2017 Sooke Reports
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Ocean Jade
Member
Got a white today, 15# out west
Roberth
Crew Member
My spot must be loaded with halibut because in 6 trips I've had 2 yes 2 dogfish.
Everything on octopus not salmon
Was fishing from 1:30 pm to 8 pm today. Beautiful calm and warm day. I started at Muir and got a smaller fish pretty soon. Didn't get it to the boat but I guess it was a coho.
At about 5pm I got another bite that turned out to be a 14 lbs red male spring. Later I trolled back to Otter Point. Lots of boats there but very little action. Then at sun set I got another bite. This time it was a 16 lbs marbled male spring. So in total I got three bites in 6.5h fishing with 2 springs in the boat.
All springs I caught on anchovy with UV green teaser head. My second rod was fishing an AP Herring spoon and didn't get a sniff. I wonder if I do something wrong with this spoon. I read all these positive comments here in this forum so my expectations were high. But so far I didn't get a single bite on it in a few days fishing it.
At about 5pm I got another bite that turned out to be a 14 lbs red male spring. Later I trolled back to Otter Point. Lots of boats there but very little action. Then at sun set I got another bite. This time it was a 16 lbs marbled male spring. So in total I got three bites in 6.5h fishing with 2 springs in the boat.
All springs I caught on anchovy with UV green teaser head. My second rod was fishing an AP Herring spoon and didn't get a sniff. I wonder if I do something wrong with this spoon. I read all these positive comments here in this forum so my expectations were high. But so far I didn't get a single bite on it in a few days fishing it.
Englishman
Well-Known Member
You are not the only one Fishhook. I too have far less success than several appear to do judging by posts on this forum. I had a couple of hits on the AP needlefish spoon (the narrow one) two years ago. Since then nothing. And I have never had a hit on the herring spoon. Other guys must fish them exclusively and troll faster than is possible with anchovy, or use scent, or fish them along the bottom, or something different to what we are doing.
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
You are not the only one Fishhook. I too have far less success than several appear to do judging by posts on this forum. I had a couple of hits on the AP needlefish spoon (the narrow one) two years ago. Since then nothing. And I have never had a hit on the herring spoon. Other guys must fish them exclusively and troll faster than is possible with anchovy, or use scent, or fish them along the bottom, or something different to what we are doing.
There isn't wrong with the spoon, and I don't troll fast totally fast with them. You have to be in area where there is fish and the right time and it will work. It has to also match like always the size and color of the bait in the area. I think above I said I was using an anchovy spoon not herring one. The anchovy one is a a little smaller in size. Sometimes different sizes work. Again a spoon isn't going to work if you aren't contacting the fish.
Englishman
Well-Known Member
All of what you say SpringV is true. Notwithstanding, as you can see from Fishhook's post he was in an area of fish and did contact fish. Just not on the spoon. So he and I must be doing something wrong or differently from you guys who are vastly more successful with this lure.
In general you are right but it doesn't apply to my case I guess. Obviously I was contacting fish when using this spoon on the other rod. The size could be another reason but the AP Herring is matching the anchovies I use in size. Color is the same thing. I use an AP Herring in chrome/UV blue/Glow. So color is pretty natural and similar to an anchovy after all.
What I suspect is the action of the spoon. As Profisher pointed out I need to fish with the correct speed. Needless to mention that I tested that out watching the spoon action beside the boat at various speeds. What makes me wonder is that it doesn't look like in the AP Spoon video on YouTube (
Chasin' Dreams
Well-Known Member
No specific spoon will work 100% of time even if there are fish there you know for certain. At times they will go after a different spoon. Depends a lot on what bait is around at the time and how much of a bite is on. We fish spoons tons off Vancouver harbor here and all around the Gulf islands. I literally have over 40 different spoons on hand at any given time. But I also am a die hard bait guy. I always run both and different lures too like flash fly hootchies, apex's, etc..Some spoons will out fish others but sometimes it's an oddball one that works better on a certain day.
If I showed you a spoon that I have gotten a lot of Springs on you would laugh cause it's so massive you don't see guys pretty much anywhere using it. (except Renfrew I know a guy using massive ones out there) BUT at certain times it will produce a strike when other things won't.
A tip I can offer is when you've tried all the spoons that you think match the bait close that is around the area and still aren't getting strikes even when it's obvious the bite is on around you on other boats, put a larger spoon on and increase your speed a bit to get more action from the spoon but not too much to make it fail. Even ones so big you think it just doesn't look right.
I'll take a picture of one I use in comparison to other common ones guys are using and you will think it's nuts trust me lol...I'll post it up later when I'm cleaning out my boat later today cause I'm coming out there again to visit you guys
When you cut open a big spring and see big fat 10" Herring packed in it's belly you realize just how big of bait these hunters can devour. Sure most of them are on smaller bait more often but Salmon have an imprint memory. They don't forget prey they have eaten before.
Englishman
Well-Known Member
Fishhook, that is a great video. I have never seen that before and certainly my AP spoons of whatever type/size just wobble like yours and never roll like in that video. I think you could only get a roll like that by twisting the lure a bit, and maybe that is the secret of these other guys success!! LOL
Andrew P
Well-Known Member
[QUOTE="fishhook[/QUOTE]
That's too bad that spoons not producing for you fishhook. Perhaps faster? Most people's chovy speed is too slow for that spoon...imo. I like when they just start to do an occasional roll but mostly swimming/wobbling. This 21lb and a 15 fell for that very spoon this morning for me in vic. No flasher on the line. That video is slowed down 8X....but actually trolling 2.8-3kn.
That's too bad that spoons not producing for you fishhook. Perhaps faster? Most people's chovy speed is too slow for that spoon...imo. I like when they just start to do an occasional roll but mostly swimming/wobbling. This 21lb and a 15 fell for that very spoon this morning for me in vic. No flasher on the line. That video is slowed down 8X....but actually trolling 2.8-3kn.
prettyboyfloyd
Active Member
Fished 8-12. A few shakers for our efforts started at trap and ended out in 500. Bait skinny g coyote spoons all equally ineffective today for us. Last few trips have been spotty for me but overall June July and august produced us some nice fish and there is still time!
