I have a friend who is heading to port alberni with his boat to try for some sockeye. He is a casual fisherman and asked me about fishing for sockeye up there. The only sockeye experience I have is on Lake Washington. Anyone have any help or info on this fishery??

gill net, they are hard to floss in the salt.

have him search the web for salmon lures a few years back I found a tackle dealer from up there who sold "sockeye packs". if I remember right it was a purple hot spot with a "sockeye bug" lure. the lure looked like a large hook with eyes and some pink floss (they work great for humpies) the guy gave me all kinds of info about where and when and how but I didn't want to go there I wanted something different for lake wa. yes they nocked them dead in the lake. I tie my own for lake wa. now so I don't remember what his name was. he seamed to own a resort or some cabins up there to stay at also.

Do a search on the board for "sockeye in the salt" or something similar, about 6 months ago. I wrote up what worked for me at PA last year. Basically the trick is lots of flashers, a tiny pink squid, and keep moving, especially if you hook one. Wierd fishery but they actually do bite if you put in the time <img border="0" alt="[eat]" title="" src="graemlins/eat.gif" />

I just got this from a guy in Port Alberni who is catching sockeye now.


HiYa Rich,
Yup, of course, that's what I'm out there for.
There are two ways to get on the sox.
First: the traditional flasher (of which I can show you the proper
selection) with a small (miniplankton) red or bubblegum pink hootchie 24 -
26 inches of leader. Stack on the wire, you want lots of flash down there.
Start shallow and drop with the increasing daylight.
Second: Me and my motly crew are always looking for ways to increase the FUN
aspect of fishing. Finding the employ of regular salmon rods to offer little
in the way of fight for these smaller salmon, we've worked on a new
technique for several years. It works most excellent!
Tie up 3 flashers on six foot leads to downrigger clips (NO hootchies).
Attach the first at the cannonball, drop two feet. Clip a downrigger release
to the wire, and run a small Gypsy or Krippled K (the best, but VERY
difficult to find as they've been discontinued) on a trout rod - 10-12 pound
test - out 5 to 8 feet behind the flasher, from the release. Drop 10 - 12
feet, repeat, drop another 10-12 feet and repeat again. Dress the other side
the same way, and stagger depths to cover the water column effectively. Can
do with just 4 rods if the action is fast (2 a side plus 'fake' flsher
below), or alternatively run standard salmon rod, flasher/hootchie combo
intermittantly amongst the light stuff. This turns 4 - 8 lb sox into 15 lb
coho. Jump, run, sound and literally fight like hell. In my mind a LOT
better than the ol' standard with spring clubs on the lighter fish.
I've been waaaaay to busy the last few to enjoy, dammit! But a couple of the
ladz have been hammering them the last few morn's very close to town. Thus
I'll be out there as soon as I get the mess cleaned up - Wednesday!!!!
Something you may consider is giving them a shot. Here's the deal - have to
get out there before the sun's up. Expect perhaps 2 hours of action, maybe a
little more, then they turn RIGHT off, no point in working them longer as it
simply doesn't pay off. The other 'secret' is X-10 formula, available in
most sporting shops. Deadly on sox (hali's too BTW). Soak the gear on and
off with it, and the entire school will often turn and trail you. Makes for
exciting moments.
Something else to chat about when you roll through.
Cheers...
Matt

have done the sox fishery before, fished out of China creek area the people there can set u up right with all the gear and stuf u need tons of fish and goood eats too!

Jerry Garcia - thanks for the post, that information should be useful.