Englishman
Well-Known Member
Cos' if the wind comes up from the SW like it did yesterday I don't want to smash my way through 7 miles of heavy slop to get home!!
2017 Sooke Reports
- Thread starter SFBC
- Start date
BigBadBrad
Active Member
Roger that.
Old Seadog
Active Member
Out for the first time this year, kept two nice winter spring off Otter in 160ft water. Weather was nice the other day. Green/white glow spoons was the hot ticket.
Old Seadog
Active Member
Cut Plug
Well-Known Member
Englishman, also try speeding up a bit to avoid rockfish. You'll need to let out more cable, but you'll also provide that quicker action to your gear that winters seem to love in my experience. I've fished Whirl and Pedder for well over a decade now bouncing bottom all the time and basically catch no rockfish. Both bait and hardware. Good on you for using a descending device though! Not to hijack, but IMO everyone needs to have one rigged and ready to use if they are likely to encounter rockfish. These critters (especially Yelloweye) are going to play an increasing role in our access to other species in the very near future. We need to send every one back down to the bottom as quickly as possible. Descending devices work - use them!!!
CP
CP
N2013
Well-Known Member
Got a nice 9lb off Otter today after tide change. Had to release a nice wild that was over and a few other smaller guys. The usual set up. Also a heads up for people fishing between Otter and the trailer park, in around 120' of water opposite the big culvert, there's a sunken crab trap/line that snagged my setup today. Talked to another guy the other day and same thing happened to him.
Old Seadog
Active Member
Yes..Rayvon the fish are looking skinny, but each one of them had a 7 " herring inside of them. So there is feed for them.... Hopefully they get bigger and fatter soon.... But they are on their way out to sea to feed and grow.....
Whirl Bay was on fire today. Was out solo and could have gone home after 40 minutes fishing but let go a couple 5-6 pounders to try for something bigger. Paid off, left after 2 h with a nice 7 and a 9# spring. Had a couple more hits as well that didn't stick. Great day. AP needlefish - what else!
Englishman
Well-Known Member
Today for the longest time I thought we were heading for our third skunk in a row. Arrived at Otter at 8:15am and trolled back and forth around the point using glo spoons at 130’-150’ for about three hours. Unlike other posters on here only managed one tiny barely legal one which we released. Began the long troll back to the harbour abandoning spoons and switching to our trusted herring on one side and hootchie the other. It was difficult as we were against the ESE wind and the ebb tide. Had to keep the kicker cranked to make 1.5 knot and so had to set the riggers at 155’ in 135‘ of water to get anywhere near bottom. Nothing for another two hours and decided to call it quits at 1:30pm. My wife suggested we slow down to give the herring side another five minutes while I brought in the hootch side. We immediately bounced bottom so I cranked the rigger up 10 feet which slackened the rod and I returned to retrieving the hootch side. Looked over and the herring side had gone even more slack so I thought, surely that is not a hit? Gave it a huge heave anyway and flicked the rigger to bring in all that slack. Five minutes later my wife netted a nice 9lb fish. Headed in right away as did not want to tempt the gods!!
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N2013
Well-Known Member
Water was kinda lumpy to start so I decided to stay close to home. 2nd tack off Possesion I hooked a nice wild, mid teens I reckon, tailed and released. 72', in about 100'. Nice ripper. Few more passes but didn't stir anything up so I headed up along the bluffs with some success. Kept a 7lb then my last hook up was one around 5 lb that was a bleeder unfortunately. I've decided to run the same spoon on both sides as it's be working all year for me and produced today on the shallow rod which I usually run at 70-90'. Englishmen, next time I see ya out there, I got a present for ya.
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Englishman
Well-Known Member
Beauty flat calm morning on the Strait, with even some bright sunshine. Unfortunately, we chalked up our third skunking in four trips, except for a small barely legal one which went back. Of course we got two rockfish and two ling cod as well but you can’t avoid them when bottom bouncing!! Strange how the ling cod are not affected by the retrieve from the depths but the rock cod have to be lowered with the release gear as they are completely incapacitated by the pressure change from 130’.
