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Fishing adventures

Local fishing specialist Ron Neitsch provides us with some tips on how to make the most out fishing experience.
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Steven and Ganine Gilbert from Surrey B.C. show off the chinook salmon they weighed in at the Sooke Salmon Enhancement Derby.

Ron Neitsch

Special to the Sooke News Mirror

Saltwater fishing in Sooke has been excellent.

We are now in the middle of our summer season, where people get an opportunity to fish for the largest of the salmon species- big chinook salmon.There has been lots of action from chinook, pink, coho and some sockeye salmon in our area.

Winds have been down and temperatures up, making for great days on the water. Popular baits have been anchovy and herring in green, green/glow and glow teaser heads trolled on long 6 to 8 ft leaders at 27 to 90 ft on the downrigger, in 40 to 100 ft of water for large chinooks.

Deeper water and pink hootchies recommended for pink and coho salmon. Halibut fishing has been good for those going west and putting in the effort.

Crabbing in the harbour has been great with many fishers reporting good catches of large male dungeness crabs, especially on the incoming tides.

Sooke Salmon Enhancement Derby, Aug. 1 weekend, was won by local fisherman Brian Lacroix, who weighed in a 28 lb. spring/chinook salmon. Brian caught the fish trolling off the Sooke Bluffs on the Sunday, it broke his rod and his reel jammed during the fight, but he managed to weigh in the fish an hour before derby closing time for the $5,000 first-place prize.

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