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| Fishing Report for Feb. 28th 2010 | ||
| SALTWATER | ||
| Overview Watching the Vancouver Olympics, and a tsunami warning on Saturday, kept most anglers off the water this past week and weekend. Salmon fishing was FAIR in most areas. Halibut fishing was GOOD everywhere this past weekend. Sooke Salmon fishing was SLOW this past week for winter (feeder) springs. Not too many boats were out for salmon due to the tsunami warning on Saturday and the Olympics. Previously there had been springs to 18 lbs being caught. Most anglers have been trolling deep and close to the bottom, around 110 to 150 feet on the downrigger in 120 to 160 feet of water. The most consistent action has been near the off Secretary Island, the mouth of the Sooke Harbour and off the Bluffs. Most anglers fishing for springs are using hootchies and spoons more than anything else, but bait is still very productive. The best hootchies or squirts to try are the Cloverleaf aka Pistachio, Glow Bud aka Glo Below, Purple Haze, Electric Chair or white. Anchovies, small herring or strip in Bloody Nose or Green Glow heads were catching fish. The best flashers have been ones with lots of glow in the dark on one or both sides. HALIBUT — Halibut fishing was GOOD this past weekend. “Chicken” halibut were weighed in but no “barn doors”. Extra Large herring and/or Octopus are the most popular baits for halibut. Berkely Gulp and Powerbait soft plastics also work very well. You can also use a large spoon fished off the spreader bar, Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or other large Jigs if you want to stay away from the dogfish. Becher Bay Salmon fishing was SLOW on the weekend even though not too many boats were out for salmon. The action was fairly slow in the bay and near Lamb Island, and best near the Bedford Islands and Beechey Head. Seals were a problem near the Trap shack. Most fish were between 130 to 175 feet down and most were in the 10 to 14 lb size range. There were several in the high teens landed too! Small herring and anchovy in Bloody Nose, Purple Haze and Green Glow teasers were producing fish. Many anglers were also using hootchies, squirts and/or spoons with success too. The Glo Below, Pistachio or Electric Chair are good choices at this time of year when you’re trolling plastic and Green/Silver spoons are working when fishing right off the bottom. Quite a few halibut, weighing up to 65 lbs, were brought in by anglers travelling fishing west of Church Rock. Pedder Bay It was FAIR for winter springs near Pedder Bay. However, not too many boats were out for salmon. That said, Richard Jones and Larry Holland teamed up to catch two hatchery springs over 20 lbs each near Swordfish Island. Other anglers had good success in Whirl Bay where most of the springs ranging from 5 to 11 lbs. Anglers did best on anchovies or small herring fished in Glow, Nose Bleed or Purple Haze teaser heads. The best flashers have been Glow in the dark ones and the Purple Haze. If you’re using hootchies and squirts for springs, try the Pistachio, Glow Bud, Electric Chair or white. Spoons usually work very well for springs at this time of year, especially if they have green highlights. Crabbing has been good too. HALIBUT Halibut fishing was GOOD this past weekend. All the halibut were in the 15-35 lb size range. Halibut were reported from Albert Head, the 27 Fathom Reef and other local hot spots. Extra Large herring and/or Octopus are the most popular baits for halibut. Berkely Gulp and Powerbait soft plastics also work very well. You can also use a large spoon fished off the spreader bar, Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or other large Jigs if you want to stay away from the dogfish. Victoria Waterfront Salmon fishing was FAIR this past week but not too many boats were out for salmon due to winds, a tsunami warning and the Vancouver Olympics. While some boats caught nothing, others caught springs from 4 to 12 lbs. Constance Bank and Albert Head were both productive spots for springs. Mike and Dan Burkmar were fishing at Constance Bank on Sunday morning and picked up two 12lb springs. Ed Beatty reports catching 11 springs over 3 days at Albert Head, keeping only one 8 lb fish, the biggest of the bunch. Just about all the springs are being caught within 20 feet of the bottom in 130 to 150 feet of water. The seals are not as bad as in previous weeks but still a problem at times. We’ve also heard that herring are being caught off the Craigflower Bridge but it’s been sporadic, some days good, some days bad. Anchovies and herring are top producers this time of year, especially in the smaller sizes. Green UV Magnum, Glow green and Bloody Nose have been the best teaser head colors for springs. Good lures recently have been Green/Silver or Green/Glow Coyote spoons and Pistachio, Mint Tulip and Purple Haze hootchies and squirts. Good flashers have been the Hot Spots in Green/Silver and Purple/Glow, BIG SHOOTER Purple Haze and Green Glow. HALIBUT Halibut fishing was GOOD this past weekend. Lots of halibut up to 55 lbs were weighed in and some boats limited out. Constance, Albert Head and the other banks and reefs were all good. Craig Lidston jumped to the top of our Leader Board with a 78.6 lb halibut from Constance Bank. Dan Lazaro and Mike Furtado were fishing off the waterfront and brought in a 48lb halibut. Colin Campbell caught a 45.6 lb halibut and Noel Manuel a 34.5 lb halibut while fishing together on February 28th. They said it was a great day with no dogfish to be found. Extra