2023 Sooke Reports

[Englishman]

Got out for the 2nd time this season and fished 7:00am till noon. Strange day weather wise with a mixture of heavy grey overcast, fog, wind early and again at noon but flat in between, and some sunshine.

Sadly the fishing gods were not with us today. We forego running to Muir because of the mixed weather and fished the harbour mouth and the bluffs mostly, based on a local's advice, with a couple of passes of Possession later on.

We boated a pink and lost about 3 of same, then around 8am in 77’ of water had a big hit right off the clip. This happened faster than it takes to tell but the fish gave some heavy head shakes and headed down and away, then seemed to stop solid. I put on bit of pressure to try and get it moving again, but meanwhile we were still trolling about 1.5Knot away from wherever the fish was. Suddenly there was a twang and my main line broke, down a ways I think. Did the fish make bottom and find a rock?. Was kelp involved? I will never know but maybe we should have been quicker to easy off the troll speed like we usually do.

Ah well, I got the spare rod out and put on the same type of teaser head and herring while I re-rigged the original. Still pestered by pinks but around half an hour later had another big hit on the spare rod. This time after head a shaking pause he took off on a screamer and eventually surfaced about 60M away. A quick splash and a head shake and he was gone!

That was it, so 0 for 2 to day. Pestered more and more by pinks after that, even around Possession and even in 60’ of water. Had to switch to a spoon on one side, as we were burning through the herring but could not avoid them. Called it when the second wind spell got going.

Will have to burn some incense and mutter some incantations to placate the gods ready for next trip, probably Thursday. LOL

P.S. Forgot to mention, the pinks were so thick that twice one came up and grabbed the herring off the surface before I had even managed to lower the rigger!!

 

[Newf]

Yep, lots of hits on the surface today. We picked up two clipped coho off the surface before we had a chance to clip the line. My buddy landed a 10lb spring and we kept 3 decent pinks. We lost a ball today. First one in a long time. My buddy was at the wheel and it was his side that hooked. Glad I was out washing down the deck and not at the helm. It’s normally my fault but not today.

 

[wolf]

Sooke is still great fishing and holy pinks!!! took out a couple of great guy from forum today , we were done early (limited out) so decided to play haul out a huge AP spoon no flasher and didnt take long WAP guy plays it like a champ nice beauty spring. probally one of the best fights ive ever seen . after that go in get some crab for them and clean the fish. GREAT day thanks guys....

 

[lprodan]

Fished the Head at 9am today with glassy conditions finally. Within minutes, we had a triple header and it didn't slow down. We caught our limit of 12 pinks within 80 minutes and released 4 nice wild Coho. It was almost impossible to keep the net clear and rods in the water. The fish were from the surface down to 30ft.

 

[pachito]

Another beauty. morning off Sooke nice an flat and instant action.
Released one about 10# and quickly followed by a 80cm chubber . Not even time for a coffee an snacks lol. Sooke is awesome!!!

 

[PHW]

Those Sooke fish need to go on a diet. Someone call Weight Watchers ASAP! Will be arriving this Saturday for a week. Looking forward to it. Will check in with some forum friends while there…if you see a red-tin 28’ Hewescraft give me a wave.

 

[vicsurfer]

My daughter and I started the morning off at the Head around 8:15am. We quickly got into the pinks and one spring about 5lbs we tossed back. Went down to the shack and more of the same so we decided to quit trolling and jig for some springs. It turned out when jigging, it was nearly impossible to avoid pinks. We would drop down to 60ft and it was constant double headers. At one point, we looked over the side and there were 20+ pinks going after the buzzbombs. The number of pinks is insane and is similar to when the Mackerel came into the strait circa 1986. Packed it in at 11 with the limit.

 

[PHW]

Use larger 6” spoons/plugs for the Springs…keeps the little guys off.

 

[Slabbedout]

My daughter and I started the morning off at the Head around 8:15am. We quickly got into the pinks and one spring about 5lbs we tossed back. Went down to the shack and more of the same so we decided to quit trolling and jig for some springs. It turned out when jigging, it was nearly impossible to avoid pinks. We would drop down to 60ft and it was constant double headers. At one point, we looked over the side and there were 20+ pinks going after the buzzbombs. The number of pinks is insane and is similar to when the Mackerel came into the strait circa 1986. Packed it in at 11 with the limit.

I have been out several times since the 1st and the pinks are nothing less than an infestation now. I got 3 before I could even get the drag snug while dropping the gear, I tried going out beyond where I thought pinks where dropping deep and then trolling in to spring territory but the pinks are just to plentiful. Great for kids but it gets tiring when all I want is a few nice springs and I have to clean a dozen pinks after every outing

 

[Aces]

Use larger 6” spoons/plugs for the Springs…keeps the little guys off.

this

 

[tubber]

I've been watching the Fraser River sockeye Pacific Salmon Commission test results. As expected, there are not a lot of sockeyes, but the pink numbers are huge at Area 20 and Blinkhorn. 25000 in 6 sets in both places recently. Anecdotally from the boat I was on just last week, offshore Esperanza had lots too.
Back in the seining days we got lots in area 20 right up until just after Labour Day.
Faster, bigger, deeper to avoid??
Here's what happened to a pink head last week. 10 or 12" hooch for perspective. About 170cm.

