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!

The California Delta

A place of quiet beauty.

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The photos I had collected over the years were lost in the transfer from MSN Groups to MSN Windows Live. I will be taking more photos of my beloved Delta for this page...

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!

My personal best salmon!
41 Lbs.!
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September 18 & 19, 2001

                                                

I was overdue.....I'd been singing that song for three weeks. I had spent two overnight fishing trips on the hot salmon spots of the Delta the past three weeks, trying my best for an early salmon. It just didn't happen.

I continued trolling upriver past Vieira's Resort, past Isleton, past the Isleton Bridge, and on up a couple of miles or so beyond the bridge. Zilch. I continued to troll and troll those areas until sundown. More zilch. Discouraged but optimistic, I anchored for the night near the Isleton Bridge. It turns out that this is a fine anchorage, well sheltered from the wind and very quiet. Tomorrow would be my big day, I told myself. Again.

Wednesday morning before first light I was idling downriver to meet FishTracker for a hot breakfast at Vieira's and another day of trolling. It's not often that I boat on a dark river, but on the occasion that I must, there is nothing so comforting as my radar and GPS chartplotter unit. I used them both and still kept my speed quite slow. This fall and winter they'll again be very handy to have in the fog.

At 6:45 a.m. we were on the troll. We headed upriver full of good cheer and ready for some action. I was trolling a blue Wiggle Wart, Rich was trolling a red one. About an hour later my tenacity was about to be rewarded. As we approached the boat ramp in Isleton, I headed the boat into the river, away from the bank to avoid the underwater hazards that are in that area. It appeared that Rich's lure was hitting the bottom and he raised his rod high to avoid any snag. But the action on the rod tip wasn't the bottom, it was a fearless little small mouth bass that took Rich's Wiggle Wart. He measured just nine inches or so, but his aggressive nature was incredible.

And then my moment came....at last! At about the time Rich was removing the little bass, my reel started singing and my rod bent to the weight of something substantial....and it was about time! I grabbed the rod at once as Rich took the boat controls. Whatever it was, for twenty minutes or more, me and that big fish had us a donnybrook! When it finally made its first appearance near the boat, we saw a mighty big salmon!

"It's a 20 pounder!" I announced.

Rich disagreed with the captain, "It's a thirty pounder....no, a thirty five pounder...maybe more!" he exclaimed.

We've neither one ever caught a salmon much over twenty pounds - what did we know? After it's first appearance at the surface, it took several more minutes to get it back to the surface. I don't think I've ever fought a fish so intent on staying under the boat and near  the outboards. I told Rich that I thought this must be an experienced fish, he seemed to know just what to do to frustrate me. Finally, tired but still struggling, the beast came to the boat one last time, and Rich had it netted. As we raised it over the gunwale and onto the cockpit floor, we realized that we'd just boated a really, really big salmon. We'd never seen anything quite like it. I grabbed the scale and struggled to get the big fish up. Rich read the scale.....forty five..no forty....forty one pounds! Wow.....success at last - in spades! As often as I fish, and as hard as I seem to work for memorable catches, I knew right then that this is one of those rare, lifetime memory catches. I've really been working for my first salmon of the season. What a payoff! And this was just the first fish of the day.

Within an hour my reel lit up again, this time as we were trolling down river with a #6 florescent red Blue Fox spinner. We were approaching the mouth of the Old Sacramento, perhaps 200 yards away. "Grab it, Rich!" I hollered, "It's your turn!"

Ha! What goes around comes around, they say, and this situation was very interesting for Rich and I. Here we were once again facing the issue of "welfare fishing". Last year I wrote a report about one of our trips when Rich offered me his rig when the second salmon of the day had hit the same lure....his. I reported then on the philosophical questions that pop up in such a situation. Even though I had clearly stated the "FishWisher Rotation Method" of buddy fishing on my boat just a couple of hours before, Ol' FishTracker didn't much like reeling in a fish on my rig. I loved it! Now, it was my rig that had hooked two fish. It was pay back time! Now I had one in the box and another on my lure as his rig laid in the rodholder, silent. The exact opposite situation that we faced last year.

Rich considered the philosophical quandary for exactly one half second. He grabbed my rod and began reeling in his salmon. This one put up an admirable fight once it saw the boat, and Rich had a great time. Eventually it, too, was at the boat and in the net. It weighted in at 19 lbs. We'd caught two fine salmon for one day's fishing that totaled 60 pounds! This trip was worth every minute of the prior early trips that just didn't produce. The adventure that Rich and I shared will never be forgotten.

A great philosophical discussion took place as we continued fishing for salmon #3. We were feeling mighty smug with those two big salmon in the box, and we talked at length about what put them there. Was it the Blue Fox and the blue Wiggle Wart that did it? Was it the right trolling speed? Was it trolling upriver or downriver that mattered most? Was it the time of day?

We decided that it was two things. First, we were just flat out dumb lucky enough to have the lures wind up in the face of those two salmon. We've decided that that's the main ingredient required for catching salmon. Secondly, we had been at the right depth. While some very experienced salmon trollers may believe that the lure should be very near the bottom, that theory didn't work for us that day. Rich's lure was near the bottom most of the day, his lure hit the bottom often. My lure was somewhere between six to ten feet deep, I believe, and the water depth was usually twelve to fifteen feet.

We think that it is better to have the lure above the fish, not below it. Rich concurs, and he's done a lot more salmon fishing than I have. It seems to me that the fish can see above it's position in the water column because of the sunlight above, but cannot see well below due to the darkness.

Most of all, we were just mighty thankful for our good luck. Next week I'll be out there once again trying for the salmon. My faith has been restored!

Tackle Choices!
(The subtle seduction of all fishermen...)

