2018 Sooke Reports

[Stizzla]

Here it is:

Sooke - 1
Stizzla - 0

Launched out of chianuh with good ol’ Original. Little foggy and a little swelly compared to Sidney.
Started the day off with a little classic stizzla! Grounded the cannonballs and was lucky enough to only lose one ball, flasher, lure, clip and ganglion... Then I tied a new one on and Don questioned my knot... I basically told him to shut it because my knots are the best... and then continued to drop the ball into the water, which in immediately snapped and dropped to the bottom. That ball was brand new! Sorry For the sass don!
I was then grumpy and sat there doing nothing for a bit.

Then a whale show! We shut er down and pulled gear so the 12 whale watching boats could blast past us. It was brutal how much they harass them!

Then we had shaker after shaker before Original hit a good one... he says take he rod and I say “no”. But his persistence got me to give this feisty coho a go. 2 jumps and got it to the boat before it crossed my line and it was game over.

A few more shakers and watched another boat lose a tyee, before heading in to a skunk crab pot.

The end.
Insert applause here.

 

[Cmiles]

Sorry to hear Steve but your persistence will eventually pay off hope it was fun thoughts

 

[Original]

The reel story.
Early start with a bit of fog but the sun came through for most of the day. Steves boat was the best looking boat in the Sooke waters and lived up to its name as the lines were tight with the desired scrapy Coho & Chinook Salmon consistently taking our bullet rolling bait. We're not your average fishermen cause we elected to put all those beauties back for the hungry whales which put on a Stizzalating show for us at the side of the boat. As for the crab trap someone obviously raided our trap and filled it with females. Thanks for an awesome day on the West Coast Steve and I can't wait to go out again. ;-)

 

[kayladog]

Beechy & Trap today from 6:30 - 3. Lots of shakers early. Finally around 11:00 caught a #15 white out off the Trap reef. Saw another decent one netted at the same time but mostly people releasing little guys. Spoons outfished bait about 3 to 1, so like 15 shakers on spoon to 5 on bait.

 

[Stizzla]

Ha. Your poaching my turf and I'm heading for yours.
Towed the boat to work today and heading for Sidney around 4:00.
I don't fish Sidney much but I like the tank top/ flip flop conditions out there.

Good Luck!

How did you do in Sidney? I tried mostly Aldridge to around Beechy into pig bay and back. Pig bay is a beautiful spot!
Thanks @Cmiles and the rest of the well wishers. my god I want a teener so bad!

 

[Englishman]

Here it is:

Sooke - 1
Stizzla - 0

Launched out of chianuh with good ol’ Original. Little foggy and a little swelly compared to Sidney.
Started the day off with a little classic stizzla! Grounded the cannonballs and was lucky enough to only lose one ball, flasher, lure, clip and ganglion... Then I tied a new one on and Don questioned my knot... I basically told him to shut it because my knots are the best... and then continued to drop the ball into the water, which in immediately snapped and dropped to the bottom. That ball was brand new! Sorry For the sass don!
I was then grumpy and sat there doing nothing for a bit.

Then a whale show! We shut er down and pulled gear so the 12 whale watching boats could blast past us. It was brutal how much they harass them!

Then we had shaker after shaker before Original hit a good one... he says take he rod and I say “no”. But his persistence got me to give this feisty coho a go. 2 jumps and got it to the boat before it crossed my line and it was game over.

A few more shakers and watched another boat lose a tyee, before heading in to a skunk crab pot.

The end.
Insert applause here.

Not to hijack the thread but I was curious about the "snapping" of the "line"? when you dropped the ball in. I assume that was braid since you talk about tying a knot. If so I doubt it was your knot, if that makes you feel any better. Braid is notorious for sudden catastrophic failure. If you do a search, there is lots of discussion on various threads on this forum, where you can see mine and other peoples experience with it. (I gave up on braid and went back to cable. )

 

[Stizzla]

Not to hijack the thread but I was curious about the "snapping" of the "line"? when you dropped the ball in. I assume that was braid since you talk about tying a knot. If so I doubt it was your knot, if that makes you feel any better. Braid is notorious for sudden catastrophic failure. If you do a search, there is lots of discussion on various threads on this forum, where you can see mine and other peoples experience with it. (I gave up on braid and went back to cable. )

I recently switched to braid, and the know I’ve been using to tie my site stops is the modified uni knot. The few times I’ve done them in the driveway I follow a YouTube instruction, but in this instance I went by memory and I think I missed a step. Don showed me a new way to tie it on, which is the same way Scotty does it so I’m going to be working on practicing that this morning when I go wash the boat.
Edit: I just watched the modified uni knot video and it’s confirmed... I **** the bed on that one.
The good news is I called my downrigger ball guy this morning who now knows me by my number and answers “hi Stevie boy!” I’m sending his grandchildren though college so that feels good.

