Sooke Winter Springs

[otter]

I apologize for rushing the season but living here for 4 years and trying to fish year round I have yet been explained why mainly the Bluffs are the place/area to fishin the winter. Obvious answers are the needlefish population but why not Otter, Secretary? No one fishes the Bluffs in the summer? Pardon my ignorance but I cant reason with it.
Thanks for any input so I can sleep at nights.

B Gibb

 

[JuandeOne]

Winter springs are notorious for hanging close to/on the bottom in most areas in the Victoria to Sooke area. The sandy smooth bottom of the Bluffs hold needlefish, and herring schools are often close to the bottom here as well. The fact this area is contoured nicely from 120' to 160' of water, makes it accessible for anglers to get their downrigger balls right in the mud.

As you know, Otter and Secretary get deep really fast and the bottoms are mostly rocky and undulating. Because of this, it is harder to fish the bottom in these areas and the baitfish are likely less abundant to attract salmon anyway. Bait fish avoid rockier bottoms as there are far more (bottom) fish species to gobble them up.

With that said, I have caught winter fish in both of these spots but usually at midwater depths off of bottom.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[mr.dean]

Crystal

Good luck and greater fish'n.

 

[lpaulcarter]

I've just come back from 5 days fishing out of Sooke - Otter Point, Secretary, the Trap Shack, Beechey Head, all the usual places - where are "the Bluffs"?

Paul

 

[wolf]

Ok now you have made me have a good laugh LOL LOL
if you come out of the sooke basin and turn right to head to otter there is a huge kelp bed there now look up you will see what we call the bluffs there are some houses that look like they will fall into the ocen on any given storm but it stays intact,its all gravel and sand if you look more into the bay youll here people say fish are at the tin shed thats where the old logging site for pacific used to be then further on is the trailer park we usually start at the tin shed and move back and forth just off of the trailer park its nice and level then it drops off quite fast thats another good spot they will start showing up mostly in late oct all the way to may hope that helps.
Good luck wolf

 

[otter]

Thanks for the info, the Bluffs and fish deep

B Gibb

 

[lpaulcarter]

Thanks Wolf. Is the blue boat at Sunny Shores yours?

Paul

 

[wolf]

Yes it is. im sure you have seen me out in it alot.

 

[lpaulcarter]

No, I didn't see you, just saw your boat at the ramp some time around Labour Day. Now that I know what to look for, I'll troll by to say hi if see you out there. Thanks for being so informative here.

Paul

Edited by - lpaulcarter on 09/13/2004 22:50:51