No, it's not a Sooke thing. It's the rules of the sea that are taught in boating safety classes. It drives me nuts at time when anglers who should know better go to the the inside of boats trolling westward along the breakwater. Same thing off Macaulay.
2023 Victoria and Oak Bay Reports
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ThatswhatSeasaid
Active Member
Okay, that's wild because there were more people breaking that rule than following it. It was absolute chaos Friday and Saturday.
islandboy
Well-Known Member
The main reason I avoid weekends. While I occasionally try to 'row with the pack' at the 100' contour, I find that while I can keep up, I often end up with boats coming from all directions. Especially when one is playing a fish.
Luckily there is a fair bit of structure between Macaulay and the breakwater that I can work shallow. Saturday I scooted out to 150 and found some wild coho, 
then called it a day as it was getting crowded by 8 am.Mid day troll around with my wife. Everybody had pinks though not fast an furious like Sooke. I took my three incidental pinks while trolling for Springs. Released two small Chinook. Some reports of better fish around. Switched two classic pink gear near the end, being flasher and pink squirt and found it did no better than just herring spoons. Interesting that the pinks I gutted were eating small herring,
tinboatrobb
Well-Known Member
First white spring of the year, 15lbs caught off the harbour this morning. 
Stosh
Well-Known Member
Whites make the best candied salmon ever!
tinboatrobb
Well-Known Member
Yes they do.
Slack-tider
Active Member
For those of us that still work and need to fish Fri-Sun, is there value in buzzing out to Constance to avoid the traffic at the breakwater/out front?
tinboatrobb
Well-Known Member
Why go to Constance, we get all our fish well outside all those who seem to think that the fish only bite ner the green can.
Slack-tider
Active Member
Good point Tinboat. On top of that 20 min run and the extra gas.
Aces
Well-Known Member
I prefer to not drive by fish looking for fish
Original
Well-Known Member
Went out for the morning tide change with a couple buddy’s off Esq. Lots of boats and lots of fish. Got a nice spring at 78cm, released a 6 lber and lost another nice one then proceeded to fish for 30 mins with no spoon as the leader had broke. That side picked up again once a spoon was added. Couple crabs and home for lunch.
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Sam7
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We decided to head out at fishing at 8:30, at the dock at launched about 9:25 and made a few passes at Macaulay with no luck, so we headed over to the breakwater where we got in a small spring which we returned to the deep. Then at about 11:15 we hooked into a good fighting spring. We used to billet a Royals player, he came back for a visit with his girlfriend, wouldn’t you know it, it was her turn on the rod and landed a 78cm for her first ever salmon. We grabbed a couple more shakers and 1 pink before we had another big hit. He played the fish, and it ended up being a short/medium line release. packed it in at 2:00 just as the winds came up. We were using spoons, fished from 32’- 66’, Lemieux was the ticket for us today with about 85% of the action on it.
4 crab in the trap, 2 ladies one young buck and a juvenile.
4 crab in the trap, 2 ladies one young buck and a juvenile.
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Left Cattle point at 8:00 to troll the flats. Fishing alone. Released two Springs around 8lbs and kept a 5lb pink. While I was gutting the pink over the starboard side the Port rod got hammered. Blood and slime everywhere but I managed to get things under control. Figured it was a good one so got the rigger weights and dummy flashers on board. Strong fight but was surprised it was only 77cm. Back in by 9:30. Skinny G Herring aids. Mid water to 10 above bottom. (100')
Took the niece and nephew out to the flats for a case of "should have been here yesterday". Lots of bait and arches on the sounder expecting Walter to hammer the spoon, but not to be. Only a few smaller chinook for us today, maybe up to 5lbs. Just a matter of being there when the bite turns on I guess.
ziggy
Well-Known Member
Fished out by Albert Head this morning and the Pinks were thick. Lots jumping and swirling the surface. Saw a guy fly fishing from a kayak which I’m sure was a blast. I was trying to find a Spring and the only one I did find was small so I released it. Didn’t seem to matter what depth the Pinks were everywhere in the water column.
I got Walter at 630 am. on OB flats. 19 lbs. 78 cm. at 92 feet on the rigger. Sorry about that. Heard several positive stories about fish on the flats on Sunday am. Got 2 pinks the other day and one was deep and one was at 35 feet on rigger. Happy fishing in the future.
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