 

[hambone]

Fished sooke early yesterday and mainly just worked over the Head. 40-70’ got most of the action. Countless small springs, 1 beautiful sockeye and 1 Coho released. We bonked three springs in the 10-15# range.

I couldn’t believe the fleet of boats chasing those whales!! I’d be embarrassed and ashamed to be part of that. I guess in the fog no rules apply??

 

[Stizzla]

Fished sooke early yesterday and mainly just worked over the Head. 40-70’ got most of the action. Countless small springs, 1 beautiful sockeye and 1 Coho released. We bonked three springs in the 10-15# range.

I couldn’t believe the fleet of boats chasing those whales!! I’d be embarrassed and ashamed to be part of that. I guess in the fog no rules apply??

Were you the two guys in the convertible tinny?

 

[Tips Up]

How did you do in Sidney? I tried mostly Aldridge to around Beechy into pig bay and back. Pig bay is a beautiful spot!
Thanks @Cmiles and the rest of the well wishers. my god I want a teener so bad!
View attachment 39165 View attachment 39164

Got Stizzla'd . See Sidney Report

 

[cby]

I recently switched to braid, and the know I’ve been using to tie my site stops is the modified uni knot. The few times I’ve done them in the driveway I follow a YouTube instruction, but in this instance I went by memory and I think I missed a step. Don showed me a new way to tie it on, which is the same way Scotty does it so I’m going to be working on practicing that this morning when I go wash the boat.
Edit: I just watched the modified uni knot video and it’s confirmed... I **** the bed on that one.
The good news is I called my downrigger ball guy this morning who now knows me by my number and answers “hi Stevie boy!” I’m sending his grandchildren though college so that feels good.

I switched to Braid 5 years ago. I have never lost a cannon ball because of failure with braid. I used 200lb power pro. I used to lose my balls all the time with cable, Never lost a ball with Braid. Also it is way quieter and easier on the hands.

 

[cby]

Fished Aldridge this morning in the wind and fog. Wasn't very pleasant that's for sure. Went 4 for 9, only kept a 9lb hatchery for dinner. released 3, 6lbers, lost a couple good ones, the rest hit, on and gone after a few runs and long line releases.

 

[hambone]

Were you the two guys in the convertible tinny?

I was in a blue Arima.

 

[Stizzla]

I was in a blue Arima.

Really Nice. We were talking about it!

 

[habberdasher]

I was in a blue Arima.

Hi have you tried arimaowners.com?
I have a old beige hunter

 

[fishspoon]

Fished becher bay up to church rock and up to beechy head. My buddy caught and released 39 " spring salmon. I netted his heavy fish and then my buddy released his monster nicely. We released many feeder springs as well.

 

[Fisherman Rob]

Headed out at about 11am this morning into the fog. Was a bit bumpy, but not too windy. Picked up a small clipped spring after about an hour just southwest of Secretary Island (man does Posession Point look like a piece of crap these days but whatever that’s a topic for another forum). Good old army truck hoochie with purple haze flasher, 125’ on the DR in 160’ water. Kids started feeling sea sick so packed in in early, headed back to sunny East Sooke. Fresh salmon on the bbq tonight!

 

[profisher]

I question the math on 47 pounds...96 cm is not that big. I've kept one hatchery that went 90 cm and it weighed 23 pounds. I released a wild that was bigger that I guessed to be 26 pounds. For curiosity I checked some site with estimates on salmon's weights based on measurements. (lengths and girth) They use averages based on some fish being long and skinny and some being shorter and fat. They say you get a fairly accurate weight 75% of the time. Based on their modeling a 47 pound fish would be 50 inches long or 127cm. I've caught 35 fish over 40 pounds in Sooke including numerous 45's a 47 1/2, 48, 49 12/2 and a 52. All were in the range being described on this site.

 

[Aces]

Fished becher bay up to church rock and up to beechy head. My buddy caught and released 39 " tyee. I netted his heavy fish and then my buddy released his monster nicely. We released many feeder springs as well.

Weighed a 39 x 24 Chinook today and it was just under 29 lbs

 

[hambone]

Hi have you tried arimaowners.com?
I have a old beige hunter

I have! Lots of good info.