T
Towney
Guest
Slow day for me...
2017 Sooke Reports
- Thread starter SFBC
- Start date
tdickenson
Member
Got one 9 lb spring east side of Otter at 630am on a coho killer and another one on that got off at 720 on a skinny g. Tried Muir and west side of Otter and east side of Otter to the trailer park with the waves until 1130 with only a few small pinks until I got tired of the slog and headed in. Forecast isn't as bad for tomorrow so I certainly hope it hold.
tdickenson
Member
Fished both sides of Otter and the point from 645-1145 am today with no springs (plenty of small pinks). Using spoons and hoochies (no bait). Tough work with the wind and current with nothing to show for it. Thanks to D&D and Crab Shack for giving me some depths. My Bayliner sits so high with upper bridge and blue bimini that it catches the wind like a sail. Hopefully I stayed clear of everyone. I appreciate how guides up here are willing to help a do-it-your-selfer... especially when my wife is sleeping for the morning and I'm running everything solo!
Englishman
Well-Known Member
Two reports above by the same person on the same day seven minutes apart reporting different results! One with a 9lb spring and one with pinks only!!!
walleyes
Crew Member
Lol.Two reports above by the same person on the same day seven minutes apart reporting different results! One with a 9lb spring and one with pinks only!!!
Aridhol
Active Member
Battled the wind and waves from 9am to 1:30 today out of cheanuh.
Trolled from beechy to secretary without a sniff then out behind secretary in the high 400's of water picked up 2 good size pinks.
both deep at 110'-130' on the rigger and one with a pink squirt and one on anchovy.
Escaped the water when the wind decided to lock up again.
Trolled from beechy to secretary without a sniff then out behind secretary in the high 400's of water picked up 2 good size pinks.
both deep at 110'-130' on the rigger and one with a pink squirt and one on anchovy.
Escaped the water when the wind decided to lock up again.
Original
Well-Known Member
What is considered a good sized Pink? How big do they get?
Being a newbie and looking to catching some this year, also could someone share a picture of one if poss.
One other question, what is the easiest way to determine that it's a Pink while it's still in the water beside the boat. Tks
Being a newbie and looking to catching some this year, also could someone share a picture of one if poss.
One other question, what is the easiest way to determine that it's a Pink while it's still in the water beside the boat. Tks
3 to 5 lb average ...some are 8 or 9 lb if lucky. Id the fish s tail... v- shaped with black spots all over. Its a pink.
F
fogged in
Guest
Pinks generally don't fight much...just swim sideways to the boat if you keep pressure on them while winding them in quickly.
The spots on their tail are bigger and somewhat blurry compared to small sharp black spot on a spring
They have white lower gums, soft mouths, slap around like hell once in the boat and leave lots of slim
That's why many call them "slimies"
They have a fishy taste and soft meat. Be sure to get them on ice quickly
Some like to smoke them. I just find them a damn nuisance and get expensive when using bait.
We have released as many as 40 or more in a 4 hour trip when the run is in full swing.
Fastest way to tell a Pink beside the boat is the larger oval spots on the tail and the very tiny size of the scales.
I have noticed the Pinks off Sooke often have a somewhat darker look to the tail than the other salmon species in addition to the large oval spots. The males often have a noticeably humped back when older and closer to the river and are sometimes called Humpys. Mostly they are 3 to 6lbs but there are the occasional larger ones off Sooke.
They have softer, smaller, weak teeth. If you run your fingers over them hard it does not feel like you are going to cut your finger, unlike Coho and Chinook.
The salmon you are most likely to confuse as a Pink, which is not a Pink, is a small Chinook, however the spots on a small Chinook's tail are smaller and round, not oval. Their scales are much larger as are the scales of the other salmon species not Pinks and their teeth are longer, strong and sharp. Many small Sooke Chinook are clipped, but I have never caught a clipped Pink. The Chinook also have the jet black gums all the way to the base of the teeth..
I have noticed the Pinks off Sooke often have a somewhat darker look to the tail than the other salmon species in addition to the large oval spots. The males often have a noticeably humped back when older and closer to the river and are sometimes called Humpys. Mostly they are 3 to 6lbs but there are the occasional larger ones off Sooke.
They have softer, smaller, weak teeth. If you run your fingers over them hard it does not feel like you are going to cut your finger, unlike Coho and Chinook.
The salmon you are most likely to confuse as a Pink, which is not a Pink, is a small Chinook, however the spots on a small Chinook's tail are smaller and round, not oval. Their scales are much larger as are the scales of the other salmon species not Pinks and their teeth are longer, strong and sharp. Many small Sooke Chinook are clipped, but I have never caught a clipped Pink. The Chinook also have the jet black gums all the way to the base of the teeth..
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Original
Well-Known Member
Some great info there for me thanks for sharing. I've caught some chinooks and a couple coho's and have used the gums for quick reference while in the water but I caught a good size fish last sat off Esq and determined it was a pink and ate it then started to worry that it may have been something else. I kept the head and tail for my crab trap and have just pulled them from the freezer to help ease my mind. I had asked a few buds and have had, it's a coho, it's a sockeye as well as that's a pink. It came in easy and I thought it would be a small one then swam beside me while I tried to figure it out and once in the boat it was going crazy( wish it did that in the water) and was very slimey even after it was cleaned and washed. Meat was red and no hump and scales seemed average only had a few teeth at the snout. So much to learn, should have started fishing 40 yrs ago.
tdickenson
Member
My "pinks only" report was from today (Thurs) posted early afternoon. The date/time stamps must be off. (If the posts seemed later than actual I would guess it's because of spotty phone service connections from my US carrier, but they were early)
tdickenson
Member
Glad there was less wind this morning (Friday). Switched to anchovies today thinking that was the ticket, but they didn't produce. Tried Otter for an hour... more boats but didn't see anything happening. Went out to Sherringham, fewer boats but nothing happening so after another hour went out to Point No Point. Finally switched to a large purple spoon and purple haz flasher after the sun cam out and immediately his my one 10 lb spring. A Ling in the shallows and a few pinks. Came back when I couldn't make headway back into the current after lunch. One more day tomorrow for me for this trip.
Gear'n'beer!
Well-Known Member
I hate to say it but Pinks saved the day for me today.... other than wild 'ho's that was it....zero Chinook love in 9 hrs of trolling. Lines down at 6am and up around 3. Glad to have the Hali/crab bait however.....
got out a bit late around 11am and fished till 3:30. Picked up and released a few wild cohos biggest maybe 6-7 lbs rest were shakers at otter and got one nize size pink around 5lbs off muir. Also suspect that someone had pulled my trap that was out by Gordans. One zap strap was cut and there were very few males none of which were keepers.
