Dock Talk
 

Happy anglers lined up to use the cleaning tables today at Pedder Bay after enjoying a near perfect combination of tide and weather for our always productive spring halibut fishery.

Most boats reported quick limits of flatties averaging in the low 20's, but with a fair number in the 30 - 45 lb class and a few specimens nudging up close to the 126 cm maximum size limit and breaking 60 lbs.

With the currents and wind expected to stay cooperative, and temperatures forecast to hit the magic 20C mark on Saturday and Sunday the weekend should produce some pretty spectacular fishing and happy fishermen.

Productive depths are 200 to 325 ft and favored baits are reported to be Octopus and Mackerel on a spreader bar. The lack of dogfish in most areas was considered a bonus by many anglers, although some spots seemed to have their fair share.

This weekend should be the perfect opportunity for those who are new to halibut fishing to have a go at drifting rather than anchoring. Just remember to point your stern in the opposite direction to your drift, and use reverse to keep your lines as close to vertical as possible. Check your lines frequently to ensure you are close to, but not right on bottom and get ready for that big strike!

When drifitng for halibut, please remember to be respectful of anchored boats. Never drift across or down on to their anchor lines(up to 650 feet in front of the boat) and try to avoid starting your drift near their stern.

Feeder Chinook, including a good number of sizeable hatchery fish, are available in all the ususal spots like Whirl Bay, Pedder Bay and Constance Bank. Keep an eye out for seals on Constance, and consider spoons and small squirts a good choice of terminal gear.

The summer like weather has also got campers out in full force enjoying the near perfect conditions by hiking the Goose and admiring the spring flowers, catching a trout in Matheson Lake or just enjoying a fresh roasted hot dog and a favorite beverage around the campfire.  

The fish are biting, the sun is shining and spring is definitely in the air. What are you waiting for? Come on down and join in the fun.

See you soon..

Your Friendly Pedder Bay Crew

Click for more photos

Pedder Bay Rv Resort & Marina is proud to have once again been one of the launching sites for Island Outfitters popular 'Just For The Halibut' derby.  Many fishing entusiasts, undetered by the difficult weather, partook in the derby and yielded fantastic results.   While the launching sites for this derby are spread throughout Victoria, this year's winning halibut (a 57.5 lbs beauty caught by Justin Wilson) was netted at Race Rocks, just around the corner from Pedder.

We would like to thank all of those who launched from our site, and especially those who camped with us during the derby.  We saw some very impressive fish come in this year, and we look forward to hosting this event again in the future.

Your friendly Pedder Bay Crew

Check out a new promotional video for the Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort courtesy of Noelle Nicholls - The Domestic Tourist. Keep in mind, now is great time to make your bookings to "Escape to the Cape!".

The sun was shining and the guests smiling as Pedder Bay RV Resort & Marina kicked into their first long weekend of the season.  The RV Resort was completely booked, filled with customers enjoying the great weather and fishing Easter had to offer.  The cool winds, sunshine, and strong halibut bite points towards an excellent 2013 season.

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Pedder Bay RV Resort would like to congradulate the Vallee's on their wedding, held on Ash Point (a Pedder Bay first!) on Saturday afternoon.  Several guests in the RV Resort pulled up a stump and enjoyed the festivities from afar.  It seems like these newlyweds might have gotten a bigger reception that they planned!

The return of summer weather was joined by the return of several great staff and customers.  We at Pedder Bay are looking forward to a wonderful year of fishing and fun, and hope to see you down on the docks soon.

Your friendly Pedder Bay Crew

We've been busy at Cape Santa Maria Resort in the Bahamas and we are gearing up for a great season at our BC Resorts!

We want to share all our latest news with you and our Winter/Spring Coastal Currents is hot off the press!  (download the pdf. version)

Greetings and Happy New Year from the staff at Pedder Bay RV Resort & Marina!

The winter chinook fishery in Juan de Fuca Strait is in full swing as we start another great year of fishing, camping and outdoor adventure.

Lots of feisty, hard fighting "feeder" or "winter" chinook salmon are being caught by anglers willing to bundle up a bit more than usual and head out on to the strait. Pedder Bay right around the can bouy is definitely a hot spot, but good reports have been coming in from all over the strait as far east as Oak Bay Flats and as far west as the Sooke Bluffs.

In peak condition, these hard, nickle bright fish are like bars of silver and arguably the best eating quality of any salmon. Ranging in size from small ":shakers"  of a couple of pounds up to reel screaming fish in the teens, the average size of fish hitting our scales lately is a very respectable 8 lbs.

A couple of constants about winter chinook is that they are pretty agressive, and they move around a lot following feed, so your fishing strategies should reflect this behavior. If you aren't marking feed on your sounder, and\or if you haven't hit a fish in a while, moving is a good option. "Stick and Stay" doesn't always pay in this fishery.