Baitcasting Reels

The conventional baitcaster reels are best suited for my Delta fishing. They cast well, have plenty of room for lots of line and they usually have good drag (brake) systems to handle larger fish. Here are some of my reel choices:

 Shimano's Calcutta 700, my "Big Gun" sturgeon reel. With this reel I am set to handle anything the Delta will dish out. Its one fault: the clicker creates more resistance to the light pull of a sturgeon than the Penns.

 

This is my Shimano Charter Special, another "overkill" reel for the Delta. It is an  excellent combination of lever drag and level wind. Note that there is no "star" wheel to set the drag, drag is set by the lever. Most lever drag reels do not have the level wind feature which automatically reels the line in equally across the spool; this reel does. This reel also has the heavier clicker resistance that I have been avoiding when fishing for sturgeon.

I use Power Pro 50# test super braid for everything except lake trolling. This overkill approach is likely considered to be vulgar by hi-brow fly fishermen, but I'm just a baitslinger, so I don't know any better. Power Pro 50# is the same thickness as 12# mono line. So, even 20# mono is thicker than my 50# super braid, and therefore has more float and resistance to being cast or trolled. Also, more Power Pro can be spooled onto any given reel, by far, than mono of the same strength. The more line on the reel, the less likely an angler is going to be spooled by a large fish.

Terminal Tackle

Here's where a little extra money is well spent: buy first quality terminal tackle. The photo at left is of a stainless steel ball bearing snap swivel. The snap end squeezes together, opening up just enough to attach the leader. This particular snap is about the toughest type I've ever used, it is very, very strong. In the case of super braid line, the recommended knot is the very simple Palomar knot, which seems to be the only knot I can remember how to tie. With this snap swivel holding line to leader, the fisherman can be confident that the line and the leader will not part company while fighting a big fish. I hope.

My home made leader:

Note that the hooks are separated. I attach a crimp to keep the first hook from getting any closer to the bottom hook. I like to keep the hooks from tangling and, hopefully, make a succesful hook set more likely. I made this leader longer than usual for some reason.

The shorter the leader, the less there is to wave in the current which would allow the bait to be off the bottom. If the bait ain't on the bottom, you ain't sturgeon fishing! In addition, I often attach a small rubber core weight near the hooks in moving water to ensure that the bait stays on the bottom.

More 2004 Salmon
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A pretty good year...

October 27-28, 2004

It seemed as though salmon season was over as I pulled into the Rio Vista ramp parking lot this week. Only two other boat rigs were there.

Nevertheless, I launched for another two day Delta Adventure, still chasing those beautiful salmon.

Within one hour, I had this beautiful gal in the boat. She wasn't much of a fighter, but she sure was a looker.

I trolled the rest of the day and the next, up to Walnut Grove and back, but couldn't buy that second fish for a limit.

There were noticeably fewer fishermen trying for the salmon this week. Perhaps it was was the weather, perhaps just a fluke. The weather was much cooler, and so was the water.

The first salmon hit just a quarter mile above the mouth of the Old Sacramento River. He put up a great fight for his size; I had to give him plenty of time to tire and submit. He was as bright a salmon as I've ever caught, and very fresh and energetic. He weighed in at about eight pounds. He wound up in the fishbox.

An hour and a half later, about a quarter of a mile above the Isleton Bridge, the second salmon hit! I gave him the same cautious treatment, reeling him in carefully and allowing him plenty of time to run. Within fifteen minutes, he was also in the fishbox.

It was a very memorable day.

Life is good.

It took a lot of trolling, but during the fourth day of trolling this year, I finally reeled in a fine, 18 Lb. salmon!

I launched at Rio Vista's muni ramp and trolled upriver all day. The water temperature had dropped about six degrees due to the rain and cool weather that moved through during the past weekend. I didn't have so much as a bump that first day. I anchored at Locke a bit before sundown and spent a quiet, restful night at anchor. I was trolling again before sunrise, heading downriver.

A bit before 9 O'clock, a mile or two below Ryde, Ca., home of the famous Ryde Hotel, this beauty hit. After more than three days of trying this season, I considered myself overdue for the first salmon of the season. I wasn't disappointed. This fine salmon didn't put up a big fight, but she gave a decent accounting of herself. In about ten minutes she was to the boat and in the box. And it was about *&%#!! time!

I continued trolling downriver to the Rio Vista Bridge. I passed under the bridge at about 2 O'clock in the afternoon. If I hadn't had the beautiful 18 pounder in the box, I'd have kept trolling 'til dark. But I reeled in, stowed the tackle and headed to the dock.

It's been another great Delta adventure.

My Best Salmon Trip Ever!

October 14-15, 2004

I reckon that two days a week on the water would be enough for anyone. But no, I have somehow scheduled myself for a five day Delta adventure this past week and into this week. Now, I’m not complaining; this could hardly be construed as work.

As I began this week’s report at my C-Dory’s little galley table, FishWisher the boat was secured in a slip at the Benicia Marina while I attended a gathering of the C-Dory Owners Group (C-DOGs). Five boats and their owners showed up for this annual Oktoberfest. Four boats were out fishing as I jotted down this report and I was the only member at the dock. I chose to stay put that day, having fished the prior two days with plans to fish the next two days.

I began this five day trip when I launched at Rio Vista on Thursday morning. I trolled upriver from the Rio Vista Bridge, planning to anchor for the night at Walnut Grove. I chose to continue pulling my green double bladed Silvertron, the splashy spinner that has done quite well for me this year. I’ve used the red Silvertron on sunny days, the green on overcast days. Maybe there’s something to that, maybe not. But it doesn’t seem to hurt any.

It didn’t take long for the salmon to do their part to make this trip   memorable. As I passed Vieira’s Resort, a seven pound salmon accepted my offering and set my reel singing. I reeled the little jack in amongst a crowd of entirely too many boats. But even in the crowd of other anglers, I got him into the box with no complications. For me, that was a very quick catch; I’d been at it for just over two hours.

