught there during
the week and weekend. The best depths to fish off Fairfax were
130 to 140 feet, in 200 plus feet of water. The dogfish were thick
and many anglers switched over to artificial lures. Green/Silver
or Cop Car Coyote, Titan or Gypsy spoons worked well as did Purple
Haze squirts. Chris Coates caught a 17lb Spring on Monday night
at Fairfax Point, right at the tide change, fishing 50 feet deep
with anchovy, a purple haze teaser head and flasher.
Notable Catches
Kevin McKenna weighed in a 190.7 lb halibut on Sunday that he
caught on herring near Port Renfrew. Also at Port Renfrew, Dan
Waters landed a 37.8 lb spring and Cameron Young a 36 lb spring.
Both fish were caught Wednesday on anchovies. Greg Kutyn landed
his biggest salmon ever, a 20 lb spring caught near the Victoria
Breakwater on Anchovy. Dave Bury landed a 14 lb spring on a MACDEEP
while jigging beside the kelp beds at Clover Point. Chris Coates
caught a 17lb Spring on Monday night at Fairfax Point, right at
the tide change, fishing 50 feet deep with anchovy, a purple haze
teaser head and flasher. If you have any fishing info, notable
catches or tips that you would like to share or have included
in our fishing report, please email us at info@fishingvictoria.com.
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Fresh Water Fishing for July 20
Overview
Trout fishing is FAIR and bass fishing is GOOD, on the local lakes.
If you have any fishing info or notable catches that you would
like to share or have included in our fishing report, please email
us at info@fishingvictoria.com.
Cowichan River
The Cowichan River is SCRATCHY. Anglers are pressured by the tubers
on nice days. Try fishing nymphs and streamer patters like Bead
Headed Prince Nymphs, Hare’s Ears nymphs, Wooly Buggers and muddler
minnows. There were a few caddis and various mayflies coming off
so dry flies will also catch fish. The best dries have been Goddard
caddis, Elk Hair Caddis and various Mayfly patterns.
Local Lakes
Trout fishing is FAIR on most lakes in the south island area.
Start looking for the thermocline and try to fish right on it
while trolling for trout. Fly anglers are reporting some big rainbows
coming from Beaver Lake. Leeches and streamer patterns are the
most effective flies now. Anglers fishing Powerbait from shore
have been finding a few rainbows in Elk, Prospect and Langford.
Sunrise Powerbait Eggs with Shrimp scent and orange Powerbait
paste have been the hottest bait recently. Gear fishermen have
been doing very well with the new Baitrix Trout lures in Holographic
colours, especially for larger fish. They have also been doing
well trolling Luhr Jensen Needlefish spoons in a variety of colours
or Tomic Wee-Tads in frog or rainbow. Flatfish and/or Kwikfish
have also been effective in sizes 7 and smaller in Frog, Yellow
with Red Spots or Blue/Silver. Smaller Rapalas in Rainbow Trout
or Brown Trout patterns also work well. Lastly, Willow Leaf Lake
trolls with a worm-tipped GIBBS Wedding Band will almost always
catch some fish. By the way, all wild rainbows and cutthroats
over 50 cm must be released in Cowichan Lake.
Bass Fishing
Bass fishing has been GOOD now that the water temperature is warm.
Both smallmouth and largemouth bass are actively feeding. Surface
lures are starting to produce, especially early morning and late
evenings. By dragging a tube or soft plastic or ripping a spinnerbait,
you can get into fast actionl. Look for structure such as docks
and overhanging trees when the weather’s hot, fish will hold in
these areas and ambush prey as it goes by. Shawnigan Lake, Prospect
Lake and Elk and Beaver Lakes have been the best spots for bass
but St. Mary’s Lake on Saltspring Island would be another good
spot to try. 14 year old Alex Smith won the Langford Kids Fishing
Derby with a 5 lb. even smallmouth bass caught at Langford Lake
on Saturday, July 13th using a plastic lizard. The fish was barely
hooked on the outside of the lip.
Notable Catches
If you have any fishing info, notable catches or tips that you
would like to share or have included in our fishing report, please
email us at info@fishingvictoria.com
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Fishing Tip for July 20
Tip of the Week
Dogfish eating your bait before the salmon can get to it? You
can minimize this problem by increasing your trolling speed. The
dogfish have a hard time trying to attack quickly moving bait
while the much faster salmon have no trouble at all.
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Fishing Tip for July 13
Tip of the Week
After you catch a fish, always, always, always check your leader
for tooth marks or scratches. It’s amazing how you always seem
to hook and lose that big monster of a fish to a broken leader.
The leader probably wouldn’t have broken if you had noticed the
small scratches left on it from a battle with a previous fish.
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Fishing Tip for June 29
Tip of the Week
Check your lines, frequently! When trolling for salmon, you should
never leave a line down more than 20 to 30 minutes without checking
to see if your bait is still working properly. Quite often a fish
will strike it without getting hooked and ruin the bait, or you
will get some weed on the bait, or maybe even have a small fish
on that you don’t even know about. Only by checking your line
can you know if you’re still fishing.
