Hi there,

Could someone recommend a first time basic fishing trip to the ocean?

1. Where to launch around Victoria/Langford/Sannich
2. Where to fish around Victoria/Langford/Sannich
3. What to fish for
4. What gear to bring
5. What to watch out for

Current skill level
- Fished ogden point with random gear from shore
- Fished langford lake from shore and a small boat

Current inventory we have
- 16ft deep hull boat with a 70hp motor with stablizers and a 9.9hp kicker
- Two Scotty manual downriggers with two 9lb cannon balls
- Two heavy action ocean spinning rods and a few regular medium action spinning rods.


Any suggestions and hints would be great since I don't have anyone to really teach me in person.

Thanks

Hey Purrnak,

If you can get a day with good weather(low wind) then sidney or victoria are both fishing good right now.

If you launch in victoria, flemming beach is where you want to launch - great ramp. Once you leave the breakwater you can almost drop your lines immediately and troll towards the harbour. Anywhere from ross bay to mcaully(sp?) point, between 80-200ft and right tight to the bottom will put you in the zone. Bait, hootchies, spoons and squirts will all work. They springs aren't that picky if you can get your gear down to them.
Here's some typical gear I use fishing out of victoria, although I'm using UV squirts 75% of the time:



I know of two guys doing well in sidney lately in Sidney channel and around the powder wharf off James island. Same deal, squirts right on the bottom.

Personally I wouldn't mess with bait until april/may, even then its not necessary to catch fish.

The other thing I might add, is since you're using 9lb balls and manual riggers I would choose your fishing days around good currents to save yourself frustration and make sure you can get down to the bottom.

Say if you were going to fish on Sunday off the waterfront I would try and be fishing close to the current changes(highlighted):

The spinning gear can be a bit of a PITA on the downrigger because it's clumsy to put the thing in freespool and not get tangles-sometime it's better to just back the drag right off before lowering your gear.

Also line twist can be an issue-use ball bearing swivels or as many bead chains back to back as you can.

It'll work though I've used it a number of times.

THANK! Looks like I'm going to be going out from Flemming if we decided to do an ocean run this weekend.

Are you allowed to shore cast from the flemming beach break water? if you can catch fish right outside there then that might be a nice place when I don't feel like taking the boat out.

As for spinning gear and downriggers, I was told once that there were two good ways to do downrigging with a spinning rod.
1. Pull the line out to arms length right off the spool and back the drag off so the line would come off straight instead of twisted and then go into the eyes and down the rod.
2. Put a lose fitting elastic around the spool with the bail open. This would keep it from turning into a rats nets.

I figure it's a really slow process with spinning gear, but it shouldn't be too bad. I'll get proper trolling rods soon enough. or just go casting like I would from shore.

Thanks again for the suggestion!