An hour later, another salmon took the same Silvertron, the reel screamed and I jumped to the fray. I wound up with a bit larger salmon from that hit; I put a fourteen pound salmon along side the smaller fish. Wow! This must be some kind of record for me; I had two salmon in less than four hours!

Now, I don’t mean to complain, but there I was with a limit of salmon in less than four hours, and I had plans to be on the water for five days! What to do? I dug out a clown colored broken back Rebel, attached a matching orange tail and continued trolling toward Walnut Grove. I was then trolling for stripers.

I called another C-DOG member and made arrangements for him to meet me at the Walnut Grove docks for breakfast Friday morning. He would relieve me of the two salmon and the striper and I’d have a fresh start on salmon fishing. He’d take one salmon to the Oktoberfest and I’d have some bragging rights when I showed up. Good plan!

Meanwhile, I trolled upriver, towing the gaudy Rebel near the bank. After a couple of hours, my reel lit up again! I assumed that only a striper would likely take the Rebel, but the way that fish fought, I thought I might have yet another salmon on. After a well fought contest, I reeled in an unusually scrappy six pound striper. He wound up in the fish box with the salmon, making my fishbox as full as I can recall – not counting sturgeon. What a day I was having!

I continued my upriver troll, trying for that striper limit to add to my  salmon limit. But, although I tried ‘til nightfall, I had caught all the fish I was going to for the day. I dropped anchor near the bank across from the Boat House in Walnut Grove, popped the top of a can of beer and turned on some good ol’ country music from the satellite high above. With all that and a loaded fish box, how could it get any better?

I met my C-Dory buddy for breakfast in Walnut Grove at a riverside restaurant. We ate well and I unloaded the fish. He would do the cleaning and give the fish to folks who would really enjoy them. And I would have a fresh start with an empty fish box.

I began my downriver troll, still pulling that very productive, flashy green spinner. The day would end at Benicia Marina where I would meet the C-Dogs. I figured I could fish ‘til early afternoon and still make the Oktoberfest in plenty of time. I commenced the troll with great confidence, but hours later, as I passed under the Isleton Bridge, I was realizing that the hot bite of the prior day wasn’t necessarily still on.

I trolled through the Isleton area, through the mouth and on into the main channel, hugging the west bank in 10 to 20 feet of water all the way to the Rio Vista Bridge. That area has been pretty productive for me in the past, and with my fishing time running out, I had high hopes

of a last minute fish.

Within a couple of hundred yards of turning into the channel, my  reel screamed out again! I grabbed the rod and fought a fairly good battle with a feisty ten pound salmon. When I finally had him in the box, I figured I could fish the area for a couple more hours, trying for that second limit in two days. I gave it my best, but I was going to have to settle for just one salmon; my fishing time had run out. I reeled in, fired up the main engine and headed downriver to Benicia in the Carquinez Strait and the good times with fellow C-Dory owners.






October 17-18, 2004

In the report above, I began the story of my five day Delta adventure which included salmon fishing on the Old Sac from Rio Vista to Walnut Grove and back. I had a great time fishing, catching a limit of salmon and a nice striper on the first day and a single salmon the second day. I also reported that on Friday afternoon I cruised down to the Carquinez Strait for my C-Dory Owners Group (C-DOGs) weekend Oktoberfest in Benicia.

And the story continues…

Sunday morning, after breakfast with some of my C-Dory friends, I cruised back upriver to Rio Vista, hoping to continue the great salmon fishing for another day or two.

I arrived at the  Rio Vista Bridge a bit before noon Sunday, having cruised upriver on calm, flat waters. I began my troll at the bridge, again planning to anchor at Walnut Grove for the night. To my surprise, there were fewer boats fishing Sunday afternoon than I saw on Thursday and Friday. The wind was light, but the weather forecast was predicting rain and wind. I suppose that the forecast convinced many folks to stay off the river.

I trolled upriver and into the Old Sac, still pulling that flashy, green Silvertron with double blades. It was the same lure that had resulted in three salmon on Thursday and Friday, and I wasn’t about to change.

My Sunday troll was rewarded a bit below the new Isleton docks as my reel sang out the good news that my fourth salmon of the trip was on! I grabbed the rod and fought what I suspected wasn’t much of a fish. But for his size, he put up a pretty good fight. In a few minutes, I had a five pound jack to the boat and in the fish box.

I was back into the salmon bite!

It has been said that this year’s salmon have generally been smaller, brighter and scrappier than we see most years. I believe that’s true. I’ve caught eight salmon so far this year, the largest being just 18 pounds. Two years ago, an eight fish total would have likely included two or three salmon over 20 pounds. That was then; this is now. I’m not complaining!

Now I’ll admit, a five pounder isn’t much to brag about, but the little guy was half a limit as surely as a 40 pounder is half a limit. And I had the rest of the day and Monday to catch my limit. I was pumped by having that little guy in the box, and was prepared to give it my best for one more!

I continued my upriver troll, passed under the Isleton Bridge, and continued on towards Walnut Grove. I stayed faithful to the cause, but that second salmon wasn’t cooperating. As darkness closed in on the river, accompanied by rain and wind and cold, I dropped anchor near the shore in Walnut Grove. The rain and the wind continued on and off during the evening, but I was warm and dry in my little cabin. While I’d prefer to be sitting in the cockpit under a bright sun, the beer and the country music were just as satisfying while tucked in the cabin, out of the storm. All things considered, it had been a grand day which had begun long ago and far away at the docks in Benicia.

I was up well before daybreak, doing my morning chores and planning to catch that elusive limit. As the first rays of light broke through the clouds, I was again trolling that very effective green spinner.