Fishing slightly under bait shcools is a great tactic. Winters tend ro run quite a lot deeper than summer fish, and are often found pretty much right on the bottom in 100 to 200 feet of water. I usually start deep and then move up from there.

Being fairly agressive feeding machines whose life is all about putting on pounds, winters tend to be less selective when it comes to gear than summer fish often are. Hootchies, spoons and bait all work on any given day. Try the good old Purple Haze flasher and squirt, 3.5 inch Green Glow and a Boogeyman flasher for spoons and if you`re a bait fan then smaller (12 pack) anchovies are usually a better bet in your favorite teaser head and flasher combination. If in doubt, a Bloody Nose teaser paired up with a Green Haze flasher is a great place to start.

As mentioned, right at the can buoy in Pedder Bay, 5 minutes from the dock, has been a consistent producer for the past few weeks. Keep your gear within 20 feet of the bottom and take the tack from the leaning arbutus on the western shore past the can bouy out to off William Head and back and you should be in business. Keeping one downrigger at 100 feet and one at 80 feet will put you in the zone.

If that doesn`t work, then depending on weather an recent reports either Albert Head, the gravel pit or Whirl Bay\Church Rock  & Bedford Islands would be great second choices. If you find bait, usually the fish won't be far away.

For those of you without your own boat, remember that we do keep a fleet of rental boats on the water and ready to fish 12 months of the year. Fully equipped and with optional depth sounders, downriggers and even rod & reel combinations all available for rental there is nothing holding you back from heading out for some fresh air and a great day on the water.

Nothing beats the winter blues like the wind on your face and a fish on your line!

We're looking forward to another fantastic season at Pedder Bay in 2013. If you haven't made your RV reservations yet, now is a great time. Pedder Bay is now clearly established as Victoria's favorite RV playground, so give us a call and get your summer fun reserved while we still have space.

The coffee shop is open, so come on down, have a cup and head out to catch a few fish. We'd love to see you!!

Your friendly Pedder Bay Crew

Thank you everyone - It was a GREAT Season! 

We want to share the highlights with you and invite you to take a look at our latest newsletter.

Our Fall/Winter Coastal Currents is hot off the press!

click to download the pdf. version

it's been a while since we checked in and there is still SO much happening out at Pedder Bay!

Coho fishing has been excellent for the past few days. The current bag limit is 4 per day, with one wild fish and 3 hatchery fish making up that limit. Most anglers are having no problem getting their limit and some of the Coho are reaching impressive sizes in to the mid to high teens.

Fish are being caught less than a 20 minute boat ride from Pedder Bay in the 1st or second tide lines in the strait. Lures such as spoons or hootchies are working extremely well, especially in the glow and chartreuse colours.

Crabbing has also been very good lately, and it's perfect if you are renting a boat, as it takes place very close to the marina. The Marina is open 7am to 4:30pm for Boat Rentals - it's a minimum 2 hour rental.

Camping continues until October 31 at Pedder Bay and I encourage you to phone ahead to book a site as we have been sold out every weekend!

The coffee shop is open all year offering all kinds of treats plus regular and specialty coffees. Our October hours are 7 am to 7 pm until the 15^th, then 7:00 am to 6:30 pm.  Well worth a day trip via car or bike!

See you soon!

Martin

It was a close contest, but in the end Brian Crossley pulled through as the winner of this year's Bite Me Derby with a beautiful 33.8 lbs Chinook he brought in Saturday morning.  Mike Paltinger and Vic Saber came in second and third respectively, each having brought in 29.3 lbs Chinooks.

Prizes were awarded at a post-derby babrbeque held at the Metchosin Volunteer Fire Department, and nobody left empty handed.  All proceeds from the derby and barbeque went to the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

The beautiful weather and plentiful fish made for an amazing derby weekend, and the crew here at Pedder can't wait for next year's derby.  For more information on the Bite Me Derby please click here.

Tight Lines,

Pedder Bay Crew

The 18th Annual Bite Me Derby is underway here at Pedder, and fisherman from far and wide are out on the water for a weekend of exciting fishing and a shot at the top prize.  After one day of fishing the leader is Brian Crossley with a beautiful 33.8 lbs Chinook, closely followed by Mike Paltinger and Brian Gibson with 29.3 and 28 lbs Chinooks respectively.

The Bite Me Derby is an annual derby held in Metchosin that through participants and sponsorship raises money for various charitable organizations, with this years proceeds going to the Pacific Salmon Foundation. For more information, please click here.

With another day of fishing left in the derby, the prizes are all still up for grabs. Expect a report tomorrow announcing the winners, and in the meanwhile, may the best fisherman win!

Keep that tip up,

Pedder Bay Crew