2005 Sturgeon #1... Barely!

Thanks to the good weather, I’ve been out on the Delta for two overnight adventures the past two weeks and I must report that it just doesn’t get any better than this. Not only is the weather near perfect, the fish are cooperating, too! That’s not to say I’ve been coming home with big sturgeon every trip, but I’ve been having a grand time reeling in some mighty feisty sturgeon.

I’m thinking that my good luck may be due to the finely aged lamprey I‘ve been offering. I’ve fished for four days with the same old lamprey carcass that spent the summer in my wife’s freezer, and I still have plenty left. Some of it was used last season! It’s just amazing how long that stuff lasts.

I began this week’s fishing at Light 25, planning to fish an incoming tide ‘til it slackened, then head down to Suisun Bay for some serious sturgeon fishing. But something funny happened while fishing that ebb tide: I had more sturgeon action in a few hours than I’m used to getting in a week or two! From a bit after noon to about 4:30 I reeled in three sturgeon from 28 inches to 45 inches. The bigger one was an absolute gas to fight to the boat. He ran what seemed like a hundred yards, jumping three times in the process. He was ballistic! I had to measure the rascal several times before I was sure that he was too small to keep. Lordy, I did try to grow an extra inch on him, but just couldn’t quite do it. All three shakers were released to fight another day. But I had a ball reeling ‘em in.

As shadows lengthened and daylight was waning, the flood tide slackened. I weighed anchor and headed down to fish near Decker Island. A long, deep ebb tide was predicted for the night and I wanted to fish it ‘til it bottomed sometime around midnight.

The evening was splendid as I fished near the shipping channel off Decker Island. I watched the sun set and the lights of Antioch and Pittsburg gradually brighten against the darkening sky. After cooking up a quick dinner I sat back in the cockpit with the heater on, waiting for that little sturgeon nibble that never came. Even so, to my way of thinking, there just isn‘t a better way to while away an evening in this life.

Try as I might, I could not stay awake to fish the end of the tide. About 9:30 or so I gave up. I reeled in, weighed anchor and chugged my tired old bones around to the leeward side of Decker Island for the night.

Well before sunup I was back at Light 25 where all the action had been this trip. I freshened my bait for the new day, tossed it out over the transom and continued to wait for my sturgeon.

After four hours of absolutely no interest in my offering, the reel suddenly began ticking off line in the fashion common to a sturgeon. I was in the cabin momentarily at the time, but rushed to the rod in a flash and set the hook into what I immediately knew was a sturgeon!

This hook up just had to be a keeper! If not because of his substantial feel at the end of the line, then simply because it wouldn’t be fair to catch five shakers in a row! But… when I first saw the little critter, I couldn’t convince myself he was a keeper. Rats.

Eventually I had him to the boat, belly up in submission and completely exhausted. I measured him about five times with my little floating green plastic tape that is marked at 46 inches and is 72 inches long. It’s a difficult task to measure a questionable sturgeon while still in the water. Several times, according to my tape, he measured exactly 46 inches.

I had to make a decision to take him or release him. I administered a proper whack, tied him to a line and bled him. When I brought him aboard, I laid him on the sole and measured him with a real tape measure. He was, in fact, exactly 46 inches and weighed 18 pounds. For me, this was a record sturgeon! He was the smallest sturgeon I’ve ever kept.

Counting last week’s 40 incher and this week’s three shakers, this sturgeon was my fifth catch in two weeks. For me, that’s a lot of sturgeon action. I don’t completely dismiss the catching and releasing of shaker sturgeon. They can weigh as much as 18 pounds and are a lot of fun to reel in because they are often good fighters and sometimes put up extraordinary battles. I’ll be out early Thanksgiving week to take advantage of this wonderful fishing weather that promises to continue for at least one more week. Maybe I’ll actually make it down to my favorite sturgeon hole on Suisun Bay.

Second Little Keeper In Two Weeks!

I began Thanksgiving week’s adventure a bit early; hoping to get ahead of what I figured might  be a busy fishing time on the delta. I launched at Rio Vista on Monday morning fully intending to head to Suisun Bay this trip - unless I could catch my sturgeon early in the day at Light 25.

I motored downriver and dropped anchor onto the clam bed near Light 25, just a bit below Rio Vista and the Coast Guard Station. After clanking and dragging a bit, the anchor dug into the clams and held. I arrived at slack tide, before an outgoing current developed that would run ‘til mid afternoon.

During the slack tide I dug out my Gibbs Minnow and jigged for stripers for about a half-hour. This jigging stuff is new to me, but it seems to be a fairly productive technique in slack water. I managed to attract a shaker striper and tossed him back. Sometimes larger stripers will hit, but not this time. Still, having even a shaker take that little jig is pretty entertaining.

As the tide finally began to ebb, I cut a couple of chunks off the old lamprey carcass that I’ve been carving on forever, threaded ’em onto a couple of hooks and tossed ‘em out over the transom. And waited.

Other than a few little striper nips, my stay over the clam bed was pretty unremarkable. When the tide was nearly bottomed out I reeled in and turned the boat toward Suisun Bay and my favorite sturgeon hole near Ryer Island.

After a river cruise of twenty miles or so, I arrived at my destination on Suisun Bay. I freshened my nasty bait by adding a couple of smaller pieces to what was already well soaked and tossed ‘em out again. And again I waited.

As predicted, the weather was absolutely perfect. The air was cold on Suisun but the water was mirror flat, the sun shinned brightly and the winds were calm. In late November you just can’t ask for more.

The sun set shortly after my arrival on Suisun Bay. I fired up the cockpit heater, bundled up real good and prepared to fish the outgoing current ‘til well after midnight. And, for a change, I managed to stay awake most of the time, nodding off occasionally - but with the rod in my hand. I had several nips as the evening wore on, but couldn’t seem to set the hook into anything.

My little corner of Suisun Bay is a lovely and lonely place after nightfall. The lights of Antioch and Pittsburg dot the distant shoreline like a golden bracelet, adding a brilliant sparkle in the blackness of night. There are no sounds save the train whistles off in the distance and the continual drone of airplanes overhead - even at night. Yes, Suisun is a wonderful anchorage.

Finally, near midnight, the slow, gentle bite of a sturgeon ticked a few inches of line from my reel. Wham! I set the hook at once and knew that I had a sturgeon on! I’ve been on to so many shakers lately that I couldn’t convince myself that I had a keeper, but I had a grand time with whatever it was.

After a very few minutes, a sturgeon of about 40 inches appeared at the boat. Rats. Well, the entertainment value of reeling in a shaker sturgeon is worth something, but not nearly as satisfying as reeling in a big ol’ keeper. I let him go.

I pressed on for another hour or so. Finally, as the outgoing current slowed to a trickle, I reeled in and carted my tired old bones to the V-berth. It was 1:00 a.m. and I was toast. For a guy that usually hits the sack about 9:00, it had been a big day.

I slept like a baby out there in the middle of nowhere and it was daylight by the time I resumed my fishing. An incoming tide was underway and a weak ebb tide was predicted to drop less than two feet later in the morning. I would fish ‘til about noon and hope for a keeper.

A breeze kicked up that morning and the cold air cut like a knife. The boat tended to swing at anchor and fishing was not all that pleasant. I was as bundled up as I could get and still wasn’t comfortable. I’m just not made for winter fishing. And winter isn’t even here yet!

Finally, after staying faithful to the cause for about three hours without so much as a nip, a sturgeon like nibble ticked off a few inches of line. Again I set the hook with a mighty heave! The fish felt a bit heftier than last night’s, but it certainly didn’t seem to be any big bruiser. I fought whatever it was for about ten minutes before it appeared near the boat. And again I had reeled in another sturgeon that was so close to the minimum that I just couldn’t be sure. I tired him completely then measured him a half dozen times with my floating plastic ribbon that is marked at 46 inches and is 72 inches long.

Just as last week, the dang thing measured what seemed to be exactly 46 inches. I whacked him a good one, tied him to a line and bled him. When I brought him aboard he measured exactly… 46 inches! That’s two absolutely minimum sized sturgeon in two weeks and I’ve never caught one that size in the years I’ve been fishing. Regardless, I had two keepers in two weeks. Who’s complaining? Not me! My two day effort had finally paid off! I stowed the gear, weighed anchor and headed upriver for home, passing many boats at anchor along the way, probably all of them fishing for stripers or sturgeon. It was Tuesday and there were so many fishing boats at anchor one could think it was a weekend. Sure enough, Thanksgiving time makes for a busy week of fishing. Our splendid Indian summer seems to be over. As I write this week’s report the wind is blowing and the rain is falling. During this winter I’ll be pretty picky about when I head out on sturgeon safaris. I’m too old and too smart to fish the lousy winter conditions that I once ignored. I can no longer resist the comfort of the fireplace and my easy chair during cold weather. But when the weather cooperates, I’ll be heading out for the season’s next sturgeon. I am, after all, way overdue for a knock down street fight with a really big, angry sturgeon!

