2022 Sooke Reports

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Just looking for some feedback with regards to rules of the road while fishing...several weeks ago I had my gear down trolling on a steady crs...another boat came along probably 100 to 200yds away...gave him room...could hear him yelling and making commotion directed my way...is there something I'm doing wrong?
Basically this is how it works..boats fishing in a westerly direction should not be forced off their line...line means the depth they are fishing not if their bow is pointed slightly to offshore or inshore as current and wind will dictate the course you have to take to stay on a depth. (like flying a plane in a cross wind) So if you or I on the 70ft contour with gear set to fish that depth should be able to stay on that tack until we turn around or move to another depth. Boats going east should in busy conditions stay outside of the west moving boats (to port or to the right ..just like driving and why they are called rules of the road) ...if not crowed and you want to go down the 50ft contour that is not a problem because you are not going to drive the west moving boat off his line. What is way wrong is coming down from the east on the outside of a boat and crossing over to the inside at the last moment because the west moving boat has their bow facing slightly away from shore....good way to hook downriggers together and loose gear. Also if you go down the inside or middle of boats and one of the boats hooks into a fish....where are you going to go??? You are travelling right into the fish and are boxed in and will likely cut the fish off. If you are on the outside or inside you can turn around or out to avoid the fish. Everyone gets trapped inside from time to time especially when busy and maybe dealing with fish or tangles....but there are some out there who know the proper way to do it but seldom do unless you put them in a close collision situation.
 
Basically this is how it works..boats fishing in a westerly direction should not be forced off their line...line means the depth they are fishing not if their bow is pointed slightly to offshore or inshore as current and wind will dictate the course you have to take to stay on a depth. (like flying a plane in a cross wind) So if you or I on the 70ft contour with gear set to fish that depth should be able to stay on that tack until we turn around or move to another depth. Boats going east should in busy conditions stay outside of the west moving boats (to port or to the right ..just like driving and why they are called rules of the road) ...if not crowed and you want to go down the 50ft contour that is not a problem because you are not going to drive the west moving boat off his line. What is way wrong is coming down from the east on the outside of a boat and crossing over to the inside at the last moment because the west moving boat has their bow facing slightly away from shore....good way to hook downriggers together and loose gear. Also if you go down the inside or middle of boats and one of the boats hooks into a fish....where are you going to go??? You are travelling right into the fish and are boxed in and will likely cut the fish off. If you are on the outside or inside you can turn around or out to avoid the fish. Everyone gets trapped inside from time to time especially when busy and maybe dealing with fish or tangles....but there are some out there who know the proper way to do it but seldom do unless you put them in a close collision situation.
Anyways boys…how’s the coho? Looking forward to taking the kids out. Love sept Oct coho
 
It would depend on who had right of way. Many people here talk about right rod to shore but the actual legal rules that dictate right of way is listed in the Collision Regulations.

The rules that you will find apply usually most when fishing are for the ones for power driven vessels in sight of one another. Unless there is a RAM vessel both power boats are PDVs (Power Driven Vessels). Generally if you have a boat on your starboard bow crossing and risk of collision exist then the boat who has the other on the port bow has right of way. If a vessel is overtaking another (even slowly) then the overtaking vessel is the one that needs to keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken.

Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs) https://www.imo.org/en/About/Conventions/Pages/COLREG.aspx

Unfortunately not everyone knows or follows the rules. you can also deviate from them if both vessels make arrangements/agree.

If not the one who violated the rules will likely be found most at fault if the matter goes to court.
From Transport Canada:

Meeting or Head-On Situation in Sight of One Another​

If a power-driven vessel approaches your power-driven vessel head-on or nearly head-on, where there is a possible risk of collision, you should alter your course to starboard so that the other vessel will pass on your port side. The other vessel must take the same action, so that you will pass on its port side (see Figure 12-2).

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So if the head on passing rules are followed the starboard rod is to the rocks😎
 
From Transport Canada:

Meeting or Head-On Situation in Sight of One Another​

If a power-driven vessel approaches your power-driven vessel head-on or nearly head-on, where there is a possible risk of collision, you should alter your course to starboard so that the other vessel will pass on your port side. The other vessel must take the same action, so that you will pass on its port side (see Figure 12-2).

View attachment 85020
So if the head on passing rules are followed the starboard rod is to the rocks😎

Yeah right I am sorry was at Otter on Sunday. In the West this gets followed for most part. East is gong show.

Possession down forget it. It floors me how different the areas are.
 
