What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Sooke, British Columbia for the first time?

More fishing engagement for us with licences. There was no engagement by our group with the actual fishing. Andrew ran through the intro, set up the lines and we had to ask questions to learn. When demonstrating how to reel in a fish he let one person touch the rod and the rest of us had to push to do a fake demo. After that we were ready for the actual event but Andrew’s attitude went downhill from there. Zero engagement and rushed to get us off his boat. He didn’t want us to take crab, asked us to measure them and we didn’t know how to. The 15 year olds were not about to pick them up. He rushed us off. We saw a whale in the distance and tried to make a big deal of it for the French exchange students sake. Andrew didn’t even try to pause for a second on that whale. Then when I was getting off last he kept referencing the sunset. I was sunk by the poor experience to enjoy the sunset. The students thought it was meh.

Great family trip. We had 3 adults and 5 kids. Bradan was very welcoming and knowledgeable. He changed the booking based on our needs and gave us all a great tour on the water. We were able to harvest a substantial amount of local seafood. We are planning another trip now

Be patient - the salmon are out there and they’re a good size. We could only go on this day (July 30) but were told that we were just ahead of some big salmon runs in August so can imagine how much better it would have been in a few more days. Going on a week day was also good - we had the water to ourselves.

Well you can’t keep all fish during this time. Only hatchery fish which did not taste good. So we reeled in lots of fish but only 1 was hatchery …. So that was a bummer. Would have loved to keep a wild non hatchery fish

To have a great experience, I suggest engaging with your Captain, communication is key. Bring along the items suggested, and keep an open mind. There are never any guarantees when fishing. I’m sure your Captain is as eager for you to have a catch but it doesn’t always workout that way. With a skilled Captain, which we had, and a little luck you might just be taking home dinner! We went out, hopeful that we would catch one or a few fish and with the attitude that time on the water is never time wasted; so we couldn’t lose! Good luck! C

Captain Andrew has vast fishing experience. Anyone can fish, but catching fish is an entirely different story. Andrew puts his customers on the fish! He’s comfortable fishing with beginners, seasoned anglers, and those that have fished throughout their lives. Each fishing excursion is based on customer input. Recommend reserving the captain for at least two days so opportunities are available for salmon and bottom fish.

I’m very selective with boat captains. I like fishing with Captain Andrew since he is conscientious about the needs of his customer. Andrew is able to adapt to the skill level of his customers Captain Andrew knows secret fishing spots. His knowledge of tides helped to maximize our success on catching fish. I’ve gone with other captains prior to hiring Captain Andrew. These other captains were not professional, lacked experience and just wanted to take my money without providing a positive experience. Andrew will go above and beyond to make sure it is a positive outcome. Not only did I catch large salmon, I also caught an 38 lb. Lingcod based on his knowledge of secret fishing spots. Highly recommend Captain Andrew.

See Captain Jesse, Sea Leggs . But looking at reviews, it looks like all the fishing charters are doing a great job ! Be sure to dress warmly, long sleeve and hat with toggle to stay on, bring a few snacks and drink..listen to your captain and learn! If you're uncertain about sea sickness, take a tablet before you go and have some on board just incase. Wear comfortable footwear and take a camera..enjoy the day and be prepared for amazing scenery and animals! We saw seals and eagles..we had the BEST day , thanks Captain Jesse !

Bring a big cooler for all the fish you will be catching - they helped us pack up the fish and we got it all home without making a mess in my car but it would have been easier if I thought to bring my big cooler.

Sooke is an easy place to access from Victoria, the scenery is beautiful and it feels very remote even though it is only a short drive from Victoria. The regulations are a bit restrictive for keeping fish, but a great accessible place to fish. We did not fish for Halibut, but understand the Halibut grounds are very close to Sooke which would make Halibut fishing easy

We were a bit late in the season and we were not able to keep the wild Coho we caught. We would not have been able to eat more than the Spring we kept anyway since we are on holiday's. It was an enjoyable day on the boat regardless.

There are different limits each month. Know what kind of salmon you are hoping to catch and plan around tha

This was my first time ocean fishing. Sooke is a great spot as it is near land, extremely scenic, seems to have a healthy fishery, and offers lots of trip options.

Due to DFO regulations you may be limited on the species of salmon available for retention. Halibut, rockfish and crab are plentiful and will likely be the target species.

The best time to fish for salmon off the shores of sooke is late summer. However, with the right guide, there are still big fish to be found.

All fishing gear and life jackets are provided on board. You will need to purchase a fishing license and salmon stamp separately.

Sooke is a dream destination for anglers. Pristine waters and abundant marine life, salmon, halibut, or trout, Sooke's diverse fishing spots cater to all skill levels.

Check weather closely. And check current see if the current is too strong. Bring some of your personal fishing kits so if you wanna to use your kits just maybe easier.

Didn’t get any salmon, time was too early for the run but in the next few weeks it’s going to get insane. Tristan’s gonna hit the big ones, he’s definitely done his research.

I would suggest doing a full day of halibut fishing since the chinook season doesn’t start until August.

In Feb it’s alot colder than summer . Bring thermos with soup and coffee , and dress warmly. It was brisk but it makes you feel alive!

April is hit or miss because of species restrictions on areas and Pacific Salmon is out of season till late in the month or May, so just Halibut. You can crab and get prawns though!

Be prepared for unpredictable weather changes and be ready to roll with what may be presented to you.

We couldn’t have gotten a more perfect day! Sun was shining, wasn’t too windy, fish were biting! We definitely over prepared but never know what to expect with being on the water

Its worth the effort to travel here...beautiful setting, plentiful fish and not overly commercialized

Price was good for 5 hours. Lots of experience and Willing to answer questions. Book halibut full day so boat can travel to better Halibut options.

I did not see a lot of other boats catching a lot of fish. Few fish per boat. However, we limited with Full Melt Charters in less than 2 hours. Definitely go with this guy!

Investing in some Gravol before the trip is definitely not a bad idea if you are not used to choppy sea.

Take the early charter! Get your fishing license online before you leave home. Then drop your catch at Finest at Sea to prep & freeze for the airplane ride home.

Some days are windy, waves are big. Choose a day with light winds / rain is no factor with a cutty cabin.