Sooke 2013 Fishing Reports

[Englishman]

What is with these modern rods?! Both Rockfish's and C-Chris's story are not the first I have seen on here about these "hi-tech" rods shattering as soon as a they feel a fish!
Me, I'm sticking with my 40 years old English carp rod hand made with the best glass blanks of the day. It did just fine on the 25# fish I caught two weeks ago and I'm sure it will land many more without breaking!!

Anyway, took my daughter and boyfriend plus my son out today for a pink fiesta. Bad fog to start but limited out by 11 am and came in for back yard B-B-Q in the sun. Small white glo squirts seemed to out fish anything today.

 

[Swingin Dick]

Earlier this year I landed a 23 lb spring and on the hook set it broke into 4 pieces and it was my first fish on the new rod. Got a new one for a $10 warranty fee. It was a 10'6 hmx.

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Cannibal Chris.

I am done with HMXs. Busted 2 last summer and fenwick was happy to replace them both, though I had to pay for the shipping both ways. One broke just sitting there while trolling.Nothing even happened. Then broke one of those reeling in
a spring a couple weeks ago. Love the rod, hate the constant breakage.

 

[Roofus]

My last week hmx snapped while trolling last week I'm sensing a pattern

 

[Swingin Dick]

To the many. Fenwick will replace the rod. At least they did for me last year X2. As I did not have my reciept, they made me ship it to them and pay the return shipping and a small fee. Total cost was shipping to them plus $60. 2 new HMx's arrived in the mail. Bill at Wisebuys directed me to the following page. All the info is there:

http://www.fenwickfishing.com/warranty.php

I'm hoping they will still replace the one they replaced. Gotta send that in soon. All in all I find it a pain in the butt. Their pretty snappy! But I love fishing with em. Great action when their no more then 2 pieces.

 

[fish stalker]

from what I remember when I was researching rods is fiberglass 'bruises' easily, weak spots could develop after a few good bashes here and there. I love my fenwick. Trotac did some killer warranty work for a friend on a fenwick he got there no problems.


edit just realized this was the sooke report thread. Was very slow today dont know what was going on. Waited until fog moved out to try for the head and got caught in the nastiest roller lumpy chop **** ever coming around the head. serious pucker factor.

 

[Fish Rider]

I have two fenwick hmx rods 10' 6" new this year and i love them. They had alot of problem with last years models and have redesign this year model.

I was out saturday at otter to sherringham from 6:30-2pm beautiful day on the water. Lots of action with all the pink and coho around, managed 2 hatch coho and 2 pinks. Lost a 12lb spring at sherringham and released many coho, pinks, one chum and a few undersized springs. Spoons and hootchies worked for me.

 

[Theb55]

Out late this afternoon braved the gale force winds. Tool out friends from Alberta. Under normal circumstances I would have passed. Released one wild coho and kept a 10 and 12 lb spring before calling it a day.

 

[trendsetter]

The fenwick HMX rods are great when they are in one piece. I've busted a few of them too. Always replaced under warranty. 10$ from an authorized dealer.

It's not just Fenwicks, the trophys bust into pieces too. I broke the tip off one trophy xl without too much pressure and I know of one that exploded on hook set recently. These days it pays to have a warranty.

 

[Karma-Kazi]

The fenwick HMX rods are great when they are in one piece. I've busted a few of them too. Always replaced under warranty. 10$ from an authorized dealer.

It's not just Fenwicks, the trophys bust into pieces too. I broke the tip off one trophy xl without too much pressure and I know of one that exploded on hook set recently. These days it pays to have a warranty.

I broke 2 HMX now and they refused the second replacment unless I pay 80$ so I bought a new rod and threw the HMX in the garbage.



Fished 5-11am yesterday in my buddies tiny we managed 4 springs to the boat in the bay and lost a doozie off bedfords. 1 pink. No Coho. 70-100ft green glow Coho Killer! Purple onion flasher!

-KK

 

[chris73]

Very lumpy day yesterday from Church Rock to the Head. Lots of pinks, one small spring and only one small unmarked coho. And wrestled a 25 lbs hali from the ground in the chop. Where did the cohos go? Saw not a single spring at the busy cleaning station at Cheanuh.