I knew that it was going to be another windy adventure on my beloved California Delta. It's been windy, it is windy and it'll be windy. That's about as accurate a weather forecast as I need these days.

Lately, I couldn't ask for better fishing results. Perhaps I'm collecting past due fish from my unrewarded efforts during the cold and misery of January and February fishing. Whatever the case, I'm as optimistic about sturgeon fishing just now as I've ever been. This week I would try for my fifth sturgeon of the season. Perhaps to those reel experts that catch sturgeon regularly, my four catches to date don't add up to much. But for me, I consider myself to be having a pretty fair year. Finally. If I could hook into a fifth sturgeon, I'd consider this to be a pretty good year.

I launched into the rolling Sacramento River at Rio Vista Wednesday morning for sturgy #5. I headed for the area above the Rio Vista Bridge to fish an outgoing current. The current and wind worked against one another enough to keep the river rolling, most guys were smart enough to stay home. There were few fishermen out in the howling wind and waves. I dropped anchor about a half mile above the Rio Vista Bridge and took a few moments to see if the boat would settle down and be stable. I managed to stay in line with the flow well enough to sling my grass shrimp/pile worm combo out over the transom to the river bottom. The sun was wonderful, the wind was warm and I sat back to await my sturgeon's little bite. As I should have expected, I just thought I was sturgeon fishing, I was actually striper fishing. The little nippers kept me pretty busy freshening the bait and tossing them back. I hooked seven stripers to 19 inches during that time, releasing all but one that got off on his own. By 3:00 p.m. the current was incoming and it was time to seek some shelter from the wind and waves.

I motored down to the area near Lite 25 where I can usually find some shelter from the wind. By now the wind was whipping as bad as I'd seen all day. I gave a sporting try at that location, but all I caught was a snag on the bottom of the river. It took me half an hour of trying to break it loose. I finally just cut my line. By sundown I'd had enough of the wind and waves and the rotten luck. I reeled in for the last time and called it a day.

I decided to spend the night at anchor just above Vieira's on the Old Sacramento River. I'd have the company of the egrets at that anchorage as well as pretty calm water. Also, I could easily pull up to Vieira's dock early in the morning for fresh bait. I spent a quiet night among the egrets and woke to another windy day. Rats.

As I readied the boat for fishing I had to choose between Cache Slough or heading back to Lite 25 for the day. Both locations are somewhat sheltered in the wind. I'd fished Cache several times this year with no sturgeon to show for it. I'd caught two sturgeon at Lite 25. Not a hard choice; I was back at Lite 25 at 7:00 a.m. for another day of sturgeon fishing.

I deployed my big underwater drogue once again to maintain some directional stability in the blowing wind. As I sat there in the cockpit, rocking and rolling on the windy river, I settled back and reflected on my sturgeon efforts this sturgeon season. Earlier this season I'd invested many days of fishing only to come home empty handed, week after week. I spent many a night in the fog and the wind and the cold for nothing. I didn't catch my first sturgeon until February, for crying out loud! December and January's miserable fishing conditions didn't produce a thing for me. Why was that? I think that the main cause was too much time spent in the cabin by the heater, watching my rod and reel. Sturgeon will usually drop the bait after a take down, they seldom swallow it or run with it. I believe they press the bait with their powerful crusher and then spit it; a fisherman usually has very little time to set the hook. Sitting in the cockpit, rod and reel in hand is a much more productive way to catch sturgeon.

I sat there near Lite 25 for two hours before a 19" striper took my bait. I reeled him in and released him and continued my wait. My higher self was arguing with my redneck self about the virtues of fishing in the endless wind. Yep, that sounds like a mental health issue! Few fishermen seem to put up with this, why me? I could be doing any number of other things and I could try this fishing another day. Ah, but this is sturgeon fishing. It takes days like this, patience like this, to actually catch a good keeper sturgeon. I chose to keep on trying, darn it.

Nearly two more hours crept by as I faithfully sat there holding the rod and reel, waiting, waiting. The ebb tide was well underway. My offerings continued to be pile worm/grass shrimp combos. It was nearly going on noon as -- finally -- I felt a nip-nip on the other end of my line; I guessed it was a catfish. Maybe not. Nip-nip again...SET! Nothing. I missed it. I continued to wait for another little nip. Soon enough I felt another bump or two and I pressed home another hard set. Humph! I hooked into something very, very solid! I set the hook again and again, then the huge something began to move. YES! I had #5 on my line and I knew she was a big one!

I fumbled with the rod as I retrieved the drogue, hand over hand. It would spell disaster if a sturgeon got near the boat with the drogue deployed! Finally I had it stowed in the motor well. I reeled in a bit of line, pulling her toward the boat. Off she sped, taking line with wild abandon; she was in charge for the moment, in time maybe I would be! I raised the outboard clear of the water as our battle of wills commenced. The fight was on!

This big fish made it very clear, very soon, that she was in charge of where this fight would take place. She continued to take line and I continued to let her -- I was prepared for this kind of fish. I had plenty of line, she'd never take it all! After a few minutes she was willing to take a break. I would not let her; I reeled in every time she tried to rest. There would be no rest for her 'til I had her to the boat. Such is the task of reeling in a big fish. Power isn't the issue; endurance is the issue!

Her might far outweighed her endurance. She fought for about twenty minutes with real gusto. Once she was to the boat, she was already belly-up exhausted. I was wide eyed in awe! This was some fish! I estimated her to be in the high 60 inch length, but I could only guess. She managed one more run as I tried to net her the first time, but it was a short run. She was back quickly, in submission and ready for the net. I tried capturing her a couple more times before I had her netted, the rod in one hand and the net in the other. It was time to decide if she was indeed under the 72" maximum. I decided that she was, though I couldn't be sure. I administered a couple of proper whacks and prepared to get her into the boat.

Now it was my turn to go belly-up tired! I'd just finished a 20 minute fight that wasn't too difficult at my end, but now I had to lift this monster the three feet from the water over my gunwale! I tried two or three times and couldn't manage the lift! After my failed tries, my net frame was at a right angle to the net hoop, bent beyond repair! I finally had to grab the netting and hand over hand work her up and over the gunwale! It was a slow and difficult job, but finally she was aboard!

She was huge! What was I to do with this monster?! I measured her three times before I was convinced that she was indeed legal. I had to lay her diagonally in my cockpit to get her fully stretched out. I measured her three times; once at 72", once at 67" and once at 71"! No doubt I was too excited to measure her with much precision, but I did convince myself that she was legal.

She wouldn't completely fit into my 124 quart ice chest, her huge tail had to hang out. I then cleaned up the boat, stowed my gear and headed to the ramp. What a heady experience this had been! At the ramp I was all alone, not a soul around to ask me how I'd done fishing. Darn. I'd do plenty of bragging later.

As I drove home I considered my options. First, I was just dog tired. I'm not used to manhandling a 100 pound fish. Secondly, the only reasonable way to unload this monster, it seemed to me, was to go to my store and use the forklift. Yes, the forklift! This was a huge fish and I'd handled her alone all I wanted to.

My friend Rich met me at my store. As I drove home I called him to ask for his help when I arrived. We managed to unload, wash down and photograph the monster with the help of the forklift. We laid her down for an official measure. She measured just a tad over 71 inches! She was legal. I had no scale to weigh her; I consulted an internet sturgeon chart to get some idea of her weight. The chart stated that she likely weighed 107 Lbs. She was very stout, I measured her girth at 30". I settled for claiming her weight at 100 Lbs. I sure wish I could have had the exact weight.

I was done handling this huge fish. I offered her to Rich for him to smoke and to return some meat to me. He agreed. I didn't have to clean her or wrestle her anymore! It was a great deal for me because I was toast. All I wanted was to head for home and a lounge chair and some cold beer.

Why do I put up with the cold and the wind and the waves and the frustration of sturgeon fishing? I have been righteously reminded! The great pleasure of catching a really big 'un makes it all worth while! I hope my redneck self always wins the arguments.

Keystone Kops and Sturgeon...

This time of the year many fishermen are trolling or baitfishing for stripers. Even so, I always choose the sturgeon when they're around, so off I set on another two day Delta sturgeon safari. Having caught just one keeper this year so far, and that with my fishing buddy Rich "FishTracker" along, I invited him along for another day of fishing.

