I just new from the start of my trip today, that I was going to stick a dino-fish (Sturgeon). Pulled up on the far side of the river, from where I intended to fish, and no sooner than I got my trolling motor deployed and looked over that way.... Whooosh ! A 100 lb'er does this big, graceful arcing jump. It went back in so straight, it hardly left a splash ! Just a little bit intimidating though, when your planning to use a Kokanee trout rod :-)

So I shoot straight to where the fish jumped, and gently lower my anchor in 25 ft. I sit back and start baiting up with Salmon Roe. Just as I get ready to float out my bait, I look at my graph, and there is a good Sturgy straight underneath my boat, with its face buried in the mud ! Drift my bait back about 25 feet, and sink it. It's there for about 5 minutes, when..... womp... womp... womp.... my bait starts getting sucked on. I swing, and the micro-light bends over doubled.... but it doesn't really run ??? So I real down, and slowly pick up.... real down again, then slowly pick up. I could see my line swaying side to side as it came towards me, and I knew it was a fish, but "the fish didn't even know it was hooked" ! So I made about 3 or 4 more long pumps, and then I started to see the bloodknot in my 12 ft leader.

I was thinking, "Well, whatever it is, I'm fixing to find out" ! Just as I started to see white...... This things sees sunlight, leaps 4 feet in the air, crashes back into the water, and pours it on ! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ :-) Didn't take too long to get it back to the boat, but as soon as it would see light, it would bolt off again. It did that about 4 X's, before it finally wore itself out.

Turned out to be a healthy little 50 incher. Didn't bother to weigh it. Probably about 25 or 30 lbs I guess. Just a baby, but a great way to warm up, with my first Sturgy of the Fall 06 season. Oh, and yes, it was a legal keeper, as the slot limit is, 1 fish, between 46" and 72"....... But their ain't no way in heck I'm going to stop fishing and go home after the first 30 minutes, because I have my limit ! So, back it went after photos. That would have been a nice eating size too...... But their will be plenty more :-)

Ended up missing at least 4 more Sturgy bites also, that picked up my bait, and came straight in at me, and two that I missed on the swing.

Can't wait to battle that 100 lb'er on my micro-light :-) Maybe tomorrow ? Or the next day ?

Sure glad to see them back :-) Yeeehaaa !

Peace,

Fish

ahhh a day in the life of fish chris. Is it really possible to land a 20 lb+ fish on a micro lite???

Fish, you are the MAN! Truly an inspiration to us all.

Thanks guys, but like I said, that was just a baby ! Wait until you see this 75 to 100 lb'er that I stick tomorrow :-)

BTW Syfer420, did you know that the "2 lb test line class IGFA world record for Sailfish is 102 lbs ! So, a 100 plus lb Sturgy on 2/10 micro-braid..... Piece of cake ;-) Well.... maybe a 2 or 3 hour battle..... But I know I can make it happen !

Will keep you guys updated.

Peace,

Fish

All i have to say is 102lb sailfish on 2lb test WOW!. Wouldnt even go bass fishing with 2lb test. How would u set the hoook is kind of mind blowing?? :-?

chris, you've given me some ideas!

i hardly ever fish for anything but bass, i get to go so seldom, but, i've got this little ultra lite that would just be unbelieveable on a Big Fish Fight! (it's a 7' ultra lite that i built on a CTS blank)

i've got it spooled w/10-2 power pro & use a small beetle spin. i've caught some pretty large bass on it, & they make it bend double. ...wonder what a 50lb fish would do to it?????? .....think i'm gonna try.

this is the first bass on the first day fishinig with it. ....if this little fish gave it a workout....Look Out! LOL

ronnie

I would have thought you would be on the hard hunt for a fall feeding Momma.  

Great Sturgy though.  Are these the same kind of sturgeon that produce caviar?

(I'd like to leave this in this category for now till people have had a shot to view it, then it will be moving this to "other cspecies")

Chris, sick fish man!!!

WOW - THAT'S A BEAUTY F.C.!!!!!

Now I just got an exttra reason to persuade the Cyprus Fisheries Dept people to release in the reservoirs some of 20lb+ sturgeons they keep in their hatchery... (They keep saying they will release some "next year" for the last three years...)

FC, what body of water are you fishing?

I'll bet you've given serious thought to the lower Columbia River, WA/OR.

I sometimes dream about the Fraser River, BC :-* :-*

Roger