Island Outfitters
Salmon fishing
Taylor Whally caught her first salmon ever, a nice 28 lb off the Pender Bluffs at 130 feet.
Island Outfitters
SALTWATER OVERVIEW – Salmon fishing was HOT in Port Renfrew and GOOD from Sooke to Victoria. Oak Bay and Sidney were the SLOWEST areas to fish. The Pink salmon have been larger in size this year and the run is still building. Halibut fishing was FAIR early in the week.
Subject: FN0808-RECREATIONAL – Salmon – Chinook & Coho – Region l – Non-tidal Stamp and Somass Rivers – Open August 25, 2017: Effective 00:01 hours August 25, 2017 the Somass and Stamp Rivers will open to recreational angling for chinook and coho salmon. The daily limit will be 4 salmon per day of which: Two (2) may be chinook of which only one (1) may be greater than 77 cm. in length, and Two (2) may be coho, marked or unmarked.
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
PORT RENFREW – Salmon fishing was HOT for springs, averaging 10-20 lbs with the occasional larger fish into the upper 20’s. Off shore there are lots of coho and pinks. Inshore, it’s been best from East Point to Camper Creek. Anchovies, cut plug herring and 6” Coyote spoons have been the most productive lures recently. Halibut fishing has also been GOOD.
SOOKE – The salmon fishing was GOOD over most of last week. Springs are spread throughout the area, so fish were coming in from all areas. Most anglers fishing for springs are using bait, with anchovies being the most popular choice. Fishing shallow and close to shore has been the key to catching the larger fish. The pink salmon fishing was best in the 400+ foot depths, and the pinks have been as large as 9 lbs.
BECHER BAY – Salmon fishing was GOOD this past week. The springs are spread out from the Bedfords to the Trap Shack. Most of the springs are between 10 and 20 lbs in size, but some large ones were caught. The best depths to fish have been from 40 to 70 feet. Anchovies are the most popular bait. Anglers casting off the rocks are also getting into some nice fish. Cheanuh Marina now has rental boats available.
PEDDER BAY – Pedder Bay Marina reports REALLY GOOD salmon fishing. All areas from Church Rock to William Head were producing lots of Chinook salmon. Trollers are doing best trolling from 30 – 70 feet on the downrigger with anchovies for bait. Anchovies are now the most popular bait for trollers. Spoons are also producing well, especially the smaller ones around 3.5”. Jiggers were also doing well fishing near the kelp beds and in the Race.
HALIBUT – Halibut fishing was FAIR this past week.
VICTORIA – Fishing for salmon was GOOD off the waterfront this past weekend for the first time this year. The most productive area was from Esquimalt to Holland Point. That said, there were salmon in other areas such as Clover Point, but few anglers fishing these other locations. Most of the salmon caught were chinooks running from 10 to 20 lbs in size. Some pink salmon are being caught as well, and have been from 4 to 9 lbs in size.
HALIBUT – Halibut fishing was FAIR this past week. Earlier in the week, George Kahan landed a 131 cm, 74 lb halibut off Constance Bank, using salmon belly as bait. That’s the heaviest one so far this year and is now #1 on our leader board. The halibut have been very deep with depths of over 300 feet the most productive.
OAK BAY – Salmon fishing was SLOW in Oak Bay this past week. There were a few salmon coming in from the flats and the Gap. Randy McEwen on Thursday caught an 11 pound wild spring salmon while trolling the Flats using bait. Anglers jigging have been catching more and larger salmon than those trolling. The salmon are feeding on needlefish and have been at depths from 70 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.
HALIBUT – Halibut fishing was FAIR this past weekend.
SIDNEY – Salmon fishing was FAIR in the Sidney area. There have been a few fish coming from locations all around Sidney. We did hear that there were some large pink salmon off Pender Island at 90 feet and they were only hitting anchovies. There were also some springs running much deeper at 150-180 feet off Pender. Anglers jigging were also catching springs.
FRESHWATER OVERVIEW – Fishing was FAIR in most lakes for trout and GOOD for bass. No changes from previous reports.
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 at dawn and dusk. 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 FAIR 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. 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.
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. Top water plugs are 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.
FISH TIP OF THE WEEK
Take some binoculars fishing! You can use them to see what other successful anglers are using for bait, spot bait ball-ups from a distance, or check for changes in the weather conditions by scanning the horizon. Or you can just enjoy the views or nature and make your day fishing more enjoyable.
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