Careful at the launches when a stranger asks to buy your catch...sneaky dfo have played tricks like that. Suddenly you are on the receiving end of a nasty fine.

Great fishing reports lately.
 
Went out yesterday from 10-3. Got 3 coho slaps/tugs, 3 shakers, lost one and landed 3 wilds from 5-10 lbs. All in 450-550 ft. of water, at 50-80 ft. down, using green and white glow spoons and the AP herring spoon. Not that much action on other boats. Bite was best for us after 2pm. Beautiful day on the water.
 
Out on Sunday from 10-3. It was slow out far from mouth of the harbor to secretary.Fished from 500-550 feet from secretary to bluffs, and back. Just nothing for about 3 hours. Got tired of it and found them tight to secretary caught in the tide line, and around possession. They were deep from 100-130 feet pretty much within 5 feet from bottom along ledge. Had a few at 60 feet. Also caught 3 fair sized feeders in the mix at around 8-9 lbs that were released. Kept two wild coho, and lost about 6 of them. Lots of coho/chinook shakers around. I did see something I tagged out deep that day. I saw a ton of large arches at 225-250 feet way down in 500 feet of water.

I have seen this before but it usually is straight line, but it was very different this time. These were very well defined large arches. I wonder if it possible the fish are moving down in depths in response to the dry weather. A friend of ours did this at Renfrew other week 200 feet down and got a few springs and some coho.
 
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I did see something I tagged out deep that day. I saw a ton of large arches at 225-250 feet way down in 500 feet of water.

I have seen this before but it usually is straight line, but it was very different this time. These were very well defined large arches. I wonder if it possible the fish are moving down in depths in response to the dry weather. A friend of hours did this at Renfrew other week 200 feet down and got a few springs and some coho.
I forgot to mention this in our report last week. We too saw lines of fish echoes in the 180-250' range out in 450' of water. We have seen this in past years as well. I don't know if it is the dry weather or just what they do now as an evolutionary adaptation to warmer surface waters or to recreational fishers!

We tried trolling at 190' but with only 12lb balls the blowback was huge and we were probably only fishing at 150'. Someone with 20lb balls and a slow troll might be able to get some response from down there?:cool:
 
The only coho I got on Sunday was at 150 ft on the rigger. (15 lb ball)
T2
 
I have seen them before as well. Very strange - not sure what they are. They seem a little too regular, consistent and widespread to be fish. Wonder if they are a thermocline or something like that? A commercial or military grade depth sounder may be more helpful in figuring out what it is.
 
In previous years around this time, after seeing a constant strong response mid water, I've jigged cabezon at 200' while sitting on anchor for Hali in 300'+.(weird)
Someone try jigging those arches?
 
I have seen them before as well. Very strange - not sure what they are. They seem a little too regular, consistent and widespread to be fish. Wonder if they are a thermocline or something like that? A commercial or military grade depth sounder may be more helpful in figuring out what it is.

The ones I saw on Sunday were different. Not a consistent line or clutter like your regularly see. They were long and short arches. Very consistent. It's worth a try next time especially if it's slow.
 
Went out from 8:30am until 2:30pm today. Ocean was bumpy to start with huge rollers from the west, but it calmed down and was glassy with a few roller by late morning. By lunchtime a breeze had set up a small chop again.

Fishing was slow, but enjoyable in the fall sunshine, nonetheless. :)We started by heading straight out and after an hour got a hit way, way out in 580’ of water at 65’ and brought in a 5lb unclipped. Did loops out there but nothing for the next 90 mins so headed back in and halfway back to Secretary but still in 520’ of water got a big hit on a leftover anchovy at 82’. It turned out to be a 6lb hatchery chinook , which we kept. Glad we did because back at the ranch we found it was a white. Short while later we had another hit on at 65’ again on the same pink/UV hootch and brought in an identical 5lb coho, but hatchery this time. Nothing more for two hours then finally managed a small unclipped at 120’ on the hootch. Might have put it back but seemed to be dying so we kept it. Released one more unclipped taken at 42’ in 110’ of water on the way in and that was it.

One strange thing happened. I saw a sharp but very short bounce on the rod that never amounted to anything. Later I brought the line in, still in the clip, but all the gear was gone as it had snapped about 6’ out from the clip. Never had that happen before. Must have been a nick in the line….maybe??:confused:
 
There you have it! The strange big sonar arches are monster sharks with razor teeth that can slice your leaders like butter! Always keep your feet above the water!
 
One strange thing happened. I saw a sharp but very short bounce on the rod that never amounted to anything. Later I brought the line in, still in the clip, but all the gear was gone as it had snapped about 6’ out from the clip. Never had that happen before. Must have been a nick in the line….maybe??:confused:[/QUOTE]


I had The same thing happen the weekend before last. I blamed it on a failed knot. lost my hot flasher and Hootchie.
Big hit, lost gear
 
What I think your seeing down at that depths is creel/bait with all the recent humpbacks and the major feeding there are doing im sure thats what it is, they were putting on one heck of a show other day circling the stuff then coming up sideways mouth wide open , was so cool even stopped fishing for a bit to watch as my clients was the first time on ocean and we were 30 ft from the show...
got to love sooke for fishing and eco tours..

Wolf
 
Anyone out today? We're going to try tomorrow.
T2
Out yesterday Tom, 1pm to 520 pm. Got only 3 bites, 3 pm, 4 pm, and 5 pm approx. The fish were 70 to 90 ft deep in 500 ft of water. Landed a 7 and 12 lb., lost the other. The other boats had 0 or 1 fish from what I saw and heard.

...Rob
 
Out this morning for 5 hrs. Kept 4 wild to 10 pounds, released 4 more and lost 3-4 more. All between 45-60ft on bait. 525 ft of water of the harbour and bluffs. We had decent action for about 30 minutes and rthen just one here one there the rest of the time.
 
Took all day.. but the three of us got our limits..... nice solid Hoes... to about 12 pound max.... typical was about 8-9 pounds. The Wilds were quick and easy but the hatchery took all day. One more run out there for tomorrow and thats it for the year.... sad...
Using Extra large , heavily brined Anchovy in larger chrome and red teaser heads behind the old Purple Haze.... Anywhere from 52 feet all the way down to 72. 380 to 420 feet. Running 3 rods and fishing against the tide seems to be the trick.....not like recent years... but with some effort they are there. Lose a ton and have to release a bucket of beautiful wilds ... hopefully they make it to thier final destination... one of the release ones went belly up.... but I feel like the rest would have survived. Tight lines all... on the radio out there as SeaRunner if you are around.
 
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