No fish in Sooke at that time of year? Really? Same could be said for Bamfield where they have to run 5 to 20 miles offshore to catch a spring...as for Critter Cove, it's not like you hear too much about fantastic fishing coming out of that place--every spot has it's day...Critter Cove is relatively hard to access.
Middle of July...hmmmm..at any place on the west coast you shouldn't have a problem to hook more than a few fish. At the extra expense of Critter Cove, how many more fish do you expect to catch and release? Heck, in the middle of July you could even do a trip in the Charlottes, happen on a slow trip and play 15 springs the whole trip..it happens! What's great about Sooke is the fact that the amenties are there so your trip won't be a write off if something happens! Or you could time it right and get out there and hook 20 springs a morning...or ? Hard to say...I know guides in Sooke that will GUARANTEE you a limit of springs a day...if you're a meat hunter or looking for the most fish.
Just my opinion... there's a lot of bashers of Sooke out there...wonder why that is? There's a lot of bashers about Vancouver fishing too...however some of the people doing the bashing aren't exactly the ones doing the catching!
Not to knock Critter Cove or anything..but the safety and piece of mind should be part of a successful trip, and you're going to PAY at Critter Cove for what you get. If GAS cost is an issue, perhaps other places on the coast with lower costs for lodging would be a better idea and that way you can spend more money on a longer trip?
I'd rather have 4 days on the water enjoying consistent fishing as opposed to 2 days having outrageous fishing for the same money.
It's not only about the FISH per se, but rather there's plenty of other things to take into account.
