Sooke Reports - Spring and Summer 2012
- Thread starter Last Chance
- Start date
Falcon
Active Member
Edit: never mind, stupid question!
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Thank you for your Tip, Damn it I missed to read it before We went to fishing. We had no luck to catch any fish.
Thank you Karma, I missed to read it before we headed to fishing. I think We trolled too fast and wrong spots. I will post the last one . What we did wrong way, I am very appreciated that you helped me and feedback.
Thanks
Discus
Hi Rich,
Thank you for your great tips, I will answer your questions.
1) That is a good question, I believe we fished for big springs for feed and tide change. I am glad that I am learning many new things from my errors. We fished from Beach Head to Shack Trap. We had no luck to catch any big springs. But We caught one small coho and released. It was about 16"
We knew that tide change at 10:05 am, We fished at 6 am till Noon. It was very windy and rough water.
2) We used the green glow tease anchovies , 4" cop car spoon on 5 feet leader, the white hootchy on 42" We always filed on sharped hooks before we fished. We always check every 30 mins for check for weed or bait is missing.
3) I did not know about that. I am learning new things. I am good at math working. We have a finder fish. When the fish finder says that the fish on 50' It is about 70 feet because of the down rigger cable move to 35 to 40 degree depend on speed and current. I adjust 65 feet on down rigger.
4) We used cop car ( black and white) Glow Green teaser and the white hootchy.
5) we fished near to shore that where is big spring and followed other boat where they fished.
We got frustrated again.
Duncan
Last Tuesday, We fished for 6 hours and nothing but we released a small size coho. Of course got frustrated but We are keep try and don't give up.
We knew about too windy that day but We went to fishing and tide change at 10 05 am. We hope we should catch some couple of springs but nothing.
We were on Beachy Head around 6 am It was little windy. We trolled from Beachy Head to Shack Trap. We use bait, hootch, and spoons. First we tried on bait at 50 feet and 70 feet. The white hootchy on 40 feet. We speed on the boat about 2.5 MPH and 3.0 MPH because my friend's boat said that the downrigger does not move to 45 degree. I said don't worry about and look at speed. The mature springs are lazy. They are not younger spring as feeder springs. so he adjust speed slow from 2.0 MPH and 2.5 MPH. The Shack Trap's location have lot of weeds and kelps. We checked every 20 - 30 mins. The 70 feet which to used the green glow anchovies missed but we did not see a strike. Maybe I was doing another rod hooked on another downrigger. Every an hour, We changed hootchy, spoons and different deep.
In about 8 in the morning , It was picking up fog and cold. We trolled turn left and saw a soft strike. I checked it and we caught a small hatchery coho and released.
In an hour later , windy become stronger, we decided to move to beech head , about after 10 am , I saw other three boats caught salmons not for us... and we trolled from Beachy head to Beachy bay till noon.
4" Coyote cop car spoon on 5 feet leader.
4" Coyote Green and white spoon on 5 feet leader
Rye Davis Green Glow Anchovies on 6 feet leader
Rye Davis Green Glow Anchovies on 7 feet leader.
3.5 kingfisher Lighting white spoon on 5 feet leader
copcar coho killer on 28" leader.
We tried fishing those lures and bait on 35' and 80' .
I hope someone can help me to solve problems or meet up in a person or welcome to join our boat in one day.
Thanks
Duncan
We knew about too windy that day but We went to fishing and tide change at 10 05 am. We hope we should catch some couple of springs but nothing.
We were on Beachy Head around 6 am It was little windy. We trolled from Beachy Head to Shack Trap. We use bait, hootch, and spoons. First we tried on bait at 50 feet and 70 feet. The white hootchy on 40 feet. We speed on the boat about 2.5 MPH and 3.0 MPH because my friend's boat said that the downrigger does not move to 45 degree. I said don't worry about and look at speed. The mature springs are lazy. They are not younger spring as feeder springs. so he adjust speed slow from 2.0 MPH and 2.5 MPH. The Shack Trap's location have lot of weeds and kelps. We checked every 20 - 30 mins. The 70 feet which to used the green glow anchovies missed but we did not see a strike. Maybe I was doing another rod hooked on another downrigger. Every an hour, We changed hootchy, spoons and different deep.
