Halibut season announcement

It's official--BC Halibut season opens March 15th. First good tide here around Victoria is March 17th.
T2

Hmmmmm...

Hmmmmm...

+1 on that!
I may have googled victoria hotels after reading this post.

TI sailing in search of barn doors? Oh, yeah! How far do you have to go?

Here is a link to a current station off of Race Rocks which will give you a rough idea of when the good tides are.
http://www.dairiki.org/tides/monthly.php/jua/2013-03
Anything under 1 knot is fine. I changed my original post to say March 17th as having the first good tide. If you look at that week day by day, the tidal window moves from crack of dawn to the middle of the day. There are a couple of local spots doable by yak--look on Google earth or NOOA site for Albert Head just west of Victoria. Just off of Albert Head can be decent for halibut. The nearest launch access is Albert Head Lagoon park but the gate doesn't open until 8 AM so the first couple of days during that week wouldn't work because the tide window is too early. There is another launch at "Royal Roads", just north of the Head, but its an extra klick or 2 to get to the halibut spot.
I will be trying there for a day or 2 during that week as I have the whole week off (synchronicity or what!) .
T2

Thanks for your info t2. I might just try to get over (down??) there for some hali fishing, weather and work permitting.

Have you ever fished sooke for halibut?

Rory--Re Sooke hali fishing--Not out of a yak. There are some spots that I will be trying this year--I will hopefully have a lot more experience to share after this season. There are some spots that are close to Whiffen Spit, the launch spot at Sooke harbour, and further west out of Muir Creek(my favourite spring salmon summer spot). Let me know if you are coming and I will see if I can join you. Skills, a pro kayak fishing guide who works out of Ucluelet in the summer, and I have a tentative date on March 21st for halis--all are welcome.
T2
 

t2 - I'm gonna do my best!

 Solid date--March 21st first thing here in Metchosin --JF and I are meeting at my place and then out for the am tide window--all are welcome.
T2

Been thinking about that Canadian License, a couple or 3 halibut would just about pay for it, maybe just one......still that is a long paddle from Ediz hook   I've heard one guy around here does it rather often, albeit in a touring boat.

OB--see--you need an adventure island--put the sail up, set course for Race Rocks, pop the cap on a Red Hook and relax! Before you know it you'll be here showing us Canuckleheads how it's done!
T2

So, what does a canadian license cost?

OB--see--you need an adventure island--put the sail up, set course for Race Rocks, pop the cap on a Red Hook and relax! Before you know it you'll be here
T2

yeah, I like it, but those are some spendy boats, I'd have to op for a PB so the wife and kids can fish too.

I think the Canadian is in the $100 range for the year, a couple friends buy them, 2 problems, you have to go to Canada now to get it, used to be able to do it on-line and you have to check the Salmon before coming back with them, not the halibut though as I understand it. 

We went out yesterday off of William Head after halibut in wildly varying conditions. We launched from Weir's beach, nice sandy beach with close access to the parking lot. It also has a campsite on the beach if someone was looking for a spot as part of a trip. From there it was about a mile paddle out to the reef off the Head where we were trying for halibut. We had some ice, sleet, snow flurries, winds to 20 knots, some sun and a couple of rainbows but no halibut. I guess we needed Rory along to snag a 70 lber.
T2

Bah! I wish! I'm in the midst of moving so fishing is just not getting done. But that's awesome you got out and braved the elements!