Sooke 2014 Fishing Reports

I have nothing new to say that hasn't already been said but I feel bad for being out so much and not reporting. I was catching coho from 30 to 130 feet on various hoochies, flashers and dummy flashers, slow and fast, with the bottom depth between 150-500 feet straight out from the harbour. I sent the GoPro down and the footage seemed to indicate that the fish aren't picky and didn't waste time following before striking. Usually when the fish came into view they charged the lure and bit rather than just chase it...more of a bite first ask and questions later. The hatchery fish seem to average a smaller size than the wilds and I haven't figured out a way to target the hatchery fish. I also caught a nice feeder chinook last weekend that was in amongst the coho. Stomach contents, when present, usually consisted of herring but I did find one salmonid (kept).

Happy Thanksgiving Seagirt! We were out yesterday, and it was slower than Saturday (we landed something like 25 salmon, but nothing bigger than 7 or 8 lbs), but we still took home 4 coho and a little Chinook. How has your gopro footage been turning out when trolling? how deep can you get good footage at? I'd be really interested to see some of it if you feel like posting some of it here!
 
I have nothing new to say that hasn't already been said but I feel bad for being out so much and not reporting. I was catching coho from 30 to 130 feet on various hoochies, flashers and dummy flashers, slow and fast, with the bottom depth between 150-500 feet straight out from the harbour. I sent the GoPro down and the footage seemed to indicate that the fish aren't picky and didn't waste time following before striking. Usually when the fish came into view they charged the lure and bit rather than just chase it...more of a bite first ask and questions later. The hatchery fish seem to average a smaller size than the wilds and I haven't figured out a way to target the hatchery fish. I also caught a nice feeder chinook last weekend that was in amongst the coho. Stomach contents, when present, usually consisted of herring but I did find one salmonid (kept).

X2 on the coho biting everything.all my footage shows them striking..bare hootch trolled straight(no flasher action) a spin and glow !, bare jugghead. Just find them and they will eat yer gear..pretty much every spring i have film of has given the lure a good look,head smack,or follows behind for a bit before striking.
 
Thanks for the confirmation Humpbubble. A month ago the video I have of coho showed them to be more wary and choosy, but yesterday's showed no hesitation on their part.

I'll post some footage when I have some decent clips. My towing unit sways back and forth so the videos look as if the camera was mounted on a bobblehead. I need gravol before watching it.
 
Thanks for the confirmation Humpbubble. A month ago the video I have of coho showed them to be more wary and choosy, but yesterday's showed no hesitation on their part.

I'll post some footage when I have some decent clips. My towing unit sways back and forth so the videos look as if the camera was mounted on a bobblehead. I need gravol before watching it.

Haha, sounds like some of the videos my mother has tried to make. Two of the coho we caught yesterday had so much bait crammed in their stomach, throat and mouth I have no idea where they thought they were going to fit any more! Almost like it's one of their last meals on earth...
 
Still some cohos around and my boys had fun with them. But I think it is winding down as it was not gang busters anymore - you had to work for them. With the current rain I think this fishery will fade now. Time to dig out the mud dragging gear or hali gear for a few more trips this year!
 
Full boat, picked up 7, including an 11lb'er with quite the nose on him :)
Coho killer spoon white /green and bloody Jose anchovy again all between 50-80.
Screaming along at 6k picked up 3 of them.
 
not a bad out there today. Definitely slowed down. was out for 4 hours and got 3 wild and 2 hatch all about 8# range. Had to throw a wild back. Anchovies was what is working for me. Might have to try for some hali before putting the boat to bed for a couple months then FEEDERS!!!
 
Fished today out of Sooke. Started off busy at around 10am, then slowed down for a while, then picked up mid afternoon again. Either the fish weren't concentrated like other days or they were just being picky but we never seemed to run into a school, no double headers. Caught a couple hatchery approaching 10 lbs and kept one wild that was probably 10lbs, the rest were 6 or 7 lbs. Fished straight out from Sooke between 200-500ft bottom contour and caught fish at all depth between 0-130' on the riggers but seemed to get most hits 90-130.

Most interesting thing about today was the stomach contents (when present) with herring ranging from 4'' to 8''.
 
