2023 Sooke Reports

[SpringVelocity]

After a busy week-end looking after the little grandkids we got out again today.

Despite the amazing morning we had at the harbour mouth on Thursday, in view of the calm conditions we decided we would head to Muir, our favourite location.

Lines in at 7:00am with the “magic” Gibbs spoon on one side, and the usual herring in t/head on the other at 66’ in 80’ of water. Had a hit immediately from a pesky pink on the herring. Boated that and upon replacing the herring got another pink immediately, which escaped.

So gave that up and put a big Tomic spoon on that rod and for the next 2 and a half hours trolled the two spoons with nothing except one small unclipped coho, and another coho which came off after a couple of jumps and one tiny shaker chinook on the Tomic. Muir was not fulfilling its promise we thought.

Close to 10am and the tide change, I took off the Tomic and tried t/head and herring on that side again. Had a jiggling bouncy hit almost straight away and I thought “ah oh another pink”. But no, it took off on a strong run, down and away and after a minute or two tug-of-war it came loose. Dropped another herring down, another rapid hit which felt a little heavy but I did not really contact. Time to sharpen the hook and put yet another herring down. The herring was barely down and I was still tightening the line when I had yet another pounding hit. We played this one for a while and eventually boated a beauty fish measuring exactly 80cm and weighing 16lbs.

It appeared to have gone crazy and so it proved. Three more herring were put down on that side and we lost all three fish that grabbed the bait, despite getting pounding hits. One was pretty immediate but the other two gave some decent runs and head shakes before departing.

Since the Gibbs spoon had done nothing the whole time through this mayhem, I decided to switch that side to herring in t/head as well. Took 5 minutes to get a big pounding hit and this one stuck. In the boat it was 70cm and a respectable 11lb. It had engulfed the herring so the hook was right in the throat.

It was now close to 11am and a big NE wind had blown up so we departed. For all we knew the chinook were still there ready to attack any herring sent their way, but C and R is hard with big chinook when they engulf herring like that.

Great day and easily the most epically crazy 50 minutes chinook fishing I have ever experienced!!
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Good for you Roland

 

[wolf]

Yes Sooke is still great pinks are starting to thin out a little still can getting them though good for smokers.
My main guy whos been with me for 25 years came out again for some fantastic fishing. he left with some nice coolers and we (wife and I) cooked a huge fish fry.!!! deep fried salmon,halibut,fries,salads and wife had margerita machine runnning full tilt.!!!!! she also made banana creampie,blackbery crumble,choc brownie ..HUGE sucess fellow guides who took him out over the years over 24 people was lots of fun and laughs

 

[pachito]

Out this morning to enjoy the cool ocean breeze and get away from inlaws and outlaws.
Again no time for coffee an snacks , double header before 7 and landed a colourful 78cm

 

[wolf]

Please I hope you submitted the head to the return bucket we really need that data to prove that these are from the sooke net pen projects...

 

[Old Seadog]

Out this morning with my son at first light, did two passes at Possesion Pt "Bang 10lb" my son got. Move over to Secretary Is and "Bang #12.5lb" all done, with hour & half.... We were at 35ft & 40 ft on the DR using spoons. There was a ton of bait jumping all over the place. We did not get one pink (THANK GOD) but did get three or four shakers on the line.

 

[pachito]

Please I hope you submitted the head to the return bucket we really need that data to prove that these are from the sooke net pen projects...

In the bin,,thanks for the reminder Roy

 

[wolf]

In the bin,,thanks for the reminder Roy

Its good for us to do this last 7 days alone ive submitted 10 heads 3 yesterday and 1 today. The upside is if its proven that we are getting good numbers back we may get more opening etc or acesss. So please put all hatchery heads in , it depends on our future in sooke

 

[PHW]

Had a fast morning at Secretary this am. Needlefish AP spoon 65ft in 80-90 FOW, friend got his on a Sliver Horde Kingfisher light spoon—Red Racer. Metal outperforms bait AGAIN today. Quick question—where are all the clipped Coho? (Please no one say in the water!! ). Too many boats moved in so we moved out but got blanked on keepers after that.

 

[Tsquared]

Metal was the ticket for us Yesterday as well. 2 nice springs on a small AP lemon-lime spoon.

 

[Doug]

I fished today with tiger prawn and we started at otter point at 615. landed a 72 cm clipped fishing in the first 20 minute. then 20 minutes later a 78cm clipped spring. Then fished for fun and Coho but kept getting small springs(10) and most around 26 inches, except two that were around 16lb, all released. At 930 it went dead so we packed it in at 1030.

fished in 100 ft of water and 65 ft on the DR. bait worked the best today.

out of the 12 springs we caught, 9 were clipped. We submitted our two heads to DFO.

 

[SpringVelocity]

It has to be the net pen ones. Personally thinking we're benefiting coastwide from the SEAK late start on all species. Would explain everything.

That's great your putting heads in. Know you and Glen always do anyway.

