Sooke2015

[Englishman]

They are out there Adler. Just keep putting in your time. When we got back to the dock one boat was cleaning a 24 a 21 and a couple of teeners which they said they got at the Head and the Trap. Right now the bite seems to be coming on for the early tide change from the Ebb to the flood and then is rather dead for hours (for us anyway) with the massive fast flood until it slows down again in the later afternoon and a second bite comes on. We got ours at 3.45 pm when the long fast flood had slowed down sufficiently that we could go back to Chovies and not have them spinning super fast.

Rockfish,
The massive tide flow was why we elected to troll back from Otter to the Bluffs with the tide. I had the engine just ticking over with the cables going back just a little so that we could keep a nice slow roll. Like my report said it worked on the first run. We did pick up and run back to Trailer Park and try again but no luck the second time. That is the only way to deal with a tide flow that strong 'cos like you say you make 0.2K SOG and the anchovy is spinning like crazy and the blow back is huge running against a tide like that. I learnt something today and am gonna' try the pick up and run uptide for a decent troll downtide again.

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Out today 9-12. Picked up a mid teen wild white spring. I ended out deeper than I wanted due to traffic problems at the point. Was mowing through crap in the water and was clearing a line when it hit. 90' down in 130-150. Nogs needle with dummy flasher. I personally love white salmon so this was a treat. No pinks, jacks,socks, or coho's caught.

Out again tomorrow.

JL

 

[RevyFisher]

What a great day. We're killing it with bait after giving up on spoons the other day. A package of herring this morning landed my son a 8 & 10 lbs springs and I released 8 lbs wild coho before losing a teener spring. With 2 springs and a few pinks in the cooler thought it was a pretty good day. Out of herring we.went to anchovies and threw back some undersized springs when I hooked into and landed a 30 lb wild spring and called it a day around 3 pm. Out from 730 from possession pt to trap shack. Lots of nets out and springs landed today.

 

[Englishman]

What a great day. We're killing it with bait after giving up on spoons the other day. A package of herring this morning landed my son a 8 & 10 lbs springs and I released 8 lbs wild coho before losing a teener spring. With 2 springs and a few pinks in the cooler thought it was a pretty good day. Out of herring we.went to anchovies and threw back some undersized springs when I hooked into and landed a 30 lb wild spring and called it a day around 3 pm. Out from 730 from possession pt to trap shack. Lots of nets out and springs landed today.

Congrats on the Tyee. Gives the rest of us mere mortals hope........

 

[Falcon]

Congrats on the Tyee. Gives the rest of us mere mortals hope........

The number of fish caught at the 30 pound or above mark on the South Island is really small when you consider the number of anglers and lures on and in the water. Sure they're out there, but it's rare, unless it's your job and your good at it. If you truly want a Tyee, go north, way north, that's where the big guys are.

 

[Mudshark]

I feel lucky getting the few twenties I have so far this year.... I sometimes wonder if I'm doing something wrong.
Catching a good amount of fish all between 15-20 pounds... Hopefully soon I get a 30 again....it's been a long time.

 

[Falcon]

I feel lucky getting the few twenties I have so far this year.... I sometimes wonder if I'm doing something wrong.
Catching a good amount of fish all between 15-20 pounds... Hopefully soon I get a 30 again....it's been a long time.

I'm in my late 40's and I've been fishing this island since I was a boy, missed 17 years in the middle of working life when I was away working, and I've never caught a 30 around Victoria. High 20's but never a 30, although I'm not hardcore because of work and life, I would be if I didn't have to pay for things lol. Both girls are done post secondary now though!!

Every time I go north I catch a Tyee though, last year at Escott Lodge in Massett I got a 33 pounder in three days of fishing. Ten years of fishing around Dundas Island near Prince Rupert I've taken 14 fish at 30 pounds or above including six in the 40's and one in the 50's.

Not to take anything away from Sooke fishing, because it's awesome, just my opinion there's not the shear size you'll see up north.

 

[Englishman]

I feel lucky getting the few twenties I have so far this year.... I sometimes wonder if I'm doing something wrong.
Catching a good amount of fish all between 15-20 pounds... Hopefully soon I get a 30 again....it's been a long time.

If you have "a few twenties" this year and are catching "good amount of fish 15-20 pounds" you are NOT doing anything wrong! You are doing fantastic in fact!!
I had a couple of 20's last year and ditto 19s but I have had had absolutely nothing over 14lbs this year. In fact my Chinook catch is way down over last year.
So 30's or not you are doing really, really well, believe me!!

 

[Mudshark]

Tell you guys the honest truth. I just love fishing ! Ha. I don't care if it's a pink, accidental rock cod or even a dogfish. As long as I can get out there I'm loving it. Pretty damn lucky to drive 20 minutes and be on pretty great fishing grounds.
Going out fishing tommarow. If I catch something it's just a plus!

 

[kayladog]

Out from Beechy today from 11-5 for afternoon flood. Got a teenage white off the head and 8lb spring off Bedfords and kept 1/2 dozen pinks. This has been my best year ever for springs but only 1 over 20lbs. It's probably been 10 years since I caught one over 30lbs and any that size have come from either Beechy Head or O'Brien Pt.