We launched at Rio Vista and were fishing my favored sturgeon spot off Decker Island by 8:30 a.m. We found the outgoing current to be well underway there, and tossed out our fresh, large grass shrimp to entice a hungry sturgeon. Rich had a 17" striper on almost at once,  and dutifully tossed him back. Over the course of the few hours we fished off Decker Island, Rich caught and released several stripers, including a couple of 18 inchers. A nearby boat caught and netted what looked to be about a seven pounder during this time, as well. The stripers were, to me, more of a nuisance. To Rich, they were entertaining even though he was fishing for sturgeon.

I had given up using the twichy bait in favor of the same old eel I've been carving on for weeks. The stripers seemed to leave it alone, and last week's forty inch sturgeon was caught on the stuff. That experience had given me confidence in it, and I was fishing only with eel. Lamprey eel is now seemingly impossible to find in the bait stores anywhere, even out of state. I've got to find some soon, I've carved nearly the last of the eel carcass that I have.

Shortly after noon, the outgoing current slackened and the wind seemed to worsen. Once again the fishing became something less than enjoyable due to the wind and waves. Rich and I agreed that it was time to move on, so I weighed anchor and we eventually wound up fishing the area near lite 25. This area is known more for shelter from the wind than as a hot sturgeon spot, at least in my book. I tossed out the big "underwater parachute", known as a drogue, to better hold the boat in the current against the wind. We were by then fishing an incoming current.

Soon enough, my reel clicked off about a foot of line very slowly. This same click-click-click would be what sturgeon fishermen refer to as a "take down" when the rod sits on a balance beam. The rod was in my hand, however, so I thumbed the spool tightly and set the hook with a mighty heave! And I set it again, and again and again. This one would not come loose as last week's did! If it was a poor hookup I'd rather pop it loose while setting it deep rather that lose it later. And the fight was on! Rich pulled in the drogue as my sturgeon ran upriver, away from the boat, and breeched about forty yards away! Now, I love to see a sturgeon airborne, but as ol' Rich says, nothing good can happen when they jump. Fortunately, mine stayed hooked and I began the very exciting chore of reeling in my fish. I knew he was a keeper by his power and the size I saw when he breeched. I don't know how long it took to get him to the boat for the first time, but probably a good ten minutes. He had a couple more good runs in him, and I was careful to properly tire him out before bringing him to the boat, nearly belly up and in submission. Rich netted him and he was ours!

Rich handed me the fish knocker and I whacked him a good one -- at least I intended to. The knocker bounced out of my hand as I landed a good whack and landed in the water. I couldn't reach it and it began floating away on the current. Now, this was not just any old knocker. It was the same one I've been using for years and to me it had great sentimental value. What a crazy time to get sentimental! As Rich held the still wiggly sturgeon in the net outside the boat, I fired up the boat and  weighed anchor to retrieve my prized knocker. Oops! The engine was in the raised position and running! Dang! I shut the engine off and lowered it, meanwhile we were simply drifting with the current! Finally, I got my wits about me and we were underway, Rich leaning over the boat holding the big, netted fish and me in hot pursuit of my knocker! After a couple of passes Rich scooped the knocker out of the water, still hanging onto the net! I administered another whack to the big sturgeon, then motored back to the spot where we hooked this fish.

Finally, the Keystone Kops knocker rescue was over and the fish was weighed and measured. He was 57 inches and 44 pounds, an excellent keeper sturgeon! At last, my second keeper this year! Maybe the slump was over.

As I stated earlier this year, I am keeping track of the hours invested per sturgeon caught this year. This sturgeon required 42 hours of fishing over three trips. Well, four trips if I count the 3 hour aborted try awhile back. This year's first sturgeon required 63 hours of fishing.

Rich continued to fish for sturgeon on the same spot for several more hours. I, of course, was fishing just for stripers since I  had my limit of sturgeon. I caught none. The current was again on the outgo as Rich reeled in another sturgeon, this one not a keeper. We estimated him to be about 36 inches as he was released at the boat. Rich also caught a couple of other shaker sturgeon during this day's efforts, both smaller than this one and all released. Some days you just can't seem to hook the keepers.

As afternoon turned to evening the wind worsened and we decided we'd had enough. I probably would have dropped Rich off at the dock and kept fishing, but I had my limit of one sturgeon already in the box. I just wanted to take my sturgeon home. The Keystone Kops knocker incident notwithstanding, a day of fishing with an old buddy just doesn't get any better than we'd just had. If only one of us was destined to catch a keeper sturgeon, the right one got it! Yep, I'd put in the hours and I figured that I had it coming. We had a wonderful time fishing together, as usual, and as usual we did pretty well.

I had actually canceled this season’s final sturgeon adventure early Tuesday morning due to windy conditions on Suisun Bay. I then nagged myself the rest of the day about making such a stupid decision about such an important trip. After shuffling some scheduled stuff around (this retired old graybeard doesn’t have too much to shuffle), I headed out on Wednesday morning for this very important sturgeon hunt. I launched into the Sacramento River at the Rio Vista Muni Ramp with a couple of dozen ghost shrimp, a fair amount of optimism and good cheer.

Windy conditions were still in the forecast, but I planned to play this two-day adventure by ear. I monitored the NOAA broadcast carefully, and upon hearing of predicted wind to 30 or 35 MPH on Suisun Bay Wednesday night, chose to stay put near Rio Vista for at least the first day.

I anchored at my usual sturgeon hole near Light 25, a short cruise downriver from Rio Vista. While the day was a bit breezy, it was warm and clear and pleasant. I faithfully offered lively ghost shrimp on the clam bed below from mid morning ‘til dinnertime. For my efforts that first day I was rewarded with one 20-inch striper, which was released. As afternoon turned to evening, my thoughts turned to finding a safe haven for the night’s anchorage. As usual, when anchoring overnight around Rio Vista, I headed upriver toward Isleton and anchored on the calm waters near the egret roosting trees above Vieira’s Resort. I would rise early and head downriver to Suisun Bay if the morning was calm.

I was up and doing the usual morning boat rituals at 4:00 a.m. By 4:30 I was idling downriver, passing the lights of Vieira’s in the darkness. The wind was calm and the water was flat. I was finally on my way to Suisun Bay even though it was via radar and GPS.

By the time I passed Broad Slough, dawn was breaking and the wind was kicking up. When I passed Simmons Point the wind was really blowing and the waves were already three footers. I very seriously considered turning back; I did not want to spend the day rockin’ and rollin’ in the blowing wind on Suisun Bay. But this was no usual Delta Adventure. This was the last sturgeon hunt of the season, and it was time to quit wimping out every time the wind blows!

I continued on, hammering across Suisun through the waves and the wind and the spray. It was a slow, unpleasant trip and I encouraged my wimpy self by thinking about how great it would be to hook into this season’s third sturgeon. It would be especially rewarding after slamming across Suisun to catch it. I soldiered on.

Nearly 2 ½ hours after leaving the egrets near Vieira’s, I dropped anchor at my honey hole on Suisun Bay. The wind was blowing across the bay from the fleet as the current was flowing towards it. Waves continually rocked the boat as I rigged up for sturgeon. I was no longer full of good cheer and my optimism had been reduced to a spark of hope. But I was faithful to the cause; I told the fishing gods that I deserved a sturgeon for making such an effort. So far as praying goes, I probably could have done better.

Sturgeon fishing and choppy, windy conditions don’t mix well. Even in calm conditions I like to hold the rod in hand to feel confident I won’t miss the mighty sturgeon’s tender bite. With the boat rocking and rolling, it’s hard to keep the line taut while holding the rod. Placing the rod on the balance beam is out of the question when it’s windy. Under such conditions, fishing is as close to work as fishing gets.

Nevertheless, I kept at it. I was constantly taking in and letting out line as the boat swung and rocked at anchor. Within about 15 minutes I had a small shaker striper on and released him. That was a good omen; at least I felt his nibbles and was able to set the hook. Maybe I would be able to set the hook into a light biting sturgeon.

For three hours I faithfully tended the reel, keeping the line taut and righteously awaiting that little sturgeon nibble. Eventually I felt a light nip-nip, a bit softer than a striper peck, but figured that’s what it was. A moment later, a leisurely pull took about three or four inches of line off the reel. Click-click-click. That was the song I’d been waiting for! I set the hook fast and hard and I was hooked into something substantial! And I set the hook again, harder. I hooted and hollered like a school kid; all the effort of this crazy trip was paying off!