 

[Ldub]

My daughter and I started the morning off at the Head around 8:15am. We quickly got into the pinks and one spring about 5lbs we tossed back. Went down to the shack and more of the same so we decided to quit trolling and jig for some springs. It turned out when jigging, it was nearly impossible to avoid pinks. We would drop down to 60ft and it was constant double headers. At one point, we looked over the side and there were 20+ pinks going after the buzzbombs. The number of pinks is insane and is similar to when the Mackerel came into the strait circa 1986. Packed it in at 11 with the limit.

I think I may have talked to you out there today near Aldridge. It was pink insanity! Pinks all day from 7am - 2:30 for us! Found 1 3 lb clipped coho early. Lost 2 decent springs near Aldridge at the end of our day. We were pissed about that as they were both about 12-18lbs!

 

[Mozart]

Got out at with my son at 10:30 finished around 3. Got two hatchery coho at 30’ in 120’ of water with Irish cream coho killer. Fished in 80’ of water hoping for a spring but no luck. Last hour filled the rest with pinks. They are in the brine now. Smoke later this evening

 

[Englishman]

3rd time out and what an extraordinary morning!

Started inauspiciously enough, as when we got to the launch at Sunny Shores there was insufficient water to launch. We had to wait almost an hour before we got out and dropped lines around 8:00am.

There were a lot of boats in the harbour mouth so we joined the throng there,

Someone on here said use a big spoon to avoid the pinks so I had dug out a long unused 6” Gibbs spoon from my collection the night before and down it went to 66’ in 76’ of water. I turned my back to put a herring on the other rod as we had decided and my wife yelled you have a hit! It was literally that quick.

It was not big but I could tell it was not a pink and we soon we boated a nice 7lb chinook. As it was the first keeper this year into the box it went.

Sent the spoon down again and just 20 minutes later there was another huge hit. This one took off on a long run that I thought was not going to stop. Finally it did and I laboriously wound back all that line and he came in relatively quietly and did not do the usual plunge and shake near the boat which was good as I worry about heavy spoons being thrown too easily. Guess he was exhausted after that run.

Anyway we netted a beauty of 78cm weighing 15lb and it was still only 8:40am!

So we turned outside away from the boats and messed around with pink hootchies to add a few pinks and called it just after 10am. Wind seemed to rise as we got back to Sunny Shore which made docking challenging.

A good day though and the gods indeed smiled upon us.

 

[PHW]

Roland—you are smoking’ it congrats. Yes on big spoons and plugs. Go get your Springs first each time out. I’ll call you on Sunday during the day.

 

[Doug]

Fished Otter Point today with Tiger Prawn. We fished in his new 22 ft North West boat that he just fit up and it performed excellent. The hull and deck space are massive.

Started at 6 and got a 10lb right away and let it go. Then lost one and in the next 30 minute got a 76cm and 79cm and kept them. Then the sea lions came past and it went dead on springs but still lots and lots of pinks so we packed it in..

Bait and spoons both worked. 80 ft of water and 60 ft on the DR.

 

[Stosh]

Fished Otter Point today with Tiger Prawn. We fished in his new 22 ft North West boat that he just fit up and it performed excellent. The hull and deck space are massive.

Started at 6 and got a 10lb right away and let it go. Then lost one and in the next 30 minute got a 76cm and 79cm and kept them. Then the sea lions came past and it went dead on springs but still lots and lots of pinks so we packed it in..

Bait and spoons both worked. 80 ft of water and 60 ft on the DR.

My favourite kinda boat to fish out of. Nice job.
Stosh

 

[Saxe Point]

Out by myself just out front today starting at 9:30 am and caught a nice spring by about 10, so back at the dock within an hour. Lots of fish on the plotter and being caught. Lots of boats too. Ran spoons behind dummy flashers. 45 and 55 ft in 80 ft of water.

 

[the force]

Visiting family in Langford next weekend before heading up to CR- seeing how hot the pinks are I’m thinking I may take grandpa and the kids/nephew out for some pink action. Am I better off launch out of Sooke or Cheanuh? I’m thinking Sooke so I can toss a couple crab traps as well but have never launched at either. 23’ boat, don’t need anything fancy for a launch. Thanks.

 

[wolf]

3rd time out and what an extraordinary morning!

Started inauspiciously enough, as when we got to the launch at Sunny Shores there was insufficient water to launch. We had to wait almost an hour before we got out and dropped lines around 8:00am.

There were a lot of boats in the harbour mouth so we joined the throng there,

Someone on here said use a big spoon to avoid the pinks so I had dug out a long unused 6” Gibbs spoon from my collection the night before and down it went to 66’ in 76’ of water. I turned my back to put a herring on the other rod as we had decided and my wife yelled you have a hit! It was literally that quick.

It was not big but I could tell it was not a pink and we soon we boated a nice 7lb chinook. As it was the first keeper this year into the box it went.

Sent the spoon down again and just 20 minutes later there was another huge hit. This one took off on a long run that I thought was not going to stop. Finally it did and I laboriously wound back all that line and he came in relatively quietly and did not do the usual plunge and shake near the boat which was good as I worry about heavy spoons being thrown too easily. Guess he was exhausted after that run.

Anyway we netted a beauty of 78cm weighing 15lb and it was still only 8:40am!

So we turned outside away from the boats and messed around with pink hootchies to add a few pinks and called it just after 10am. Wind seemed to rise as we got back to Sunny Shore which made docking challenging.

A good day though and the gods indeed smiled upon us.

Nice good to see ya out bud . I gather you got a new main? E tec?
Yes spoons have been working very nicely this year. I got sealed yesterday so hopefully he wont bug anyone today!! (NOT) LOL