In about 8 in the morning , It was picking up fog and cold. We trolled turn left and saw a soft strike. I checked it and we caught a small hatchery coho and released.
In an hour later , windy become stronger, we decided to move to beech head , about after 10 am , I saw other three boats caught salmons not for us... and we trolled from Beachy head to Beachy bay till noon.
4" Coyote cop car spoon on 5 feet leader.
4" Coyote Green and white spoon on 5 feet leader
Rye Davis Green Glow Anchovies on 6 feet leader
Rye Davis Green Glow Anchovies on 7 feet leader.
3.5 kingfisher Lighting white spoon on 5 feet leader
copcar coho killer on 28" leader.
We tried fishing those lures and bait on 35' and 80' .
I hope someone can help me to solve problems or meet up in a person or welcome to join our boat in one day.
Thanks
Duncan
Englishman
Well-Known Member
Discus,
I can relate to your frustration. I too was new to saltwater trolling in 2010 and joined the forum that summer. I got a huge amount of advice, assistance, guidance and encouragement from the kind fisher folks on this forum. It was tremendously helpful.
I was able to catch three summer chinook last year (2011) but this summer I have not been able to repeat that success. Make no mistake, Sooke summer chinook are extremely elusive and very hard to catch. As people on here have said you have to put in your time so I keep doing that, and with some help maybe I can get back on track. I hope so. LOL
If you are willing to go out in winter the feeder (winter) springs are a great deal easier to find and fool. They behave almost like a different species and we had some very good success in February through April. Nothing huge, the largest we had was 15lb, but it sure helps to improve confidence and put some fish in the freezer for the looong summer drought!!
Anyway, good luck and keep trying the techniques you have been advised about!
I can relate to your frustration. I too was new to saltwater trolling in 2010 and joined the forum that summer. I got a huge amount of advice, assistance, guidance and encouragement from the kind fisher folks on this forum. It was tremendously helpful.
I was able to catch three summer chinook last year (2011) but this summer I have not been able to repeat that success. Make no mistake, Sooke summer chinook are extremely elusive and very hard to catch. As people on here have said you have to put in your time so I keep doing that, and with some help maybe I can get back on track. I hope so. LOL
If you are willing to go out in winter the feeder (winter) springs are a great deal easier to find and fool. They behave almost like a different species and we had some very good success in February through April. Nothing huge, the largest we had was 15lb, but it sure helps to improve confidence and put some fish in the freezer for the looong summer drought!!
Anyway, good luck and keep trying the techniques you have been advised about!
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Discus....I'd try the Gold betsy flasher, the Purple Onion flasher, or the goldish/brass flasher with the dark purple body.
I'd also try the 3 1/2 inch Luhr-Jensen "U/V Bright spoon" , on 40lb test leader, 60 inch leader behind flasher. You can experiment with spoon leader length too. 48 inches isn't too short. Some guys go even less. Personally I like going about 60" or 65"....
This spoon is bright green stripe down edge, chrome on back and front, with black "halo" dots on it.
You don't need to go too fast with spoons. GPS 1.5 to 2.0 mph or check angle of wires. Wires do not have to be 45 degrees.
There is no "fixed depth' for Chinook. Try running different depths on each side.
Run all hoochies or all spoons or all bait. That way you have better control over action. if you speed up to get your hoochy going, that could be too fast for your bait or spoon etc.
Whatever you are using.......don't troll at the same speed all day long. Try slowing way down for awhile and then come back up to correct speed for that lure. Try going a little bit faster for a brief period.
For hoochy.....try a Green Splatterback........38" from back of flasher-ring to nose of hoochy, 40lb test minimum.
Hoochies I like to go 2.0 to 2.5 mph. basically.
