Leaving for Sooke in a week!

[GRIFF]

My wife and I are sooper excitred about our upcoming trip to BC. It will be her first trip and my first since I was much younger. We are renting a house in the Sooke area.

I was wondering if I could trade some one some local knowledge for dinner and drinks. If we like the house I'm sure it will not be our last trip up there and we would love to meet some locals.

Also wondering if there is any decent prawning or crabbing this time of year.

Thanks again for such a cool forum!

GRIFF

 

[scott craven]

Are you arriving with a boat, or chartering a fishing trip?
also crabbing is usually ok in May, but there's no prawning in
the Sooke area. Saanich inlet re-opens for prawns May 07 !!

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Hey rite on.Iam moving there myself on mondayReally looking forward to it.

 

[GRIFF]

Dear R.S.,

We're bringing our 19' Arima. We're hoping to do a little salmon and Halibut fishing as well as a little wildlife watching. How far is Saanich inlet from Sooke? Isn't it on the far side of Victoria? Any good boat tour sites we should check out? I was planning on motoring by race rocks on our way over to Victoria.

Thanks to all for the info.

GRIFF

P.S. Feel free to PM or email me dwgriff(a)gmail.com

 

[GRIFF]

TTT

Craven,
I tried emailing you but it didn't work.

Cheers,
GRIFF

 

[scott craven]

i know, the e-mail function does not appear to be up and running
try s.craven@shaw.ca

 

[otter]

As you may or may not know Sooke waters can be very unpredictable i.e. winds,fog etc. Be carefull and dont rely on the local marine weather reports,not always accurate according to my experience. As Craven indicated,Prawns open in Saanich inlet but watch for closures again. You can trailer from Sooke to Brentwood Bay and launch at the Tsartlip native launch.
A suggestion if your not familiar with fishing the area,hire a local guide,4 hr trip should provide immediate hands on info so you go it alone later on. Or visit Eagle Eye Outfitters in Sooke,you will need tackle any how and the guys there are very helpfull and sincere.
Good luck
PS Get a berth, launching here is a big pain.

 

[GRIFF]

Otter,

Thanks for the great info. I was really suprised to see how fast the currents are around race rocks. My guess is that you really want to be wary of when the tide runs against the wind. That'll stack the waves. When ruinning from Victoria to Sooke is it better to head out into the middle of the straight or is it best to try and seek protection behind the headlands?

We're lucky in that we have a new chartplotter (we also will have paper charts). Can anyone reccomend a guide? It is short notice but we may still go that route for the first day anyhow.

As far as the berth... we got a house with a dock in east sooke!!

Is there a channel the locals use to chat on? Down at the mouth of the columbia most folks use channel 68.

Can't wait!
GRIFF

 

[danthewire]

Sounds like your not to familar with the area,if your're coming from the inner harbour turn right and generally head for the gravel pit/Albert Head,as you say protection from the headlands,My recomendation is to keep out a half mile or so past William Head and go through Race passage at high or low slack.Once through your next point of land is Beechy head,you can go by the head close in,next is Secratary island [Donaldson] you can go through the gap but go a little ways down before you turn in there are some ROCKS there,on the right,KEEP OUT a bit towards the center and head for the tip of the spit and you're in.A word of warning Race passage ,Church Rock,Beechy head can be Very,very,very rough on tide changes,also going around the corner from Secratary into the spit depending on the tides and wind ,you'll be getting pounded on the port side at a uncomfortable angle,sometimes best to run down a little further and then turn in. DAN

 

[GRIFF]

Thanks Dan!

Thats just the kind of info I was looking for. When you say its rough on the tide change I assume your not talking about the slack but when the current is running hardest?

Thanks again to all!

GRIFF

PS Blue and white Arima with two yellow labs and a lovely skipper (I'm the baitboy she drives). Hope to meet some of you out there. Please do say Hi if you see us!

 

[HALILLAMA]

Griff,I understand you are coming here to Sooke by boat. You will have to clear customs in Victoria first. Get an early start so you won't have to buck the westerlies in the afternoon all the way to Sooke. Check the tides closely for that day and it will make the decision to go thru Race passage or go out and around which can add some time to the trip. There is lots to see here for touring around in a boat in the harbour and the basin. Is your rented house in the basin or hrbr? Address? East Sooke is a big place. Bring your crab trap we use them in the hrbr and basin. We also fish prawns and shrimp in the basin, but use carefully, there is lots of hangups on the bottom in there. I'll be glad to point you in the right direction.[8D]

 

[GRIFF]

Hali

Our house is on the west side of the basin by the provincial park. When you look at a chart there is a small island on the back side of the penisula. Our dock is right behind that island (hopefully protecting us from the east wind.

Were trailering the boat over but we were going to try and plan for a day of whale watching and checking out the Vic waterfront (maybe tea at the empress). Of course this would be really weather dependent as there is a good bit of drop in the tides.

Cheers!
GRIFF

 

[danthewire]

Griff, if I could predict whats gonna happen in the Race and Beechy head I would only have to buy one or two lottery tickets and be done with it.We ran out to go fishing a couple of years ago from Cheanuh Marina, flat calm came around Beechy Head, and took 7 or 8 waves right over the top of my boat it's a 17.5 Double eagle hardtop very seaworthy.Out the other side and flat calm,typical day in Sooke.I've fished Sooke for 5 decades,its safe,just use common sense.If it blows up don't push your luck .A trip with a guide is money well spent.Have fun.PS if you like beer theres a nice pub by my place e mail me and i'll tell you where it is. DAN

 

[walleyes]

Sooke is Sooke,, with out a doubt has to be one of the best all round all year fisheries.. If I were to be given a place to go any given time I would pick Sooke.. If you can't find them in Sooke they ant't to be had..

 

[GRIFF]

Dear Dan,

Email does not appear to be working you can write me at dwgriff(a)gmail.com make sure you replace the (a) with an @ (trying to avoid the spamonators). I would love to buy you a beer at the pub you mentioned. We get up there Monday night and are staying through Sunday.

Hope to hear from you!

GRIFF