The major event of the day was being come alongside and boarded by a police patrol boat, off the Bluffs. They had a U.S Coastguard person with them and said they were part of a joint team which could patrol either side of the border. Not only have we never have been checked before in 7 years fishing off Sooke but in fact this was the first time I have ever seen a patrol boat out there!! Not that they could do checks at the Trap in the summer or they would cause chaos! Anyway all was well with the boat equipment checks, except my flares were out of date, so a trip to Trotac is required to remedy that one!
The major event of the day was being come alongside and boarded by a police patrol boat, off the Bluffs. They had a U.S Coastguard person with them and said they were part of a joint team which could patrol either side of the border. Not only have we never have been checked before in 7 years fishing off Sooke but in fact this was the first time I have ever seen a patrol boat out there!! Not that they could do checks at the Trap in the summer or they would cause chaos! Anyway all was well with the boat equipment checks, except my flares were out of date, so a trip to Trotac is required to remedy that one!
Kildonan
Well-Known Member
I got stopped by the cops 2 years ago. We went through all the checks and then lastly I was asked for my registration papers for the boat, bearing in mind I'm in a little 14 foot tinny. I said "ya, here's the registration papers and handed it to him". The cop I handed it to yelled to the other cop, "hey, this guy has his reg. papers" and they both bust out laughing.
He told me it's rare to find people with the reg papers especially a guy in a 14 foot tinny.
So, carry your reg papers, you can be fined for not having that I was told.
He told me it's rare to find people with the reg papers especially a guy in a 14 foot tinny.
So, carry your reg papers, you can be fined for not having that I was told.
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Ling Cod do not have an air bladder like Rockfish do.
I've been stopped 3 or 4 times on the water up mid-island. For some reason they always seem to pick me.
What's weird to me is:- I have two deep lines out and I'm trolling when they come up alongside. I say " Hang on and I'll reel in the gear". They say " No don't bother...keep on fishing".
How am I supposed to play a fish if I get a hit or double header with them tied up on one side of the boat asking for different papers and equipment?
Or are they hoping they'll catch me in the act of using illegal gear ( I don't use illegal gear...never have).
mbowers
Well-Known Member
Beautiful morning on Friday out of Pedder Bay. Tried for hali but only produced a big copper rockfish that was descended for release. Trolled Whirl Bay but absolutely nothing on the sounder. Was checked by a US Coast Guard boat by presumably a Canadian RCMP officer. Showed a couple of PFDs and they moved on. Moved to Beachey where we found a good amount of bait but only one rockfish found a spoon. Plenty of boats out but only saw 2 shakers released. Back to Pedder in afternoon with 6 boats hiding from the wind. Saw 1 large shaker released.
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Englishman
Well-Known Member
Don't know why you are unlucky enough to be checked so often Seafever. Like I say, first time I have ever seen them in Sooke waters.
In our case when they asked to come alongside I said "shall I retrieve on this side?", they said yes, so we cleared the side they tied up to. The other rod was still down but as we had slowed the kicker to just ticking over, not much chance of a hit. He did check our hook on the retrieved rod and if they want to check for illegal gear it has to be brought up.
Don't know why they asked you to leave it down; can't check for illegal gear that way.
fish brain
Crew Member
Coast Guard and RCMP are not DFO, so they wouldnt be checking for illegal gear
wolf
Well-Known Member
They will check at anytime and sometimes they have DFO and DOT on as well, good to see them ive been checked 2 times this year main concern is papers making sure your up . Non complaint guides will get caught sooner or later as WAY more patrols going on, from what ive seen personally i think its GREAT.....wish they were out everyday....
ok back to reports heard a few nice fish coming in off sooke and surrounding places....
ok back to reports heard a few nice fish coming in off sooke and surrounding places....
sudsy
Well-Known Member
Dont quote me but im pretty sure RCMP as federal police officers are capable of enforcing DFO regulations and could legitematly fine you for infractions. Sorry off topic no fishing reports hope to get out today with my 3.5 year old
fish brain
Crew Member
I learn something new every day.
