Ron Neitsch
Contributed
Fishing for winter chinook salmon in Sooke is good right now, with plenty of action on five to 10 lbs. fish outside the Sooke harbour entrance.
Wind directions are mostly out of the northeast keeping the water in the Strait of Juan de Fuca calm, although cool.
Halibut fishing on the West Coast is now closed, and would usually be scheduled to reopen Feb. 1. Most boats fishing for winter salmon are doing well trolling glow spoons or hootchies on the bottom in 100 to 170 feet of water, using shorter two to three foot leaders, running the gear 12 to 15 feet behind the downrigger.
The Sooke Boxing Day Chinook Derby was a success with 105 tickets sold and approximately 180 lbs. of salmon fillets donated to the Sooke Food Bank.
Mike Friesen won the event with a 9.96-pound winter Chinook salmon, taking home $2,500, from the awards ceremony held in the Westcoast Grill in the Prestige Hotel.
Next upcoming winter chinook derby is the Winter Trotac Fishing Derby on Jan. 15. Details at Trotac Marine.
Crabbing in the harbour has picked up significantly with great pulls of large male Dungeness crabs during the high slack tides.
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Ron Neitsch is the owner of 2 Reel Fishing Adventures, based in Sooke.