By Ron Neitsch
Saltwater fishing in Sooke has been good for spring salmon and halibut this month.
Some bigger chinook salmon came through the last couple of weeks, where trollers saw springs to 21 lbs. out front of Sooke harbour from the Trailer Park to Trap Shack areas.
Most fish were caught deep while looking for winter springs and most if not all were from hatcheries, the adipose fin being clipped.
Halibut fishing was hit and miss or spotty, probably largely in part to high winds and rain cutting down on fishing effort.
Almost all of the good salmon and halibut caught this month had large herring in their stomachs, which is a great sign.
Crab fishing this month, was some of the best I’ve seen in more than 20 years of fishing the area. We had pulls of 6, 8, up to 10 keeper male Dungeness crabs in a trap.
Sooke has some great fishing derbies to look forward to this year with the Island Outfitters Just for the Halibut Derby coming up April 30 and May 1 2016.
Good luck fishing in April, and remember that just because yesterday fishing was slow, means nothing today.
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Ron Neitsch is the owner and operator of 2 Reel Fishing, based in Sooke.