Sooke's fishing effort is once again focused on salmon, as the halibut season is now closed for 2008.

There's a fair number of boats chasing late season salmon. Sooke Harbour Marina is now running its "Here Fishy Fishy" salmon derby -- open from Oct 31 to Nov 9. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds go to Sooke's Salmon Enhancement Society...so it's a good excuse to go fishing and support a good cause at the same time (not to mention, who knows, you might get lucky and win a prize!).

Results from the first two days show a bunch of feeder springs being weighed in, with the current leader 10.37 pounds. No chum have been weighed in yet...we'll keep an eye on that. However,2 Reel reports that earlier this week a 20 pounder was caught: "Derek Gates landed a very nice 20lb winter Spring trolling a hootchy 'with some red in it', off Otter Point, at 103ft on the downrigger". Trolling from the Sooke Bluffs to the Trailer Park remains the call, right off the bottom, 130-15o feet deep, with hootchies...purple haze being the "go to" lure of choice.

Here's the winning fish so far (from fishtactics.com). Good luck out there!