2023 Sooke Reports

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Well first off For the last little bit I was up in knight inlet again for some contract work for over 3 weeks for a fishery that says there isnt any springs??? beyond great!!!!!!! when the full moon came fishing slowed a bit, but then 2 days after really picked up again and had no problems with people taking home fish!!! all that time up there saw 1 boat that was fishing in clio channel. telegraph was like a ghost town for boats

Been back for about a week now here in sooke and a HUGE reality check to fishing here. springs,coho,pink the odd sockeye so great to go thru 20 something fish to keep a few and letting the big springs go (just awesome NOT) other day off secretary was insane 5 big springs on with coho killers,hoochie and AP spoons seemed 35 to 80 is best. On the postitive alot of my clients seem to be happy with getting pinks and coho not so much on letting springs go... yesterday was epic in am then slowed had some people from germany that just wanted some BBQ fish. so they took a pink and coho back to campground .
Today pinks were WAY bigger had a few real big ones kids first time ever on ocean and they had a blast big dinner tonight with many guests to enjoy. the little kid in pic btw got the biggest fish did it like a champ!!!
these next week weeks I think more and more pinks will be coming in so get the kids or grandkids out while we can ...
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Fished close to the Head today 8-11am. We tried to avoid the springs with pink squirts but hooked into 3 decent ones. Ended up keeping 8 pinks for the canner and tossed back 4 coho. Must have lost 15-20 that just hit and spat the hook. Pinks were bigger today than the past few weeks.
 
Mozart said:
I trolled around 2.2 to 2.7 knots today. What’s the speed you guys troll with for pinks?
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Really depends on where where the current is at and what you are fishing. I normally listen to sound of motor and know what that speed is with zero current and look at the angle of the lines given the depth I am fishing at (bit faster than for chinook around 2.7- 3.2 over ground for me). Today was near shipping lanes and it was insane, went alone to try out a couple of ideas, and it was just nuts. With the current would have been almost five, against near 0 lol, and was normally zigzagging to have speed around 2.5-4 (noting that the current was always pushing with and against me slightly). Everyone has their opinions but bait normally moves with the current (that could be swirling around it) so I pull the motor up and run back rather than push against hard currents.
 
I've been casting from shore around beechey head with some success. Three varieties of Rockfish, kelp greenling and today an undersized lingcod. No salmon, yet. 😁
When I arrived around 8 am the closest boat was releasing a nice spring. Counted 30 plus boats before the tug came through with their log boom. Lots of small silvery things being released out there as well.
Beauty day. 😎
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Out at beachy today with someone people from my boat club who have never fished salmon before. Got to go out with a new hewescraft owner and it was an interesting comparison to my sliver-streak. It was 4 of us, owner and his friend and me and my friend. Both of them had never fished salmon in his boat (or any boat) and me and my friend have so it was a good combo.

Stopped just east of the head to setup slowly as we set the gear one of he downrigger cables snaped and we lost the ball. The owner didn't have the tools to recrimp and we didn't have a spare ball. Luck would have it I carry a dipsy diver in my backpack for just such emergencies.

Got a welcome call by White-Lighting and he gave me an update on fishing conditions. We stayed in touch while trolling around.

We set up gear on rigger and diver and drove around, got the first few bites but lost the fish... then for the next hour proceeded to lose every fish we got on... some of it was human error (new fishers) some of it was just the way the pinks go crazy at the surface and barbless hooks just let them wiggle off.

I called another buddy from the marina who was heading out later and luckily he hadn't left yet. I asked him to bring me a rigger and ball and that is just want he did. Hot delivery from another boat off the head and we were back to two riggers.

Once settled in we searched around and got into a few fish but kept loosing most. I finally stepped in and landed the first pink, then my buddy landed another. Searched around switching lures with intermittent bites and losing fish but getting the new guys sorted out.

Then just after the tide change we started getting into lots of them.... double headers, constant bites after setting gear. We went from 3 fish in the boat all morning to limiting out during a hot bite in about 1 hour before heading back home.

Back at the dock we had a bbq while cleaning the boat and the fish. Nice way to end the day and end of my fishing week. Weather was beautiful and was one of those days you really feel lucky to do this on a regular basis.

Most bites were shallow 35-50 feet on "Sir super squirt the third and friends"
 
We decide to gamble and get out before the wind. Started at Aldridge because the wind was nasty at the Head. The pinks and coho were biting consistently between 8 and noon. Released one spring around 10lbs and had a freight train on that snapped the mainline. Saw lots of springs around. Limited out with 6 pinks and 2 hatch Coho. Not a bad morning despite the wind and chop.
 
