2016 Sooke Reports

Went out 8-12 in 450ft of water. 8 wild Coho, 1 hatch and 12 other hits. Some of the wild released were dead because they were gill hooked. If DFO let you keep any two Coho the fish would be better off. Instead, you pull in 10+ fish to get your two hatch and kill a bunch in the process. :mad:
What kind of gear are you running?
Single hook I hope.

Tips
 
Fact - Not all Coho raised by hatcheries run by volunteers are clipped. Sad to see so many fished killed when trying to catch a clipped fish. I guess we have to decide whether it's worth killing a bunch to get a few. Personally, I didn't target Coho last year, and probably won't again this year. My choice.
Stosh.
 
Hmmm...I was out today and we ran fast (close to 4 mph with the tide and 2.5 ish against) with 4 in spoons above dummy flashers. Downriggers at over a 45 degree angle so 60 to 90 deep on the cable. We hooked a total of 17 coho of which 13 were wild. We used 3\0 offset single siwash hooks. 100% of the fish we hooked were in the outside of the mouth and none were bleeding. None of the wilds were netted but waterline released using the gaff. A quick flick and gone. I've been doing this style of fishing for coho for years now with similar results. If you are still fishing with bait and using treble hooks then maybe you should consider your tactics rather than the regs as being the problem? If you are netting wild fish rather than taking the time to identify them prior to netting, consider that as perhaps the most damaging aspect of your fishing methods. Selective fishing methods and using the right gear to minimize release mortality is a really important aspect of a selective marked only fishery. This fishery is a blast IMO, but requires a bit of forethought and respect for the fish in order minimize its impact. Not criticizing anyone, but I'd sure like to see less net, inspect, unhook and then "release" jobs happening out there. Don't blame the regs. They are about interior Fraser Coho which are at really low abundance, unenhanced and unmarked. If we can't responsibly prosecute a selective marked fishery for coho, then we'll end up with no fishery.

Selective marked only fisheries are kind of like drinking...you need to enjoy responsibly!

See you out there tomorrow...

CP
 
CP
Glad to see you are doing it right. I only wish everyone out there targeting Coho would follow your lead.
Stosh
 
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Hmmm...I was out today and we ran fast (close to 4 mph with the tide and 2.5 ish against) with 4 in spoons above dummy flashers. Downriggers at over a 45 degree angle so 60 to 90 deep on the cable. We hooked a total of 17 coho of which 13 were wild. We used 3\0 offset single siwash hooks. 100% of the fish we hooked were in the outside of the mouth and none were bleeding. None of the wilds were netted but waterline released using the gaff. A quick flick and gone. I've been doing this style of fishing for coho for years now with similar results. If you are still fishing with bait and using treble hooks then maybe you should consider your tactics rather than the regs as being the problem? If you are netting wild fish rather than taking the time to identify them prior to netting, consider that as perhaps the most damaging aspect of your fishing methods. Selective fishing methods and using the right gear to minimize release mortality is a really important aspect of a selective marked only fishery. This fishery is a blast IMO, but requires a bit of forethought and respect for the fish in order minimize its impact. Not criticizing anyone, but I'd sure like to see less net, inspect, unhook and then "release" jobs happening out there. Don't blame the regs. They are about interior Fraser Coho which are at really low abundance, unenhanced and unmarked. If we can't responsibly prosecute a selective marked fishery for coho, then we'll end up with no fishery.

Selective marked only fisheries are kind of like drinking...you need to enjoy responsibly!

See you out there tomorrow...

CP

Hey CP, thanks for all the tips, your others paid off for us yesterday. Sadly though, as we were hoping for Springs, we were still running bait with trebles and stingers on half of our gear. We did still manage to release a few in the water, but not all were cooperative in calming for identification. One that I finally identified in the water as a Hatchery, ended up being an undersized Spring when I took it out of the net. Fortunately, it released well.
Anyway, thks again.
 
Cap
Glad to see you are doing it right. I only wish everyone out there targeting Coho would follow your lead.
Stosh
Agreed. Last time I was out I watched an older guy and his wife net about a 45cm coho. It hit the deck while they looked at it for about a minute. Then the man picked it up with his finger (in the gills), he held it up while they thought some more about keeping it, then he dumped it's lifeless body over the side by sliding it off the end of his finger from about 4 feet above the water line. I just shook my head.
I guess some people just don't get it.
 
