Sooke fishing Question?

[Dayto]

Hey guys !
Im looking to make a trip down to sooke to do a weekend fishing trip running a Classic 13Ft Boston whaler center console boat. Im looking to what would be a good area to focus in on that's fairly close to running out of the basin. Im just looking for some advice due to running a smaller boat , im very comftorable fishing in this boat I have all electronics and safety gear etc.

Thanks guys.
To bad halibut spots are not small boat friendly lol.

 

[Harbicht]

Possession pt, secretary isl, trap shaq if it's calm


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[sammyslabber]

Beecher or Pedder Bay are also good bets;even in strong westerly winds,you can usually fish one of the sides. It really depends on the wind direction; S Westerlies are tough to hide from.

Suerte...

 

[the gambler]

I'm with slabber, put in at Cheanuh marina (beacher bay) and fish Aldridge point or Bedford isl inside the bay. If it's calm you can head to Beachy Head and around the corner to the Trap Shack.

 

[Dayto]

So Beacher bay is more protected waters then heading out of the basin? Also what radio channel do my guys BS on in sooke

 

[GDW]

Check the weather before you go out secretary and possession are close to the basin if that's where you would rather launch. Sooke bluffs produces halibut for some lucky anglers if you want to give it a drift. Good luck - some days that's all it takes out there.

 

[dabell]

Good tides and winds (projected) for drifting for halibut Fri/Sat so far.

 

[Dennis.t]

I fished out of Sooke Basin in a 12ft fiberglass with a 10hp Merc when I was young and fearless. Stayed at Sunny Shores Marina. Never had a problem getting out to Secretary island...

 

[Dayto]

Yes will be staying in sunny shores . Also were is the bluffs? What would be a decent bait to drift?

 

[Gear'n'beer!]

Yes will be staying in sunny shores . Also were is the bluffs? What would be a decent bait to drift?

Bust a right straight out of the basin, big bluffs.....you can't miss them.

Stay safe though, the entrance to sooke basin can be downright nasty at times

 

[Rockfish]

If going out of Sooke Harbour I would suggest fish early which is usually calm. Fairily common for the wind to blow up a bit around noon. You should be able to fish all day if Big Wave Dave is showing 0 and 5’s and even some later 10’s in a boat your size. The prevailing wind direction is from the west or south west. The worst for coming back in is a SW wind with waves which point right at the end of the spit and running into a heavy ebb coming out from around the spit. The waves can stack up as they hit the shallow water. Sometimes there will be a south east wind which means you are usually protected coming back in, in Sooke inlet by the land mass but it can also move around to be from the west on you. For a 13 footer you have a a rather safe boat but if only one motor you want it to be reliable. Check you chart as there is one nasty rock/reef on the east side of Sooke inlet going out and it can be just below the water at times. We have caught a lot of fish from Secretary to the Tin Shack so you do not have to go far and you will be close if things blow up and you need to go back in.

There can be some nasty rip tide and very strong current on the far outside south side of Secretary if the wind and current run into each other there so you may want to avoid that area in a small boat.

Usually lots of boats fishing this area (out front) if you were to ever need assistance. Remember that there is an RCA no fishing zone to the west coming out of the harbor/Sooke inlet that goes around the bluffs and most of the way around the next bay (Sooke Bay) to the west and a Chinook non retention zone starting Aug 1st from a line going from Possession Point to the far end of the Bluffs.

Going out the first time from SS, follow someone to learn the route as it is easy to run aground going past the Sooke River area and you need to stay well to the south up against the shore and go on the south of the first green buoy going out - it is close to the south shore. If you go to the north of it you will run a ground. When you get around the corner go to the west of the red buoy to avoid the reef and then straight to the end and around the spit. Good luck and good fishing.

 

[tubber]

There you have it. Do that and you will be fine. I fished from Sunny Shores several trips in my 11' whaler before I got a 17'. Otter Point to Muir is doable on a calm, fog free day too.

 

[Dayto]

Thanks guys

 

[Dayto]

Also to drift the bluffs any tips on what to use for hali?

How deep should a guy start off at?
Its been a few years since running the basin so im gonna see if I can google a chart for safety.

Cheers.

 

[Rockfish]

Going out the first time from SS, follow someone to learn the route as it is easy to run aground going past the Sooke River area and you need to stay well to the south up against the shore and go on the south of the first green buoy going out - it is close to the south shore. If you go to the north of it you will run a ground. When you get around the corner go to the west of the red buoy to avoid the reef and then straight to the end and around the spit. Good luck and good fishing.

Dayto, This likely does not apply to you as I understand you have made the Basin Run before. Every year I see boats run aground and often damage there leg on the Sandbars off the Sooke River going in both directions and today was no exception. Up on plane and angling over and a bit behind a boat going out I decided not to crank up to near max RPM to race him for the Point and moved over and jumped his wake to follow him out. When we got to the Point which is the start of the run past the River, rather than stay to the south, he sees the wide expanse of water and starts going down the middle. As he was now leading me into the danger zone and heading for water that at times can be only be a few inches deep, I jumped his other side wake and made a sharp turn south turned and went in and along the south shore. He had a passenger looking backwards so they saw me do that but they just keep going down the middle and in fact moving over to the north side. If they were looking they should have seen the sand bar spit on the north side, but they did not put my quick maneuver to the south out of the center of his wake trail and that flat sand spit together. He came to a rather quick stop and was back looking at the motor.

Obviously he had launched at SS and had no local knowledge and he now knows it may have been a good idea to have slowed down and let me go first or at least check a chart or chart plotter and maybe invest in a sounder that works at high speed. I bet that sand bar area has caused hundreds of thousands in damage to motors, legs and boats over the years. Perhaps they need another green buoy or two at that location to force boaters over to the south side. That should work for those who know what a Starboard and Port Hand Buoy are.

 

[Tsquared]

" That should work for those who know what a Starboard and Port Hand Buoy are." That would keep at least 30% safe, Rockfish!
T2