Sooke reports - August 2006

[Jockey]

That is a valid point about mortality and the fact that a 30lb spring has a much greater chance of making it to the goal than a 6lb feeder. As long as people are writing their 8lb springs down I guess it's alright but I am sure most don't. There is hardly any enforcement over the summer, I can't imagine there could be much during the winter months.

Also I know of a guide out in sooke who tossed his almost full license and went and got a fresh one claiming he had lost it. Is there any way to guard against that? I work with his girlfriend and she told me that thinking it was cool of him or something, so it isn't first hand information.

 

[scott craven]

The way it is right now, it's a virtual honour system...
there are lots of ways to beat the system.
if a fisherman wants to cheat he can do so, we just have to hope that most people are honest and follow the regulations.

 

[Tailspin]

Sad that people feel the need to take more than the Allotted amount of Springs. How can you possibly eat all that? The Winters were hot early last year as well, then they dropped right off except for the Bluffs.

My buddy Ryan Colter who fishes mostly Halibut Comercially out of Hardy was over for a few pints and mentioned there were loads of Coho out off Rupert last week. He said everything is 3 weeks late this year. He had a 3 day Spring opening in August and said it was so slow they shut down after the first day. Most of the old salts he deals with between Hardy and the Charlottes claim the fish are late but coming? Lets hope they make it home to the fresh!

 

[casper5280]

Went out today first lite and first boat out.Twenty minutes out and had a triple header,lost 2 and landed a nice winter spring.Went from the trap out off of Sec.Island and nothing till we turned to go back to the Trap and we got a nice Chum.Trolled all the way back to the Head.Got ready to pull the plug and got a nice size Coho. Got him all the way to the boat,was coming to the clean side and all of a sudden he goes to the other side.Yes he got wrapped up with the other lines and lost him.All in all a nice day back tomorrow.

 

[Tsquared]

Going out tomorrow to fish through high slack for coho/winter springs. Anyone out today?
T2

 

[drhook]

Was out Wed and Fri. Picked up 6 winters and a coho on wednesday and 4 winters and a chum on friday.
Much slower fishing for winter springs on friday. Guess I couldn't find the main school.
Very cold and foggy yesterday. Wind too!
Never know what you'll get at this time of year so you just have to get out there.

 

[scott craven]

dr hook, are those winter springs in the 4-6 lb range
this early in the season ?

 

[Bish]

craven...Dr Hook out prawning right now. The answer is yes, all the springs were in the 4-6lb range. All on Wednesday were wild, all yesterday were hatchery. Actively feeding on about 3" herring.

Most in around 250' of water, riggers at 100-130', Cop Car Coyotes, 4", with or without flasher, inside and outside the Bedfords.

Smoking the chum today. It was a quite dark female, meat is very pale pink and skin as tough as leather. A chum I got three weeks ago at Renny is almost as orange as a spring...it's in the smoker now as well.

Won't kill another dark chum unless this one smokes well.

 

[scott craven]

some people prefer the smaller fish...
like i said before, if ya fill up your card, your done
before you get a shot at the big boys in the summer.

damn, this anarchist amber ale is good!

 

[cloud]

was out this am ..secretary to the trap...major fog...no coho

cloud

 

[Bish]

4lb spring, hooked in the eye, or gill, bleeding bad..is food for something.....or someone.

 

[drhook]

Hey 'Pepper', check the regs. If I want to bonk a spring over 45cm then thats my right. Just like 'Craven' says "you can keep 20 fish at 4lbs or 20 at 30lbs". Its my decision. If you want to wait until the fish reaches some other magic size before you bonk it then thats your perogative.

 

[Charter Tofino]

I dont? thats perfctly fine to me. As said if you take 20 mature fish its actually worse than 20 feeders. Where do you find a problem with this?

 

[salmon9]

I think the 20 chinook limit is too high. I would rather see it around 10 regardless of size.

 

[Jockey]

Look earlier in this thread, I made a post saying I wish they would increase the size limit for chinook. So no you are not alone in your thinking.

 

[yo mama]

Right with you there salmon9, Its a numbers game. 20 salmon doesn't sound alot but now a days thats all some small creeks and steams get for a run. I personally think they were way better off years ago with the one over, one under 77cm. Where we were in the Charlottes it greatly impacted the amount of fish that would be available to us, fishing was amazing and people got very used to it. Then for no great reason after everyone got used to the numbers, DFO cracks it wide open to two a day. Nomally that seems fine but up there I have seen a boat with two guests come back to the dock with a 52/47/43/41 pound fish in one day!!! Ugly. As for the winters, these are the imature "adults" so in this fishery gain popularity by the ten fold, in turn letting less fish make it to there migration routes to return as adults. I do fish for them my self but try to limit my winter take to 2 fish, usually hatcheries. This sport is gaining popularity to fast for the fishery to keep up and something will have to give if we all don't help out.

 

[Charter Tofino]

The 1 fish a day i think is not a bad call.Its not all about the meat if it was people would just buy their fish. Think DFO will make any changes with the salmon numbers droppin?

 

[Bish]

Think peppahead...then think again. Who plans to hook little guys?

 

[Mongoose]

anyone have any reports from sooke?

 

[Tsquared]

Fished from about 10:30 to 2:30 today, mostly off of Secretary for 1 10 lb coho on a brass/silver coyote spoon behind a flasher.
T2