Sooke 2014 Fishing Reports

[Seagirt]

BAH. Anchored to the east of Sooke for halibut in the 'forever flood' zone this morning and had nada. Lost my GoPro (along with UV hoochie, circle hooks, bait canister, and spreader bar...please return for reward). Fished this evening (yes, hard ebb, again) for a few hours around trap shack and straight out from Sooke using hoochies (with the Jughead), bait, and the handle of a silver spoon shaped similar to a coho killer, without a hit...except for a couple rock fish. I'm losing my confidence. At least the crab trap had a 7'' dungeness (but newly molted) and a rock crab.

Livin' the dream.

Had a few beers maybe.

 

[Dave S]

There are fish migrating through Sooke waters right now and they could be moving through at that depth Roland.

 

[Rum Buddies]

Someone told me the other day that they don't get those kind of strikes while bringing up the gear since they made the upgrade to the high speed riggers. ( Or a lot fewer) Makes sense as the gear comes up to fast for fish to chase.

I've always preferred to just pop the rod and let it drift up covering the water column, hooked a lot of fish over the years doing that. I always felt the standard rigger brought it up too fast, I guess the new ones are coming up way too fast.

 

[Tsquared]

BAH. Anchored to the east of Sooke for halibut in the 'forever flood' zone this morning and had nada. Lost my GoPro (along with UV hoochie, circle hooks, bait canister, and spreader bar...please return for reward). Fished this evening (yes, hard ebb, again) for a few hours around trap shack and straight out from Sooke using hoochies (with the Jughead), bait, and the handle of a silver spoon shaped similar to a coho killer, without a hit...except for a couple rock fish. I'm losing my confidence. At least the crab trap had a 7'' dungeness (but newly molted) and a rock crab.

Livin' the dream.

Had a few beers maybe.

Lost the Gopro---ouch! That was an expensive day! Werre you trolling?
T2

 

[Doug]

The last 4 trips to the west side of Jordon River we have got our limit of halis. Most fish are in the 20+ lb range. The Don't Panic boat anchored over from us also got his limit and his biggest was 1/2 cm under the size limit (I saw them double checking the size at the dock). It was a nice fish and too bad it wasn't the derby week. I have yet to have a bad day west of JR. I probably shouldn't have said and have jinked myself.

I find fishing Muir Cr is hit and miss for halis and now over fished , one day I saw over 12 boats anchored along Gordon's beach. Most of the halis caught at MC are around 7-10 lb but there are a few bigger ones but far between the small ones. Every day I see people coming back to the marina from MC with nothing or small ones and once in a while a nice fish. The best thing about fishing MC is it saves gas and wear and tear and the cheaper charter guys that charge as low as $50 per hour for hali trips can make some cash.

If you want better odds of catching halis you have to travel and get away from the fishing pressure and if you catch fish your clients will return. One of the 4 groups has already booked another trip.

Salmon fishing this last week has been hit and miss, one day I hook up 10 times and get a few over size Hatchery fish and the next day out not one bite. It is that time of year for salmon fishing

 

[Seagirt]

Tsquared, I was anchored for Hali but swung on the rode into a rockpile and got the gear caught on something. I should have known better than to send the GoPro down when I'm fishing unfamiliar territory. Going east out of Sooke for hali doesn't provide for nice sandy stretches of bottom to fish like the spots Doug mentioned that are to the west.

 

[Englishman]

BWD said there would be a lull in the wind this aft so went out around noon. Trolled down with chop to Trailer Park and back with flood but strong SSE wind only dropped slightly around 1 and then by 2:30 it got worse again so we quit. No hits, no fish. (We probably went out too early - I think it is much calmer as I write this).

 

[thawk]

Fished tonight from 5 to 8 around the head and Aldridge trying to get something to weigh in on the first day of the SFBC derby. No salmon at all but sure was a great night to start the season off. Dead flat calm as far as the eye could see.

 

[Seagirt]

Starting to a few more targets and bait than usual. Went west as far as point no point and managed to troll up a small halibut, a small hatchery chinook, and a pacific cod (7 lbs). Then anchored and caught two dogshark. Was windy early in the afternoon but like thawk said, was a nice evening.

edit: Nothing in the stomachs of the hali or chinook, didn't check the pcod.

 

[the gambler]

Was out at Aldridge yesterday 9:00-2:00 and picked up 5 springs, 8-18 lbs. Was encouraged by picking the biggest of them up at 75 ft. Summers coming.....

 

[sammyslabber]

Nice!...boy what a difference a day makes...

 

[Tsquared]

Caught 2, lost 2 at the trap and the head from 10-4 today. Anchovy and strip.
T2

 

[Gypseas]

For a change of scenery, tried Whirl bay yesterday where we got couple hits as soon as rods were in the water but did not stick. Nothing after, lots of bait balls showing and current was ripping at the head, however, not familiar with the reefs in that neck of the woods, trolled back to the bluffs where couple 6-7 lbers joined me home for a bbq.

What was with the black zodiac buzzing around Secretary to Beechey head?
I was at Secretary when they circled me and by the looks of it I thought it was the cops but with a bunch of seats upfront just like the whale watching RIBs. I couldn't make the crest on the cabin with the binos. They went very close to the island and then buggered towards the head.
cheers

 

[Englishman]

For a change of scenery, tried Whirl bay yesterday where we got couple hits as soon as rods were in the water but did not stick. Nothing after, lots of bait balls showing and current was ripping at the head, however, not familiar with the reefs in that neck of the woods, trolled back to the bluffs where couple 6-7 lbers joined me home for a bbq.

Do you mean Sooke Bluffs? If so Whirl Bay to the Bluffs is a looooong troll. And nothin' between the two it seems.....

 

[the gambler]

Out at Aldridge and whirl again yesterday 10:00-6:00, 2 at Aldridge on chovie and no action in whirl. Fisheries out doing their thing checking boats, nice too see them again, haven't seen much of them so far this year.

I believe that big black zodiac is a whale watcher....

 

[Gypseas]

Do you mean Sooke Bluffs? If so Whirl Bay to the Bluffs is a looooong troll. And nothin' between the two it seems.....

Like I was saying the current was flying so it didn't take that long maybe an hour.

 

[Tsquared]

I wondered about that black zodiac too--it was noodling along the beach so he had me looking shoreward at the trap yesterday, wondering if I had missed a pod of whales in tight to the beach but saw nothing of the kind.
T2

 

[Seagirt]

Fished later this afternoon just out of Sooke and picked up a chinook in the midteens. Large bait ball showing on the sounder and mostly stickleback in the stomach.

 

[Karma-Kazi]

Fished later this afternoon just out of Sooke and picked up a chinook in the midteens. Large bait ball showing on the sounder and mostly stickleback in the stomach.

Stickleback??? Interesting, ive never seen those in a chinook. How big were they?

-KK

 

[Seagirt]

Stickleback were about 3'' and in all different stages of digestion. Looked like there may have been some needle fish ingested early on but was difficult to tell.