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Going to head out tomorrow morning, does anyone know how the crabbing has been around pedder? Not sure if it's worth taking the traps with me. Thanks Mike
 
Very weird today no wind but rough me thinks it was the intial push from this afternoons huge winds. my crew had no probelms getting a limit of pinks and coho in less then 3 hours and mine too and man are some of these pinks HUGE had one today almost 10 lbs thats unreal LOVE IT!!!
Same today pink squirts with the blue or white head was good along with this goofy hoochie thats called the asian h**ker...what ive been told?? coho killer AP{ spoon they were smashing everything.

35 to 80 it didnt matter hope these stay around for some time ..Get a kid out fishing nows the time kick them off the video games!!!!

Good luck wolf
 
So today will be burned into my memory banks for the rest of my life...good and not so good. This will be a bit of a read but lots went on. Out with a group from Cali for the day at Otter and started the day with an instant miss of a bigger fish...then quiet for a bit except lots of smaller stuff...small springs, coho and pinks. Then mid morning ish we get into a good fish and release it at the side of the boat....it was likely 30 but going with 28 because we don't see them that often anymore and the estimator in me could be a little rusty for the larger ones. Still largest of the year for me. Then a couple of smaller springs 9 and 7 pounds and many smaller fish. I would say sometime around noon as I was just west of 3rd rock going west in 60ft of water..riggers at 40, 35 and 30 ft. The centre rigger at 40 goes off....not just off...ones of those rare ones where it comes off the rigger and the reel is screaming before the rod tells of a fish. I first rushed to get the drag released as it was tight...the less tension also gave me enough reduced pressure to get the rod out of the holder and into the clients hands. Honestly I was thinking a 15-20 pound run of the mill hooked in the dorsal or tail. I cleared the middle rigger and headed for the starboard one set to 35ft. I'm on a slowed down troll heading NW towards the beach, the fish was pulling due east. As I'm raising the starboard rigger and rod I see another line coming at me ahead of the rigger wire and down deep....it quickly passed under us going SW towards Sheringham and now out off my port side. The fish turned and ran right back at us. My client is now stuck on the starboard side with a line going under the boat. I still haven't fully cleared the starboard rigger but I'm now more concerned with the port one which is still down 30ft. I telling the client to ease off on the pressure as I know the mono is rubbing the wire and I don't want the fish to turn back and wrap on the wire. I manage to get the rod popped off and cleared then carefully bring up the wire and get the fish line past both the clip and and canonball.. Now I notice that we have been sucked by current and pushed by wind into shallow water and we are entering the bull kelp beds on the west side of 3rd rock. I know if the fish gets around one of these I'm done. I shove the kicker into reverse to move us back out into deeper water and at the same time try and get the bow to swing and have the wind blow us around so that the fish and client where on the same side again. I'm not sure if I hadn't fully put the starboard line on board or if nthe wind blew it back into the water. The next thing I know there is a bang and I know the prop just grabbed a line and my Trophy 9ft rod and MR2 are gonzo. Now I have a kicker full of line. I managed to get the boat and fish on the same side with the bow now pointed SE...this crazy spring then circled around our stern and by the time I grabbed the rod and put the tip down deep to clear the motors he had circled the bow and was now on the wrong side again heading back towards Sheringham. I managed to get the bow around in the wind again and by now he was pretty much finished with the tricks that got him to his size. Again I'm a bit rusty with the bigger ones and i would like to say 40 but going with 38 just to be safe. Clients got pics from their phone and sent to me but in a format my old PC can't open. Finished the trip with another fish shortly after that would have gone 20. Ended the day with 4 hatchery coho, and 6 pinks. All on Skinny G's. Long story but a good one. BTW I was the only boat there from 11am onward...so you will just have to believe me!!! lol Actually there were shore fishers right there on the beach who got a show and would have heard the f-bombs when the rod went over...lol
 
