2023 Sooke Reports

[Englishman]

Fished today from 7:15am till 12:15pm.

For a multiplicity of reasons we had not been out at all since October. With my advancing years, getting out of bed to go winter fishing don’t seem such fun anymore!!

So today was a bit of a shakedown cruise to “clear the cobwebs” and try and get back into the “groove”. Also had some electrical work done on the boat in the spring, so that needed “road testing” as well.

Tried for chinook for 3 hours or so in the morning around Possession and the harbour mouth. Seemed to be a lot of boats for a Friday. Only managed 3 pinks near secretary.

Then took off the teaser heads and put on little pink hootchies and headed out a bit. Pretty much instant response at 75’ and soon boated 4 more pinks and lost a few. One time four pinks followed the one we hooked right up and we almost accidentally netted one with the hooked guy! LOL

Seen that before but don t know why they do that.

With one fish slot remaining went back in tight for chinook again for another 90 minutes but no joy. Called it a day, but put on a pink hootchie to quickly fill the remaining fish slot with the last pink.

Will be smoking pink tomorrow, and will try smoking a lake trout as well as we caught a couple of decent ones in the interior 3 weeks ago.

 

[Newf]

Fished today from 7:15am till 12:15pm.

For a multiplicity of reasons we had not been out at all since October. With my advancing years, getting out of bed to go winter fishing don’t seem such fun anymore!!

So today was a bit of a shakedown cruise to “clear the cobwebs” and try and get back into the “groove”. Also had some electrical work done on the boat in the spring, so that needed “road testing” as well.

Tried for chinook for 3 hours or so in the morning around Possession and the harbour mouth. Seemed to be a lot of boats for a Friday. Only managed 3 pinks near secretary.

Then took off the teaser heads and put on little pink hootchies and headed out a bit. Pretty much instant response at 75’ and soon boated 4 more pinks and lost a few. One time four pinks followed the one we hooked right up and we almost accidentally netted one with the hooked guy! LOL

Seen that before but don t know why they do that.

With one fish slot remaining went back in tight for chinook again for another 90 minutes but no joy. Called it a day, but put on a pink hootchie to quickly fill the remaining fish slot with the last pink.

Will be smoking pink tomorrow, and will try smoking a lake trout as well as we caught a couple of decent ones in the interior 3 weeks ago.

Good to see that you are back on the water. Love reading your post . Looking forward to many more from you.

 

[PHW]

Fished today from 7:15am till 12:15pm.

For a multiplicity of reasons we had not been out at all since October. With my advancing years, getting out of bed to go winter fishing don’t seem such fun anymore!!

So today was a bit of a shakedown cruise to “clear the cobwebs” and try and get back into the “groove”. Also had some electrical work done on the boat in the spring, so that needed “road testing” as well.

Tried for chinook for 3 hours or so in the morning around Possession and the harbour mouth. Seemed to be a lot of boats for a Friday. Only managed 3 pinks near secretary.

Then took off the teaser heads and put on little pink hootchies and headed out a bit. Pretty much instant response at 75’ and soon boated 4 more pinks and lost a few. One time four pinks followed the one we hooked right up and we almost accidentally netted one with the hooked guy! LOL

Seen that before but don t know why they do that.

With one fish slot remaining went back in tight for chinook again for another 90 minutes but no joy. Called it a day, but put on a pink hootchie to quickly fill the remaining fish slot with the last pink.

Will be smoking pink tomorrow, and will try smoking a lake trout as well as we caught a couple of decent ones in the interior 3 weeks ago.

Roland is rollin’

 

[pachito]

Bankers hours today 9 till noon between the bluffs an posession. Non stop action in 60 to 80 foot depth with coho , pinks, 2 sockeye and 3 chinook.
Kept a 79cm chubby boy to end a beauty morning.
BTW,, welcome back Roland

 

[profisher]

See Pelicans every year later in the summer or early fall....not a lot but always see a few.

 

[Sam7]

Started out at the Esquilmalt waterfront at 6:00 with Bottomfeeder and his daughter who had never been salmon fishing before, we did a couple of laps where we had 1 hit, and then decided to head out Beechy way. started fishing there about 8:00 am and tied into a couple of pinks. Since the tide was ebbing we just kept on going to the Trap, where we did a few laps there, picked up a couple more pinks before we decided to head down and join the parade of boats at possession. Just after slack tide 11:15, we started to get into a pretty good bite. We managed a couple of springs to add to the mix of pinks. A 75 and a 79 cm. Both caught at 35’ (thanks profisher for the previous days info on depths) we went home with 2 spring, 6 pinks, and the daughter landed her first 4 salmon. (she lost many more, but had a blast playing the fish) we were from 32’ - 70’, with 35‘ being the magic number today.