Having weathered the overnight rains and wind in my little cabin, I was hankering for a hot meal. As I continued trolling, I turned on the auto-pilot, lit the little butane stove and got entirely too involved in the busy process of cooking up a good, hot breakfast. But I digress…

And I was soon reminded of this fishing Truth: If you really want to catch a fish, get involved in something else aboard the boat. Then, at the worst possible time, a fish will hit and screw up everything. And sure enough… as I was just settled in and enjoying that hot breakfast, my reel screamed out the good news once again! I had another salmon on!

I set aside my hot breakfast, grabbed the rod and began a fight with what seemed to be a darn good fish. She was a real scrapper and I was afraid that with her wild head shaking and general craziness, she could very well shake the hook loose if it wasn’t set solid. But luck was with me, and I was able to net her after about four trips to the boat. She wasn’t nearly as big as she fought, weighing in at just twelve pounds.

I finally had my second salmon limit for the trip! I had a total of five salmon for my efforts over four days of fishing. What an adventure this trip had been! I returned to my little table and my once warm breakfast and dined at a leisurely pace. My fishing was done; I’d be heading home.

After breakfast, I cleaned up the boat from that crazy fish and the cooking and the eating, stowed the tackle and fired up the main engine. And, after a wonderful five day Delta adventure, I was finally heading to the ramp and home.

I’ve never before been on my C-Dory for five days straight. Nor have I ever planned two separate fishing adventures in one trip. But for all the planning and the effort, I was rewarded with one of the most successful Delta fishing trips I’ve ever experienced. It had been a most memorable adventure! And as usual during the salmon run, I’m already looking forward to next week’s adventure…

2005 Salmon Season
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Salmon #3 for 2005
September 28-29, 2005

Other than the shorter days and the presence of salmon in the river, this week’s Delta adventure could have been July or August. The weather was unusually warm and the wind was calm. In fact, I would have welcomed a bit of wind to keep the bugs down and to cool my surroundings a bit. But I’m not about to actually wish for more wind on our often windy Delta. Not quite. I’ll be cussing the wind soon enough.

This first day of this week’s trip included the company of a fellow C-DOG, a rather fitting acronym for “C-Dory Owner’s Group” members. Jim met me at Vieira’s dock about noon on Wednesday and we trolled together ‘til about 5:30 that evening. Jim is no spring chicken, he’s in his late 50’s, but he has the most infectious enthusiasm for life of anyone I know. Jim doesn’t do anything without great enthusiasm and joy - especially boating and fishing. As is his nature, he was very optimistic about the prospects of catching a big ol’ salmon while trolling with me. I surely did not want to disappoint a fellow whose expectations were so high.

We trolled upriver to about a mile or two above the Isleton Bridge, then back down below Vieira’s. We trolled for about five hours. I tried deep. I tried shallow. Jim tried deep. He tried a Mag Wart. A Flat Fish. A Silvertron. Nothing worked. Nada. Zilch. I was disappointed that we couldn’t get Jim on a salmon. But Jim had a grand time trying and was still as exuberant as ever. Not much in this world can dampen Jim’s enthusiasm. I was getting enthusiastic about dinner.

A couple of Jim’s friends were also trolling the Straits of Isleton that day, and all of us had accepted Jim’s invitation to be his guests at Portofino’s Italian Restaurant at Vieira’s Resort. We enjoyed a very unique dining experience that evening; there was no menu, no order given and none taken. We simply ordered our drinks and after a short while four plates brimming with chicken fried steak, mashed taters and carrots appeared at our table. Huh? I explained to anyone listening that I hadn’t ordered yet. My friends informed me that the dinner that evening, the only dinner available, was just what was served. Nothing else was available. Well, now, how was I to know that taters and carrots and chicken fried steak were considered an Italian dish? As strange as a one item choice may seem, it was a very delightful and delicious meal. I do believe that the Isleton Italians have learned how to cater to us river rats. I look forward to my next meal at Portofino’s!

I bid good evening to my friends as they departed for home with empty fish boxes. None of us caught a fish that day, although several were caught by other anglers. I’d rate the day as only “fair” for salmon fishing on the Old Sac. After the farewells were said, I boarded my boat and headed upriver to my usual anchorage among the egrets. I was full of good food, the river was unusually flat and mirror like all night long and I slept very well.

I was back on the troll well before daylight, joining several other boaters who were trolling through the dark, only their navigation lights visible on the river. I’ve never caught a salmon in the dark, but that’s no reason not to try. I still haven’t caught one.

My morning was a bit frustrating as I dealt with two or three snags, one of which was an inexcusable snag on one of Long Island’s 5 MPH Zone buoys. Yeah, I really did snag one of them. When I find myself in a group of boats that I deem too close for comfort, I will make a big U-turn to the opposite direction and fall in behind the other boats. I need some elbow room when I’m trolling as I just don’t like being crowded, and it’s difficult to not feel crowded when the salmon insanity begins on the Old Sac. So, I was in one of those U-turns to avoid the crowd when I snagged the buoy and lost the lure. A bit later I lost two more as I trolled under the Isleton Bridge. Trolling deeper may catch more salmon, but it also loses more lures.

During this week’s trolling, I heard a fellow on the radio talking about his GPS trolling speed. So, here’s a bit of advice to any fishermen who may measure their trolling speed with a GPS: GPS measures only speed over ground (SOG). SOG means absolutely nothing when trolling on moving water such as the delta's tide currents. The primitive paddlewheel or other mechanical device that measures speed through water is the only measure that matters. While I trolled upriver that morning against an outgoing current my speed over the ground was probably about ½ MPH, which is the reading a GPS would measure. But my speed through the water was a whopping 1.5 MPH - or thereabouts. And that speed through water is all that matters to the salmon and to the lure that I was pulling. So, when trolling through moving water, don’t pay attention to that fancy GPS, just read the old fashioned mechanical speedometer.

