Skip to content

Derby winners flush with cash

Big fish and big winnings for the Sooke Boxing Day Chinook Derby.
5364sookeFishGuy
Dave Myles with the winning 11.28-pound winter chinook salmon that earned him $1

Ron Neitsch

Contributed

Winter fishing in Sooke continues to be good with salmon, halibut and crab catches coming in from local waters.

Although winter salmon fishing has been slow and spotty, the Sooke Boxing Day Chinook Derby was successful in providing some holiday fishing fun for local anglers.

First place cash prize plus a bonus cash prize totaling $1,865 was taken by Dave Myles with an 11.28-pound winter chinook caught on the well-known Spencer's Sport Fishing boat out of Sooke Harbour Resort and Marina.

There were 105 tickets sold for the derby and only 20 salmon weighed in, enabling organizers and anglers to donate $1,200 and 40 pounds of fresh vacuum packed salmon fillets to the Sooke Food Bank.

Special thank you to all businesses and volunteers sponsoring the Sooke Saltwater Series 2015.

The new derby series standings revealing the 2015 Sooke Saltwater Series champion and runner-ups can be viewed on sookesaltwaterseries.ca.

The winter chinooks are schooling near the bottom and are currently striking best around the noon hour, best baits include brightly coloured or glow anchovy heads, hootchies or spoons trolled at 120 to 140 feet on the downrigger.

Halibut fishing has been good, anchoring in 200 plus feet of water using herring or salmon bellies. Halibut season closed Dec. 31.

Crab fishing in the harbour continues to be best on the incoming tide with fresh bait.

•••

Ron Neitsch is the owner of 2 Reel Fishing Adventures in Sooke.