2020 Sooke Reports

[Irishwolf]

Looks like a mixed bag out there this am. Out of Cheanuh in a buddies boat 7-11ish. Lots of fish to the boat but all very small...2-3 pounds if that. 2 wild coho and the rest were pinks. Hit most inside the bay on the beechey head side. No consistency in depth. Picked up some at 50 and others at 150. All on green white glow coho killers.

Took a tack out to 400 ft looking for cohos but nothing. Did come across a thick line of something between 200-250 ft. Dropped one rigger to 245 and got a pink. Dropped again and got another pink, but both fish very small, maybe just legal. And Whoah too much work for fish of that size so we headed back to the bay. Do pinks normally migrate that deep? Only 2nd time fishing the area.

 

[kayladog]

Out Saturday in 5he fog 7-2:00. Definately slowed down for coho from past two weeks, only released one wild. Released two nice springs, one about 20lb one about 12lb off the trap shack reef between 10-11am but otherwise pretty few bites.

 

[The Green Bastard]

Perfect weather and water tonight. One decent spring released around 7'00 this evening Chovy 75'

 

[fish brain]

My story is similar to Irishwolf"s
Started out of Cheanuh for an evening trip. Fished the bay fished around Beachy Head and into the Meat Bucket without a touch. We decided to head out to the tide lines and see if we could scratch up a coho or two. The tide lines were poorly defined. We started dropping the lines deeper and I picked up a Hatchery coho at 150 feet. First fish of the night, after that my rod "turned on" and I started catching lots of undersized or wild coho and Chinook. We found the thick line of something at three hundred feet, in about four hundred feet of water. I dropped my rod down to 250 feet and was shortly rewarded with about a two and a half to three pound pink, sent the line back down and the next one was really small, like eight inches. My buddy who until then had kept his line up high dropped his line down to two hundred and fifty fee too. He watched me sort through a few more smaller fish, and was starting to get a bit dejected that his rod was being ignored. My rod went off again with what looked like a decent fish, as I was reeling it up I said it feels like I might be tangled in your line, my buddy bumped his downrigger, and sure enough we were tangled. He popped his line and started bringing in his gear as I brought in the fish. when the line broke the surface my gear came up without anything on it, and very tangled in my buddies line. The fish was on his line, and my line was so tangled in his, that all the action was on my rod. That fish was about a seven pound hatchery spring that got to go back to whatever it was doing before it was dragged to the surface for a look around. After that we decided that two hundred and fifty feet was too much work for the potential reward, and went back to fishing the top one hundred and fifty feet. In all it was a beautiful evening on the water with lots of small fish to the boat including two for the table, and a good visit with my buddy even if I did sort of reel in his only fish for him.

 

[stangfan]

Why are there so many Pinks being caught this year on the south end? Any theories?

 

[Whole in the Water]

Indeed, since it is an even, not an odd year?

 

[Englishman]

My story is similar to Irishwolf"s
Started out of Cheanuh for an evening trip. Fished the bay fished around Beachy Head and into the Meat Bucket without a touch. We decided to head out to the tide lines and see if we could scratch up a coho or two. The tide lines were poorly defined. We started dropping the lines deeper and I picked up a Hatchery coho at 150 feet. First fish of the night, after that my rod "turned on" and I started catching lots of undersized or wild coho and Chinook. We found the thick line of something at three hundred feet, in about four hundred feet of water. I dropped my rod down to 250 feet and was shortly rewarded with about a two and a half to three pound pink, sent the line back down and the next one was really small, like eight inches. My buddy who until then had kept his line up high dropped his line down to two hundred and fifty fee too. He watched me sort through a few more smaller fish, and was starting to get a bit dejected that his rod was being ignored. My rod went off again with what looked like a decent fish, as I was reeling it up I said it feels like I might be tangled in your line, my buddy bumped his downrigger, and sure enough we were tangled. He popped his line and started bringing in his gear as I brought in the fish. when the line broke the surface my gear came up without anything on it, and very tangled in my buddies line. The fish was on his line, and my line was so tangled in his, that all the action was on my rod. That fish was about a seven pound hatchery spring that got to go back to whatever it was doing before it was dragged to the surface for a look around. After that we decided that two hundred and fifty feet was too much work for the potential reward, and went back to fishing the top one hundred and fifty feet. In all it was a beautiful evening on the water with lots of small fish to the boat including two for the table, and a good visit with my buddy even if I did sort of reel in his only fish for him.

