2023 Sooke Reports

[kingspring]

Made it out to Becher yesterday in my kayak. Was out 7:30-1:30. Marked a number of fish early and shallow (65-100') and dropped the jig on their heads, but didn't get as much as a touch. It wasn't until after 11 when I finally managed to bring in an undersized. Maybe a half hour later, I passed over some nice marks and the line went slack mid fall. Yoink. Missed it. Damn. Made the same pass again. WHAM. Brought a decent 6 lb hatchery into the boat. I figured that was likely it for me as the day was getting on, so I started the paddle back. Of course I had to stop and jig at a few marks along the way. They weren't having it, though, so I figured I'd crank up and head home. As I was cranking up, maybe 30' from the surface, my jig gets smoked and the fish takes off like a big summer! After a nice battle featuring a few decent runs (I use mega light gear), I netted a chunky 64cm 8 lb hatchery. Filled the last two spots on my license right at the buzzer! I gotta say, that was the best winter I've had for size of fish in my three seasons from the yak (caught a 10 and a 15 in December). Looking forward to getting after lingcod and rockfish pretty soon.

View attachment 91128

Very nicely nice!
Lings may 15?

 

[Kinetic]

Fished Sooke yesterday for Halibut. The wind and current we're great for the 8-2 we were out for. Picked up 2 small ping pong paddles, a bunch of nice crab and 4 big Dogfish. Herring and salmon belly behind a Lighthouse squid got both Hali yesterday.

 

[profisher]

I was told the towers would be shared. Can anyone confirm Telus will work on those Rogers cell towers?

That is why I switched to Rogers… now I will have 100% coverage up past Otter

 

[Stizzla]

Fished Sooke yesterday for Halibut. The wind and current were great for the 8-2 we were out for. Picked up 2 small ping pong paddles, a bunch of nice crab and 4 big Dogfish. Herring and salmon belly behind a Lighthouse squid got both Hali yesterday.

Ping pong paddles? Give yourself some credit those are beauties!

 

[Old Seadog]

Had a nice sunny day on the water yesterday with lights winds, so I decided to head out. I picked out a spot that usually produces a fish or two. The tide & current were running nice all day. Just as the tide started to turn I got into a Halibut, nice fight. Landed a 27lb fish, all on herring.

 

[Nikk]

Had a nice sunny day on the water yesterday with lights winds, so I decided to head out. I picked out a spot that usually produces a fish or two. The tide & current were running nice all day. Just as the tide started to turn I got into a Halibut, nice fight. Landed a 27lb fish, all on herring.View attachment 91585

Nice fish! East or West of Sooke? Spent 5 hours today at Muir creek- not even a sniff

 

[vicsurfer]

Spent the day anchored up off the Bluffs. Got a good arm workout in with four skates cranked in from 300ft. A few dogs too but no hali.

 

[Sea Chaser]

Spent the day anchored up off the Bluffs. Got a good arm workout in with four skates cranked in from 300ft. A few dogs too but no hali.

Damn 4 skates . That’s got to be a record

 

[SkinnyG]

Damn 4 skates . That’s got to be a record

So curious, how do you filet those things?

 

[Kinetic]

Went out Hali fishing Saturday with flat water and very little current.
Ended up with 1 small Hali, and 1 skate which we released.
Highlight of the day was catching (and releasing) a 7ish lb Chinook on a Mudraker jig in 250ft of water

 

[Stizzla]

Went out Hali fishing Saturday with flat water and very little current.
Ended up with 1 small Hali, and 1 skate which we released.
Highlight of the day was catching (and releasing) a 7ish lb Chinook on a Mudraker jig in 250ft of water

Cool fish! What a nice day to be out.

 

[Tsquared]

Went out Hali fishing Saturday with flat water and very little current.
Ended up with 1 small Hali, and 1 skate which we released.
Highlight of the day was catching (and releasing) a 7ish lb Chinook on a Mudraker jig in 250ft of water

We were out hali fishing on Friday and had similar results: 1 small hali and 2 or 3 skates(released). I think I’m beginning to be able to feel the difference between a skate and a halibut when reeling them in. The halibut gives more head shakes on the way up but the skate less so. Still not certain about this, maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[bryce]

We were out hali fishing on Friday and had similar results: 1 small hali and 2 or 3 skates(released). I think I’m beginning to be able to feel the difference between a skate and a halibut when reeling them in. The halibut gives more head shakes on the way up but the skate less so. Still not certain about this, maybe someone else can chime in.

Skates don’t run and come up doing circles normally or get dragged way back in tide

 

[vicsurfer]

We were out hali fishing on Friday and had similar results: 1 small hali and 2 or 3 skates(released). I think I’m beginning to be able to feel the difference between a skate and a halibut when reeling them in. The halibut gives more head shakes on the way up but the skate less so. Still not certain about this, maybe someone else can chime in.

The skates hit hard, make a quick run and then feel like you're pulling in a kelp patch for 10 minutes. It gets even worse when the current is ripping.

 

[Eden Island]

Any whale action off Pedder Bay, Race Rocks, Becher? I have guests coming. Couldn't miss out there in the fall.

 

[gone fishin]

I was out there last week and still no service for Telus users. still hoping for some sort of a sharing program with Rogers.

 

[Newf]

No hali love for us today off of Pedder. My fishing buddy brought a new leader he had picked up at Island Outfitters. Double J-hooks with the leader line covered with a pink sleeve. He was told that’s what they use now and is very successful for Hali’s. He got a dogfish first, then a huge skate that we had to take turns pulling up. He then pulled up a good sized octopus that came off right at the boat and to finish off his day he caught a ratfish. I caught “nada”. He said he was going to take it back because he caught everything but the hail. . Great day on the water with lots of boats out.

 

[kaelc]

Yeah I’ve never caught any thing with double J hooks and a pink sleeve another shop sold me that stuff 6 years ago and I’m still trying to figure out how to catch Hali!

 

[Kinetic]

Beautiful morning on the water in Sooke, managed to finally convince a couple of paddles to bite after nearly 4 hours on the pick.
Funny cuz the Gibbs pre packaged rig mentioned above got both fish.

 

[Nikk]

Hey folks, when do coho and pink usually show up around here?