 

[Doug]

Chris

I think you were anchored behind me yesterday and I agree about the lumpy water. It was nasty going through the race and once we got back to Sooke it was calm until 1300 hrs. Never even got a hit for halis yesterday and only landed one 10lb spring back in Sooke.
I fished the same hali spot on Friday and got 4 halis (25lb) in 1.5 hrs . and it was calm on Friday.

 

[lawlu]

I see the slot limit for Springs ends July 19th, but there are no updates for the period after this.... any clarification on the regs for this?

 

[lawlu]

I see the slot limit for Springs ends July 19th, but there are no updates for the period after this.... any clarification on the regs for this?

Actually, i just saw this port from Craven on another thread...thanks!

"I just got off the phone with fisheries, as of July 19 it's 2- per day wild or hatch over 45cm
for area 19/20"

 

[Finished Business]

The fenwick HMX rods are great when they are in one piece. I've busted a few of them too. Always replaced under warranty. 10$ from an authorized dealer.

It's not just Fenwicks, the trophys bust into pieces too. I broke the tip off one trophy xl without too much pressure and I know of one that exploded on hook set recently. These days it pays to have a warranty.

Take a grain of salt with these comments....TS is a beast with the tackle. Rods beware. The trophy broke on a derby winning slab, seen here: LOL

 

[Finished Business]

PM Sent High Five .....
edit: inbox full.

They are great rods. Comparable to a sage when playing fish. But I think we forget mooching rods are for mooching, not downrigging, but we use them anyways.

The rod was replaced immediately, free of charge. I still use and will buy these rods again, if I need to...but I have 5 now so I don't see more in any near future.

Back to fishing...

 

[Tips Up]

All graphite rods can break. All these top Brand name rods are great performance but don't last forever.
Most of the time when you break your rod on a fish, the rod already has been compromised and only "broke" with fish on because it was under pressure. Rods get hairline cracks in them from impact in the boat, storage, banging around in gunnels...

Taking care of your rods when not fishing is most important. Don't jam them in gunnels, lean other gear against them in the boat...

Same story I used to hear when I sold Sporting Goods and Graphite hockey sticks first came out. A $200 graphite stick will out perform a $29 wood stick but not outlast it. The damage was done while checking, other sticks slashing your stick... The crack or compromise happens during play and then the blade or shaft breaks during shot while put under pressure.

You want a rod that will last a long time, get a basic fiberglass rod. Graphite performs best but does not last the longest.

Nothing to do with Brand or Model.

Tips

 

[Englishman]

All graphite rods can break. All these top Brand name rods are great performance but don't last forever.
Most of the time when you break your rod on a fish, the rod already has been compromised and only "broke" with fish on because it was under pressure. Rods get hairline cracks in them from impact in the boat, storage, banging around in gunnels...

Taking care of your rods when not fishing is most important. Don't jam them in gunnels, lean other gear against them in the boat...

Same story I used to hear when I sold Sporting Goods and Graphite hockey sticks first came out. A $200 graphite stick will out perform a $29 wood stick but not outlast it. The damage was done while checking, other sticks slashing your stick... The crack or compromise happens during play and then the blade or shaft breaks during shot while put under pressure.

You want a rod that will last a long time, get a basic fiberglass rod. Graphite performs best but does not last the longest.

Nothing to do with Brand or Model.

Tips

Thx for explanation Tips. However basically what you are saying is these carbon fibre rods are effectively "prima donna's". You have to treat them with kid gloves or they are suddenly going to go into catastrophic failure. People on here have had brand new rods go. To me if a tool is too fragile or unreliable for the job it is a useless tool. I mean what is to like?! Cannot understand why people defend these crappy things, warranty or no warranty.

Anyway, went out with Dave S. hali fishing today off Albert Head (I know ---wrong thread!). We had a couple of nice ones, largest 24lb. Thx for the trip Dave!

 

[Falcon]

Fished the trap today, hooked up with a nice 20+lb spring on a white hoochie, another beautiful day on the water. Brought home a few pink for the smoker again.

 

[profisher]

Wow what a 360 from yesterday. Just a beauty day all day. Went west and landed 5 spring out of 7, largest 21 pounds. Three of the 5 were hatchery. Toss a couple wild Coho and a couple socks and get 6 pinks. Great and enjoyable day.

 

[addicted]

Rollie... Wouldn't a 360 be a complete circle to the same results as the day before? 180 maybe? Lol... Kidding... Good work... Can't wait to start getting serious out there myself now that the slot is about to lift hopefully...