The pre-season forecast for Somass Sockeye is 600,000. The escapement requirement at this runsize is
371,000. At this run-size First Nations, recreational and commercial fisheries are planned. In consultation
with the Area 23 Salmon Harvest Committee and the Port Alberni Sport Fishing Advisory Committee it was agreed
that a recreational fishery for sockeye in Area 23 would occur as described below.

Effective immediately until further notice the daily quota for sockeye salmon in Area 23, Barkley Sound and
Alberni Inlet, will be two (2).

The Somass Sockeye in-season stock assessment program will operate as in previous years. This program
collects escapement, test-fishing, catch and environmental information on a weekly basis. This information
is used to prepare weekly in-season run-size reforecasts.

Fishers should be aware that the first in-season run-size re-forecast will occur on Thursday, June 30. The
recreational sockeye catch to that date will be reviewed in conjunction with the run-size reforecast estimate
to determine what management actions may be required.

First Nations fishery, that's for sure, seen a gill net boat out in front of the victoria quay as I drove by this evening.

No point in wasting time .

Yup,can always tell when it's fishing season.Saw 3 big fish totes on the back of a flatdeck heading up the hump on friday

Anyone have any reports of fish showing up in the canal yet? I know it is early still but by this time last year there were fish to be had.

We came back from Julia Passage this morning and saw about 20 boats fishing the canal this morning. Didn't see any nets out. The only jumper that we saw was in Nahmint Bay. Just one fish.
Dave

While sipping my coffee this morning at Macktush I saw two sockeye jump out near the red light. Other fishers who were on the water over the weekend reported seeing fish jumping in Namint but I have yet to hear of one being caught. Taking the boat out Thursday so will give it a try.

We need some heat here in the valley!

The river water is still super high from all the rain and what I would consider a cooler spring/may than the last couple of years, what sockeye are in the inlet are going straight up the river with one thing in mind.

Was at the stamp falls and the water is still very very high which is a good thing for the early buggers showing up so they can get up to where they need to be.

Hopefully the rain clears up in the forecast and we get some heat, I could go for a fresh sockeye or two for dinner .

Cheers to that!

Glad to hear that they can get by without issues.

Hopefully they will start picking up in the canal soon.

I heard last year that you simply had to use a dummy flasher off the ball and then a couple single hooks to catch them!

Is this true?

Leischvost:-

There are all sorts of things that will catch Sockeye.

Last year all we used was two black hooks 27" behind a red Hotspot.

The hooks that work are:- 3/0 black salmon hooks tied one up/one down just like you do for a hoochy.

These hooks aren't "jet black". They are sort of a chromy black. They are either "Eagle Claw" or "Mustad".
I don't think a single black Siwash will work.

We used speed from 1.3 mph all the way to 2.5 mph and they still worked.

With the rain these early fish will go straight up. If it rains like it is now all the time right into August, the fish will go straight up then too. No reason for 'em to hang around schooled up.

If we see shallow fish on the finder (15ft and shallower) we ignore those.
We always run four rods and lots of flashers. One flasher per line and two dummies off the c/ball.

We start fishing in the Inlet around 6:15......catch fish up to 10 a.m.

Always works.

Sometimes we have a different colored flasher on each line at same time....still works.

Sometimes we try a different lure on each line at same time......that works.

Generally we go 35ft for top rods......50ft for bottom rods.....that works.

If it's sunny and hot and getting brighter and brighter out as the day comes on.....might go down 40/60 or 60/80......

I don't even bother going out for Sox this early.....

So what you are saying is when it's on it's on!

I have a 16' aluminum boat but it costs a lot to drive it from Nanaimo to Port Alberni.

I have a lot of extended family that lives up there which can help to bring things up the night before but I haven't tried the ocean before - only the river. Unfortunately, all of my fishing friends live in Nanaimo.

I would love to get up there and fish the ocean rather than the river. It's a gong show on the river and last year they only opened it up to 2 per person which made the trip a lot more expensive.

Hopefully a newbie like myself can get out on a boat this year to get a look at what people do in order to catch these tasty fish!