Put the flasher back about 20ft from the d/line.
I get better results trolling "with" the tide/current...than against it.
Just because a bunch of boats is fishing a spot doesn't mean anything.
Many of those guys are only fishing there because they think the other boats are all getting fish. Herd mentality.
If running bait....don't be afraid to go 7 feet on the leader. On this the flasher is the attractor but you don't want it messing up the roll of the bait.
Use a "bloody nose" teaser head if you are going deep or it's dark/overcast out.
Try a Purple Haze head or Clear U/V if it's bright and sunny and you're not below 100ft.
I'd also try the 3 1/2 inch Luhr-Jensen "U/V Bright spoon" , on 40lb test leader, 60 inch leader behind flasher. You can experiment with spoon leader length too. 48 inches isn't too short. Some guys go even less. Personally I like going about 60" or 65"....
This spoon is bright green stripe down edge, chrome on back and front, with black "halo" dots on it.
You don't need to go too fast with spoons. GPS 1.5 to 2.0 mph or check angle of wires. Wires do not have to be 45 degrees.
There is no "fixed depth' for Chinook. Try running different depths on each side.
Run all hoochies or all spoons or all bait. That way you have better control over action. if you speed up to get your hoochy going, that could be too fast for your bait or spoon etc.
Whatever you are using.......don't troll at the same speed all day long. Try slowing way down for awhile and then come back up to correct speed for that lure. Try going a little bit faster for a brief period.
For hoochy.....try a Green Splatterback........38" from back of flasher-ring to nose of hoochy, 40lb test minimum.
Hoochies I like to go 2.0 to 2.5 mph. basically.
Put the flasher back about 20ft from the d/line.
I get better results trolling "with" the tide/current...than against it.
Just because a bunch of boats is fishing a spot doesn't mean anything.
Many of those guys are only fishing there because they think the other boats are all getting fish. Herd mentality.
If running bait....don't be afraid to go 7 feet on the leader. On this the flasher is the attractor but you don't want it messing up the roll of the bait.
Use a "bloody nose" teaser head if you are going deep or it's dark/overcast out.
Try a Purple Haze head or Clear U/V if it's bright and sunny and you're not below 100ft.
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Lip I guess you heard or watched a dream day for my crew today. Gear in by 6:30 found the fish by 6:45 and by 9am we were heading in....landed 10, keeping 8 of them 31, 21, 20,20, 17, 16, 16 and 12 pounds. Lost 5 more. My gear was so dialed in that while palying a fish I had to put the boat out of gear with my 3rd rigger and rod still in the water. So the gear was just hanging from the rigger and along way down. I finally got around to bringing it up..turned on the rigger and started hauling everything straight up. Half way up the rigger starts to bounce then the tell tale bump. I couldn't believe it..that was our 2nd double. 15 springs on the gear in 2 1/2 hrs...almost as good as Nootka in 2011 
I have pics but to late and too tired to go through photobucket to post them tonight.
I have pics but to late and too tired to go through photobucket to post them tonight.Lip I guess you heard or watched a dream day for my crew today. Gear in by 6:30 found the fish by 6:45 and by 9am we were heading in....landed 10, keeping 8 of them 31, 21, 20,20, 17, 16, 16 and 12 pounds. Lost 5 more. My gear was so dialed in that while palying a fish I had to put the boat out of gear with my 3rd rigger and rod still in the water. So the gear was just hanging from the rigger and along way down. I finally got around to bringing it up..turned on the rigger and started hauling everything straight up. Half way up the rigger starts to bounce then the tell tale bump. I couldn't believe it..that was our 2nd double. 15 springs on the gear in 2 1/2 hrs...almost as good as Nootka in 2011
That was ton of fun. I always want to catch more than 6 springs. My friends and I always have a hard time to find a right spots. Did you go to fishing somewhere in Sooke?
Discus,
I can relate to your frustration. I too was new to saltwater trolling in 2010 and joined the forum that summer. I got a huge amount of advice, assistance, guidance and encouragement from the kind fisher folks on this forum. It was tremendously helpful.