Well, the payoff wasn’t made quite yet. I still had to get the big fella into the boat. I let him run as he pleased, letting him tire as quickly as possible. He felt strong; I was guessing I had a fair sized sturgeon on, maybe something in the 50-inch range. He ran to and fro, wearing himself out pretty quickly. When I had him to the boat and got my first look at him, I was surprised to see how small and slender he was. Gee whiz, I wondered if the little guy was even big enough to be legal! I let him run longer than necessary, trying to get him good and tired so that I could measure him. As he lay beside the boat, I took my little measuring device, a small bamboo handle with a 46” and a 72” green gardening tape attached, and tried to get a good idea of his length. Try as I might, I could not convince myself that this little guy was legal. I finally netted him and measured him on the cockpit sole. He was 47 inches and just 27 pounds! He was the smallest keeper sturgeon I’d ever caught. Into the fish box he went!

The pure rush of gratification as I slogged back across the bay with a sturgeon in the box was just indescribable. Having coaxed myself through a miserable trip across Suisun Bay to my honey hole added great satisfaction to an already grand adventure.

I didn’t see a single fishing boat on Suisun Bay the entire trip. Most folks were smart enough to stay put and wait for another day. But my plans to be traveling the next three weeks aboard the motorhome created this week’s now or never situation. I am very pleased to know that I can still get this old carcass moving against its stubborn will when the chips are down.

This season’s sturgeon recap is surprising. While I caught just three keepers, I made only about half as many fishing trips as last year, which also totaled just three. I guess that means that my success rate has greatly improved.

The Rio Vista area is and always has been good sturgeon fishing grounds for me. Yet, in six trips to the Rio Vista area this season, I caught no keepers.

In contrast, I made five trips to Suisun Bay:

On three of those trips I came home with a keeper sturgeon.

On one of the trips I came home with a 17-pound striper limit.

And on my least productive trip, I settled for just a schoolie striper.

I didn’t have one skunk on Suisun Bay this season. And all those fish came from the exact same honey hole. Don’t ask!

The final trip of this season was such a heady and exciting affair that I may have to visit Suisun during the summer months. I haven’t been on Suisun Bay during the summer in years. Maybe it’s time to reassess my summertime fishing!

15 minute sturgeon!
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According to early reports by the weather folks, this week’s best Delta fishing would be Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday was predicted to be breezy and I avoid breezy when I can. So I set out for this week’s Delta adventure a day early and launched into perfect conditions at the Rio Vista ramp on Monday morning. I had along a half pound of grass shrimp and a half dozen ghost shrimp, packed on ice, with which to fool some wily sturgeon. The plan for this week’s trip, under such perfect conditions, was to cruise down river to my favorite sturgeon hole on Suisun Bay.

The cruise downriver was the perfect boat ride. The day was already warm and predicted to be in the 90s. That’s my kind of weather and, to me, long overdue! The sun was shining brightly and the river was flat calm. I had two days of stores in the ice chest, including plenty of Pepsi and cheap beer and ice to keep me cool. I was going to have a good time whether I caught a sturgeon or not.

I arrived at my sturgeon hole at 10 O’clock. I was rigged up and sturgeon fishing fifteen minutes later. The occasional whisper of wind rippled the water now and then, it was just enough of a light breeze to keep things from getting too hot. It was, indeed, the perfect day to be fishing on Suisun Bay. I began what would likely be a long wait for some sturgeon action, but the chances for a sturgeon seemed better at this proven hole than anywhere else I know.

A few minutes after tossing a grass shrimp/ghost shrimp combo over the transom, I started getting a few quick, striper like nips. Rats. I did not want to be harassed by thieving, little fish. I put up with a couple such hits, and figured I’d have to be tending my bait more often than I like. But I was wrong.

Fifteen minutes after I started fishing, a classic, subtle sturgeon nibble clicked off a couple of inches of line. What? Already? Huumph! I set the hook instantly and I set it hard. I sunk that hook into something very, very substantial! Then I set it again and again. This couldn’t be happening, but, sure enough, I had a sturgeon on! In just fifteen minutes I was hooked into a big, and I mean big, sturgeon!

I raised the main engine out of the water, set the deck chair in the cabin and began what would be a long, tedious fight with this big fish.

My sturgeon didn’t get too excited about his dire predicament. She didn’t run and she didn’t jump; she simply swam away from the boat and stayed away. I’d reel in a bit; she’d reel out a bit. I’d reel some more back in; she’d take some more line off. We continued that seesaw game for the longest time. Twenty minutes into this street fight and I still hadn’t seen my fish. Finally, she came to the boat for the first time, and was belly down. I could not see the hook set and was concerned, after all this time, that the fight may have loosened the hook in her tough, leathery mouth. She finally tried to lie next to the boat, still belly down, then slowly headed back towards the bottom, still fighting, but nearly spent. A moment later she again surfaced and I scooped her into the net. She was as heavy set a sturgeon as I’ve ever seen. It had taken 30 minutes to get this big critter to the net. I was worn out, too, but I had my sturgeon! I cut her gills, tied her off to a line and let her float alongside the boat as I readied the fishbox for her.

When I brought the big fish aboard and into the fishbox, I tried to weigh and measure her. She was too heavy for me to lift with the scale. I estimated her to be something over sixty inches long, and she had a girth on her that was huge. I’d have to wait till I got home and had some help weighing her.

I never did get that big fish properly weighed, and it turned out that the she really was a she. Unfortunately, she was full of roe. She measured in at 65 inches long. Even with help getting her up on my scale, we couldn’t get an accurate weight. Perhaps she was too heavy for my scale. I checked the sturgeon weight chart, and at 65 inches, she should weigh 82 Lbs. But she was of massive girth; we measured her at 31 inches around. She had 17 Lbs of roe, we later discovered, when ol’ FishTracker Rich, who I gave her to, cleaned her. I’ll never know her real weight, so I’ll just claim the 82 Lbs. that the chart indicated. This week’s catch was my second big sturgeon for the season. It’s been an on and off sturgeon year for me this year due to my motorhome travels. But I plan to be out there weekly through May, and I trust that more mighty sturgeon are waiting for me!

A perfect day on Suisun Bay

March 15, 2005

After missing the prior week’s fishing entirely, it was important to me to get out on a serious sturgeon safari this week. I shuffled my schedule around and planned on launching at Rio Vista on Tuesday. Then the winds came with a vengeance. I chose to wait a day and on Tuesday I monitored winds on Suisun Bay that gusted over 40 MPH. The weather guessers predicted nearly calm winds for Wednesday and Thursday. I took them at their word.

Early Wednesday morning I dug a frozen lamprey out of the freezer, loaded up the boat with a two day supply of provisions and headed to Rio Vista. If the winds permitted, I planned to cruise down to Suisun Bay to try my luck at my favorite sturgeon hole.

And the winds did cooperate. As I cruised down the Sacramento River towards Suisun Bay, the river had a light chop, but the chop gave way to glass-like conditions as I entered the bay. The sun was bright and warm and, for once, I had timed my trip just right.

I dropped anchor at my favored sturgeon hole, weaved a couple of chunks of lamprey onto the hooks and tossed the smelly stuff out over the transom into an outgoing current.

The tides were working well for me this trip, also. The ebb tide was predicted to drop pretty deeply as the afternoon passed, and knowing the sturgeon activity at my favorite sturgeon hole, I expected a better than average chance at taking home a keeper.

Sure enough, in less than an hour, I had a sturgeon on! Well, he wasn’t much to brag about, but as I checked my line for tautness, I felt a slight pull – and set the hook! A very small sturgeon of about a foot and a half charged off the bottom of the bay, jumped clear of the surface of the water by about two feet and spit the hook in the process. Wow! What an exciting show! I reeled in, checked the nearly indestructible bait and tossed it back out. And waited.

Within another half hour, I set the hook into another small shaker and reeled him to the boat where I released him. Both fish were very small shakers – but sturgeon were certainly in the area.

After the catch and release I checked the bait. It was, as lamprey usually is, as firmly attached as when I first weaved it on. I tossed it back once more.

During the next two hours or so I had three distinct sturgeon bites. The first two consisted of the usual click-click-click taking of the bait in a very gentle manner. Both times I set the hook with a mighty heave – and missed. The third was another typical sturgeon bite – and that time I set the hook into something very substantial!

After setting the hook a couple more times, I leaned over the engine well and raised the main engine out of the water. I knew a good fight was brewing.

He was a strong fighter, and managed to keep his distance from the boat for about ten minutes or so. I thought I had a bigger fish on, but when I finally got him to the boat, I couldn’t convince myself that he was big enough to keep. I dug out my little garden tying strips that are attached to a handle of about a foot long. One strip is 46” and the other is 72”. On the occasions that I am not sure if a sturgeon is legal, I set the tapes alongside the fish and try to get some idea of it’s length. This little guy required about four measurements as he rested belly up at the boat. I finally decided that he was indeed longer than the 46” minimum. I administered a proper whack, grabbed him by the gill plate and lifted him aboard the boat. He measured an accurate 48”. I reached for my little electronic scale from its place in a cabin drawer… and it was gone. Apparently it was another casualty of the recent break in that I hadn’t noticed before. Rats. Another item I have to replace. But I referred to a weight chart and estimated his weight to be in the low 30 pound range. He fit into the fish box just right!

