2023 Sooke Reports

[vicsurfer]

Finally a day without wind. We decided to sleep in and wait for the change around 10am. Started out near Aldridge and trolled west into the fog. The first hour was a little slow with a few wild coho and small springs. Then at 10am the bite came on around the Trap. Springs, coho and pinks were nonstop. Wrapped things up by 11 with 7 pinks and a hatch coho. Top 40ft had most of the action.

 

[Mozart]

Hello are the pinks caught on coho gear?

Thank you

 

[Tsquared]

Hello are the pinks caught on coho gear?

Thank you

There are usually enough pinks caught on coho gear to keep your bbq happy.

 

[Mozart]

That’s great thank you

 

[eroyd]

Was out off the head Sunday am and thought it was kind of slow other than the 3 pound coho's and pinks. I had something big on which hit while I was starting to clear what I figured was another little one, I assume a Lingcod. Never saw it. Marked a lot of bait which was staying deepish (60+ feet for there) so that is where I fished. Talked to a fellow that did ok on CR chinook and he was out deeper and fishing 45' on the DR. Guess one should always have one rod at the proven 50' in the Beechy head area.

 

[Ruben]

Was out early Sunday morning completely fried from the night before. Got into a nice 16lb at the trap around 5:30am. DR @ 62’ in 80’. Caught a ton of pink and very small coho in the same area. 12 packs of brined anchovies seemed to keep the fish active. Decided to fish back to Cheanuh around 10:00am. It was a washing machine when we rounded the point. Caught a 25lb + wild on a 3.5” white and green Looney Spoon. What a riot. So nice to see it swim away and hopefully make it up the river. Those spoons are dynamite. They did outfish the bait.

 

[Mozart]

Fished today from 11am to 4pm. Got into 3 fish all lost just before getting to boat side. Didn’t mark much fish.
When pulling up gear to head home there was one pink on one of the line. Looks like it might has been on the line for about 30min. As earlier there was tap tap and nothing.

 

[profisher]

Out this morning and started with a nice double before I had a chance to explain the gear to the customers. Both brought to the boat and would go 22 and 20 pounds. 25 and 35 ft. Lost another good fish later and released another spring that would have been 9 pounds. Spent an hour chasing coho and pinks and ended with 4 hatch coho and 5 pinks. Released 1/2 dozen more wilds and lost 4 or 5 more pinks. Also released a couple of nice 6-8 pound Sockeye. Coho were on the surface feeding all around us...huge schools. Caught them at 15 ft with Skinny G's and had a pink hootchie out as well.

 

[Mozart]

Out this morning and started with a nice double before I had a chance to explain the gear to the customers. Both brought to the boat and would go 22 and 20 pounds. 25 and 35 ft. Lost another good fish later and released another spring that would have been 9 pounds. Spent an hour chasing coho and pinks and ended with 4 hatch coho and 5 pinks. Released 1/2 dozen more wilds and lost 4 or 5 more pinks. Also released a couple of nice 6-8 pound Sockeye. Coho were on the surface feeding all around us...huge schools. Caught them at 15 ft with Skinny G's and had a pink hootchie out as well.

Hello is this earlier in the day? I’m trying to figure out if I’m in the wrong spot or wrong timing.

Thank you

 

[Saxe Point]

Hello is this earlier in the day? I’m trying to figure out if I’m in the wrong spot or wrong timing.

Thank you

As a guide he’d be starting very early in the morning. But it’s not that you’re necessarily doing anything wrong. He’s been fishing the area, for fun and for a living, his whole life. He knows all the secrets and is truly a pro. He and his professional colleagues get fish when others do not. It takes years to start to figure out all the details and improve your luck. I’ve been at it 15 years and I’m getting “luckier”, but not nearly as lucky as the pros. I’m tempted to book a trip with one to shorten my learning curve.

 

[Deepaaaar]

As a guide he’d be starting very early in the morning. But it’s not that you’re necessarily doing anything wrong. He’s been fishing the area, for fun and for a living, his whole life. He knows all the secrets and is truly a pro. He and his professional colleagues get fish when others do not. It takes years to start to figure out all the details and improve your luck. I’ve been at it 15 years and I’m getting “luckier”, but not nearly as lucky as the pros. I’m tempted to book a trip with one to shorten my learning curve.

Ha. Yep. You can go out and get skunked and hear the same story at the dock from all the other fishers, then you'll see a report like this from profisher or wolf and think they're on another planet. Kudos to them for spending the time to acquire all that knowledge! Pretty cool.

All that said, there's usually an early morning bite this time of year. It's often the best chance you'll have in the day.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Not necessarily early bite it totally depends on water is doing. Sometimes that doesn't happen at all. You can have specific periods of snaps all day as long as your in right location based on the current changes there.

It's a bit different from other areas with all that strong water flow. Takes a bit too learn it. Ask Englishman!

Nasty EBB mornings coming to full moon is usually a bit slower, but not impossible. Looking at where I would be last weekend I would probably go out mid morning too early afternoon myself. Ebb to Flood turn can be deadly in right place right time.

Sounded from by buds out there this weekend they got into some fish. Sounds like coho/pinks are around in full swing.

 

[Hot-Streak]

I might go out tomorrow after dropping off the kid at day camp. Are the pinks and coho in the same depth of water/distance from shore? or do you have to pick one or the other?

 

[Mozart]

Thank you

 

[profisher]

Hello is this earlier in the day? I’m trying to figure out if I’m in the wrong spot or wrong timing.

Thank you

I was out from 6am till noon.

 

[Hot-Streak]

Made it out today to hunt for pinks and coho. We tried off church intending to ride the ebb to secretary and back with the flood after the change. no luck at church rock but more importantly we weren't getting an assist from the ebb so we picked up gear and started for the head.

Dropped gear there and within a few minutes hit our fist pink. next bit we got another then was slow for another 40 minutes then it got frantic with action.

Lots of fish to the boat, let go the small ones, the wild coho, the smaller pinks. We eventually ended up with 8 keepers before the bite was over. Trolled around again for another 45 minutes going into the bay and ran into another school of pinks. Limited out and headed back home.

Most productive lure was the pink squirt but the AP lemon lime spoon also got a lot of hits.

 

[Sushi bum]

What color flashers do you guys use with a pink squirt? Any advice is appreciated thanks

 

[Mozart]

I was out from 6am till noon.

Thank you

 

[profisher]

What color flashers do you guys use with a pink squirt? Any advice is appreciated thanks

If you are fishing pinks it doesn't matter the colour of the flasher...just short leaders and something close to 40 pound test. Pull every 2nd tentacle off the squirt...the ones with glow white heads work best.

 

[Sushi bum]

If you are fishing pinks it doesn't matter the colour of the flasher...just short leaders and something close to 40 pound test. Pull every 2nd tentacle off the squirt...the ones with glow white heads work best.

Awesome
Thanks!