 

[Englishman]

Down to Muir again with lines in around 7:15am. Did not bother with spoons this time and put t.h./herring down on both sides in case the chinook had not recovered their sanity from Mondays’ feeding frenzy. At first I thought they were still stir crazy, as in less than thirty minutes we had a pounding hit and after some mix-ups with which net to use we boated a very nice fat 77cm fish weighing 15lb.

Turned out he was a loner and general chinook sanity had been restored after all. We trolled the 65-90’ contours for the next 3.5 hours but only had a couple of pinks, one small clipped coho and one released coho to show for it. The clipped coho was weird as I had a pink on but it came off three rod lengths from the boat, but a few seconds later there was a tug and the hatchery coho had grabbed the empty t/head!!

Around the tide change we had a hit that popped the clip, which at first I thought was a little chinook from the tugging, but it turned out to be a 6lb pink. Far bigger than the regular 3 and 4lb ‘ders we have caught this season.

As the wind looked like it was coming up again and as the run back to harbour was a very uncomfortable jarring bounce on Monday, we did not fancy a repeat today. So we called it a day.

No pictures today. You folks will just have to take my word for it!! LOL

 

[vicsurfer]

Today had a bit of everything. Started at 10am and trolled down to the shack. The pinks weren't around but the smaller springs were everywhere. When we neared the shack we had a big fish on the dr but got off on a few head shakes. I checked the hook on the Gibbs Irish Cream because I forgot to remove the stock hook. Sent the rod back down and another big spring hit, peeled line and then flipped the hook. My partner checked the hook and said it was good. The third time the rod goes down it hits another big fish and sure enough it spits the hook. By this point I know something is up because this is not the norm. I check the hook and it's at a 90 degree angle. Then we put on the proper hooks and landed a 75cm, 13# spring. Finished up around 1pm with the spring, nice big hatch coho, 6 pinks, crab and my second bell pepper of the week. What's up with the yellow peppers floating around?

 

[tigerprawn]

I fished today with tiger prawn and we started at otter point at 615. landed a 72 cm clipped fishing in the first 20 minute. then 20 minutes later a 78cm clipped spring. Then fished for fun and Coho but kept getting small springs(10) and most around 26 inches, except two that were around 16lb, all released. At 930 it went dead so we packed it in at 1030.

fished in 100 ft of water and 65 ft on the DR. bait worked the best today.

out of the 12 springs we caught, 9 were clipped. We submitted our two heads to DFO.

Thanks Doug great to have you aboard the 22’Northwest CC aka the MinTin

 

[tigerprawn]

It has to be the net pen ones. Personally thinking we're benefiting coastwide from the SEAK late start on all species. Would explain everything.

That's great your putting heads in. Know you and Glen always do anyway.

Yes I am hoping they are from the Sooke Netpen project But I know the US did increase their Chinook output. saying that it’s been a fantastic August so far. Let keep sending those hatchery heads in as in the end of season data will tell everyone where they were from.
and yes let’s hope Alaskas dirty little secret that started late July 2 allowed more southern Chinook migration to get through .

 

[Fish Wistler]

Sorry, not a report but wondering what the projected limits for springs will be starting Sept 1st in areas 19 and 20. TIA

 

[Mozart]

20-3 to 20-7 starting Sep 1 two per day
Starting Sep 1 Two per day for area 19. With 19-1 19-3 19-4 min 45cm and 19-5-19-12 min 62cm
Aug 1. To Oct 15 for area 19-7 to 19-12 no chinook retention.

 

[PHW]

Bait today…on all fish! Go figure. (I brine mine with Pro-Cure…not sure what is popular here). Tough start today but a fast and furious finish!! Springs deep 80 feet—right on the bottom. Both hit it so hard…zingers. Both at/around Possession. We didn’t give up and it was rewarded. Also found another clipped Coho so I only need 2 more…trying for those next two days plus some bottom fishing at Muir Creek in about 150 feet. Any other halibut suggestions greatly appreciated. Side note —Otter was nuts today with heavy boat traffic. I saw Blue Wolf and he waved…I swear he was netting 2 fish, steering AND rigging up something at the same time! Should be called Blue Octopus Charter. We are learning the proper Canadian fishing lanes—thank you for your patience…but man you guys like to visit close out there.

 

[pachito]

Interesting morning out with a couple buddies today got to posession just after 6am and the plan was to make a couple passes there and if no action head up to otter for the flood. Just setting up the gear and the whales show up both sides of the boat flipping an tail slapping , should have grabbed a video but was stressed thinking the action was over.
Decided to head out to 500' line an see if any hatch coho out there. No sooner did i get a couple white hoochies down an bang , into a screamer .
Ended another epic sooke trip before 8am with 2 77cm whites an 79cm red and 2 large humps

 

[Fishing?]

It has to be the net pen ones. Personally thinking we're benefiting coastwide from the SEAK late start on all species. Would explain everything.

That's great your putting heads in. Know you and Glen always do anyway.

What is the seak?