So there I was, anchored on Suisun Bay on a perfect day with my limit in the box. It was still early afternoon of the first day of this planned two day trip. I thought about just staying put and trying for some stripers, but I had no bait other than lamprey. One of the reasons I buy lamprey is that it doesn’t seem to attract much striper activity. I could have done some striper trolling, I suppose. But no, all my tackle had been stolen and I have yet to replace the striper lures. Hmmm, what would I do? I polished off the brew that the little sturgeon interrupted, cleaned up the boat, weighed anchor and headed back upriver to the Rio Vista ramp and home. While I missed that second day of fishing on a perfectly calm Suisun Bay, I had no complaints. There will be many more such trips if I have my way and I’m looking forward to them all.

1st Sturgeon of 2005! 

A troublesome back and a couple of doctor visits nearly axed this week’s Delta adventure. While I wasn’t fit for much physical activity, I figured that I was up to a couple of days on the Delta. After all, sturgeon fishing is mostly taking it nice and easy, sitting in the cockpit and tipping a few brews while enjoying Merle and Dolly and the gang. Unless, of course, I might actually hook into a big ol’ river monster that wanted to brawl. Considering my recent luck, how the heck was I to know I’d actually catch a sturgeon this week!?

Before launching at Rio Vista, I bought some shad, a few ghost shrimp and, for the first time in a couple of years, a lamprey. When I used lamprey in the past I wasn’t all that impressed with it. While it’s a tough, theft resistant bait when nippers are around, it didn’t seem to attract much sturgeon activity. But with all the recent reports about sturgeon being caught with the stuff, I decided to give it another try. Since it’s neither live nor fresh and can’t be nipped away, it’s a very long lasting bait. I’d say that it’s about the cheapest sturgeon bait one can buy because of its durability.

I began by fishing near Light 25, then moved down river and gave Decker Island a try. After six hours of soaking ghost shrimp and shad the fish continued to ignore my offerings. It was becoming apparent that a cruise downriver to Suisun Bay might be my best chance to hook into a sturgeon. Suisun Bay is, in my opinion, the best bet on the Delta for sturgeon. But Suisun can also be the most hazardous water on the Delta. I generally avoid Suisun unless weather conditions are calm. Wednesday turned out to be a very calm day and the weather folks promised about the same for Thursday. I finally gave up at Decker Island and headed downriver for Suisun Bay.

About 4:30 in the afternoon I dropped anchor at my favorite sturgeon hole near Garnet Point, rigged up some lamprey for the first time in ages and slung a lamprey/shad combo out over the transom. And waited.

Suisun Bay, when calm and flat, is a splendid place to anchor - especially over night. The quietness of the place is interrupted only by an occasional distant train whistle and a seemingly endless procession of airplanes droning overhead. I happened upon a perfect time to be fishing Suisun Bay. The water was flat as a mirror and the warm sunshine was nothing short of delicious. It has been a long, gray, cold winter and I really needed a good dose of sunshine. And the beer was cold, the music was honky-tonk and I was as happy as an old river rat can be. Life is good!

As the afternoon turned to evening I fired up the cockpit heater to keep warm. A sliver of a moon set sometime after 9 O’clock. It was a short time later that I caught and released a shaker sturgeon of about three feet. That was a good omen; I had confirmation that sturgeon were in the area. And I learned, too, that offered lamprey on one hook and shad on the other, he chose the lamprey. I was encouraged.

The tough strip of lamprey survived the fight with the little sturgeon just fine. I threaded a fat ghost shrimp onto the other hook and tossed my offerings back out over the transom. And waited some more.

An hour or so later I felt a very subtle bump – just enough to alert me but not quite enough to set the hook. I waited just a few moments more… and the reel clicked off a few inches of line again. Humph! I set the hook with all my might, set it again, then muttered to myself “This is what I’ve been waiting for!” I knew by that hook set that I was, finally, hooked into this season’s first keeper sturgeon!

The big fella began the fight by breaching. I did not see his jump in the darkness, but I heard the water splash and felt the line slacken as he jumped. I took up the slack at once and the fight was on.

Now, I’ve had my fair share of sturgeon on and I like to think I can guess the size of fish I’m fighting. But I sure was fooled by the tough fella I was brawling with that night. He fought like a seventy pounder, making me work for every inch of line. My Penn lever drag is set at the stop to give up line very grudgingly. I’ve never had to go past the stop to a heavier drag setting while fighting a sturgeon, but this bad boy sure had me thinking about doing so.

For fifteen minutes he refused to be reeled near the boat. He was very strong – not unusual for a sturgeon – but he was also very durable. He fought against that heavy drag for much of the quarter hour, giving up very little line during the struggle.

And there I was, struggling with a hellion of a sturgeon with a sore back. He was exacting a high toll of pain from me in return for his hard won submission. My aching back became so sore that I actually spent some of the fight sitting on the gunwale in an attempt to ease the stress on my back. That is no way to fight a sturgeon!

Finally, after nearly twenty minutes, I had the tough guy in the net. I was amazed by his small size! He measured just 58 inches and weighed in at only 43 pounds. That’s not a small sturgeon, certainly, but it sure wasn’t a huge one, either. But he was a slim, gnarly, experienced old grandpa of a sturgeon and he went down very hard. Pound for pound, I think he was as tough as any fish I’ve ever reeled in.

I was about whipped. I was hurting. The boat was a mess. The sturgeon was on a line in the water, bleeding into the outgoing current. But first things first: I grabbed some pain pills for my aching back. Had I known that I was going tie into a brawler like this guy, I’d likely have listened to my wife and stayed home with my sore back. Yeah, right! Sore back or not, it was a grand and glorious way to spend an evening under a moonless sky on Suisun Bay.

It was midnight by the time I crawled into the V-berth for a well earned sleep. The water remained flat, the winds never kicked up and Suisun Bay was as lovely a place that night as it ever could be. I slept well. After breakfast the next morning, and placing a few phone calls to brag on my fish, I stowed the gear and headed for the ramp. This sturgeon trip was my fifth this season and I was due for a keeper. This is the time of year I really look forward to heading out for the next big sturgeon adventure and if this old back can handle it, I’ll be back out there next week! 

Al's Big Sturgeon!

April 20, 2005

This past week my old high school buddy, Al (Class of ’58 - yeah, I mean old!), drove down from Oregon to go fishing with me. Our plans included a visit to the Delta for a couple of days to get him onto a big ol’ sturgeon. We towed the boat with the motorhome and spent the night at Brannan Island. The motorhome adds a very comfortable dimension for us old graybeards and I may have to start using it more often. There’s nothing quite like having all the conveniences of home available when the day’s fishing is done. A hot shower and a soft couch is quite an improvement over the V-berth after a long day of fishing.

We launched at Brannan Island State Park near Rio Vista on Wednesday morning. We headed directly to nearby Decker Island and anchored near the edge of the ship channel. I have caught several sturgeon at that spot over the years, but haven’t had much luck recently. I very seriously considered cruising down to Suisun Bay, but since we planned to stay at Brannan Island that night, it seemed a waste of fishing time to do so much cruising to and from the bay.

We began fishing a bit before noon as an incoming tide was well underway. The tide would begin to turn about 3 O’clock and we planned to fish ‘til nearly dark if necessary. We tossed a couple of lines out over the transom in hopes of catching Al’s first ever striper or sturgeon. My hope was to get him onto a mighty sturgeon for a fishing memory he’d never forget. One line had my usual lamprey chunks on both hooks as our best offering for attracting a sturgeon. The other line was baited with shad. This was Al’s first sturgeon trip and while the odds of getting someone onto a sturgeon in one trip were pretty slim, we had high hopes.

Predictably, the shad were high maintenance as the little nippers kept stealing them. The lamprey attracted only a few nips but the thieving little nippers couldn’t steal it. Occasionally I added small bits of lamprey to the hooks to keep the scent fresh and strong. Al managed to snag one very small striper with the shad and we tossed it back. He was pleased to have actually reeled it in. He’d “caught” his first striper. I had much higher aspirations for him.

Finally, about 4 O’clock, after the outgoing current became just strong enough to turn the boat, there was a gentle sturgeon nibble on the lamprey. And… we were hooked into something of substance! At first the fish seemed to swim toward the boat as the hook was set and we thought we had just a small, shaker sturgeon on. But soon it was apparent that this was no small fish.

