Anyone have any suggestions for trying to catch sockeye in the Strait off Sekiu? I know the nets get 'em way out in the middle, and I figure the standard dodger and red or blue hook would work, but wondering about fishing depths and and trolling speed.

if you figure this one out let me know ive tryed and only caught 1 in the tail....DJ

they seem to like the red hook deal once they hit fresh water

guys at the north end of vancouver island use green hot spot flashers with small pink hootchies. There is a few different colors that work. Try a 18" to 24" leader behind the flasher. We can use multiple rods off of a d'rigger here and fish 2 or 3 set-ups per side and also put out a dummy flasher on each side.
Colors like "mp16", "mp15" and pink with glo heads work well.

This is what one of the Canadians emailed me aboutsalt water sockeye on the west coast Vancouver Island.
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.

If you can't find "Krippled K" spoons, the Yakima bait "McKnight spoons are identical and these should be easy to find in all the right colors.

Targeting sockeye doesn't work during a big humpy return like this one - all you will get is humps except maybe one in a hundred might be a sock by accident.

I have to agree with Spawnout. Last weekend at Sekiu almost every fish we caught was a humpy, and we where using flasher/cut-plugged herring combos. Never befor have I caught a humpy on herring.