OOOPS, a few that slid past the Sooke fishkillers

[blackvelvet]

Thanks from us yanks for you sooke fishkillers letting a few straggle by so us yanks could get a few of your fish on our side of the water.

Plenty of action and released several low teens springs today. Eventually settled for a 29, 20, and this big pig......It hit 42 on the scale. I thought it might go 45, but I guess I was a touch off. Lost a huge high teens coho at the boat as well. I'm sure it had the extra fin, so just as well it released itself.

Hopefully I'll have more reasons to send more thanks in the next few days. Ha ha

 

[fish stalker]

soowee! no doubt a pig! wow! Congrats! and your welcome lol

 

[casper5280]

Yes was fishing Sooke today and it was slower then it has been. Was listening to the radio and it did sound like it was a lot better on your side today. Nice work on the fish, looks like a beauty. I do think that we owe you guys a few fish thanks to your generosity of all your hatchery fish that swim this way.

 

[Kildonan]

That's a beauty. I'm going looking for one of those in the morning.

 

[Dennis.t]

Wow! Very impressive! Look at the size of the head on that thing. Could swallow a coho. Lol

 

[springnut]

Nice fish that must have been fun getting him onboard.

 

[Aces]

Nice fish Buddy!

 

[jeffywestcoast]

What a hog you have there! nice work!

 

[Discus]

What a nice hog! Where did you catch the fish from Sooke?

 

[blackvelvet]

What a nice hog! Where did you catch the fish from Sooke?

On the U.S. side of the islands. Just figured it had to go by Sooke before it came to where I caught it, and it was a marbled Frasier fish.

 

[GDW]

Nice fish your a hog slayer wasnt it your rig that took a huge halibut during your short season?

Do any hogs like that return to the Puget sound or were they all wiped out? I've caught boat fulls of American fish this year but its rare to break the 20 pound mark.

 

[blackvelvet]

Yes, it was my boat that got the 225 halibut.

We used to get big pigs like this in Puget sound, but after the judge boldt decision in the early 70's the tribal gillnets in the rivers have pretty much wiped them all out.

The Columbia river still has a few 40+ pound class Chinook and the Skagit river also has a few that can get 70+. Were it not for several Puget sound hatcheries, there would be very few returning Chinook to Puget sound. Sad but true. We do get a few hatchery kings over the 20# mark..........but as you guys notice from the majority of clipped fish that you bonk are low to mid teens.

We only had a 3 week season to catch "hatchery only" Chinook in Puget sound this year. Closed in early August and those same clipped fish are still pouring in by the thousands. most will end up in a tribal net along with the few remaining wild fish.

Thanks to all you guys for putting up your stellar reports. Always great reading. Hope to visit Sooke one day. Sounds like my kinda place, full of great people that share my passion for the salt and stewards of our fisheries so that future generations can enjoy our fantastic saltwater opportunities.

 

[Sculpin]

CONGRATS big time!!! See you next weekend.