I reeled in the other line and commenced shouting instructions to Al as he began the fight:

“Don’t give him any slack, man!” I hollered. “Don’t let him rest! If he isn’t taking line, pull up, reel down!”

“Whatever you do, do NOT get the rod tangled into those raised motors! Reach way out over them if you have to!”

“If the line suddenly feels slack, reel like heck – he might be running toward the boat!” 

“Aw, shut up, Dale”, I said to myself. And no doubt Al had the same thought. But Lord knows it’s hard to remain calm and collected in the middle of a battle!

Al’s face showed his disbelief at the power of the fish he was suddenly battling – he’d never fought such a mighty fish before. He was completely awed by the fish’s ability to peel off line against a strong drag. The Penn’s lever drag was pressed forward to the stop and yet the fish ran at will, taking line with wild abandon. Al has fought his share of steelhead and salmon and knows how to fight fish, but nothing could have prepared him for the raw power of the mighty sturgeon. He traded the rod from one hand to the other and back again, his muscles aching from the stress of the battle.

Al’s sturgeon was unusually strong! He refused to come to the boat and remained unseen for nearly twenty minutes. Al was beside himself as he fought the fish of a lifetime! For twenty minutes the battle wore on, taking its toll on both fighters. Eventually the big fish began to tire and came nearer the boat. When the monster first surfaced, Al nearly dropped in disbelief; he had just reeled in the biggest fish he had ever seen!

I had the net in hand and as the tired beast laid in submission by the boat I gave him a poke with the handle to see if he had any more fight in him. It was about this time that things got dicey…

The big sturgeon did not react to the poke, and I attempted to net him. In the process, I snagged the second hook in the netting when the big sturgeon was only about half netted. It was about this time that I gouged myself with the hook and ripped my finger open. %*$#@&!!!

So there we were having the time of our lives, one hook firmly attached to the net, the other firmly attached to the fish, the fish out of the net and me bleeding like a stuck hog. The only things in our favor were the very firm hookup we had and the fact that he had nearly given up the fight. We were living a Keystone Kop movie! Somehow, while bleeding all over the net and the fish, I managed to get the sturgeon stuffed back into the net. I then grabbed the fish knocker and administered a few righteous whacks to the fish’s broad head – and I bled all over the fish knocker. I heaved the net and the fish over the gunwale and onto the deck. I bled on the gunwale. I bled on the deck. I was ecstatic! Al was wide-eyed in amazement at his huge catch.  I bled on Al. I splattered blood everywhere. We were having a ball!

I grabbed a smelly old fishing rag and wrapped my finger, trying to stem the flow of blood. I then grabbed the tape measure from a cabin drawer and bled on it. We had to turn the fish diagonally on the cockpit sole to get him flat and straight for an accurate measurement. He was an unusually large male, tough and lean and long. He measured 68 inches, the largest male sturgeon I’ve ever seen. Ol’ Al and I together struggled to weigh the big guy with my fish scale. With a small portion of his tail still lying on the sole, the scale read 65 pounds.

We nearly doubled the fish over to get him into the big ice chest that serves as my fishbox. The monster was so big that we had to tie a line around the fishbox to keep the lid closed.

After securing our big catch in the fishbox, Al and I sat heavily on the gunwales and took a break from all the excitement. I grabbed a beer and drank deeply and I don’t recall a more refreshing brew! If the afterglow of such a thrilling, rowdy fish fight as we’d just had wasn’t Miller Time, nothing would be!

When us weary, old graybeards recuperated, we cleaned up the mess in the boat, weighed anchor and headed for the ramp at Brannan Island. It had been an amazing day and we still had a big fish to clean.

I called Audie at Hap’s bait, hoping that he’d be willing to clean our big catch for us. Sure! He would get the fish cleaned for us by the next morning. We drove over to Hap’s Bait where Audie cranked the monster up onto his scales and weighed him properly. He weighed in at 67 ½ pounds. Having been bled in the water, we decided he would have easily weighed 68 pounds when he was caught. 68 inches by 68 pounds! Al had over 30 pounds of sturgeon meat to take home to Oregon along with what certainly had to be his best fishing story ever. He was a happy fella. Last year’s fishing adventure for Al and I was three days of trolling Lake Almanor in the wind and cold for one little trout. It was not a memorable trip but Al has never let me forget it. This year’s Delta adventure turned out to be our most memorable fishing trip ever. Al experienced the excitement of a great fight with a big, tough sturgeon - the fish fight of a lifetime. Now the tables are turned on ol’ buddy Al and I’ll never let him forget!

The Toughest, Most Tireless Sturgeon Ever!

March 16, 2004

Sturgeon fishing is as unpredictable as fishing gets. One can spend weeks chasing the mighty sturgeon only to come home empty handed every time. And so it has been this year for my efforts. But one week can make all the frustration worth the effort. It was just my turn for a payday, I reckon.

I launched at Rio Vista with a couple dozen lively and angry ghost shrimp. My “desperation plan” was in place this week, which meant that I would head down river to Suisun Bay. I make that 24-mile cruise when I’m really serious about catching a sturgeon - when the weather permits.

My repaired GPS/Chartplotter/Fishfinder was bolted back to the helm and working properly. Suisun Bay is no place to be without proper instruments. While a good skipper can usually keep out of trouble there with just a depth finder and a paper chart, nothing helps navigate the shallows of Suisun Bay like a GPS/Chartplotter. With proper charts, in chip format such as C-Map, which I use, a skipper can see his position clearly on the screen relative to the actual NOAA chart. The depth markings and contours are shown clearly, and avoiding the many shallows is simply a matter of keeping an eye on the display. The magic electronic boxes that are available these days, and have been for several years now, still amaze me.

As I cruised downriver towards Suisun Bay, a somewhat choppy river gave way to flat calm conditions and a very warm sun. My cruise was a wonderful boat ride past the now green, rolling hills that frame much of the West Delta. Weather such as we’ve been blessed with recently sure makes up for all the cold, grey days of winter. There really is nothing quite like springtime on the Delta. Springtime? We’ve been having near summertime conditions.

As I neared my fishing hole, I idled slowly across some shallows to get above my “honey hole” without advertising my presence too loudly. I then dropped anchor, the chain rattling through the gypsy loud enough to be heard a hundred yards. I set about rigging up for a big sturgeon with high hopes and good cheer. I baited up with a couple of fat, wiggly ghost shrimp and cast them out over the transom into a slow, incoming current. As time went by, the current slackened and turned. I was soon fishing the very top of an outgoing current that would lead to a minus tide. With a little luck, I might hook into a monster during the ebb tide.

I stripped down to shorts as I laid back in my deck chair, absorbing the warm sunshine and a few brews. My sturgeon hole is far removed from most boat traffic and wakes and noisy motors. Very few distractions can disturb my solitude while anchored there. The only sounds usually heard are the songs of birds, a distant plaintive train whistle and the drone of an occasional airplane passing overhead. On my boat, the sounds of Merle, Willie and Dolly also add to the ambiance. If there is much more to life than fishing, cheap beer and country music, all mixed together and served up on a boat, I don’t know what it would be.

For three hours I awaited the visit of a mighty sturgeon. I freshened the bait on rare occasion; nothing disturbed it either. Not nipping, little stripers or abominable mitten crabs or sturgeon. Nothing. But things were to be greatly disturbed in a few moments.

I was standing near the balance beam that held my rod and reel when the clicker ticked off a few inches of line. Such is the typical sturgeon bite and I grabbed the rod at once and set the hook with all my might into something that did not budge! Oh yes… I know that feeling and it had been a long time. I set again and then again, doing my best to be sure that the hook was set deeply. My sturgeon began to move away from that strange pull in his mouth. He took a leisurely stroll, not particularly alarmed that something was not right. As he moved, I knew I had hooked into a big, strong sturgeon. I was soon to discover how tough he actually was.

He was in charge from the start, continuing his leisurely strolls first this way, then that. Back and forth he swam, going where he pleased, seemingly not too concerned about his plight. Still, he refused to come to the boat. He was strong enough to keep his distance for an unusually long time and seemingly smart enough to save his energy. Perhaps I had hooked into a sturgeon too large to keep.

After about twenty minutes or so, I worked him near enough to the boat that he saw it and quickly dashed away, again peeling off line that I had struggled to reel in. For the first time, he had indicated a bit of displeasure at his predicament. Twenty minutes!? Most sturgeon I’ve caught are to the boat and in submission by that time; this big, bad boy was just getting started.