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profisher said:
So today will be burned into my memory banks for the rest of my life...good and not so good. This will be a bit of a read but lots went on. Out with a group from Cali for the day at Otter and started the day with an instant miss of a bigger fish...then quiet for a bit except lots of smaller stuff...small springs, coho and pinks. Then mid morning ish we get into a good fish and release it at the side of the boat....it was likely 30 but going with 28 because we don't see them that often anymore and the estimator in me could be a little rusty for the larger ones. Still largest of the year for me. Then a couple of smaller springs 9 and 7 pounds and many smaller fish. I would say sometime around noon as I was just west of 3rd rock going west in 60ft of water..riggers at 40, 35 and 30 ft. The centre rigger at 40 goes off....not just off...ones of those rare ones where it comes off the rigger and the reel is screaming before the rod tells of a fish. I first rushed to get the drag released as it was tight...the less tension also gave me enough reduced pressure to get the rod out of the holder and into the clients hands. Honestly I was thinking a 15-20 pound run of the mill hooked in the dorsal or tail. I cleared the middle rigger and headed for the starboard one set to 35ft. I'm on a slowed down troll heading NW towards the beach, the fish was pulling due east. As I'm raising the starboard rigger and rod I see another line coming at me ahead of the rigger wire and down deep....it quickly passed under us going SW towards Sheringham and now out off my port side. The fish turned and ran right back at us. My client is now stuck on the starboard side with a line going under the boat. I still haven't fully cleared the starboard rigger but I'm now more concerned with the port one which is still down 30ft. I telling the client to ease off on the pressure as I know the mono is rubbing the wire and I don't want the fish to turn back and wrap on the wire. I manage to get the rod popped off and cleared then carefully bring up the wire and get the fish line past both the clip and and canonball.. Now I notice that we have been sucked by current and pushed by wind into shallow water and we are entering the bull kelp beds on the west side of 3rd rock. I know if the fish gets around one of these I'm done. I shove the kicker into reverse to move us back out into deeper water and at the same time try and get the bow to swing and have the wind blow us around so that the fish and client where on the same side again. I'm not sure if I hadn't fully put the starboard line on board or if nthe wind blew it back into the water. The next thing I know there is a bang and I know the prop just grabbed a line and my Trophy 9ft rod and MR2 are gonzo. Now I have a kicker full of line. I managed to get the boat and fish on the same side with the bow now pointed SE...this crazy spring then circled around our stern and by the time I grabbed the rod and put the tip down deep to clear the motors he had circled the bow and was now on the wrong side again heading back towards Sheringham. I managed to get the bow around in the wind again and by now he was pretty much finished with the tricks that got him to his size. Again I'm a bit rusty with the bigger ones and i would like to say 40 but going with 38 just to be safe. Clients got pics from their phone and sent to me but in a format my old PC can't open. Finished the trip with another fish shortly after that would have gone 20. Ended the day with 4 hatchery coho, and 6 pinks. All on Skinny G's. Long story but a good one. BTW I was the only boat there from 11am onward...so you will just have to believe me!!! lol Actually there were shore fishers right there on the beach who got a show and would have heard the f-bombs when the rod went over...lol
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Wow what a day. I don’t understand what happened to your rod and Mr2? gonzo?
 
kaelc said:
Wow what a day. I don’t understand what happened to your rod and Mr2? gonzo?
Click to expand...
Gear got sucked into the prop which was throttled up full in reverse in a stiff westerly and flood to move us off the beach into deeper water....rod butt was laying on the deck and tip on the rear gunnel....drag was tight on the reel...it got pulled over board fast then the line busted as it got hung up on something as it headed toward the prop from the other side of the main motor.
 
Wow!!
That was such an intense blaze of words and supreme story telling that there could be a person in cardiac arrest next to me, and they would have to wait until I finished reading to try and revive them!!

Love it!

THIS is why I fish (and love reading about others that share the passion)!!!
 
profisher said:
So today will be burned into my memory banks for the rest of my life...good and not so good. This will be a bit of a read but lots went on. Out with a group from Cali for the day at Otter and started the day with an instant miss of a bigger fish...then quiet for a bit except lots of smaller stuff...small springs, coho and pinks. Then mid morning ish we get into a good fish and release it at the side of the boat....it was likely 30 but going with 28 because we don't see them that often anymore and the estimator in me could be a little rusty for the larger ones. Still largest of the year for me. Then a couple of smaller springs 9 and 7 pounds and many smaller fish. I would say sometime around noon as I was just west of 3rd rock going west in 60ft of water..riggers at 40, 35 and 30 ft. The centre rigger at 40 goes off....not just off...ones of those rare ones where it comes off the rigger and the reel is screaming before the rod tells of a fish. I first rushed to get the drag released as it was tight...the less tension also gave me enough reduced pressure to get the rod out of the holder and into the clients hands. Honestly I was thinking a 15-20 pound run of the mill hooked in the dorsal or tail. I cleared the middle rigger and headed for the starboard one set to 35ft. I'm on a slowed down troll heading NW towards the beach, the fish was pulling due east. As I'm raising the starboard rigger and rod I see another line coming at me ahead of the rigger wire and down deep....it quickly passed under us going SW towards Sheringham and now out off my port side. The fish turned and ran right back at us. My client is now stuck on the starboard side with a line going under the boat. I still haven't fully cleared the starboard rigger but I'm now more concerned with the port one which is still down 30ft. I telling the client to ease off on the pressure as I know the mono is rubbing the wire and I don't want the fish to turn back and wrap on the wire. I manage to get the rod popped off and cleared then carefully bring up the wire and get the fish line past both the clip and and canonball.. Now I notice that we have been sucked by current and pushed by wind into shallow water and we are entering the bull kelp beds on the west side of 3rd rock. I know if the fish gets around one of these I'm done. I shove the kicker into reverse to move us back out into deeper water and at the same time try and get the bow to swing and have the wind blow us around so that the fish and client where on the same side again. I'm not sure if I hadn't fully put the starboard line on board or if nthe wind blew it back into the water. The next thing I know there is a bang and I know the prop just grabbed a line and my Trophy 9ft rod and MR2 are gonzo. Now I have a kicker full of line. I managed to get the boat and fish on the same side with the bow now pointed SE...this crazy spring then circled around our stern and by the time I grabbed the rod and put the tip down deep to clear the motors he had circled the bow and was now on the wrong side again heading back towards Sheringham. I managed to get the bow around in the wind again and by now he was pretty much finished with the tricks that got him to his size. Again I'm a bit rusty with the bigger ones and i would like to say 40 but going with 38 just to be safe. Clients got pics from their phone and sent to me but in a format my old PC can't open. Finished the trip with another fish shortly after that would have gone 20. Ended the day with 4 hatchery coho, and 6 pinks. All on Skinny G's. Long story but a good one. BTW I was the only boat there from 11am onward...so you will just have to believe me!!! lol Actually there were shore fishers right there on the beach who got a show and would have heard the f-bombs when the rod went over...lol
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Did they put a big tip in your hand... then make you release it? LOL