I was able to catch three summer chinook last year (2011) but this summer I have not been able to repeat that success. Make no mistake, Sooke summer chinook are extremely elusive and very hard to catch. As people on here have said you have to put in your time so I keep doing that, and with some help maybe I can get back on track. I hope so. LOL
If you are willing to go out in winter the feeder (winter) springs are a great deal easier to find and fool. They behave almost like a different species and we had some very good success in February through April. Nothing huge, the largest we had was 15lb, but it sure helps to improve confidence and put some fish in the freezer for the looong summer drought!!
Anyway, good luck and keep trying the techniques you have been advised about!
Thanks Man, My friends and I will go to fishing for coho. I think we will catch coho more easier than springs. We will go fishing for winter springs ( the feeder) in next year. I won't give up . I love fishing since I was born with fishing LOL.
I enjoyed read your article about your fishing experienced in England and here. I am an English man. My family and I moved Montreal when I was 6 years old. I love to live in Victoria.
Big Green Machine
Well-Known Member
Me too, yes he was in Sooke but he's a pro guide so you may have some difficulty duplicating his results.
Hi SeaFever ,
Thank you for your sharing and your good tips.
We used the Gold betsy flasher, the Purple Onion flasher,Green with glow flasher, and Silver betsy flasher.
We fished at 6 am , We use the green glow flasher with the green glow anchovies ( 6' leader ) and the purple Onion flasher with Green Glow anchovies ( 7' leader) they were on between 70' and 80' and the Gold Betsy Flasher with green Splatterback hootchy ( 42" leader) on 40 feet.
About 10 am , We changed The Gold Betsy flasher with Green Glow anchovies at 70 feet, Purple Haze Flasher with 4" Cop Car Spoon ( 5 feet leader) at 80 feet and white hootchy (42" leader) with silver Betsy flasher at 50 feet. No luck strike for big one.
I have purple Haze head but I did not try it. Next time We will go fishing and I will try with the purple haze head for the bright and sunny.
I am not familiar with the dark purple body and the spoon is bright green stripe down edge, chrome on back and front, with black "halo" dots on it.
My friend's boat does not have a black box.
Duncan
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Are you running wire or braid, Discus?
You don't need a black box.........only if you are running wire and your voltage is not "dialed in".
If you are running wire.......you should check your wire voltage to see what it is. Around .7 of one volt is normal. If it is way higher or lower, you have problems.
If running wire:- all your "zincs" need to be clean and no electrical leakage issues with your boat.
If braid:- none of the above applies.
Bait would be my first choice........but you need to get the "roll" down right.
One to two turns a second with a "porpoising" roll. Or go "bullet roll" and use a bullet roll head.
They make wires that you can stick in the bait to keep the roll correct. Available at most major tackle shops.
Some good videos by David Murphy on Youtube on how to rig a chovy and get different rolls.
Actually a lot easier than you think.
The flasher with the gold sides and dark purple body is , I think, made by Hotspot. Either them or O'ki
The spoon is available just about every tackle shop.
Sounds like you tried a lot of "go-to's"........
Do you have a half-decent fishfinder/sounder? My inclination would be to stay at 70 to 120ft if "guesstimating".
My rule of thumb is:- if not getting hits after 30 minutes...then move on to another location. You know the old saying :- "If there ain't no audience...there's just no show".
Bait moves around with tides and current. So do the fish....looking for bait.
If the fish are near their natal river estuary....you might want to be in that general vicinity as well.
Get some herring oil and smear it on your spoons and hoochies before you put them down....kills of any lingering human scent. Don't use Smelly jelly.....dulls up your spoons and they don't make it in "clear". Smelly jelly works for bottomfish jigs....but I like the clearer oils for spoons and hoochies.
You also need to know what the fish are eating at a particular time and whether the bait they are feeding on is large or small.
