2017 Sooke Reports

[Rob H]

Very cool. Has anyone seen what the bait are? Presumably herring... how big are they? Just another plug for the stomach sampling program we are running. If anyone is interested in participating fire me a PM and I will send you some info.

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum...ational-salmon-diet-monitoring-program.64885/

and check out

http://www.theardentangler.com/index.php/stomach-contents-survey/

These sort of events are exactly the kind of thing that we can start to understand better with more data. We are interested in lining up some folks who fish year round in the Sooke area

Bugs: The bait in Beecher Bay is primarily 4 to 5 1/2 inch herring. They have been on the surface thick at times feeding on krill they have trapped at the surface (at times I have seen the krill jumping out of the water to try and escape from the herring). I have seen the krill thick enough at the surface to turn the water a pink/brown color several times in the last week.

There is also squid in Beecher Bay as well, small plain white ones (2 to 3 inch) and 3 to 4 inch white with some brown color squid as well.

...Rob

 

[Seagirt]

Caught a chinook on Sunday that was stuffed with 3" needlefish. Lots of bait on the sounder down deep where the chinook was hooked. Plenty of bait up high also. Bugs, I have the stomach from that chinook that I'll be sending in to you.

 

[NautiGirl]

Steady action in becher bay. Even after orcs show. Lots of large bait balls yesterday near aldridge. Released a 82"/14lb wild kept a small one for dinner, released about 10 shakers, lost about 6 others, likely smaller. Bait and spoons working. Green onion with Kitchen sink 3.5 was getting most hits.

 

[Seagirt]

Went for a morning fish out front. Not as much bait as this past weekend. Missed one small fish hooked at 45', none to the boat. Tried 45' to 120' depths using artificials.

 

[Jaybones]

Fished Pedder Bay today from 9:30 till 1 pm. Went 0 for 3 on three solid fish, just kept getting off, the 4th one I did manage to get to the boat was about 4lbs and I let it go. Got all fish on Silver Betsy Flasher and anchovy. Tried a No Bananas spoon for a while but no love, so switched both rods to chovy, all fish at 80 feet. Saw a couple of fish get caught and one guy had a 16lb at the dock. One question I have do you guys run a single stinger trailing hook when fishing anchovy, I only run the one treble hook but I seem to be missing a lot of strikes and losing fish once hooked? I am thinking of giving it a try to see if my success rate improves. Would love to hear some of your guys thoughts.

 

[profisher]

Double trebles for me..one in the bait and one trailing.

 

[brands51]

We were out there this morning... couple nice springs biggest being about a 12lb hatchery. Also got into a few small "blueback" coho. Took home a 55cm long hatchery for the BBQ. As for my anchovy setups I use the same as pro fisher... twin trebles one trailing right at the tail of the anchovie. I find the pair of trebles also helps get my roll goin nicely..

 

[jeffw12]

We were out there this morning... couple nice springs biggest being about a 12lb hatchery. Also got into a few small "blueback" coho. Took home a 55cm long hatchery for the BBQ. As for my anchovy setups I use the same as pro fisher... twin trebles one trailing right at the tail of the anchovie. I find the pair of trebles also helps get my roll goin nicely..

What size treble?

 

[Mark L]

Do you guys mind me asking what size of treble do you run as a stinger? I've been running a single as a stinger and have lost a couple beauties the last couple weeks where it seems like the fish has just nipped the tail of the chovy.

 

[fish brain]

Fished Pedder Bay today from 9:30 till 1 pm. Went 0 for 3 on three solid fish, just kept getting off, the 4th one I did manage to get to the boat was about 4lbs and I let it go. Got all fish on Silver Betsy Flasher and anchovy. Tried a No Bananas spoon for a while but no love, so switched both rods to chovy, all fish at 80 feet. Saw a couple of fish get caught and one guy had a 16lb at the dock. One question I have do you guys run a single stinger trailing hook when fishing anchovy, I only run the one treble hook but I seem to be missing a lot of strikes and losing fish once hooked? I am thinking of giving it a try to see if my success rate improves. Would love to hear some of your guys thoughts.

I run two singles with the stinger at or more often 1/2 a centimeter past the end of the tail.

 

[brands51]

What size treble?

Do you guys mind me asking what size of treble do you run as a stinger? I've been running a single as a stinger and have lost a couple beauties the last couple weeks where it seems like the fish has just nipped the tail of the chovy.

Personally I use twin size 2 mustad treble hooks. This is what I have found successfully sticks the most fish. Lots of variety from boat to boat regarding this!

 

[paguy]

We don't get the option of trebles here in Washington, In fact we don't get a lot of options of any kind here in Washington.

 

[Nigels]

First time I fished this southern end of Van Island normally fish out of Cow Bay so new to me. Fished Navy can at Pedder on Tuesday 2-6pm 4, 5, 7lb all at 55-70ft very windy and big gusts but flat, then Wednesday 9-2pm 5, 7, 8 lb lost one and returned a 75cm wild. All at 80-90ft, all wild except 1 x 5lb hatchery. 4 on white hootchie 2 on green. 4 out of the 6 were very very dark red flesh maybe darker than sockeye, an onlooker at the cleaning station said they were Columbia river stock, not used to seeing this in Springs, anyway a nice couple of days.

 

[Lovelight]

What spoons are folks getting results with? Coho killer? Peetz Hookum? I've got a few Sitka Sand Lances left over from last year that have been good to me. Getting the tackle box ready with some metal to go with the chovy teaser heads.

 

[The Green Bastard]

What spoons are folks getting results with? Coho killer? Peetz Hookum? I've got a few Sitka Sand Lances left over from last year that have been good to me. Getting the tackle box ready with some metal to go with the chovy teaser heads.

Lemon Lime AP sandlance spoon has been getting it done for me. Lost a couple earlier this week before I noticed the hook was bent open, fixed that so will see this weekend if its still producing

 

[Lovelight]

Thanks GB. I've got one but I'll pick up another couple. I've done OK with moon glow in the past.

I had the same thing happen to me with the AP spoon in the past and the kind folks at Eagle Eye gave me great advice - "get stronger hooks"

 

[Seagirt]

Out for 5 hours this morning. Bait at the surface and plenty of small (40cm) coho. Had to fish below 70' to keep the little varmints off the line. Saw lots of boats into the coho, hopefully they were able to release them in good shape beside the boat and didn't have to net them, bring them in the boat, study them for a while, and toss them back into the water 2 minutes later.

 

[Scavenger]

Early fishing was hot in pedder bay. 16,10 and a 6 hatchery released a 18 to 22lber wild not knowing that the length had changed last night. Lots of clipped fish.

 

[The Green Bastard]

Early fishing was hot in pedder bay. 16,10 and a 6 hatchery released a 18 to 22lber wild not knowing that the length had changed last night. Lots of clipped fish.

oya hali skunk gone 40lbbrokr my ugly stik salmon head weird soft bite reel hard tomorrow looks even more tender why am I typing ur probly asleep see you out there sunday
lol GB out.

 

[clacut]

what are the new fishing regs for chinook ? thanks