2023 Sooke Reports

[Aces]

Just a quick report on the status of returns to the Sooke River. Not to be discouraging but the numbers are very poor. 220 Chinook were counted in the lower reaches of the Sooke prior to the first rain event. Also around 80 chinook were taken for broodstock.
Coho are still hard to tell as they use all the tributaries and they have little to no water.
Chum are not good coast wide and are in trouble.
This has been the most seals and sea lions I have seen in Sooke Harbour.
It’s time for some drastic changes.

Culling those pinnipeds would be a good start

 

[Robert Bouchard]

I walked out to the end of Wiffin spit and the amount of seals woking the narrow end the fish had no wear to go and I saw the seals with fish in there mouths eating a lot of them

 

[Kasiks]

What are those numbers compared to recent historical numbers

 

[mbowers]

Culling those pinnipeds would be a good start

Good luck getting that to happen in Sooke. More likely to get seal birth control happening like the public demands for the deer instead of the smart choice of hunting.

We could stop feeding the seals carcasses at marinas and when we dump crab bait. Put it in a green bin, compost it or freeze it and dump it offshore next trip.

Those human food habituated seals hammer the smolts as well as the adult fish but it is harder to notice the smolt carnage.

IMHO complaining about the local seals that are fed by humans is like putting cat food all over your garden and then complaining about the feral cats killing so many birds in your garden..

 

[kaelc]

Good luck getting that to happen in Sooke. More likely to get seal birth control happening like the public demands for the deer instead of the smart choice of hunting.

We could stop feeding the seals carcasses at marinas and when we dump crab bait. Put it in a green bin, compost it or freeze it and dump it offshore next trip.

Those human food habituated seals hammer the smolts as well as the adult fish but it is harder to notice the smolt carnage.

IMHO complaining about the local seals that are fed by humans is like putting cat food all over your garden and then complaining about the feral cats killing so many birds in your garden..

Uke has a bylaw against putting fish guts in the harbour I believe.

 

[Admin]

I get that fishing season has slowed to a trickle, but this is still a fishing report thread. People will look at these threads in the years ahead to see what fishing was like, which is what the thread title indicates, and then see a bunch of information that is not a fishing report. The information being shared is all good stuff, but belongs in a thread of it's own in the conservation section.

 

[Newf]

Anyone fish Pedder Bay recently? Haven't been out for a couple of weeks. Was thinking about dropping a couple of traps and dragging around a hook for a few hours tomorrow. Maybe swing up around to whirl bay. Winds look good.

 

[Fishin]

Anyone fish Pedder Bay recently? Haven't been out for a couple of weeks. Was thinking about dropping a couple of traps and dragging around a hook for a few hours tomorrow. Maybe swing up around to whirl bay. Winds look good.

Constance bank has been producing some chunky feeder Chinook.

 

[mbowers]

Nice weather for the this morning starting at 9am that got even better by noon. Started off the trailer park which produced one small keeper spring and a couple undersize. Dozens of harbour porpoises at the surface chasing bait. Moved close to Possession and found faster action. Three better winter springs with a few undersize and done before noon. Stayed between 110 and 130ft. Gibbs Delta G Force 3.5" in Trailhead colour outproduced a glow spatterback hoochie. Saw 4 other boats out there. Only one fish had anything in the stomach which looked like small herring to me. Knife blade is 6" for reference.

 

[Newf]

Dropped the traps and trolled Pedder bay for a couple of hours. Nothing happening so ran to Whirl Bay. Between 11:30am to 1pm released at least a dozen in the 3-4 lb range. All caught just south of Church running back and forth from 200-420ft. 100 ft on DR on one side and 120ft on the other. Both sides produced using different spoons. Kept one clipped spring that was closer to 5lbs and picked up 4 crab to close out an early afternoon.

 

[mbowers]

Fished 11-3 on Sunday off the harbour. Slow action but found 2 keeper size springs and maybe 8 shakers or undersize. Fished 110-140ft on the bottom and more hits came in the deeper water. Saw 2 other boats out.

 

[chris73]

I was one of the other 2 boats. Same result as you. A bit lumpier than I expected. Nonetheless, a day in Nov without rain and storm, to move the boat around is a always a good day.

 

[Lewy]

Went out yesterday, (Wednesday 15th Nov) Had one good popper that got off between Bedford and Church @100 otherwise just a couple of shakers. Once we got to Whirl Bay started picking up loads of 12" mackerel, couldn't keep them off - I was using anchovy teasers and I managed to get two mackerel one one teaser, one on each hook! Never saw that before!

 

[Deepaaaar]

Went out yesterday, (Wednesday 15th Nov) Had one good popper that got off between Bedford and Church @100 otherwise just a couple of shakers. Once we got to Whirl Bay started picking up loads of 12" mackerel, couldn't keep them off - I was using anchovy teasers and I managed to get two mackerel one one teaser, one on each hook! Never saw that before!

Are you sure they were mackerel and not juvenile sablefish? There are often quite a few around this time of year out at Whirl.

 

[Lewy]

Are you sure they were mackerel and not juvenile sablefish? There are often quite a few around this time of year out at Whirl.

Not sure at all, I'll check some pics of sablefish - thanks!

edit: I assumed they were mackerel because of the stripes ...after looking at the sablefish I think they must have been mackerel.

 

[Rob H]

Not sure at all, I'll check some pics of sablefish - thanks!

edit: I assumed they were mackerel because of the stripes ...after looking at the sablefish I think they must have been mackerel.

I was ar whirl a few days ago and we caught lots of juvenile sablefish jigging on bottom,
,,,Rob

 

[Jaybones]

I was ar whirl a few days ago and we caught lots of juvenile sablefish jigging on bottom,
,,,Rob

Are the Sablefish of a size worth keeping? I've only ever caught one before and it was about 12 inches so back it went. I would love to get into some larger ones nearby.

 

[Deepaaaar]

Are the Sablefish of a size worth keeping? I've only ever caught one before and it was about 12 inches so back it went. I would love to get into some larger ones nearby.

The biggest one I've seen out there was only around 14-15", but they're still tasty. Now is the time. They seem to thin out over the next month.

 

[trophywife]

Culling those pinnipeds would be a good start

not cull,, harvest. much more eco friendly word. lol

 

[Maxpri]

not cull,, harvest. much more eco friendly word. lol

Call it "Eco-friendly, organic, gluten free, ecological population management" and then everyones on board