2017 Sooke Reports
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SpringVelocity
Crew Member
Test fishery? For Sooke River Chum?
kayladog
Active Member
out today from 8 - 1 started off Beechy @500' and got chased off the water off Secretary. Wet nasty ride back into SE wind. Bit much for 16' boat. Had about 10 fish on, kept 3 smallish clipped coho, let a couple wilds go, lost a few beside the boat while trying to identify, and had a couple long line releases after good runs. Bait worked best (blue green chrome head and flasher), but various hootchies and squirts had bites too. No bites on spoons.
Fished Sunday for Coho and kept two hatchery's one was 15 lbs 
. Took my daughter last night and lost a few behind the boat landed a triple with one hatchery ,also some very large crabs in the trap, best set this year by far . lots of guys fishing off the billings spit with fish jumping all around them. Stopped and watched seals play with salmon off wiffen spit .
. Took my daughter last night and lost a few behind the boat landed a triple with one hatchery ,also some very large crabs in the trap, best set this year by far . lots of guys fishing off the billings spit with fish jumping all around them. Stopped and watched seals play with salmon off wiffen spit .
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fogged in
Well-Known Member
Fished the second tide line from the Race to the Head
Very slow, but managed 2 clipped coho, 7 or 8 pounds each
released a couple wilds and winter feeder springs.
80' Green hotspot 50" lead and on an old flashtail.
for those who don't know about flashtails, they are like a bucktail with a silver body.
I don't think you can buy them anymore.
tried anchovie 100 to 150' looking for a spring but no love.
Beautiful day, no boats where we were fishing.
Very slow, but managed 2 clipped coho, 7 or 8 pounds each
released a couple wilds and winter feeder springs.
80' Green hotspot 50" lead and on an old flashtail.
for those who don't know about flashtails, they are like a bucktail with a silver body.
I don't think you can buy them anymore.
tried anchovie 100 to 150' looking for a spring but no love.
Beautiful day, no boats where we were fishing.
Yesterday I took DFO staff out to fly a drone over the seiner doing the Chum test fishery. We shot video of a complete net set from start to finish. The set we videoed was the 5th set they had made. Not a single Chum. On the set we watched they hand brailed 2 Coho back...that was it. The boat was in just over 200 feet of water due south of the tin shed. They are using a seine that is about 160 feet deep. Was interesting to see it work up close and have someone on board explaining the complete process. They also have a DFO observer on board. They are fishing 2 days a week...2 on our side and then 2 on the US side. The boat has been hired to do 24 days.
Englishman
Well-Known Member
Headed out to fish at 8:00am today. It was a bit lumpy to start but calmed down nicely. Quite few boats in 450’ of water off the harbour mouth when we arrived.
I was not expecting a repeat of last week, when it was hatchery fish only out there. We started with a double header which we lost, then released an unclipped of about 7lb. We then proceeded to pick up our four hatchery in fairly short order, only having to release one more unclipped fish during the rest of the session. We were done by 11:00am with our biggest at 8lb. Not a great size but I am grateful that it has not been like other years where you had to wade through 10 unclipped fish to find a single hatchery.
All our fish came at 80' on UV/pink or green/white hootchies except the last hatchery which came to an army truck hootch at 120', where we had gone looking after the bite died a bit.
I was not expecting a repeat of last week, when it was hatchery fish only out there. We started with a double header which we lost, then released an unclipped of about 7lb. We then proceeded to pick up our four hatchery in fairly short order, only having to release one more unclipped fish during the rest of the session. We were done by 11:00am with our biggest at 8lb.
Not a great size but I am grateful that it has not been like other years where you had to wade through 10 unclipped fish to find a single hatchery. All our fish came at 80' on UV/pink or green/white hootchies except the last hatchery which came to an army truck hootch at 120', where we had gone looking after the bite died a bit.
Rented a double eagle from Pedder Bay Marina today and did a bit of jigging outside the bay. Caught a nice ling, couple of sculpins and finished the day of with a 15lb cabezon. It was flat calm until 2ish when the wind really picked up. Gust up to 30knots within 15 minutes. Never seen weather changed so much so quickly. Koodos to the staffs at Pedder Bay Marina. A first class organization and great services as always.
Sooke was on for coho today from 10-12:30 then shut down for me. Fairly steady, around 20 to the boat, white hoochies and chrome green Coyote, on the 295 reef out off Secretary. Hit a school of big teen wild ones, tomorrow should be good for anyone out there if they stick around. Also a very large school of Chums boiling off Wiffin Spit moving around teasing us.
Tsquared
Well-Known Member
I'm looking forward to being able to keep wild coho but On a different subject, I wanted to ask if anyone has seen schools of herring in any great numbers. I have a diy sabiki rod made up and sitting on my powerboat but the last few times I've been out on the pb and the yak I haven't seen any herring schools to work on. Usually this time of year you can get a bucketful if you're out a few times. Has anyone else seen herring balls happening?
I've only seen a few just off the bluff area. Tried to scoop some the other day as it was close enough to troll over to and give it a shot. The gulls took off early and the ball went down to deep before Ingot to it. They wouldn't have been large mature herring as the gulls were sitting and diving in one spot. That means juvenile herring. If the gulls stay in the air, hover and dive down from 10-15 feet and move slowly along with the ball...they should be mature herring.
I just had a look at the on line Coho regs. for off Sooke and found them a little confusing. So do I have it correct? As of Oct 1st, it is 4 Coho one of which may be unclipped/not marked daily limit ???
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/co-chq/20-co-chq-zone1-eng.pdf
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/a-s20-eng.html#20.3
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/co-chq/20-co-chq-zone1-eng.pdf
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/a-s20-eng.html#20.3
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SpringVelocity
Crew Member
Wolf called DFO he just sent me a message. Its 1 and 4. Its really confusing because we have an app, map, printed notices, and releases off DFO site that say conflicting things. Can imagine the gong show on the radio chatter today.
kayladog
Active Member
For sooke area 20-5 the coho limit is 4 of which 1 may be unmarked.
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/a-s20-eng.html
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/a-s20-eng.html
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
yes