I too have noted that solid line of fish echoes at 250-350 feet in JDF previous years. I have never tried that deep myself. I think it really needs a high speed downrigger and a 15 lb ball, neither of which I have. Interesting to hear that some of that huge congregation of fish this year is pinks. No idea what they were in previous years, though some on here have suggested it might be hake. I don't think so, and the evidence of your foray down there, plus that of Irishwolf, says they are indeed salmon. I suspect that climate change is encouraging many fish to migrate in deeper, cooler waters. possibly because bait is down there too.

 

[eroyd]

Why are there so many Pinks being caught this year on the south end? Any theories?

Lots of non-Fraser pink runs now that run every year. Like most of the coho presently of Sooke, many of the Pinks will be of Puget Sound, Northern Washington hatcheries.

 

[stangfan]

Lots of non-Fraser pink runs now that run every year. Like most of the coho presently of Sooke, many of the Pinks will be of Puget Sound, Northern Washington hatcheries.

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

 

[barkerfam]

I don't think there are any hatcheries for pink salmon in Washington state.

Our pink run in puget sound is odd year only.

HB

 

[sam_n_leo]

I thought I saw something past 250' but figured it was just noise on the sounder. There was a day not that long ago when talking about dropping the gear down to 250 to catch some pinks would be pretty funny, but one of these days I'll probably be doing it.

 

[Irishwolf]

I thought I saw something past 250' but figured it was just noise on the sounder. There was a day not that long ago when talking about dropping the gear down to 250 to catch some pinks would be pretty funny, but one of these days I'll probably be doing it.

I would not recommend this if using a mooching reel. Unless you haven’t had your cardio for the day.

 

[MadJigga]

I would not recommend this if using a mooching reel. Unless you haven’t had your cardio for the day.

I fished Campbell River two weekends ago. We were fishing 230’-290’ and brought up a bunch of fish for the day. It’s not that bad..... I’d bury the line in the clip and drop er down to see what’s what....

 

[N2013]

I fished Campbell River two weekends ago. We were fishing 230’-290’ and brought up a bunch of fish for the day. It’s not that bad..... I’d bury the line in the clip and drop er down to see what’s what....

230-290? Yuck.

 

[MadJigga]

230-290? Yuck.

That’s the fishery there.

 

[Rayvon]

I suspect there was a lot of downrigger line blow back in a strong tide,probably fishing bottom under 200 Ft..

 

[Slabbedout]

I usually fish the 200-250’ contours in CR. The fish are tight to the bottom. When current and conditions allow I may dabble deeper. 2106HP riggers loaded with braid helps.

Makes me laugh that I grew up fishing there with deep sixes or 6oz mooching weights

 

[Fishtank]

What are the new salmon regs gunna be August 1st? Under 80cm wild or hatch? Do website makes my brain explode

 

[cby]

What are the new salmon regs gunna be August 1st? Under 80cm wild or hatch? Do website makes my brain explode

Yes that is correct 80 cm and under to minimun 45cm for springs for both Hatchery and wild, 1 only, 10 per year. Sept 1 , no slot, 2 per day.

 

[Allbay]

Late Report.

Was out Saturday morning early, but ran into problems the moment we push off from the dock and couldn't get it in gear. Fortunately we had reverse so backed up to the dock and an hour and half later made it out to Secretary... Managed one 4.5 lb hatch coho and released a couple of wilds and small springs about the same size. Had a long conversation with my five year old about driving the boat in the driveway and hammering on the shift lever....

Thanks to those who helped out with a socket set and advice at the Prestige.