2018 Sooke Reports
- Thread starter SFBC
- Start date
N2013
Well-Known Member
Been finding a little more feed inside the bay lately. Had a day in Whirl as well this past week but nothing was happening for myself or the other boats that I talked to. I feel there isn't a lot of fish around, but they are a decent size to them, anywhere from 6-11lbs. Have had some days where anything green is all the rave, other times it's a white hootchie. Some right on bottom, others 20' up.
N2013
Well-Known Member
This.
fish brain
Crew Member
I was out on Wednesday. Tried Whirl,Cheanuh and all the way to Secretary Island.
Used Irish cream and green skinny g , an Andrew P with the blue stripe White and glow hootcies .
We caught at least 30 shakers and not one keeper, or hit that might have been one.
All the shakers I looked at seemed to be coho all the same size about 12 inches
Used Irish cream and green skinny g , an Andrew P with the blue stripe White and glow hootcies .
We caught at least 30 shakers and not one keeper, or hit that might have been one.
All the shakers I looked at seemed to be coho all the same size about 12 inches
california
Well-Known Member
That' a good sign if they were coho and that there are schools around , I remember when I was a kid fishing bluebacks in the strait in the spring. Limit was 8 I think, tons of boats you would limit out on them. Now of course we realize we shouldn' have been hitting those young coho so hard.
habberdasher
Well-Known Member
I remember that too ! just like trout fishing gang troll and worm or a small tom mack spoon
Fished Pedder and Whirl today with a couple of shifts of folks from work. It was rougher and slower than we had hoped! Put in a good effort with one bite/one 61 cm fish to show for it between the can and William Head. Saw a few very small fish caught for about a dozen boats. Also, for the first time ever, managed to prop the rigger cable in the kicker making a turn into the wind, thank god for heavy braid. Tied it off, cut it, retied and no loss of gear.
Just a note to say that we (UVic Fisheries Ecology Group) are continuing our stomach content sampling program in 2018 and trying to ramp up our samples. I am concerned about getting enough samples from the Victoria and Sooke area in winter, and would encourage those who participated before to keep at it, and those who have not yet participated to consider it.
If you need some added incentive, Islander reels has generously donated an MR2, each stomach submitted to the program in 2018 (with complete associated information) will count as an entry in a draw for this reel.
If you are interested PM me your email address. I will add you to our e-mailing list and send you sampling instructions and our 2017 data update.
If you need some added incentive, Islander reels has generously donated an MR2, each stomach submitted to the program in 2018 (with complete associated information) will count as an entry in a draw for this reel.
If you are interested PM me your email address. I will add you to our e-mailing list and send you sampling instructions and our 2017 data update.
N2013
Well-Known Member
Rolled some gear through the bay last week and scooped up a 6&10lb. Right on bottom, green/glowy spoon, ‘bout 130’ of water. First 4hrs were painfully slow, then a bite came on and got two back to back. Fair bit of bait showed up on the sounder but the fish were scattered.
N2013
Well-Known Member
Went outta Sooke on thursday for a few hours. Lots of bait around and either Dalls or Pacific White Sided porpoises. Tons of them. Was pretty steady action with most being keepers but in that 4-5lbs range. Lost a good one up at the surface and had porpoise hit my portside rod as well unfortunately. That rod went zero to 100 in a blink. Hopefully it's okay as I had to break him off as there was no slowing down that critter. Action was on both green spoon/white hootchie.
Englishman
Well-Known Member
Went out for the first time in 2018 today. Fished 8:45am until 1:30pm, mostly along Bluffs to trailer park and back. Huge amounts of debris in the water, pretty much the whole length of the troll. Usually right along the 120-140’ contour as well!! Managed to hook two logs but got the gear back O.K. Big tides this week to blame I suppose. Did not get any hits; just shakers. Lots of porpoises cruising around.
Incredibly for this early in the year, as we got back to Secretary there was an RCMP boat checking a couple of boats there, and they came alongside us as well. Same guys as last year. When I asked how come we fished for 6 years and never saw an RCMP boat off Sooke and now twice inside a year, they said they used not to have a boat in Victoria only Vancouver. They checked all boat/operator paperwork and Fisheries were on board too checking licenses and hooks. With the time lost during the RCMP check plus the debris hook up chaos we probably only fished 3 hours. Too cold and rainy to persevere though. LOL.
Incredibly for this early in the year, as we got back to Secretary there was an RCMP boat checking a couple of boats there, and they came alongside us as well. Same guys as last year. When I asked how come we fished for 6 years and never saw an RCMP boat off Sooke and now twice inside a year, they said they used not to have a boat in Victoria only Vancouver. They checked all boat/operator paperwork and Fisheries were on board too checking licenses and hooks. With the time lost during the RCMP check plus the debris hook up chaos we probably only fished 3 hours. Too cold and rainy to persevere though. LOL.
Englishman
Well-Known Member
Maybe. Cops told us that "everyone was just reporting shakers", so seemed pointless continuing. Glad whatever techniques you used worked for you. Nothing worked for us......
Englishman
Well-Known Member
Well February was a bust for us since it seemed to be too cold, raining hard , snowing or gale force winds!! Finally go out today and it was good to be on the water. Fished 9am-2:15 pm.
Glow squirt was down 5 minutes and we had a hit in 115’ of water with rigger set at 125’ which turned out to be a small 5lb hatchery fish. Ironically we got no further hits for more than 3 hours despite checking out the same ground several times, except for a rockfish off the end of Secretary.
Finally got a shaker on herring at 1:00pm on the same ground we had already covered several times, followed promptly by another small 4lb hatchery fish on a similar glow squirt.
Only 2 other boats out there and despite the good wind forecast on BWD it was much choppier than we expected, especially off the end of Secretary!!
Glow squirt was down 5 minutes and we had a hit in 115’ of water with rigger set at 125’ which turned out to be a small 5lb hatchery fish. Ironically we got no further hits for more than 3 hours despite checking out the same ground several times, except for a rockfish off the end of Secretary.
Finally got a shaker on herring at 1:00pm on the same ground we had already covered several times, followed promptly by another small 4lb hatchery fish on a similar glow squirt.
Only 2 other boats out there and despite the good wind forecast on BWD it was much choppier than we expected, especially off the end of Secretary!!
Fisherben3
Active Member
Whirl bay was really good on Monday. Me and my 3 fishing partners caught 8 springs up to 9 lbs in 3.5 hours
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Calais 1900
New Member
Got one little bite hali fishing but nothing else fishing 4 km out from race rock near the shipping lanes, was out from 830 1100 until it got a bit bumpy so we pulled the hook and headed in. Anyways it was good to get out, anbody else have any luck with hali?