I saw him pretty clearly as he came briefly to the boat. He certainly was not oversize, but he was big and thick and heavy. Many sturgeon of his length and power are males, although they are usually slimmer. I had hooked into a tough, old veteran of many trips to the spawning grounds.

As the battle of wills wore on, his power diminished. I had him to the boat another time or two, but he was not anywhere near ready for the net. He continued to fight for distance, but not aggressively. He seemed content to move away in a very leisurely manner. After the third visit to the boat, I prepared to net him. By then, I was getting him to the boat about every five to ten minutes. I tried to net him several times, but each time his bulk was too much to net using just my one free hand. I could not see the hook; he never came to the boat belly up so that the hook was visible. I very well may not have had a good hook set, and my chances of losing him or fouling the second hook in the netting were very good. He had been to the boat five, six, seven times and I had failed to net him each time. He was, in fact, winning the war of attrition. One thing for sure, the hook was not getting set any firmer as the long fight continued.

Finally, on his eighth visit to the boat, after 45 minutes of a very smart fight on his part, I got his big, thick, long body in the net! He was finally –- finally -- captured!

And I was toast! I administered a couple of proper whacks to his big, broad head and tied a line through his gill and mouth. I lowered him back into the water and bled him for a spell while I recovered. It had been a long, well fought battle.

After a rest, I brought him aboard. He measured 64 inches and weighed in at 60 pounds! While that is not a huge sturgeon, it was a huge male sturgeon. He was heavy set for a male, more so than other males that I have caught in the past. He was no doubt very experienced and successful; an old hand at fighting for his share of the action. He was a fine specimen.

After just four hours of fishing, I had my limit of sturgeon. Now what? There was little reason to continue sturgeon fishing while enjoying the pleasures of a calm, sunny day on Suisun Bay. I had my limit! I put my big sturgeon in the fish box, cleaned up the mess the battle had created and set the pointy end of my boat towards the Rio Vista ramp and home.

That trip was one of the highlights of 2004's Delta adventures. It is yet another great Delta memory and I am anxious to make more. Life is good!

The Last Legal Monster

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March 8, 2006

Having ranted about the coming reduced sturgeon slot last week, it was time to head out for another Delta adventure and do what seemed my duty: Catch one last, monster sturgeon and imagine that I was getting some sort of revenge. If I could get lucky with one last hawg, it would likely be the last monster from the Delta I’ll be allowed to take. I’ve just got a hunch that there won’t be another 72” limit during my lifetime. And, after all, it wouldn’t be like taking one of the last big ones; those who actually spend time fishing the delta for sturgeon know that there are good numbers of them out there.

So I loaded provisions on the boat for a couple of days on the river and headed for Brannan Island State Park’s launch ramp. I planned to spend the night on the river somewhere near Suisun Bay - probably in Montezuma Slough if the weather was rough. The weather forecast wasn’t exactly favorable. Winds were predicted to 15 MPH and that usually means higher gusts. And a lumpy Suisun Bay.

I headed downriver towards Suisun Bay on a choppy river. It wasn’t too bad, but the chop was enough to slow my progress as I hammered through it. Some of my most rewarding adventures included sloppy weather and it was time I quit being such a wimp. Few other boats were on the river that day, it was not a day for fair weather cruises in small boats - especially on Suisun Bay.

I arrived at my sturgeon hole near Garnet Point after a 90 minute boat ride. The breeze was blowing out of the Carquinez Strait at about 15 MPH, as predicted, and it was lumpy. An outgoing current was just getting underway. Responding to the wind and the current, the boat settled broadside to the rolling waves. Even so, it maintained a reasonably stable position as it rocked side to side. I tossed a couple of chunks of lamprey out over the transom and waited for that little nibble. Here fishy-fishy...

I love fishing Suisun Bay more than any place on the Delta. Maybe more than any place on earth. But I don’t love it so much when the wind blows. Nevertheless I stayed faithful to the cause, fishing the most productive hole I know of while hoping and praying for one final hawg sturgeon.

When sturgeon fishing in a rocking boat, it isn’t easy to keep the line taut. As the boat swings at anchor, line ticks off the reel and as the boat moves back the line must be reeled in to keep things tight. The tender bite of a mighty sturgeon can only be felt on a taut line, so I spent nearly all my time with rod in hand, tending the line. One hour passed, then an hour and a half, then… 

Something bumped the line and pulled a few inches off my reel. I set the hook with all my might and then… I set it again! And again! Something huge was on! It stripped line from the reel with wild abandon, streaking away from the boat before turning and then breaching. I saw just a portion of her – enough to confirm that I had my hawg on!

Her power was simply awesome! For over thirty minutes we waged our battle of wills as she took line when she pleased and I took line when she tried to rest. I slowly worked her towards the boat and finally caught a good glimpse of the beast I had hooked. She was big enough for me to wonder if she was oversized. The battle continued.

I had her to the boat several times before I thought she might be ready to net. The moving current and her bulk made it very difficult for this old man to pull her toward the net with the rod in one hand and the net in the other. But I managed to get her into the net – about half way. She then bolted, clearing the net and peeling line as she streaked away.

Again I worked her back to the net and managed to get her about three quarters in when – dang it all! – the sliding sinker got wrapped in the net and I couldn’t free it. I managed to grab a knife, cut away the netting and unhook the weight. And she took off again!

The fight was not going my way and I knew I had to get her into the net and put an end to the long fight. Finally, over half an hour into the fight, on the third try – and the fifth or sixth time to the boat– I got her fully into the net!

She was huge! Was she over the 72 inch limit? I decided that she wasn’t. I administered a couple of righteous whacks and tried to lift her into the boat.

My C-Dory has a high freeboard for a small boat, and I struggled mightily to get her up and into the boat. My first couple of attempts failed; I simply wasn’t strong enough. Finally I pulled on the netting, hand over hand, ‘til I had the fish and the net high enough to clear the gunwale.

I was completely exhausted. I had to rest a few moments to regain some strength. Such exertion is not prescribed for old heart patients like me and I realized that I was beginning to feel the familiar pain of angina. Or was it simply sternum pain from the long fight? I hoped for the best and continued with the task at hand. After all, I’ve always said that when they carry me away feet first, I’d just as soon they carry me off my boat. But not yet!

I managed to measure her and was surprised how very nearly I had mistaken her huge size. She measured just half an inch below the limit! That was too close for comfort. She was too big to fit into the fish box, so I soaked a couple of towels and placed them over her for the trip back upriver to Brannan Island.

After a bit more rest, I cleaned up the messy cockpit and stowed the fishing tackle. I popped the top off another cold brew, raised anchor and headed back upriver.

Only someone with a similar experience, having caught a mighty fish while all alone on some remote body of water, could possibly know the heady jubilation I felt as I cruised home that afternoon. That was likely the last Delta adventure for me to take a monster sturgeon before the regulations lower the limit. And, by gosh, I did it! The timing was unbelievable and the whole afternoon seemed surreal. But yes, it was all very real!

On the drive home I stopped at a friend’s business where a forklift was available for a photo op. Before lifting her from the cockpit, I asked my friend to measure the fish so I’d have independent confirmation that she was, indeed, a legal take. He measured her at 71½ inches, just as I had done. Whew.

I now have another grand Delta adventure to remember for the rest of my days. All the effort and reward proves once again that it just takes a lot of time and patience to reel in a truly memorable fish.

Two more sturgeon!

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Monday dawned foggy and cold at home, a typical December day in late November. The kind of day that would normally find me inside by the fireplace. But late November is the end of my fishing year, and I just had to make one last trip to the Delta for the two remaining sturgeon tags I had yet to use.

Having done much of the prep work for this trip already, I had to do just a few more jobs, such as load food on the coach for my trip and get the boat hooked up to the coach for the drive to Brannan Island.

I arrived at Brannan at mid-morning. After launching the boat and finding my RV space, then paying my fee for a two night stay, I headed for my favorite sturgeon spot off Decker Island and began fishing at noon.

I was busily putting up my canvas cover and side curtains for protection from the cool breeze when my first sturgeon of the day took my rotten lamprey and sped of on a suicide run with it. This is a very rare occurrence when sturgeon fishing; most sturgeon gently mouth the bait and it takes close attendance to the rod to note the visit. But this sturgeon took off with a vengeance, creating the much-anticipated screaming reel that all fishermen love to hear. I stopped setting up the canvas at once and grabbed the rod. I set the hook with a mighty heave - and once again knew that I had a pretty decent fish on.