Nice work Rollie! Sounds like an epic day.
 
Tips Up said:
Did they put a big tip in your hand... then make you release it? LOL

Nice work Rollie! Sounds like an epic
profisher said:
So today will be burned into my memory banks for the rest of my life...good and not so good. This will be a bit of a read but lots went on. Out with a group from Cali for the day at Otter and started the day with an instant miss of a bigger fish...then quiet for a bit except lots of smaller stuff...small springs, coho and pinks. Then mid morning ish we get into a good fish and release it at the side of the boat....it was likely 30 but going with 28 because we don't see them that often anymore and the estimator in me could be a little rusty for the larger ones. Still largest of the year for me. Then a couple of smaller springs 9 and 7 pounds and many smaller fish. I would say sometime around noon as I was just west of 3rd rock going west in 60ft of water..riggers at 40, 35 and 30 ft. The centre rigger at 40 goes off....not just off...ones of those rare ones where it comes off the rigger and the reel is screaming before the rod tells of a fish. I first rushed to get the drag released as it was tight...the less tension also gave me enough reduced pressure to get the rod out of the holder and into the clients hands. Honestly I was thinking a 15-20 pound run of the mill hooked in the dorsal or tail. I cleared the middle rigger and headed for the starboard one set to 35ft. I'm on a slowed down troll heading NW towards the beach, the fish was pulling due east. As I'm raising the starboard rigger and rod I see another line coming at me ahead of the rigger wire and down deep....it quickly passed under us going SW towards Sheringham and now out off my port side. The fish turned and ran right back at us. My client is now stuck on the starboard side with a line going under the boat. I still haven't fully cleared the starboard rigger but I'm now more concerned with the port one which is still down 30ft. I telling the client to ease off on the pressure as I know the mono is rubbing the wire and I don't want the fish to turn back and wrap on the wire. I manage to get the rod popped off and cleared then carefully bring up the wire and get the fish line past both the clip and and canonball.. Now I notice that we have been sucked by current and pushed by wind into shallow water and we are entering the bull kelp beds on the west side of 3rd rock. I know if the fish gets around one of these I'm done. I shove the kicker into reverse to move us back out into deeper water and at the same time try and get the bow to swing and have the wind blow us around so that the fish and client where on the same side again. I'm not sure if I hadn't fully put the starboard line on board or if nthe wind blew it back into the water. The next thing I know there is a bang and I know the prop just grabbed a line and my Trophy 9ft rod and MR2 are gonzo. Now I have a kicker full of line. I managed to get the boat and fish on the same side with the bow now pointed SE...this crazy spring then circled around our stern and by the time I grabbed the rod and put the tip down deep to clear the motors he had circled the bow and was now on the wrong side again heading back towards Sheringham. I managed to get the bow around in the wind again and by now he was pretty much finished with the tricks that got him to his size. Again I'm a bit rusty with the bigger ones and i would like to say 40 but going with 38 just to be safe. Clients got pics from their phone and sent to me but in a format my old PC can't open. Finished the trip with another fish shortly after that would have gone 20. Ended the day with 4 hatchery coho, and 6 pinks. All on Skinny G's. Long story but a good one. BTW I was the only boat there from 11am onward...so you will just have to believe me!!! lol Actually there were shore fishers right there on the beach who got a show and would have heard the f-bombs when the rod went over...lol
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Click to expand...
Awesome story Rollie and a class act posting the pic of the fish in the water. It’s an XL for sure! Thanks for continuing to set such a great example on the water. Bummer about the rod though.
 
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