You don't need a black box.........only if you are running wire and your voltage is not "dialed in".
If you are running wire.......you should check your wire voltage to see what it is. Around .7 of one volt is normal. If it is way higher or lower, you have problems.
If running wire:- all your "zincs" need to be clean and no electrical leakage issues with your boat.
If braid:- none of the above applies.
Bait would be my first choice........but you need to get the "roll" down right.
One to two turns a second with a "porpoising" roll. Or go "bullet roll" and use a bullet roll head.
They make wires that you can stick in the bait to keep the roll correct. Available at most major tackle shops.
Some good videos by David Murphy on Youtube on how to rig a chovy and get different rolls.
Actually a lot easier than you think.
The flasher with the gold sides and dark purple body is , I think, made by Hotspot. Either them or O'ki
The spoon is available just about every tackle shop.
Sounds like you tried a lot of "go-to's"........
Do you have a half-decent fishfinder/sounder? My inclination would be to stay at 70 to 120ft if "guesstimating".
My rule of thumb is:- if not getting hits after 30 minutes...then move on to another location. You know the old saying :- "If there ain't no audience...there's just no show".
Bait moves around with tides and current. So do the fish....looking for bait.
If the fish are near their natal river estuary....you might want to be in that general vicinity as well.
Get some herring oil and smear it on your spoons and hoochies before you put them down....kills of any lingering human scent. Don't use Smelly jelly.....dulls up your spoons and they don't make it in "clear". Smelly jelly works for bottomfish jigs....but I like the clearer oils for spoons and hoochies.
You also need to know what the fish are eating at a particular time and whether the bait they are feeding on is large or small.
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My friend's two electric down riggers are wire cable no braid. I heard that my friend is thinking about getting a black box. I think I should tell him to wait. We should try fishing properly with the anchovy.
The Island outfitter dealer said that they recommend to use the anchovy. We did try with the anchovy. I will take photo on here you will see what did we use it. The single hook and triple hooks are beside the head.
I saw on David Murphy on Youtube. also What I did use that like him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQm4aIJ6IOM&feature=related
Should I use the single triple hooks beside the head?
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Seafever
Well-Known Member
The wire voltage I'm referring to is the voltage on the downrigger wire........
Doesn't sound like your anchovy is rigged right.
The treble hook should be basically just behind the fin on the back of the anchovy.....and it should be about halfway down the side of the anchovy (or just where the dark upper skin meets the lighter belly skin).
Then you pull it up so there is a bit of a curve in the anchovy. You use a toothpick in the teaser head where the line goes through......that way the line can't slip and screw up your curve.
The wires that I mentioned:- one end affixes to a hole in the teaser head and you run the wire down through the anchovy so it is hidden. Then you bend it to the curve you like.
There are ways to achieve different rolls....depending on where you put the treble hook and also what kind of curve you have in the body of the anchovy.
A slight bend up front with a bit of a pronounced "kick out" at the tail end will give you a tighter roll.
A mild eliptical "C-bend" will give you a classic rotating roll.
Have a look at the You-Tube David Murphy videos.
Google "How To rig An Anchovy".
Doesn't sound like your anchovy is rigged right.
The treble hook should be basically just behind the fin on the back of the anchovy.....and it should be about halfway down the side of the anchovy (or just where the dark upper skin meets the lighter belly skin).
Then you pull it up so there is a bit of a curve in the anchovy. You use a toothpick in the teaser head where the line goes through......that way the line can't slip and screw up your curve.
The wires that I mentioned:- one end affixes to a hole in the teaser head and you run the wire down through the anchovy so it is hidden. Then you bend it to the curve you like.
There are ways to achieve different rolls....depending on where you put the treble hook and also what kind of curve you have in the body of the anchovy.
A slight bend up front with a bit of a pronounced "kick out" at the tail end will give you a tighter roll.
A mild eliptical "C-bend" will give you a classic rotating roll.
Have a look at the You-Tube David Murphy videos.
Google "How To rig An Anchovy".