 

[wolf]

GREAT to see ya out there Roland yes it was busy I waved at ya but you were playing a pink next week starting tuesday on I predict is going to be go time for chinnok in sooke.

 

[Kinetic]

We had a great morning to start of our August Chinook fishery. Left Beecher Bay at 5:15, had a 79 and 75 cm Chinook by 6:30, limit of Pinks by 8 and then screwed around jigging Rockfish till 9:45. Bait and 80ft deep was the ticket for the Chinook, spoons and 40-80ft for the Pinks.
Flat calm with some thick fog.

 

[wolf]

Great day of fishng again out there back to dock before 11 with my clients from albert and my spring, sounds like verywhere in sooke is good now!!

 

[eroyd]

Went through todays allotment of anchovies pretty fast on small springs and humpies. Spoons did just as well as we managed a 15# and 10# chinook to top off the fish tub. (both white) Herring aid spoons all morning. 0 to 50 ft.
Several pinks were caught on the spoons with no weight dangled just outside the prop wash. No coho today.

 

[Whitebuck]

Roy and Rollie,

Whats the red vs white ratio for your springs right now?

 

[Mozart]

Fished from 11 to 2:30 pm today. Got into 2 springs with one been out of slot size. The one kept was a #10. Filled rest of quota with pinks.
Fishing depth 20-64’. Irish cream spoons (skinny G)

 

[Cut Plug]

It is indeed awesome out there now. Quick limits of springs both yesterday and today. Been fishing the pinks and coho on 8wt fly rods with a dummy flasher and pink spoons. Only running one rod as it’s too chaotic with two and the light gear. So much more fun and interestingly we seem to land way more without the flasher.

 

[profisher]

Roy and Rollie,

Whats the red vs white ratio for your springs right now?

No whites so far but only 5 days into being able to open them up and look.

 

[pachito]

Another awesome day off Sooke just 10 minutes from the dock!
I had a couple buddies with me today and one of them has 70 years experience fishing Sooke waters,,amazing man still handles the gear like a 30yr old ( im jelious lol)
Anyways great chinook fishing today , a pair of 78's a 80 and released 2 in the mid 20's.
Looking foward to Englishmans chinook report...Go Roland

 

[Mozart]

Cut open the spring and found a pack of herring. Someone lost their bait?

 

[wolf]

Whats the red vs white ratio for your springs right now?

Ive got 2 whites so far 1 marble and rest are red
one was 12 lbs another almost 18 yesterdays marble was 15

 

[Admin]

Ok...first congrats to all who were out there nailing Chinooks yesterday, but this post is a bit of both. You know, somedays you just know you have to take the 'L' and not be embarrassed to tell it like it is! I was out with a buddy by 6 and we decided to hit the trap. We witnessed others catching and hooting and hollering, but the best we could manage was a couple smalls and some Pinks. I had to leave a bit early to head to Cowichan with the family, so my buddy dropped me off and went back out on his own and proceeded to get two around 90 cm and one just under 80 in about an hour. I guess I just had a bad stink happening! Anyway, here is a pic of the one he kept and a few scenics from the day. Pretty great to see the sunrise on the ocean and sunset on the lake. Special place we live in!

My buddies keeper.



Sunrise.



Sunset at Lake Cowichan



A little later and more spectacular from the lake.



The fog of August at the Trap.

 

[Rayvon]

My day was the same,non-stop pinks destroying my bait and only 1 good spring on off the reef at Trapshack.Didn't see a lot of action there,I'll head west next trip out.

 

[wolf]

Another great day in sooke but did we have to work for it!!!!!! wake up to 20 kt winds ok GREAT go hide in fog and WEEDS holy was it terrible for weeds today, moved to calmer waters and was rewarded.
So in last week of fishing the AP spoons are kicking butt, I have 1 bait down (deep) and 2 spoons, seems all fish are shallower getting them from 33 to 60 feet.
Im using small herring spoons as the bait is very small. 2 to 3 inchs

Good luck Wolf