Hmmm...I was out today and we ran fast (close to 4 mph with the tide and 2.5 ish against) with 4 in spoons above dummy flashers. Downriggers at over a 45 degree angle so 60 to 90 deep on the cable. We hooked a total of 17 coho of which 13 were wild. We used 3\0 offset single siwash hooks. 100% of the fish we hooked were in the outside of the mouth and none were bleeding. None of the wilds were netted but waterline released using the gaff. A quick flick and gone. I've been doing this style of fishing for coho for years now with similar results. If you are still fishing with bait and using treble hooks then maybe you should consider your tactics rather than the regs as being the problem? If you are netting wild fish rather than taking the time to identify them prior to netting, consider that as perhaps the most damaging aspect of your fishing methods. Selective fishing methods and using the right gear to minimize release mortality is a really important aspect of a selective marked only fishery. This fishery is a blast IMO, but requires a bit of forethought and respect for the fish in order minimize its impact. Not criticizing anyone, but I'd sure like to see less net, inspect, unhook and then "release" jobs happening out there. Don't blame the regs. They are about interior Fraser Coho which are at really low abundance, unenhanced and unmarked. If we can't responsibly prosecute a selective marked fishery for coho, then we'll end up with no fishery.

Selective marked only fisheries are kind of like drinking...you need to enjoy responsibly!

See you out there tomorrow...

CP
What about clipping the coho produced at large hatcheries like Robertson creek instead of us releasing them so they can be netted up and sold for a pittance?
 
When it comes to treble hooks, it's fact not opinion. Some can't accept facts that conflict with the way they like to operate. In the US, all the west coast & Florida have banned trebles in the saltwater.
 
No need for tandem hooks for coho either. Try a 4/0 single on a swivel with a few beads to space to where you want it.
Easiest for release and I bet your landed fish ratio goes up.

Looking forward to the coming weeks.
Later start on the water and multi fish days. Right up my daughters alley. Lol

Tips
 
Managed a small spring right out the gate at secretary this morning and tried for some hoes.. 3 fish on and lost them all. Saw a few here and there but still early yet. Weather couldn't been better !!
 
So...maybe a little karma kicked in today for offering an opinion on a reports thread. Hit the water later than usual and basically did squat at the Head and Secretary. Good whale show though including successfully releasing about a 14 lb wild with whales surfacing all around our boat. I must admit to being a bit freaked while bending over to waterline release when a good sized bull surfaced about 20 feet away! The better half just about pissed herself. Good for a few laughs for sure.
 
Nice to see that most of the coho this year are larger and appear healthy unlike last years runs. Managed a 15 pound hatchery Coho on Saturday at Muir. Also released 2 in the 12-13 pound range and 2 more over 10 pounds. Was trying for springs but only found an 8 pound feeder.
 
Saturday was on for coho at Secretary. We kept 3 hatch, largest about 8lb. Released 4 wild, and longline released about 5 unknown. Single hooks. hootchies and spoons, with no big preferences by the fish. Sunday was a whale show. Kept 1 hatch from about 7 hours fishing secretary to Otter out deep. Released a handful of mostly tiny coho and mostly wild.
 
Went out yesterday, but didn't get to bring anything home, and neither did many others. Fair amount of guys on the radio asking if their buddies had found the fish. The whales were around for a bit in the morning, but even they didn't seem to hang around too long. Hopefully just a bad day.
 
Went out yesterday, but didn't get to bring anything home, and neither did many others. Fair amount of guys on the radio asking if their buddies had found the fish. The whales were around for a bit in the morning, but even they didn't seem to hang around too long. Hopefully just a bad day.
I was out off the Bedfords from 1:30 - 4 and we got two Lucky 7# hatcheries and released two wilds about the same size. Purple Chrome and UV Bloody Nose teasers 75'-55' on riggers in 525 feet of water.
Edit: All four were caught trolling slower than usual.

The whales were out in the strait and I saw a couple boats pull their lines and go whale watching. Humpbacks or Greys, I suppose?
 
I was out off the Bedfords from 1:30 - 4 and we got two Lucky 7# hatcheries and released two wilds about the same size. Purple Chrome and UV Bloody Nose teasers 75'-55' on riggers in 525 feet of water.
Edit: All four were caught trolling slower than usual.

The whales were out in the strait and I saw a couple boats pull their lines and go whale watching. Humpbacks or Greys, I suppose?
Orcas in the morning, and saw some Humpbacks in the strait in the afternoon. Tried Secretary-ish 9:30-noon & 5-7:30, Otter pt to Muir(no luck there at all for me, but a boat going by had gotten 2) between 2-5. Got some wild Coho, undersized spring, and even a few rockfish while trolling close to Secretary. Boat ahead of me that got into the same bite of Coho, bonked a few. 2 boats at the dock came in with only 1 small spring each.
So not a horrible day, but not what it's been.
Btw, where is "the Bedfords"?
 
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