For the past ten days or so there have been decent numbers of chinook salmon taken from local hot spots. Most of the fish have been in the high teens to the low twenties with the odd one around thirty pounds. Last weekend saw the first chinook over 40 pounds for the 2008 season caught at Otter Point. Numbers will continue to build as the first early Fraser River runs approach from open waters. Best places to fish include the Trap Shack, O'Brian Point, Secretary Island, Otter Point, Muir Creek and Sheringham Point. The best producing spot changes from week to week,day to day and from tide to tide as fish move around. Watch for the largest group of local charter boats fishing an area as a tip off as to where best to try that day.
Fishing pressure has been fairly light to date but this will build leading up to the Fathers Day Weekend and the Juan De Fuca Salmon Derby. This salmon derby is the biggest of the season and offersd the largest 1st place cash prize of all derbies on Vancouver Island. The angler who enters the heaviest chinook salmon will take home $25,000.00 and if also entered into the side bet could add another $12,000.00. The last two winners have taken home $37,000.00 cash. If your winning fish tops 52 pounds you will win an additional $25,000.00. The largest recent Sooke chinook weighed 67.12 pounds, so the 52 pound mark is easily within reach!
Halibut fishing has also been very good since early April when most of the serious effort begins. The largest fish to date is 173 pound barn door which won the annual halibut derby held in early May. Halibut fishing remains consistent well into October and then tapers off as the fish move out into deeper water over the winter months.