Some fun winter spring salmon fishing to be had in Sooke these days. The action is best towards Possession Point and out past the southern side of Secretary Island....though it will change day to day, depending on where the bait is. As usual for this time of year, the chinook salmon are generally right off the bottom, 130-160'. Most anglers are using hootchies with glow in them, along with glow flashers, but bait and spoons are said to be working well too.

Here's a report from yesterday:

"I had a good little solo session...two chubby 8 pounders right off the bat, done in an hour. Both at 150' in 160' of water between Possession and Secretary. First one red glow flasher, white glow hootchie. Second one a little blue/glow spoon, no flasher, on fly rod...fun! Bellies of both full of little anchovies...about 15 in one of them.

Beauty afternoon...nice and warm, sweatshirt only, no jacket needed, regretted not having sunglasses...nice problem to have this time of year."

The salmon are smaller, mostly under 10 pounds, though you hear about a bigger one once in a while. However, you won't taste a better table fish than a fresh caught winter spring salmon.

If you have the time, it is definitely worthwhile to get out there and get a line wet.

Happy holidays!

Reports from Sooke's waters are that there are abundant feeder winter spring chinook salmon, plus halibut, from Secretary Island westward through the Sooke Bluffs and to the trailer park.

JuanDeOne provides the following report on the SportsFishingBC forum: "Fished Friday and Saturday out off the Bluffs. Non-stop action both mornings. Had to weed through some smalls as usual but easy limits of 6-10 lbs each day for two. Bonus was a 20-25 lb hali on the Friday. Fishing this productive and there were more hali hunters anchored off the Bluffs than trollers. 148' on the riggers with hootchies did the trick."

Des from Vicious Fishing Charters gives a positive report too: "Fishing for winter chinook and halibut has been very productive lately. Salmon weighing 5 to 14 pounds are being caught on a regular basis as well as halibut 20 to 50 pounds. Shrimp and crab in basin are good as well"

And finally, a blog report "Vincent's Ramblings" on a bachelor party fishing trip to Sooke. Limit catches of feeder chinook salmon, plus some pretty awesome Movember 'staches.

When the wind stops blowing and the rain stops pouring down, there's some pretty fun fishing to be had in Sooke these days. The winter spring salmon are in thick, mostly from 120-150' deep, from the Sooke Harbour Mouth west to the trailer park. Most people are fishing hootchies with some sort of glow in them, 10 feet off the bottom. Some people are using anchovies, but you have to catch a lot of small ones until you get a keeper. The keepers have mostly been 5-10 pounds, though we heard a "friend of a friend" that says they caught a 17 pounder yesterday -- just to the west of Possession Point in only 60 feet depth.

Gord from Foghorn Fishing Charters fished last week and caught some nice 10lb spring salmon and a 25lb halibut, using hoochies and spoons right on the bottom. The picture is of his clients Al and his son Derik from Eastern Canada.

The crabbing in Sooke Harbour has been excellent too -- lots of big male keepers.

So...keep your eye on the weather report, watch for a sunny day (or bring your rain slicker), and get out there and go fishing!