I heard Englishman caught it. LMAO!!
What was that someone said about the fishing gods pouring their scorn and derision on us regular lowly amateur fishers.......Oh yeah....right, well I guess I rest my case!!:D
 
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Fished Sooke yesterday and started at the trailer park and worked our way to Muir Creek. After putting the gear in the water 5 sealions went past us and then another 5 and on and on the sealions came. In the end I saw 35+ sealions from the trailer park to the third rock. We fished from 715 to 1030 for springs and not a bite and never saw a net out.
Moved out from Muir creek and tried for Coho for a couple of hours. None stop action and managed two 8lb clipped. Let go 10 wild and a couple of them were around 10+lbs. Coho were in 400 ft of water and 45 ft on the DR. No bait this time just glow and alligator plastics.
 
Fished Sooke yesterday and started at the trailer park and worked our way to Muir Creek. After putting the gear in the water 5 sealions went past us and then another 5 and on and on the sealions came. In the end I saw 35+ sealions from the trailer park to the third rock. We fished from 715 to 1030 for springs and not a bite and never saw a net out.
Moved out from Muir creek and tried for Coho for a couple of hours. None stop action and managed two 8lb clipped. Let go 10 wild and a couple of them were around 10+lbs. Coho were in 400 ft of water and 45 ft on the DR. No bait this time just glow and alligator plastics.
Its pretty much that time of year to put away the spring gear and start targeting Coho. Better odds and with the numbers we had in the strait in July it should be a great fall coho run. I just hope we didn't already sort through most of the clipped ones back in JUly.
 
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Its pretty much that time of year to put away the spring gear and start targeting Coho. Better odds and with the numbers we had in the strait in July it should be a great fall coho run. I just hope we did already sort through most of the clipped ones back in JUly.
My spring gear is pretty much also my coho gear... and pink gear hahaha
I'm trying to say (in a funny way) I fish the same spoons and hootchies year round.
 
Out this morning and was lucky enough to get some hatcheries off the Head before it got too snotty. 3402635E-D874-4B44-95C9-9A29537AFCAA.jpeg90 ft on the rigger using spoons was our most consistent depth. 5 coho and 1 spring. Couldn’t find that last hatchery though. Great day on the water!
 
My spring gear is pretty much also my coho gear... and pink gear hahaha
I'm trying to say (in a funny way) I fish the same spoons and hootchies year round
Last year I got onto a hootchie combination for Coho that outfished anything else I tried so I had one on each downrigger for most of the fall. I'm running 2 hootchies one shoved up inside the other....one is for colour the other for sparkle so to speak. If you saw it you would understand this. What I like about this setup is that I can run short leaders, go like hell for a troll speed and the hootchie isn't going to crazy for action but does dart around nicely. A spoon at the same speed would become less effective as they dart around less once they go beyond their ideal trolled speed.
 
Two double headers right of the bat, first being a pair of 7 1/2 lb clipped twins. bonk and bonk. Lots of fun alone.:) Played for a while longer with a few more about the same size, then went looking for a Spring. No springs today. Spoons over a dummy flasher. Don't think colour mattered though kind of deep, 75' on the DR seemed best.
DFO was around. Guess there has been several reports of people keeping unclipped fish. That part of the regs is pretty clear.
 
Fished off the Head starting at 10am. Great weather and the coho were everywhere for a couple hours. Had 3/15 hatchery coho and we even nailed a 16.5lb spring. It was a mature, white female with a warped spine.
 

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Fished Sooke today and Coho were everywhere and even close to shore. Everything worked from 40 to 90 ft on the DR and we never made it past 375 ft deep of water. Fished for under two hours and had numerous double headers, released 17 fish and got our 4 clipped. Used up a lot of hook sets.
DFO (2) were at the dock checking boats. One appeared to be under-cover and was wearing jeans, hoody and running shoes. You never know who is at the dock looking into what you are doing. They told me they have had numerous problems in the last weeks with people keeping wild Coho and people fishing in the closed areas. They were posting regulation at the marinas and one officer said the boat is coming out.
 
Fished Sooke today and Coho were everywhere and even close to shore. Everything worked from 40 to 90 ft on the DR and we never made it past 375 ft deep of water. Fished for under two hours and had numerous double headers, released 17 fish and got our 4 clipped. Used up a lot of hook sets.
DFO (2) were at the dock checking boats. One appeared to be under-cover and was wearing jeans, hoody and running shoes. You never know who is at the dock looking into what you are doing. They told me they have had numerous problems in the last weeks with people keeping wild Coho and people fishing in the closed areas. They were posting regulation at the marinas and one officer said the boat is coming out.
 
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