I faithfully trolled against that outgoing current, passing the grain elevators, the Isleton Bridge, and the many boats that turned back down river at the bridge. I had the river pretty much to myself above the bridge, and that’s just how I like it. I continued trolling upriver past the shoals where the river bends to the east. Eventually I passed the lonely Channel Marker #8 that sits in the middle of nowhere up against the river bank. I often wonder why the heck a marker was placed in such a desolate location, but for whatever reason, there it stands.

It was a bit above that lonely marker that my efforts finally paid off. As the river deepens above the shoals, I changed the half ounce weight on the bottom of the spreader with a one ounce weight to get a little deeper. This is the difference from last week’s skunk, I believe. I think that I was down approximately fifteen feet with the heavier weight, and that’s not nearly as deep as some fellas troll. But it was deep enough for me this week! Suddenly, my little Penn reel screamed to life!

I grabbed the rod, adjusted the drag to let my fish run against a lighter resistance, then dropped the little Honda engine down to idle. The fight was on! I kept the fish engaged, letting her run when she wished, reeling her in when she slowed. I also continued to keep the boat in the proper position to fight the fish as I shifted in and out of gear as necessary to stay in the middle of the river. I was busy!

My fish didn’t seem so big at first, but as time wore on and she controlled the fight more than I did, I knew I had a good sized salmon on the other end. She forced me to circle the entire boat, up to the bow along the starboard side, then back to the cockpit along the port side. She was definitely in charge.

Eventually I got my first look at her after about ten minutes of fighting. She again headed for deeper water, but the brief glimpse of her was an exciting moment! She was big and she was strong and she had more than a little endurance. The fight wore on.

Eventually, after about fifteen minutes, she tired and came to the boat with little resistance. I grabbed the net and when the time was just right, I scooped her in. I had finally caught this year’s second salmon!

Her heft was about all that I could manage. I struggled mightily to hold her up on my little electronic scale, waiting for the numbers to settle on... 25 pounds! That made her the second largest salmon I’ve ever caught, behind the monster 41 pounder of the 2002 season. Wow! The many hours of trolling since my last salmon had finally paid off!

Once she was in the box and the cockpit cleaned up, I was again trolling and, in my imaginings, fighting that limit fish to the boat. I headed back downriver, delighted with my success.

As time went by and noon became mid-afternoon, that second salmon seemed unlikely. Although I’ve fished ‘til dark for that second fish in days gone by, I was thinking of the trip home, unloading the boat and all the other things I had to do before my day was over. A bit after 3 O’clock I reeled in, stowed the gear and headed to the dock. It had been a memorable day and the second biggest salmon I’ve ever caught was in the box. I can’t wait ‘til next week!

Epilogue: 2005 was the lousiest salmon season of the four or five I've fished on the Delta. I suspect many guys did better than I did, but I also know of others with my luck. The next three weeks after the above 25 pounder, I didn't catch a single one. I've never been so skunked. And this past summer's lake fishing was very poor too.

2006: It was an even worse salmon year for me - and a lot of other fishermen. I was blanked entirely. Not one salmon. I gave up early in the season and began sturgeon fishing a bit early. Here's hoping 2007 will be a better year. It certainly can't get any worse!

2007: Salmon season was not an option; I had sold my beloved C-Dory and was without a boat. The season for others was much as '05 and '06 - another slow year.

2008: Salmon fishing was closed on the ocean and the rivers with the exception of a short season from Knights Landing to Red Bluff. I again had a boat, but wasn't about to join the chaos of that short, very local salmon season. Here's hoping 2009 will have a normal season. I sure do miss salmon fishing on the Sacramento River!

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November 1-2, 2006

I gave up on the salmon - at least for now. So after launching at Brannan State Park Tuesday morning, I trolled for stripers down river from Three Mile Slough.  I managed one 22" shaker, but that was it. At the last power line across the river below Decker Island, I reeled in and motored down to Suisun Bay for the night. I managed to reel in a shaker sturgeon of about 30 inches who fell for lamprey. He wasn't much of a fighter, but it sure beat a skunk. I spent the night there over my sturgeon hole, and slept pretty well as occasional rain fell. My all night fishing is long over, I need my geriatric sleep! I fished a couple more hours the next morning, but couldn't interest any takers. I tried awhile for sturgeon at Light 25 when I got back upriver, but still no takers. Even so, it was a very pleasant trip.

 Life is good while awaiting that little sturgeon nibble.

November 15, 2006

Sturgeon! 

I cruised the hour or so down river from Brannan Island State Park to my favorite honey hole on Suisun Bay. When I arrived, an outgoing tide was just getting well underway. I tossed out a couple of chunks of lamprey, popped the top on a wobbly-pop -- and waited.

My honey hole is near Garnet Point, between Roe and Ryer Islands. It is very remote, I seldom see another boat within a couple of miles. I love it, it's my favorite spot on the Delta.

This visit, under perfect conditions, would not last long. In about an hour and a half, the typical sturgeon bite clicked a bit of line from my reel. I set the hook hard and I knew I had a sturgeon on!

I thought the little guy was bigger than he was. I fought him for only about ten minutes before he was belly-up at the boat. I wondered if he was even legal, so I grabbed my little green garden tape that is 72" long and has a mark at 46" - the legal slot limit for sturgeon. He seemed to be a bit longer than 46", so I took him. He measured exactly 46" on the sole of the cockpit, and weighed in at 19 pounds.

My limit was in the boat! Lamprey eel apparently is not attractive to other fish, which is why it's my only choice for sturgeon fishing. I would have fished for stripers if I'd have had any striper bait, but I didn't. So I stowed the fishing gear, cleaned up the cockpit and headed back upriver to Brannan Island and home.