Large herring and/or Octopus are the most popular baits for halibut. Berkely Gulp and Powerbait soft plastics also work very well. You can also use a large spoon fished off the spreader bar, Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or other large Jigs if you want to stay away from the dogfish. Oak Bay Winds, a tsunami warning and the Vancouver Olympics kept most anglers off the water this past week and weekend. Previously, salmon fishing was FAIR with winter springs in the 4 to 10 lb size range were being caught on the Flats. The springs were close to the bottom where needlefish and candlefish are the major food source for the salmon. The most successful method for springs was trolling right on bottom with either squirts or 4” spoons. Try fishing the Gap or the Flats with small anchovies, Jellyfish, Electric Chair or Glo Below squirts. With spoons, 3½” or 4” Gypsy, Titans or Coyotes in Cop Car or Silver/Green colors also catch a lot of fish in Oak Bay. HALIBUT Halibut fishing was GOOD this past weekend. Extra Large herring and/or Octopus are the most popular baits for halibut. Berkely Gulp and Powerbait soft plastics also work very well. You can also use a large spoon fished off the spreader bar, Mudraker or Lucky Jigs or other large Jigs if you want to stay away from the dogfish. Sidney Salmon fishing was GOOD this past week.Not many boats went out and not many caught fish. Moresby Island and Coal Island both produced salmon recently, but none this past week. Spoons have been good recently with Green and Glow colors producing best. The best soft plastic lures to use for springs now are Glo Below, Pistachio and Purple Haze Squirts. Small anchovies or Tiny Strip have been the best natural bait. Notable Catches Richard Jones and Larry Holland teamed up to catch two hatchery springs over 20 lbs each near Swordfish Island. Mike and Dan Burkmar were fishing at Constance Bank on Sunday morning and picked up two 12lb springs. Ed Beatty reports catching 11 springs over 3 days at Albert Head, keeping only one 8 lb fish, the biggest of the bunch. Craig Lidston jumped to the top of our Halibut Leader Board with a 78.6 lb halibut from Constance Bank. Dan Lazaro and Mike Furtado were fishing off the waterfront and brought in a 48lb halibut. Colin Campbell caught a 45.6 lb halibut and Noel Manuel a 34.5 lb halibut while fishing together on February 28th. |
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| FRESHWATER | ||
| Overview Trout fishing is FAIR and bass fishing is SLOW on the local lakes. The water temperature is low and the fish are not very active. Steelheading is GOOD on the Cowichan River. Cowichan River The Cowichan is in great shape. There was a slight increase in the water level recently but it has settled back down. It looks to remain in good shape all this week too. Quite a few fish were being caught recently but the river has changed quite a bit over the winter and anglers have to find the new steelhead lies. That said, anglers are starting to learn the new hot spots already and there are fish in all sections of the river. Pink Jensen eggs with yarn have been very effective. Other good lures to fish are Spin ‘n Glo’s, Corkies, Gooey Bobs, jigs and the always reliable Pink Worm. Local Lakes Trout fishing is SLOW on most lakes in the south island area.However there have been reports of chironomid hatches with accompanying fish action in Elk, Langford and Prospect Lakes. Anglers fishing Powerbait from shore have been doing OK. Fly anglers are doing OK trolling leeches and general searching patterns such as Doc Spratelys and Carey Special. Fluorescent Pink and Chartreuse Powerbait Eggs have been the hottest bait recently. Trollers have been doing OK with the Baitrix Trout lures in Holographic colours, especially for larger fish. They have also been doing well trolling Apex Trout Killers with the police car one the best and the black with silver glitter spots taking second place. 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 was SLOW this past week. As the water temperature drops, bass become less and less active. Slow, finesse presentations such as tubes and plastic worms will work best now. Langford Lake, Shawnigan Lake, Prospect Lake and Elk and Beaver Lakes are the best local bass lakes. |
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| FISH TIP OF THE WEEK | ||
| Steelheading is really tough on your hooks. Constant bouncing off of rocks quickly dulls your hook’s point, making it harder to set the hook when you get one of those rare strikes. You should check your hook for sharpness after every few casts and use a good file or hone to maintain a sharp point. | ||
| Island Outfitters Leader Board — 2010 | ||
| Halibut 1)78.6 lbs — Craig Lidston — Constance Bank — February 24th 2)55.0 lbs — Ryan Bell — Constance Bank — Herring - February 18th 3)45.6 lbs — Colin Campbell — Constance Bank — February 28th 4)34.5 lbs — Noel Manuel — Constance Bank — February 28 th Salmon We are now waiting for the first big springs of the year to be weighed in at the store. Maybe you will be bringing in the big one this year! |
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See our website Island Outfitters 3319 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC V8Z 3L2 Tel: (250) 475-4969 Fax: (250) 475- 6942 Email: info@fishingvictoria.com |
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| KEEP ON A FISH'N Don't be afraid to share any fishing reports you may have , post your own report online it helps everyone! |
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