2018 OFFICIAL Vancouver-Howe Sound-Sechelt Reports Thread

[seatosky]

Was out at sandheads first time this year on Thursday boxed 4 sockeye and lost 8. Today was better boxed 12 lost probably another 6 including a spring. Good day out there.

What I have noticed is how much sea lice are on these sockeye each one load with around 15 to 20. Anyone else notice that

Negative but our fish had their slime setting on maximum. The deck was slicker than dog **** leading to some amusing triple headers / fails.

 

[Seaducer]

Currently out at t10, seen one get netted. We lost a nice spring at the boat and had one other nice strike but gone.

More to come.

 

[mudguts]

I have noticed that its hard to keep these fish on line when they start trashing around on the surface. Anybody have some tricks to keeping them hooked? Should go to a larger hook?

Sox have very soft lips. Don’t try to set the hook like you normally do. Don’t stop reeling and yes, you won’t need a net. 7-9lbs is probably your average weight.

 

[Ian wagner]

Negative but our fish had their slime setting on maximum. The deck was slicker than dog **** leading to some amusing triple headers / fails.

Throw the fish into a plastic tote bonk and bleed them then into cooler

 

[Ian wagner]

Sox have very soft lips. Don’t try to set the hook like you normally do. Don’t stop reeling and yes, you won’t need a net. 7-9lbs is probably your average weight.

Sockeye lips are very hard they just like to spin and thrash that's why they get off bring them in as fast as you can before they realize what's up

 

[seatosky]

Throw the fish into a plastic tote bonk and bleed them then into cooler

Good idea. The Fish box in the transom was the plan. **** hit the fan - first triple header 1/3, second 3/3 in the same net and it ripped open. We were pretty lucky and appreciative either way.

A buddy fished sandheads and struggled today for 3 hours with the wife at the wheel. Managed an injured Chinook. Landed 2 sockeye.

 

[seatosky]

Sockeye lips are very hard they just like to spin and thrash that's why they get off bring them in as fast as you can before they realize what's up

Agreed. When they develop a spring in their butt just keep the tension on and keep their heads in the water. They have coho like spunk.

 

[sir-vivor]

Are you trying to stock pile sockeye for the next four years??? How many sockeye do you need and are you not getting enough?

Ya, in fact I am still eating salmon I canned in 2010 why not, what's your point

 

[Marsman]

Hit sandheads noon to 4 pm. Lost a few at the start but then started to hold on to them. Went 7-13 on sockeye and 1 spring around 10-11lbs.
Cheers, Rob

 

[Alex_c]

ended up 4/5 for sockeye. As it seems to happen more often than not, venturing from the pack into deeper water yielded a huge school of sockeye and coho, with 3 sox bonked and 2 wild coho released in about 15 minutes. I had a newbie driving the boat so landing that double header alone was interesting on my small boat.

 

[Trayvreller]

Going out tomorrow. Figuring it may set a record for the most boats out ever, with the tourney on. Sharpen your elbows everyone - we’ll all be jockeying for space!

 

[tincan]

Dead zone off north arm for us tonight. A few dozen boats out there all spread out prettt well. We had sockeye gear down and didn't get a sniff in 2 hours of trolling. Short stint but would have expected something. Saw a random fish caught here and there but not a good bite from what I saw. Hope others managed to find em.

 

[high tide]

Fished south arm area today. Couldnt get in early due to tides and my v hull.

Had limits for my lovely bride and i including 1 mid teen nooky ...... Several swam away to replenish their stock . .wild coho too. Fish all hooked shallow 30 to 60 feet. got a sox on green hootch too while searching for springs.

80 plus boats. Off the water early with smiles and avoid the rush.

Again use of lots of flash attractor dummies and vavoom .Those with little to no dummies not doing so well . Our re pink silver flash mob set up works for us. All pink silver and red theme except for a green hootch haha.

Gong show at the south arm predicted this weekend. Glad i fish during the week. Bonus!!

Google eye and glo head pink hootch. Short leaders. Any speed. Didnt matter. Corners dead slow fast. Vavoom.

Have fun. Go get some great eating sockeye.

 

[Sliver09]

Nice evening troll between bell bouy and north arm. Nothing but doggies until about 745. Had an absolute freight train hooked up for a good ten minutes and then spat hooks behind the boat. Purple haze flasher, army truck hoochie at 75'. Had another whack shortly after on a lemon lime flasher with a fat herring at about 45'. Wasn't messing with socks tonight, targeting springs.

Good luck to all the anglers taking part in the chinook classic this weekend!

 

[Brian Reiber]

Finally got a moment to put out a report. We ran across from Ladysmith to Sandheads yesterday morning with my father and my son. Lines in the water just before 7. Things were slow getting started, we missed 3 soft hits that were gone before we even got the rod out of the holder. It wasn't until just after 10 that we got our first fish in the boat. We found the real bite came on closer to noon and all the double headers filled the cooler quickly. We ended with 10 nice sox and were done at 130. I'm sure we could have got the last 2 but we had enough fish. All in all a great day on the water with 3 generations. Pretty cool.

For us green flashers, pink squirt 22" leaders, all fish on the deep rod about 70' with the exception of the last double of the day which smashed the gear right off the surface.

 

[Trayvreller]

At North arm now. Just me and s couple hundred of my closest buddies. Sox gear down. No action yet. Not much local wind but there are some rollers.

 

[high tide]

B Reiber......
Awesome you zoned in on them. Sounds like you had a terrific day travelling from the island. Good on ya.

 

[Corey_lax]

Ya, in fact I am still eating salmon I canned in 2010 why not, what's your point

Well I don’t see any annual limit for sockeye, so what was your original point?

 

[reeltordarius]

At North arm now. Just me and s couple hundred of my closest buddies. Sox gear down. No action yet. Not much local wind but there are some rollers.

Sounds like the derby action is in full effect....

 

[scotty]

Been at South Arm since 7 am 3 socks in the boat. Been pretty slow for us so far. Winds definitely picking up. Got all our fish out in 300+ deep water came in closer and can’t see anyone catching. Came out last night and onlyscrapped our one coho. Hopefully the afternoon tide is going to show us some love.