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Fishing Tip for June 02
Tip of the Week
Change your line. The start of the season is the best time to
replace last season’s old, worn and weakened monofilament lines.
Damage from abrasion and exposure to UV rays over the past year
limits the life span of your line, and you don’t want to try and
land that fish of your dreams with line that is just waiting to
break.
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Fresh Water Fishing for May 25
Overview
Trout fishing is VERY GOOD and bass fishing is GOOD, on the local
lakes. Please remember that bass are closed for retention on all
southern island lakes through June 15th. If you have any fishing
info or notable catches that you would like to share or have included
in our fishing report, please email us at info@fishingvictoria.com.
Cowichan River
The water level is still high, around 1.4 meters near Lake Cowichan
today. There have been lots of insect hatches on the river and
anglers have been catching both brown and rainbow trout. Bead
head nymphs, wooly buggers and egg patterns are the best wet flies
to use now. However, there have been some real big caddis fly
hatches on the river and dry flies are also catching some fish.
The best dries have been Goddard caddis and various Mayfly patterns.
Local Lakes
Trout fishing is EXCELLENT on most lakes in the south island.
The water temperature has warmed and there’s lots of insect activity,
and consequently the fish are more active. The chironomid hatches
have been very strong and the fish are feed heavily on chironomids.
Anglers fishing Powerbait from shore have been finding it a bit
slower for rainbows. Pink Powerbait Eggs with Shrimp scent has
been the hot bait recently. Elk Lake has been slow for larger
rainbows, Langford has been slow as well and Prospect has been
good. Some fly anglers are reporting good success with chironomids.
Other fly anglers are fishing with the old standbys: Micro-Leeches,
Wooly Buggers, Careys and Doc Spratleys, but mayfly and caddis
nymph patterns such as Pheasant Tails, Halfbacks and Gold Ribbed
Hare’s Ears are also good to try. Gear fishermen have been doing
well trolling Luhr Jensen Needlefish spoons in a variety of colours
or Tomic Wee-Tads in frog or rainbow patterns. Flatfish and/or
Kwikfish have also been effective in sizes 7 and smaller in Frog,
Yellow with Red Spots or Blue/Silver. Smaller Rapalas in Rainbow
Trout or Brown Trout also work well, as long as they get down
deep enough. Also, Willow Leaf Lake trolls with a worm-tipped
GIBBS Wedding Band will almost always catch some fish. By the
way, all wild rainbows and cutthroats over 50 cm must be released
at Cowichan Lake.
Wayne Zaccarelli has been catching some real nice trout out of
Elk Lake this past weekend. On Saturday, Wayne landed a 3 lb 14
oz rainbow on a Holographic Green Rhys Davis Trout Baitrix Special.
Wayne also caught another 3 lb 1 oz rainbow and lost another 3
lb plus trout at the boat. We’ve had lots of reports of the new
Trout Baitrix being very, very effective. In last week’s RCNAA
trout derby it was the most productive lure by far.
Bass Fishing
Bass fishing has been GOOD now the water temperature is warming.
The bass have moved into shallower water for spawning and feeding.
Surface lures are starting to produce, as are shallow running
crank baits. By dragging a tube, soft plastic or grub you can
find some active, feeding fish in 12'-15' of water as well. Look
for transition spots like humps or drop-offs that border good
spawning areas. This is your chance to catch some of your biggest
fish! Shawnigan Lake, Prospect Lake and Elk and Beaver Lakes have
been the best spots for bass. St, Mary’s Lake on Saltspring Island
would be another good spot to try.
Please remember that bass are closed for retention on all southern
island lakes through June 15th.
Notable Catches
Wayne Zaccarelli has been catching some real nice trout out of
Elk Lake this past weekend. On Saturday, Wayne landed a 3 lb 14
oz rainbow on a Holographic Green Rhys Davis Trout Baitrix Special.
Wayne also caught another 3 lb 1 oz rainbow and lost another 3
lb plus trout at the boat. If you have any fishing info, notable
catches or tips that you would like to share or have included
in our fishing report, please email us at info@fishingvictoria.com.
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Fishing Tip for May 25
Tip of the Week
When fishing top water plugs for bass and that monster comes up
and smashes the surface going after lure, WAIT until you feel
the pull of the fish on the line before setting the hook. Quite
often the fish will miss the lure on the strike and it will come
back to hit it again if you haven’t pulled it away.
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Fishing Tip for May 18
Tip of the Week
Early May and June spring salmon tend to swim a little deeper
than those fish returning in the summer months, and a bit shallower
than the winter fish. Target your trolling depths between 50 to
100 feet for best results on these early migrants.
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Fishing Tip for May 11
Tip of the Week
Sharpen your Hooks. The first tip that any experienced angler
will give is to sharpen your hooks. This will always increase
the number of bites that become hookups, which in turn become
fish landed. It’s an old saw but still true. Sharpen your hooks.
