By Ron Neitsch
Fishing for salmon in Sooke waters has gotten much better over the last couple of weeks.
Larger spring and chinook salmon and more of them are being landed on a regular basis, partially due to better weather conditions.
A few winter salmon over 10 pounds were reported and a nice 15-pound chinook weighed in at the local tackle store.
The Sooke Harbour mouth and Trailer Park area have been popular areas to troll in 100 to 140 feet of water, with the gear right on the bottom.
Small spoons, like White Lightning, Coho Killer and anchovy trolled in bright glow teaser heads have been working well.
Halibut fishing has been spotty, probably due to weather, tides and amount of bait in the area.
A halibut we landed last Saturday had five herring in its stomach, which is a great sign.
Boats anchoring in the area between Otter and Sheringham points in 200 to 250 feet of water seem to be reporting the best results for catching halibut.
Herring, mackerel, salmon bellies and octopus are always good baits to try for halibut in our area.
Crabbing has been excellent, fishers are reporting traps dropped in the harbour as being full of large male Dungeness crabs.
Our boats have been averaging five to six keeper Dungeness crabs per outing over the last week. Try using fresh fish trimmings or frozen chicken backs and necks from the grocery store as crab bait.
This is a great time of year to get out and get yourself some fresh seafood while enjoying the Sooke coast line on some flat calm water.
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Ron Neitsch is the owner-operator of 2 Reel Fishing Adventures, based in Sooke.