 

[Stosh]

Hey
It's not impossible to catch 30# fish around Sooke, you just have to be out there enough. Over a decade ago, I was lucky enough to get 2 in 2 days at Otter Point. One at 30#s 7 ounces and the next morning 30#s 8 ounces. I'll admit most of my 30# fish are from the Barclay Sound area, but Sooke can produce. Don't give up, I'll be trying again in August.
Good luck
Stosh

 

[Englishman]

Love that Stosh talks about two 30lb fish in the previous post.

And now for a bit of regular Joe normality. Fished 7::00am until 2:00pm today. Started in expectedly choppy water in harbour mouth going east against ebb. Gave that up and turned around west with ebb all the way to east Otter. Waited till flood began and turned east once more.

Big mistake! Did not see a partially submerged dull yellow crab float in the fog and ended up losing a flasher, teaser head and an Andrew P. spoon in all the chaos and confusion. Got the downrigger balls back though.

Ended in the Trap area but so many big kelp balls hooked on to the downrigger cable or lures finally gave up for the day.

Overall tried herrings in teasers, spoons, hootchies, and finally anchovies at the end. Total haul? Two pinks and one sockeye released. Only chinooks were shakers.

Now that is my reality!!

 

[Tsquared]

Fish were around in Becher Bay. We lost 3 springs, one of which we should have had and got one teener in the boat. We kept a few pinks for my guest and shook many more. Nice day in the bay.
T2

 

[RevyFisher]

Love that Stosh talks about two 30lb fish in the previous post.

And now for a bit of regular Joe normality. Fished 7::00am until 2:00pm today. Started in expectedly choppy water in harbour mouth going east against ebb. Gave that up and turned around west with ebb all the way to east Otter. Waited till flood began and turned east once more.

Big mistake! Did not see a partially submerged dull yellow crab float in the fog and ended up losing a flasher, teaser head and an Andrew P. spoon in all the chaos and confusion. Got the downrigger balls back though.

Ended in the Trap area but so many big kelp balls hooked on to the downrigger cable or lures finally gave up for the day.

Overall tried herrings in teasers, spoons, hootchies, and finally anchovies at the end. Total haul? Two pinks and one sockeye released. Only chinooks were shakers.

Now that is my reality!!

Sorry to hear of your bad luck on both the gear and springs. Sure has made me realize how lucky I was to land such a fish seeing all the posts. Didn't fish today but saw a guy on the dock with what he said was a 27 lber plus a smaller one. Tomorrow morning is my last day then back to reality. Only been fishing sooke for 2 yrs but find it a great place to fish and get into fish without a guide thanks to this site there's tons of info and waters easy to figure out except how to catch the big one.

 

[walleyes]

There have been some pretty darn nice fish landed in Sooke this year already it's a darn good sign. I expect with the next wave of Chinook coming through (with the bigger floods I hope ) it will bring a few more in with them. There is always the big one down there,, it's what brings me 1400km every summer in search of him. The hope and expectation and the feeling that this is the year I break 40# I have broke 30 3 times in Sooke over the last 10 years twice in one week with a 32 and a 33 just 5 years back.

I cant sleep when I am there,, I am lucky if I get 4'hrs sleep a night. I fall a sleep about 10 pm and am awake by 2 or 3,, I can see those big beauties slipping past the light house, past Otter, slipping by in the dark under cover. I can't sleep, I am up with coffee made and at my boat by 430, spot light out the front as I make my way through the crab floats in the harbour. As you make the turn around the spit and the cool west wind hits you in the face and you point the bow west you can feel,, this is the day. As you drop your first bait in the water just past the rocks up tight to the bank on Otter,, so dark yet you fumble with your tooth pick to see it come through the teaser head.. Rods set, coffee in the cup, down rigger cables have that nice hum to them yup today is the day.. Whump,, the right rod hammers free from the clip and the Islander screams free,, your heart jumps cause you know this could be the one,, this battle you are about to have,,,this is the one you have tried for since you were a young boy..

Ahhh just a few more sleeps !!!!

 

[Sir Reel]

Great story Walleyes!
Might see you there next week. Best of luck!

 

[walleyes]

That's would be nice.. PM sent..

 

[fish stalker]

haha Walleyes I was there!... I felt a little lump in my throat seeing your pic then your story topped it off. Im off the water so far this season with 2, 7 month old twins. Englishman Im dreaming of what my fishing day would be like if I could get out. But your post I'm sure would be my reality as well lol.

 

[silver spring]

Out fishing with Rockfish today. We had a good day on the water. We hit a couple tough fighting white springs. At 10:30am, we were marking a lot of bait balls in the water. Rockfish's line starts to pound and then the line goes screaming out. The fish put up a spectacular show with some long runs and aerial jumps out of the water. My spring hit around 1:45pm while we were fishing structure. It too took off with some great runs. Every time I brought it to the boat it took a run or stubbornly would not lift his head to be netted. With patience and team work we won the battle. They were both thick bodied white springs. We were impressed with their fight and tenacity. I just brined some up to make some candied white smoked salmon. Some I just freezer packed for shashimi and some I will marinate and eat fresh.

 

[Bag-Juan]

Dumped the tub in Thursday afternoon for the high flood, picked up a couple of springs in short order but not much after that, stayed out til 8:30 pm, - Love the afternoon/evening fishing when the wind let's you get out! Have to agree that the big fish are disappearing around Sooke. The 4-5 yr old chinooks are almost gone i think. Seems the Hatchery's key on the 3 yr cycle for better returns. It's a riddle out there some times for sure.