Three of the last four sturgeon I have taken measured the minimum 46"; two last November and this one. The fourth sturgeon, taken in March, was at the other extreme of the sturgeon slot limit: A monster 72 incher that weighed over a hundred pounds. It seems that I am due for a fish somewhere in the middle of the slot!

This was my first sturgeon of the fall season, and my Delta fishing will soon be over 'til February or March. I may bag another sturgeon yet this year; it will depend on the weather and luck.

One tough little sturgeon!
52" 30 Lbs.

I read a very good report from Lucky Strike Charter about their catching five sturgeon on Saturday while fishing Suisun Bay. Five!? Suisun? In August? I don't believe I've ever fished for sturgeon in August.

But I loaded up the boat for a two day jaunt downriver to Suisun Bay. I dug out some old, frozen lamprey I keep in the freezer for such occasions. That stuff has been sitting there the better part of a year, but I reckoned it would still attract a sturgeon. I launched at Brannan Island and arrived at my honey hole near Garnet Point about 75 minutes later. The trip was great! It was an unusual summertime day with little wind and the cruise downriver was over mostly calm waters.

I began fishing around noon and I waited 'til about 4 o'clock before I had a tender little sturgeon nibble. Tick-tick-tick went the reel. I grabbed the rod and waited for a second pick up. When the line slowly ticked off again, I slammed the hook home with all my might - and I was hooked solid! Something took off like a freight train, peeling line from the reel with wild abandon. I set the lever drag clear to the stop - and he still kept peeling off line. After about 30 yards or so, my sturgeon slowed and tried to rest. I then applied pressure to him and began working him to the boat. After about 10 or 15 minutes he was along side the boat, completely exhausted and spent. I was shocked! I thought I had a hundred pounder on by the way he fought, but he was a little guy. I measured him at 52", well above the 46" minimum. He weighed in at just 30 pounds.

The long slender sturgeon are males. They are generally stronger than the wider females and usually put up a better fight. This little guy was just amazingly strong for his size.

This is the first year of report cards and tags for us sturgeon fishermen here in California. I dutifully filled in my report card and one tag. I ripped the tag from the card and attached it to my catch to be legal. I have two tags left for the year. Somehow, since they now limit us to just three, I feel an obligation to catch my share.

I'll be back out there again this year, looking for those other two sturgies!

July 25-26, 2007

New Hogan Stripers!

 
A 16 Lb. Stringer!

New Hogan Reservoir, an Army Corp of Engineers facility near Valley Springs, is one of three lakes in California where the state-wide limit of two stripers is changed to ten. And the size limit of 18 inches is lifted. So any striper caught is a keeper.

The striper fishing there is as hard to figure as anywhere I've fished. Either that lake is on or it's flat dead. I don't know what turns it on and nobody I've talked to seems to have an answer, either. But this trip it was on - for a change.

I haven't caught more than one fish there in over a year. Three years ago it was about my favorite fishing hole because it seemed to be on most times I tried. During one two day period that year my cousin and I reeled in 16 stripers. I reeled in 37 Hogan stripers that year!

The techniques are varied. Some folks simply toss bait in and catch fish. I've tried that and never caught one. Others simply sit in their boats and look for "boils" of stripers feasting on shad that they have chased to the surface. Boils are very exciting and can be heard and seen for a long distance. When a boil starts, the Boil chasers will fire up their engines and charge to the boil. Staying outside the churning water, they will toss lures into the frenzy and usually do quite well. The technique I use - and many others do, too - is to troll frozen sardines in a harness, making them roll as they move through the water. I usually troll 40' deep on one side and 20' deep on the other, using downriggers. The shallower sardine will be further back and if a striper can resist the deeper troll, another soon passes by a bit higher and is - perhaps - harder to refuse. It seems that I catch more stripers on the shallower troll.

This week's trip was slow at first, but within the first hour I had a hit that didn't stick - but the thieving fish took my sardine. I had two or three such losses during the day, but that's not unusual. My first hook-up furiously ripped line from the screaming reel and I shouted with excitement as I kicked the trolling motor down to idle and grabbed the rod. My striper fought with the gusto stripers are noted for, and it took a few minutes to reel him to the boat. He  was right at the boat as I grabbed my net and - he was gone. Well, that's fishing. I harnessed up another sardine and kept trying.

I had four other good battles with those angry stripers - and got all four into the boat. They were all 22" to 25" and averaged four pounds each. Every striper I've ever caught at Hogan is within that range except for one that measured around 27". That's another mystery of Hogan - all the stripers seem to be in the same narrow size range.

I trolled from before noon to about five o'clock, then anchored for the night. I love anchoring for the night when lake fishing. It's a lot less demanding of my attention - and I can break out the beer! I fished with a sardine hanging over each side of the boat 'til about nine o'clock with no action at all. But I sure enjoyed the good gospel and country music that plays aboard FishWisher.

I climbed into the berth after reeling in and slept well 'til about 2 o'clock when the wind changed and I had to move to the opposite side of the lake to avoid wind waves. After the move I again slept well 'til about 5 o'clock. Once I was up and doing my usual morning chores, I decided it was time to head for the dock and home. I'd had enough fishing for this trip.

   Yes, life is good!

Spring Fishing 2007

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May 29-30, 2007

A New Melones Limit of Trout & Kokanee!

I really wanted to head to the Delta and a late try for a sturgeon, but the wind was howling over Suisun Bay at over 30 MPH. So I headed up to New Melones Reservoir for some trout and kokanee fishing. And the wind was blowing there, too, but not nearly as bad.

