Thanks for the reply
2019 Sooke Reports
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casper5280
Crew Member
Did the early shift this morning 7-12. Went straight out to 500ft of water off the Head. Trolled all the way up to the TinShed and back though the island and back out to 500ft. One hit that we didn’t get a look at. Never saw a fish caught. Heard on the radio someone supposedly caught a 30lb off the Head a mile out.
Had an early morning call asking if I could take some folks out this afternoon. Met them at about 1pm and headed out to the west end of the bluffs and started in 300ft of water. Hit 2 fish right away...our smallest coho which was a hatchery and then a 10 pound chum. I actually saw some fish jumping today which likely were chum and saw more sea lions feeding off the end of the spit on the way out and in today. We landed 3 more wild coho as well and lost another 3. All 60-80 ft and most were in the 375-400 ft mark. Bait again did almost all the damage. Beautiful day, flat calm and the sun had some good heat to it today.
Englishman
Well-Known Member
Well, we heard the Sooke Coho Derby results were very poor with very few fish weighed in. And before Profisher’s post on Sunday (above) there were a couple of skunkings reported Thur/Fri. Despite the fact of my observation of most of the coho through by September 30 coming true, we were inspired by Profisher’s report to give it one more go today. So like him, we went of the bluffs, using bait and trolled back and forth between 300 and 400’ feet of water, also like him. Not a touch after three hours. Could be a number of reasons for that:-
1) Two days had elapsed since Pro’s report. Plenty of time for the remaining coho to have departed.
2) Pro fished in the afternoon during a nice flood. We were out for the end of the ebb and the start of the flood.
3) We used our favourite herrings in the t.h., not anchovies.
4) Profisher is one of the fishing gods on here and so any attempt at emulation by mere mortals like us is doomed to fail. LOL
Nevertheless we kept at it and move east a bit off Secretary. Finally, after the rain had started we got a decent hit around 12:15 pm at 111' on herring in gold/green t.h. The fish gave a good fight from that depth and a couple of jumps up top but we were able to net a great chubby 8lb coho. As almost always when the fish hit these small herring, it is for keeps and the hook was way back in the throat so no chance of losing it. I am not too proud to report this was our largest coho of the season; it has been that poor for us.
We fished in the same area for another hour but no more hits.
Back at Sunny Shores one of the residents remarked how poor the Derby had been and that a buddy of his fished Monday for 5 hours without a touch. I consider us very lucky to have got one and avoided the skunk again on a coho season like this.
Great humpback whale show mid-morning, way out in 500’ plus of water.
1) Two days had elapsed since Pro’s report. Plenty of time for the remaining coho to have departed.
2) Pro fished in the afternoon during a nice flood. We were out for the end of the ebb and the start of the flood.
3) We used our favourite herrings in the t.h., not anchovies.
4) Profisher is one of the fishing gods on here and so any attempt at emulation by mere mortals like us is doomed to fail. LOL
Nevertheless we kept at it and move east a bit off Secretary. Finally, after the rain had started we got a decent hit around 12:15 pm at 111' on herring in gold/green t.h. The fish gave a good fight from that depth and a couple of jumps up top but we were able to net a great chubby 8lb coho. As almost always when the fish hit these small herring, it is for keeps and the hook was way back in the throat so no chance of losing it. I am not too proud to report this was our largest coho of the season; it has been that poor for us.
We fished in the same area for another hour but no more hits.
Back at Sunny Shores one of the residents remarked how poor the Derby had been and that a buddy of his fished Monday for 5 hours without a touch. I consider us very lucky to have got one and avoided the skunk again on a coho season like this.
Great humpback whale show mid-morning, way out in 500’ plus of water.
Eden Island
Well-Known Member
Well, we heard the Sooke Coho Derby results were very poor with very few fish weighed in. And before Profisher’s post on Sunday (above) there were a couple of skunkings reported Thur/Fri. Despite the fact of my observation of most of the coho through by September 30 coming true, we were inspired by Profisher’s report to give it one more go today. So like him, we went of the bluffs, using bait and trolled back and forth between 300 and 400’ feet of water, also like him. Not a touch after three hours. Could be a number of reasons for that:-
1) Two days had elapsed since Pro’s report. Plenty of time for the remaining coho to have departed.
2) Pro fished in the afternoon during a nice flood. We were out for the end of the ebb and the start of the flood.
3) We used our favourite herrings in the t.h., not anchovies.
4) Profisher is one of the fishing gods on here and so any attempt at emulation by mere mortals like us is doomed to fail. LOL
Nevertheless we kept at it and move east a bit off Secretary. Finally, after the rain had started we got a decent hit around 12:15 pm at 111' on herring in gold/green t.h. The fish gave a good fight from that depth and a couple of jumps up top but we were able to net a great chubby 8lb coho. As almost always when the fish hit these small herring, it is for keeps and the hook was way back in the throat so no chance of losing it. I am not too proud to report this was our largest coho of the season; it has been that poor for us.
We fished in the same area for another hour but no more hits.
Back at Sunny Shores one of the residents remarked how poor the Derby had been and that a buddy of his fished Monday for 5 hours without a touch. I consider us very lucky to have got one and avoided the skunk again on a coho season like this.
Great humpback whale show mid-morning, way out in 500’ plus of water.
After I retired, I had visions of fishing coho every October off Sooke -- based on experiences years earlier - putting the turkey in the oven, heading out and catching 4 coho in time to go back and pull the turkey out. The first few years, the weather gods cooperated with the fish gods - the boat was kept in Sooke Harbour, and I got 6 or 8 days fishing each October, and was never skunked until the end.
After that, I decided Pedder Bay was better for me, but I've never had the weather gods and the fish gods on the same page. I would pay my month's moorage, and maybe only get a decent day or two - after the fish were gone! This year, i just kept the boat on the trailer, and have been watching good days go by when I wasn't free, and bad ones when I was. I think I need a better system!
Interesting Profisher/ englishman. I was out in a friends boat monday. on the water by the crack of 10 am - out to 600 ft, and back in twice without a touch. In the afternoon we got our first hit at 170ish, and after a few more tacks in shallow around the same area, we managed to get 4 keepers over the next two hours. 90-130 ft on the rigger. All under 10 lbs!
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
I caught 90% of my fish this year between this part of a tide.
Englishman
Well-Known Member
Interesting information you guys. The thing is, if I waited until the wind AND tide were good, and other commitments did not interfere, I would never fish! LOL
Well English if you look at the currents and just picked the best 2-3 hrs of a day (peak flood flow to high slack) you would do way better than fishing all the other hours of the day. Yeh you may have to put up with some afternoon breezes but you are also more likely to hit a double and be back at the dock in 15 minutes too.
Out this morning for a coho trip and then then to bring the boat home. 2 wild Coho for 4 hours...one about 7 pounds the other 3. Action was just before noon as we were packing it up. 70ft bait in 350ft of water off the bluffs, Went through a baitball and it looked like some nice 6-7 inch stuff.
habberdasher
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all your reports this year
Newf
Crew Member
Couple of hours this morning at Pedder Bay and only one shaker. Up to Whirl Bay for a couple of hours and nada. Went straight out from Church to 530ft and my buddy managed one keeper spring around 5-6lbs,,, 120ft on the DR. That was it. Nice day on the water and only a couple of boats around.
Strait shooter
Member
We managed to get a 40# halibut off stoke yesterday. No doggies. Fished from 8-1:30
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