Out today from 7:30 to 11:30 off the bluffs, in 350 to 450 feet. Hit over 30 Coho including a few doubles and one triple. Only 1 guest today so kept his 4 and one wild for me. Largest were just over 10 pounds. 50-95 feet on anchovies and rubber. Beauty flat calm morning and 3 humpbacks around us too.
 
Late posting for Monday Oct 13. 3 wild about 6 to 8 lbs at 60 to 70 ft on downrigger. Pink mini plankton and 4 1/2" radiant alligator squirt. Medical emergency for our guest who got an ambulance ride to Jubilee hospital after he caught the three fish. Possible allergic reaction to nausea medication.

Wife and I were out today at 10 am. Bit of rain to begin with but turned into a beautiful day on the water. Most action early for us and then tapered off. We had 8 fish on and managed 2 wild and 2 clipped was all we found. Largest was a clipped about 10 lbs. Others were about 8lb. 7 of the 8 fish were on white glow hootchie at 60 ft. One on pink mini plankton at 70 ft. Going 3 to 4 mph and tested plugs, bait and several different hootchies at different depths. Whales around all day. Water had a swell to it but became almost glassy. Good day on the water.
 
Yakkin it today in 400 ft of water off Otter. I wasn't getting anything off the rigger from 50 to 90 ft on spoons and hootchies so tried up on the surface with a 4 oz weight and some strip--had 2 to the yak on that rig but lost them both!! Hooked a 3rd on a sandlance spoon up on top but he spit the hook. Despite the poor fish handling on my part it was a great day to be on the water. There was an intermittent breeze which helped with the peddling and a couple of humpbacks cruised by outside of me to top it off.
T2
 
Out from 11 to 2 pm. Son with us today and he got his first fish of the season about 10 minutes in. Came on pink mini plankton at 70 ft. It was about 6 or 7 lbs and he let it go to try for a bigger one. He got his second fish about 30 minutes in on white hootichie at 70 ft. 3 or 4 more bites over the next couple of hours but no more fish to the boat, The one he got was 8 1/2 after scaling, gutting and degilling so probably about 10 to 11 obs. It was 27 inch. Things have slowed down for us but still a nice day on the water.

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We were off the Head yesterday and hooked into a ton of fish at 90-100 feet on the rigger in 500 of water.

Most fish on gear, but the bigger ones came on bait.

The faucet seemed to turn off around 12-12:30 and we hit no more fish until 3 when we called it a day.
 
Fishing Sooke in the fall;family,warm weather,whales and coho...started just off the Head;no need to go way out. 100' gay-pride hoochy;250' ~ 400'.

Fished beside mhbradley crew for a while; even managed a nice cat nap.:)
 
Went out from 9:00am until 1:30pm today. First thing a decent breeze was blowing from the NW putting a good chop up and small whitecaps which bounced us and about 5 other boats around a bit. Calmed down to flat by late morning.
Thanksgiving and family commitments meant we had not been out for two weeks so was not expecting the halcyon crazy days of back then. Went out to 500’ of water and tried the trusty white glow hootchies and small spoons. Nothing except shakers. Mid-morning decided to try an anchovy from the three times refrozen half packet I had thrown in at the last minute. Got a big hit after it had been down two minutes, which caught me by surprise, so missed it. Later still missed another similar hit. My stock of 8 anchovies were then whittled down to just two by the attentions of more shakers over the next hour. On the very last two anchovies we got lucky and brought a 6lb and 10lb wild to the boat. Trolled spoons for another half an hour but only got more shakers, so motored home over a glassy rolling sea, now devoid of other boats.
No idea why they only wanted meat today….guess that is fishing!;)
 
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Fishing Sooke in the fall;family,warm weather,whales and coho...started just off the Head;no need to go way out. 100' gay-pride hoochy;250' ~ 400'.

Fished beside mhbradley crew for a while; even managed a nice cat nap.:)


Hope u gave that crew the gears :)
 
Out from 12 to 4 pm. 200 to 550 ft water. Spoons, plugs and plastic 50 ft to 130 ft. Small non-clipped and small clipped both on 4 1/2 inch radiant alligator squirt at 70 ft. Also lost one at the boat. 2 shaker coho from 90 ft. Saw 3 or 4 orcas go by. No rain, some sun and calm, glassy water. Did not take any bait out so could not do what the Englishman did. Bait may have helped but it was still a good day on the water.
 
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