I trolled at depths from 45 ft. to 55 ft. for a few hours the first day and had four kokes on, but lost two before I got 'em to the boat. About 5 o'clock I anchored near the spillway for the night and tossed a couple of nightcrawlers over the side. As the sun set, I dropped my submersible light down to attract some action. I caught the two larger trout on bait at anchor, the third trout I caught soon after I started trolling on the morning of the second day. That made my limit of five fish. 

It was very breezy the second day as these New Melones wind waves show. There were few boats out and two parties I spoke to at the ramp chose to head back home and forget the fishing in such choppy conditions. It was not pleasant in that wind, but did get my limit fish!

May 16-17, 2007

Five Pound New Melones Trout!

 Hiway 12 was closed for repairs this week from Tuesday through Thursday. Also, the wayward whales were attracting too much attention on the Delta. With those traffic delays, I decided to just head for the foothills and some lake fishing.

I planned to hit New Hogan on Wednesday to try for some striper action. As back up, I planned to drive on up to New Melones if Hogan was as dead as it usually is - and it was and I did.

I gave Hogan four hours of rolling frozen anchovies and shad on Wednesday. I had no strikes and no action of any kind. There were no "boils" to be seen, either. Boils are what we call the action caused by stripers chasing bait fish to the surface and the resulting feeding frenzy. Such times are great for tossing a lure into the cauldron and hooking up with a crazed striper. But not this trip.

After giving Hogan a fair try, I loaded up the boat and headed to New Melones. It was after 5 O' clock when I launched, so I headed directly to the spillway area and anchored for the night. I set out a couple of rods baited with night crawlers - and was rewarded with a hard, long run as soon as I set the second rod in the holder.

I grabbed the rod and was amazed by the fight I had on my hands! I knew I had a big fish on and we fought for ten minutes before she finally tired. I scooped her into the net and weighed her in at five pounds! In the years I've fished New Melones I've never caught such a fish! My prior best there was a 4 1/2 Lb. brown trout while trolling.

My big catch was an exciting start to a wonderful evening that included quite a display of trout dining by a nearby osprey. The beautiful raptor dined in a nearby tree with as much pleasure as I display when dining on a juicy, rare, rib-eye steak. What a life they lead!

I had one more big hit that evening while fishing under a submerged light - but didn't get to the rod in time to set the hook. Rats. I'm sure the one I missed was a big one, too.

The following morning I was treated to more osprey antics as one patrolled the area around my boat and finally scooped another trout off the surface for breakfast.

I trolled for several hours Thursday morning and managed one kokanee of about one pound. The kokanee season is just getting started and are not that easy to come by - yet. At least not for me.

 
In this very poor photo an osprey scoops up his breakfast. What a show!

May 7-9, 2007

Sturgeon Fishin From Brannan Park

FishWisher awaiting the little sturgeon nibble that never came. I launched at Brannan on Monday and fished a couple of hours off Decker Island, where I took this photo. The next day I headed downriver to Suisun Bay where I do my most productive sturgeon fishing.

The water was like glass on my way downiver to Suisun Bay. This red barn overlooks the river a few miles south of Rio Vista, near the area referred to by fishermen as "the powerlines" due to the many lines that are strung across the river in the area. But the glass like  conditions didn't last.

The wind kicked up and blew against the outgoing current, creating wind waves. I dealt with a mild chop through all of Suisun Bay. Here the drogue, an underwater parachute device, holds the boat in line with the current as the wind tries to blow the boat in circles.

 I spent about four hours fishing Suisun,  but gave up early as the wind continued. I tire easily from too much wind - and I hate banging back upriver in a choppy, lumpy river. I settled in again for a few hours at Decker Island, near Brannan Park. A big sturgeon fight was not to be, but that's not unusual for those of us who faithfully keep trying for the next big brawl. Maybe next week...

Another Brannan Island Visit:
Good Sturgeon Fishing!

A large female gives it up at the boat. She was probably 72 inches or more, and was released according to the new 66" rule. She took lamprey at my honey hole near Garnet Point on Suisun Bay on Tuesday. I waited almost four hours for her tender sturgeon bite. After about 15 minutes, she was at the boat in submission. I measured her with my little "sturgeon stick" which is shown below:

The green gardening tape is 66" long and is marked at 46", the allowable slot limit for keeping sturgeon. I managed to catch two sturgeon; one too large to keep by about six inches, the second about 4 inches too small to keep. Even so, the fight to get them to the boat was still very enjoyable. For me. Probably not the sturgies!

Here a smaller sturgeon of about 42 inches or so comes to the boat and is also released.

This week's trip to Brannan was timed perfectly. The weather was warm and calm and the tides were timed to make daytime fishing just right. I spent two nights and Brannan State Park, camped in the RV Campground just above the boat docks. I met a several new and old fishing cronies at the campground Tuesday evening and enjoyed their company as well as dining with them. Life is good when you have friends with a pot full of campfire stew!

The Rig at Brannan's ramp parking lot is a head turner, I guess. I like it when folks come up to me and talk fishing or RVing. This combination makes for comfortable fishing and cozy overnight stays complete with all the comforts of home. I need to find other RV/ramp locations where I can launch - such as lakes and perhaps further down the Delta.

March 8, 2007

Another Trip to Camanche!

After Tuesday's skunk, I couldn't live with myself. Poor Willie had a hard time going home empty handed, too.

So I called Willie to see if he was up to another try, and he couldn't wait to get back on the lake!

We trolled for about 4 1/2 hours, and landed just the one 3 3/4 pounder above. I was in the process of checking that a couple of our trolled lines were not crossing, holding the rod in my hand when this beauty hit.

Catching the single, stupidest fish in the lake is not new for me. For two days this week, every other fish was too smart for us.

As I cruised down the Sacramento River from Rio Vista, somewhat slowed by the wind chop, I decided that, yes, it would be a good thing to head into Montezuma Slough. One can always tule tuck there to stay out of the wind.

