2023 Sooke Reports

[Ldub]

Well if it is a whoops on my part, I apologise. Sure fought like a chinook, did not jump, and the tongue was black, and the gums look greyish to me. But I bow to superior knowledge on here. What do I know??!

Oops. The tail is a dead giveaway, no spots and has silver streaks. I did the same thing a few years ago fishing Esquimalt. It was the thick of spring fishing season and I reeled in a nice 13lb fish which I kinda just assumed was a spring since very few coho were around at the time. So I got it in solo gave it a quick bonk and tossed it in the tub. Only to realize when I got home it was a wild coho!

 

[kaelc]

Raider at pedder bay had 3 dfo on his boat yesterday afternoon. I wanted to ask what was up when he was pulling his boat out but know the pain they can bring so just gave him a wave. Hope it turned out alright.

I remember picking up a wild hatchery north of Sooke a few years ago while targeting chinnook and it was open for them north of otter or something, but not where we were. $150 of pain. It's a tough time if year to keep it all straight. I accidentally trolled a barbed teaser head for a few minutes, mid season. I was so excited to get the gear down, then was like holy s...t after missing a huge hit and quickly crimped them. Mistakes happen.

 

[Adler]

Lots of boats out there today, but for us, only one hatchery coho to take home for dinner. Wasn't steady action, one here and there, fishing at the Head and then down to Whirl with the current. Released maybe a half dozen wilds in the 3.5 hours of trolling mid-day. Heard others did better earlier in the day, but others at the dock had similar reports to me.

 

[Cut Plug]

One hatch coho in about 5 minutes then nothing, 300 feet of water 34 on the downrigger off Beacher bay. 1 dungee, lots of females and some smalls feasting on my Hali carcass.

Pretty nice day and I know I spent less in fuel then this guy.

Raider at pedder bay had 3 dfo on his boat yesterday afternoon. I wanted to ask what was up when he was pulling his boat out but know the pain they can bring so just gave him a wave. Hope it turned out alright.

I remember picking up a wild hatchery north of Sooke a few years ago while targeting chinnook and it was open for them north of otter or something, but not where we were. $150 of pain. It's a tough time if year to keep it all straight. I accidentally trolled a barbed teaser head for a few minutes, mid season. I was so excited to get the gear down, then was like holy s...t after missing a huge hit and quickly crimped them. Mistakes happen.

My advice for you folks who aren’t sure of your fish ID is pretty simple. When in doubt, err on the side of caution. Is any fish worth the pain, cost and embarrassment of a ticket? And barbed hooks. Crimp them all when you tie them or put them in your box. Having no barbed hooks in any of my salmon gear makes it so easy and simple to avoid a costly mistake. Get in the habit. Absolutely no judgement here. Just advice.

 

[sundance]

My advice for you folks who aren’t sure of your fish ID is pretty simple. When in doubt, err on the side of caution. Is any fish worth the pain, cost and embarrassment of a ticket? And barbed hooks. Crimp them all when you tie them or put them in your box. Having no barbed hooks in any of my salmon gear makes it so easy and simple to avoid a costly mistake. Get in the habit. Absolutely no judgement here. Just advice.

Got charged by DFO out of Nanaimo $575 for a questionable Barb seeing yr allowed to Disputed it and I will !
Was fishing in Sooke Bay !

 

[Hot-Streak]

Got charged by DFO out of Nanaimo $575 for a questionable Barb seeing yr allowed to Disputed it and I will !
Was fishing in Sooke Bay !

Did they charge you for having a barbed hook on the boat? or did they charge you because they didn't think the barb was pinched enough?

Years ago I got checked for gear shore fishing at the Vedder and I had some new hooks with barbs still on but clearly new and not used. DFO said fishing with barbless hooks only and I agreed and said I pinch the ones I use (as the used one on the rod was pinched).

On my boat I have some new lures (as in new in package) that have hooks still with barbs on and some loose hooks with barbs. On top of that I have jigging gear with barbs.

I am assuming you can't be charged with possession of a barbed hook. They would have to have seen it on your current used lure etc? Thoughts on this?


As for fishing been out once this week and it was slow. saw fish on the finder but they weren't biting much.

 

[Admin]

I was hoping that the oops on the Coho would have had a few confirmation comments that a mistake was made and we would move on, getting back to what this thread is about, fishing reports. It has now morphed into a different conversation, which is fine to have, but in it's own thread in the fisheries management area would be appropriate. It sounds like the Chinooks are dwindling but there have also been some nice Coho being caught so let's enjoy what's left of the summer fishery while it lasts.

 

[Old Seadog]

Well went out for a quick burn this afternoon left @13:30hrs and was back at dock by 15:30 hrs. Went out to 2-3th tide line, one DR 45ft and the other 55ft both had spoons on. The 45ft DR had the most hits, two minutes in hatchy Coho around 3-4 lbs, then wild after wild. The weather was nice, very little wind so you could see the wild Coho jump out water 1-2ft. Then I started getting small grills so called it a day. So one for super tonight.

 

[profisher]

Out this morning for 4 hours after 3-4 days off. Not a bad return to the water. Started slow on the beach with a couple wild coho released then moved out for more Coho action but found springs instead. First one we lost and I thought it was a spring or maybe a large coho...lost it just behind the boat...got a quick look at size but didn't id it..14-15 pounds. Then we got a 17 1/2 and 4 other feeders, 2 of them decent fish. So now assuming the first fish we lost was a spring too. All at 70ft on Skinny G's...17 /12 was a white.

 

[tigerprawn]

Anyone know who this clown is that is always fishing in the non retention zone for chinooks ?

 

[Tailspin]

Early Chum Run?

 

[SpringVelocity]

Anyone know who this clown is that is always fishing in the non retention zone for chinooks ?

Give me a T....lol

 

[wolf]

Give me a T....lol

give me a R

 

[Mozart]

I’ll buy an A

 

[kingspring]

How bout “boatless”!

So what about those Coho?

 

[wolf]

I’ll buy an A

wrong next letter LOL
As for a report I had a big group trip yesterday and a mini derby out of all the boats we only got 7 springs biggest was a white at 21.5 a few coho and a pink its VERY slow out there for sure

 

[Brave Ulysses]

Are all you fishers working the area near shore by Sooke? I dug up this Orca protection map on the DFO site.

 

[Stizzla]

Are all you fishers working the area near shore by Sooke? I dug up this Orca protection map on the DFO site.View attachment 97979

Yep, definitely the most popular spring spots. Now is the time of year where many head out off the head to 400-500’ and go for ho’s

 

[eroyd]

Slow out there for me today. Fished from shore to a few km out, from the surface to 80ft. Beechy to Trap. All for two, small unclipped coho. Where are they?
It was nice out there and did see a humpback , some orcas and a bunch of sea lions.

 

[profisher]

Lots of Coho thrashing on the surface today feeding on krill which was thick on the surface in patches. Switched my gear up to humpy gear running 30-40 ft and began hitting coho up to 9-10 pounds. All the ones we got to the boat were wild. 350-380 ft of water off Otter. Found a 14 pound red spring yesterday right off the bat but no more the rest of the day. Lots of small cod around to up shallow...have had 6-7 last 2 days. A spring I had Wed had a partially digested fish in its gut..the tail was still intack and knew it wasn't a herring or a salmon...now I know what it was.