By Ron Neitsch
Fishing for large spring salmon in Sooke has been getting better daily – depending on who you ask.
The large fish are coming in on the shoreline and those trolling in 50 to 70 feet of water are reporting hooking into and landing some bigger salmon.
Many anglers fishing deeper water are reporting catching a lot of small chinook salmon and the odd big one. Anchovy, spoons and hootchies are still the preferred baits trolled 20 to 30 feet behind the boat, on long six- to eight-foot leaders, at 35 to 50 feet on the downrigger.
Overall salmon fishing has been slow. Some nice halibut have also been seen at the docks over the last week including a 35 and a 44 pounder at Sooke Harbour Resort and Marina. Those fish were caught in 240 to 350 feet of water between Secretary Island and Otter Point.
Crab fishing continues to be fairly consistent with decent catches coming from those dropping traps off the Rotary Pier and off boats in the harbour.
The next big salmon derby is the Port Renfrew Spring Salmon Derby this weekend.
•••
Ron Neitsch is the owner and operator of 2 Reel Fishing Adventures, based in Sooke.