Sooke 2014 Fishing Reports

[RevyFisher]

Yesterday wad our first day in Sooke. Got things setup and working out only to release one wild coho. This morning we got two pinks one on bloody nose at 65 and one on a spoon at 35. Released a sockeye and tiny spring. All off possession pt between 10-1130. Only went out for cpl hrs.

 

[vicsurfer]

Out from 6-noon. Trolled back and forth between the head and the shack. There was no action for the first 5 hours. At 11am we moved to 400ft of water off the trap and hooked into a 16lb spring and a pink. At noon, the top rod with a pink squirt at 20ft hooked into a screamer. It took off and was going crazy jumping before it got off. It looked like a 10-12lb Sockeye. Hopefully they're open next week.

 

[GDW]

Guys from Vancouver fish 400-1000 ft of water fairly often epesially early season for chinooks in the middle of the straight. I've often wondered why that doesn't seem to happen off Sooke. So I'm not surprised at all that some fish were found way out in the deep. Do you remember if they were hatchery marked springs?

 

[profisher]

Whales will push the fish in or out.

 

[Englishman]

Guys from Vancouver fish 400-1000 ft of water fairly often epesially early season for chinooks in the middle of the straight. I've often wondered why that doesn't seem to happen off Sooke. So I'm not surprised at all that some fish were found way out in the deep. Do you remember if they were hatchery marked springs?

Like I said in my report. The little guy was clipped. The 17lb fish was not. Still think depth of 133 in 400' water was unusual. How deep do the Vancouver guys fish......?

 

[seadna]

I've fished near the center of the strait just north of Sekiu many times in the fall. We often find both spring and coho (or kings and silvers in 400-600' of water but down 90-120'. I used to think this was more of a fall thing but then again, I mostly fish there during the fall. I suspect that you can find springs out there quite often if you look for them.

 

[trendsetter]

Like I said in my report. The little guy was clipped. The 17lb fish was not. Still think depth of 133 in 400' water was unusual. How deep do the Vancouver guys fish......?

In May and June it's very common to fish 120'-180' off Gabriola in 400-1000' of water. At the "Hump", south Bowen Island, it's similar with 50'-150' deep in 500' of water. Earlier in the season the fish here are deeper; not sure if that's the same everywhere.

 

[wolf]

There is fish around. just got to plug away at it and not get too discouraged, like Rollie said seems the whales have scattered the fish after they come thru this year and its definitely taking longer for them to regroup.
last couple of days been picking up a few here and there not a real bite like 1 or 2 and hour then a snap for 20 mins then nothing for a bit. we have some strong flood tides coming up during the first week of august here...(DID i just say August wow the summer is going by fast.....)
i predict a few bigger fish coming this week id say!!!hopefully on my boat LOL

Good luck Wolf

 

[NautiGirl]

When I was out on Saturday fishing secretary to becher, there was an ex commercial working that 400 drop off and I tried it for awhile at 140, 120, and 60. That commercial boat worked that line for hours. I did not see him catch but he stuck to his plan. Englishman has the timing this week. Follow the Englishman. What does your boat look like? Lol

 

[Rockfish]

Fished out front yesterday. We released a Resident/Hatch Chinook and some Coho in the 5lb range and less, some clipped and some not. The Coho just seem a little small to keep yet. Managed a 14lb Chinook on Chovie down 130 under a riptide around 10:30 am when a short bite came on. The fishing seems rather slow out front lately.

The boys in the matching jackets driving the big Gray Rib with the white outboards were going into Sooke Harbour again for a good part of the day just as we were going out. Decided not to rat them out on the Radio.

PS Englishman, that Tug towing the large barge through the gap in that thick fog during the Sat. Derby that surprised you may have been going into Sooke Basin. I was told a barge went in to set up First Nations Oyster and Abalone Farms anchor systems in the Sooke Basin. You will see a couple of large grid systems with yellow floats in their now with a large old Herring Skiff servicing them out of Sunny Shores.

 

[Seafever]

re: the "how deep" fishing thing:- Off French Creek it's not uncommon at all for guys to go out into 400 to 600ft of water or even deeper and fish for migratories with the lines down about 120' to 150'.

They will do that early in the year right through the summer.

Fishing in closer to shore and shallower often produces no problem as well.......but fish are caught out deeper too....

 

[Rum Buddies]

It's pretty common to hook springs while out in the tidelines chasing pinks and coho and off the head I've caught tons around the 300' line. They certainly aren't all holding tight to the shore. If it's not happening in tight head out to 300' and cover some water, you might be suprised what you find out there.

 

[Seafever]

Sometimes a lone boat out there in deep water has trouble finding the fish...(lots of area to look)

Which is why up here "The Wolfpack with Cellphones " method is often used.

You get a couple of other boats you know and are buddies with, you all pack cellphones, and you all head out to same general area in agreement to try to find fish and keep in contact.

If no cellphone coverage, then I guess you are relegated to speaking in pre-arranged complex symbolic sentences and codes.......

 

[Halibut-face]

Fished 630-1200 today. Hooked into 4-5 fish landed 2. Both teens under 15lbs. Fish were 70-90 feet in 150 ft of water around otter pt. Not hot fishing, but a little bit of
luck would have produced limits. Sheringham seemed quiet today

 

[DVL U Know]

Out with a couple of friends today from 5-2 with little love being show to us by the fish gods! Picked up a coho that was wild...released, picked up some really pretty rockfish, released...and a spring that would have been a decent teen, but it was released by a seal.

We fished Possesion and around secretary, and down to trap...we fished shallow, we fished deep, we fished on this side, we fished on that side...we even fished right in the middle, and still no love!

Used bait, spoons, jughead...even buck tails...couldn't find the bite...might have been oOverall a nice day on the water...but cold in the fog.

28

 

[wolf]

So it was ROUGH today but manged to get a couple and another fish of TYEE class for sooke tossed back 2 sockeye. can yu name the fish?? it was close to 20 lbs ....

Wolf

 

[sudsy]

Nice looking chum!!! Looking forward to getting out this weekend, hopfully the fish will be around, last two times out i was skunked!

 

[tubber]

That is a beauty bright chum and the small one is a pink. Do I win?
damn sausage finges type too slow.

 

[Lipripper]

What the heck is he doing here?

 

[Fishtank]

Had a great day today, well the last two hours anyway, fished from 5-1, started at otter then picked up and moved west, didnt get even a sniff untill 11:15 and by that time it was only my boat and three charter boats, everyboby had moved on or given up(the weather was not the greatest but fishable).got our limit 17.5-22lb all shallow in 70-120 feet of water, best day yet for me.