He wasn't too feisty 'til he saw the boat - other than the big, acrobatic jump he made right after I hooked him. When I finally worked him close enough to the boat that he saw it, he made another mighty jump and was off to the races! He put up a splendid fight, refusing to come to the boat. He chose to go deep instead of taking off on a wild run away from the boat. Nevertheless, after about 15 minutes of fighting, and a mighty good fight it was, he quickly ran out of gas and came to the boat belly up.

I measured him with my green plastic tape, and knew that he was legal, about 48 inches or so. I struggled against the current while netting him, and at one point had the weight snagged in the net. After getting things sorted out, I got him over the gunwale and into the boat. I administered a few righteous whacks, then measured and weighed him for an exact size. He measured 49 inches and weighed in at just 22 pounds. He was a tough male sturgeon.

After resting for a few minutes, I called my buddy, Willie, in Stockton and asked if he wanted another sturgeon. Heck yes! And Willie was at the ramp ASAP to take possession of my sturgeon. I love to catch 'em; Willie loves to eat 'em. It's a good thing.

My fishing day was over; one sturgeon is the limit. By mid-afternoon I was back at the coach and doing the final set up work for spending a couple of nights. Maybe the next day would find me catching my third and limit sturgeon for the year!

Day two came with rain clouds and cool, flat calm air. The river was like a mirror. By 0900 I was back on my sturgeon hole off Decker Island, still fishing with the same old lamprey eel. I had the canvas top and sides in place before I left the dock, and was ready for some sturgeon action. It didn't take long.

After an hour of patiently waiting, I had the typical sturgeon bite, click-click-click. Wham! I set the hook at once and again I had a substantial fish on. There were no jumps or acrobatics with this guy, but he was strong and durable. After a ten-minute battle of wills, I had my sturgeon to the boat. I measured him with my green plastic tape, and he was a keeper at 49 inches. It was still morning and I didn't want to call it a day quite yet. I released him. After recording my release on my sturgeon report card, I tossed the lamprey back out into the river and waited for my next visitor.

The day grew cooler and cloudier. I put on a second sweatshirt and long johns to keep warm. It sprinkled a bit, but never enough to matter. I stayed at it through the entire incoming current, including both turns of the tide. I did have one last bit of action at few minutes after 4:00 p.m., and set the hook into something big. But the hook broke free almost at once. I waited a few more minutes for another bite before I reeled in and called it a day. Most of the other fishermen on the river had already headed for the ramp. It was getting dark and I decided to call it quits, too.

I spent the night in the warm and comfy motorhome and enjoyed a good, hot meal. It had been my second adventure at Brannan Park in just three weeks.

...Five sturgeon in three days: Priceless!

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The cost of three nights at Brannan Island Park with a berth: $97. Gas to and from Brannan: $35. Five sturgeon in three days: Priceless! As sturgeon fishing goes, this week’s trip was the most productive I've ever experienced!

I had the second week of November marked on my calendar because of good tides for sturgeon fishing – if the weather was right. And it was so right! All three days were flat calm to a slight breeze - and sunny. And warm. So I hooked the boat to the motorhome and headed to Brannan Island State Park for a few days.

Brannan now has electricity at the RV spaces directly above the berths, and although they’re a bit more costly than the dry camping spaces, it’s well worth a few extra bucks for the convenience – and the ability to keep an eye on the boat.

On day one I launched my little Klamath, FishWisher II, then motored over to the berths. After setting up in the RV space, I boarded the boat and headed for Decker Island, but far out past the middle of the river, just off the ship channel. That position is actually closer to the shore opposite from Decker Island than the island.

I dug out the nasty, smelly lamprey eel that has occupied wifey’s freezer since April. The leader, with eel still attached to the hooks from my trip back in September, was still in the container with the eel. It slurped out of the bloody mess and I  snapped it to my swivel. I tossed it far out over the transom.

Eel has become my only sturgeon bait. It is very attractive to sturgeon and nearly impossible for the little nippers to steal. It lasts forever and is easy to keep – just toss it in the freezer after each trip ‘til it’s all used up. While an eel is fairly expensive, it is so long lasting that it is absolutely the cheapest sturgeon bait available.

I waited for only half an hour before I heard the click-click-click of the reel as a sturgeon took my offering. Having the rod in hand when Mr. Sturgy visited, I set the hook with a mighty heave! I knew at once that I had a keeper on. I set the hook another few times and the fight was on. It took very little time for my sturgy to come to the boat, belly-up in submission. He was a wimp. And he was skinny! He measured 62” but weighed just 35 lbs. He was the skinniest sturgeon I have ever caught. He looked more like a snake. Even so, this was my first sturgeon of the year and I administered a few whacks before welcoming him aboard.

My day was over entirely too soon, but I was ecstatic! After filling out my sturgeon report card, I called a friend who loves sturgeon. We made arrangements for him to come get the sturgeon. He met me at the berth an hour or so later and gladly took my prize. We were both happy.

On day two I left the berth and headed directly for Decker Island again. I continued to use the same old eel, and this time it took about two hours before I heard that click-click-click of another sturgeon accepting my nasty offering. Again I set the hook with a vengeance and again I had a sturgeon on! This one was much stronger than the last and gave a good account of himself for about ten minutes. When I got him to the boat I measured him with my little green plastic tape that is tied to a small bamboo stick. It is 66 inches long and has a black mark at 46 inches so I can get a pretty good idea of a sturgeon’s length. He measured about 48 inches and would have been a nice keeper. He was much huskier than the sturgeon of the prior day. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to call off my day’s fishing so soon, and I released him to fight another day. Two sturgeon in two days! Incredible! I continued fishing with the same old bait ‘til mid afternoon - and called it a day around 1600. I headed to the berth and another nice evening with all the comforts of home awaiting me in the coach.

Day three included my friend Doug who joined me for some sturgeon fishing. Ol’ Doug is a former Navy SEAL and is a good boating buddy anytime. His Navy experience is always good to have at hand when on the water. Doug's been fishing since his diaper days. 

First thing, Doug reeled in a small flounder making its way upriver to spawn. He released it to continue on its romantic journey. A few minutes later Doug set the hook into his first ever sturgeon! We were hooting and hollering as he worked his fish to the boat. Three sturgeon in three days was just incredible! As Doug brought the sturgeon along side, I measured it and we agreed that it was a keeper at about 47 inches. Did Doug want to keep it? No, and neither did I; we both wanted to continue fishing and telling lies to one another. We released it to continue its journey upriver.

Doug would have loved to see the day end with me skunked and him out-fishing me. But it was my duty to keep him humble. About three hours later I had a definite sturgeon take down, and missed the hook set. I jumped to my feet and told Doug that I’d just had a classic sturgeon bite. A few minutes later the sturgeon returned and pulled off a few more inches of line – and I set the hook hard. I had the fourth sturgeon hooked – and it was a big one!

My sturgeon went where he darn well pleased. He liked staying below the boat, choosing to stay deep instead of streaking away from the boat in a mad dash. He would not be moved. I told Doug that I had a monster on, and that this was going to be a good fight. Before I had my big fish to the boat, my back and arms were tired and aching – and that’s not unusual for this old man whenever I do much physical work. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, I had the big fish along side the boat and able to measure him. We agreed that he was 69 inches - too big to keep. After the strenuous fight I cut him loose. As he left he whacked me with his tail just to let me know we weren’t exactly friends. Four sturgeon in three days!

About an hour and a half later something clicked off a few inches of line that seemed to be yet another sturgeon. I missed the first hook-set and about fifteen minutes later I missed the second try. A while later on the third try, I set the hook into something very substantial. While this sturgeon didn’t have near the mass of the oversized one that I had just released, he felt big enough to be legal. After a few minutes of battling wills, I had him to the boat. We again set the measure tape in the water and decided that he was legal at about 49 inches. We decided to release him, too. Why stop with a limit of one when the fishing was so good? By this time I was incredulous! That was the fifth sturgeon in my three-day fishing trip! I’d never had such a grand sturgeon adventure.

And there was more! An hour later I had another hit by something that took line much faster than a sturgeon. I set the hook and had yet another big fish on. I remarked to Doug that this one was doing a lot of head shaking and that maybe I had a good striper on. After a few minutes of battle, sure enough a big ol’ striper was at the surface. We decided to keep her, and into the net she went. She weighed in at 11½ lbs, a real beauty of a striper!

It was getting late in the afternoon when I caught a baby sturgeon, just a little fellow of about 20 inches or so. We brought him aboard for a quick photo and then released him back to the river to do some more growing. It was time to call it a day. And what a day it had been! I’ve spent many a day on the Delta soaking bait for hours on end – even days on end – for no action at all. Perhaps the fishing gods are smiling on me this year to make up for the lost salmon season. I don’t know what brought about this unusually good fishing trip, but I will surely be back again when the tides are looking favorable. Life IS good!