Sooke best timing for various species

[RevyFisher]

Read through the various threads and looking for more specific info as last year I took the family to Port Renfrew but our boat was too small (at least to us) to run out to Swiftsure so we're interested in Sooke this year.

We're from the southern interior so the chance to catch and eat fresh dungeness while on holidays followed by halibut and then salmon are our priorities. Given these priorities what time of the summer is best to hit Sooke and is halibut fairly easily accessible or do you still require a large boat with far runs out into the strait? We have an 18' with 90hp Honda and were comfortable trolling the beaches off Renfrew in the swells albeit my daughter was seasick the whole time at trolling speeds so she'd appreciate these waters far more.

Thanks for any info you can share!

 

[fishspoon]

Read through the various threads and looking for more specific info as last year I took the family to Port Renfrew but our boat was too small (at least to us) to run out to Swiftsure so we're interested in Sooke this year.

We're from the southern interior so the chance to catch and eat fresh dungeness while on holidays followed by halibut and then salmon are our priorities. Given these priorities what time of the summer is best to hit Sooke and is halibut fairly easily accessible or do you still require a large boat with far runs out into the strait? We have an 18' with 90hp Honda and were comfortable trolling the beaches off Renfrew in the swells albeit my daughter was seasick the whole time at trolling speeds so she'd appreciate these waters far more.

Thanks for any info you can share!

with the slots in effect in Sooke, we are not allowed to retain wild large chinooks until later part in the summer. However, there are big pockets of hatch chinooks `clipped` around at hot spots that we can retain. There are few halibut spots around Sooke, no need to venture out that far when the tides are right or slow.

check out the island outfitters fishing report on line which is accurate. hope it helps

 

[GDW]

Halibut all year (when open), crabbing can be hit and miss no matter where you are, salmon peak July and August but really anytime of year you have the chance of catching keepers.

Trade off with summer months is better salmon but tougher for halibut as there is often many dogfish. The halibut are still there just a little more difficult and a lot more frustrating to catch.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Mid July and and the best are weekdays. Mainly I say that because fishing is generally full swing and you don't have the fogs like August. As far as reports most of the online reports just focus on tackle selling....The fish move day to day so if you out here a while you will catch on. A lot of bigger fish are caught in different areas sometimes away from the crowds....Truthfully there are fish all around...

 

[Rockfish]

I would fish in Aug, the best time for large transiting Chinook. If they have a Sockeye opening they tend to make us wait until the bulk of them are past us or are sure of a good return to the Fraser River so Aug. may be a good time for them also. There will be a lot of Coho and you may catch more small ones earlier, but by Aug. they will be putting on some size, so they will be bigger on average and will keep getting bigger all the way into Oct. when you are usually allowed to keep an unclipped Coho starting Oct 1st. Lots of crabs in the harbor and basin but also lots of crab thieves, best bet is put them down for a few hours with lots of fresh bait, (salmon frames and heads) and keep an eye on them. If you have the gear and knowledge (safety issues) - anchor up for Hali and if not there is a chance you will catch one bottom bouncing on the flat bottom areas for Chinook with bait in 100 to 140 feet of water - it happens.

The only down side to August is the fog.

Don’t forget that there is a Chinook non retention zone starting Aug 1st on the inside of a line from Possession Point to the far end of the Bluffs to protect the Sooke Chinook Spawners. There is also a huge RCA no fishing zone which comes out of the Sooke Harbor bay on the west side and goes way out in front of the Bluffs and all the way around the shore of the next bay to the west which is called Sooke Bay even though it is not the bay right in front of the spit and Sooke harbor.

 

[RevyFisher]

Thanks for all the info.

 

[Rob H]

I fully agree with Rockfish's comments that August would be the best time to fish Sooke. The Chinook fishing will be at or near the best for the year and there will be a good chance of a sockeye opening with the potentially huge run coming this year. There should also be a reasonable number of coho around as well.

...Rob

 

[profisher]

June, July and August best for springs. August for Sockeye but the Coho move out of the straits in August (most not all) and feed offshore (Swiftsure) then return mid September to end of October.