Tule tucking is an old Delta technique whereby a skipper powers his little craft into a stand of tules -- that he is familiar with -- and drops anchor. Some skippers, including this one, have been known to wind up on the hard when the tide drops. That doesn’t happen often, but there is that chance. Tule tucking is best done on the protected side of a river or slough, out of the wind as much as possible. The idea is to find protection from the wind and to stabilize the boat. Properly done, the boat will be stable and secure, avoiding the usual twisting and rocking when at anchor in windy conditions.

I found a deep, large stand of tules there on Montezuma Slough and tucked up into them. The boat was stable, out of the wind and within casting range of some fairly deep water. I rigged up for sturgeon and cast out to the deep water. I dialed up some good ol’ country music on my new satellite radio, popped a few tops of my favorite brew and settled in for some proper sturgeon time. Life can be good even when the wind is whistling through the antennas overhead.

I was pretty comfortable tucked into the tules, but the fishing wasn’t so good. Even so, I spent the rest of the day there and fished faithfully ‘til bedtime. I had a couple of small hits, but missed them both. Surely, I told myself as I climbed into my berth, Thursday would be better. Although I didn’t know it then, it would also be much windier.

I was up and fishing again before dawn. I spent about an hour at my tule anchorage, still trying to fool a sturgeon. As I sat there watching daylight spread across the eastern sky, wisps of fog formed and dissipated near the tules. It was a very lovely, calm morning on Montezuma Slough.

With the winds calm, it seemed a good idea to head out onto Suisun Bay for the day. My favorite honey hole near Ryer Island would certainly be more productive. As daylight chased the darkness away, I fired up the big motor, weighed anchor and headed on through Montezuma Slough to Suisun Bay.

As I entered the bay, the mothball fleet in the distance, the wind had kicked up and Suisun Bay was already choppy. Even so, I continued on toward Ryer Island. It was a choppy, slow ride across the shallows of the bay. From my tule anchorage in Montezuma Slough, it took nearly an hour to reach my honey hole. When I arrived and dropped anchor, the wind was blowing briskly and it was a rock & roll affair aboard FishWisher. I chose to sit in the cabin; rod in hand and the door open with the heater on. Conditions were tolerable.

Early on, I was sorely tempted to give up the effort. It was not much fun; the wind blew endlessly from the west and the rockin’ & rollin’ got old real quick. But having come this far over two days, I chose to stay put a while longer. Surely, I convinced myself, I would eventually be rewarded for my efforts.

I had been fishing with ghost shrimp both days. Having less than a dozen left, I decided that I’d fish ‘til they were gone, and then head upriver to Rio Vista and the ramp. I probably should have surrendered to my wimpy self, but I stayed put and toughed it out.

Within a couple of hours, I was rewarded by a hard, stripper-like hit. I set the hook and … missed. After a second miss, I reeled in and freshened my bait. I cast out again, greatly encouraged by the two bites. Soon enough, another quick hit ripped off line and I set the hook into what seemed to be a small, ferocious striper. I was surprised by the little guy’s tenacity; he fought like no other little striper I ever caught. But soon he was to the boat and in the box. He weighed in at four pounds and measured 22 inches. Finally, the skunk was out of my boat. I was then greatly encouraged to continue fishing in the challenging conditions. I freshened my bait and tossed it out across the transom once again. My bait was running low, but my spirits were rising.

About half an hour later, I had another striper-like hit, perhaps a bit less enthusiastic, and I set the hook into something much more substantial than a four pound striper. As I reeled in against this bigger fish, it seemed that I might have a small sturgeon on, maybe big enough to be a keeper. Whatever was pulling on my line, I had a good fight on my hands, and by gosh, my resolve to keep fishing was paying off!

Our fight continued for several minutes before I got a brief look at my big fish. It was a striper, surprisingly, but during that brief look he didn’t appear nearly as big as he fought. After a few more minutes I had him to the boat again, briefly, and he took off once more. He was a tough customer! Finally, minutes later, he was to the boat and nearly in submission. After a couple halfhearted attempts to escape, he was ready for the net. I had planned to just grab him by hand as I do most stripers. But after seeing how big he actually was, I grabbed the net. He was a fine striper! He measured 31 inches and weighed in at 13 pounds! My largest striper ever was about 14 pounds, so this guy was nearly a record fish for me. Wow! My willingness to continue to fish really paid off! I had a very nice limit of stripers.

It was at about this time of great success that I tuned my VHF radio to a NOAA weather channel and learned that the wind was gusting to 35 mph at Travis AFB. Geez, I knew the wind seemed to get worse as I was busy catching stripers, but I hadn’t noticed how hard it actually was blowing.

I stowed the fishing gear, weighed anchor and began weaving my way across the bay via the course I have marked on my chartplotter. As I slowly motored my way through the area known as Suisun Cutoff, into more open water, the waves grew to three and four feet. Suisun Bay would be among the last places that I’d choose to be caught in a windstorm, yet there I was! The bay is a wide body of water and wind waves have a lot of room to build.

I dealt with a quartering sea for much of my journey across the bay. I had to fight constantly to maintain my course as the larger waves could have caused my boat to broach which would have put me sideways to the rolling waves and subject to capsizing. I donned my lifejacket as I made way, realizing that I was in very risky conditions. Waves smashed against the port side, sending sheets of water over the cabin and down the starboard windows.

As I finally approached the Sacramento River, I was able to motor nearer shore, through smaller waves. As I approached Rio Vista, four-foot waves rolled downriver, directly at me. On a couple of occasions, my C-Dory’s high, flared bow was nearly covered by rolling waves. I was not having a good time.

Eventually, after nearly two hours at the helm, I tied up to Rio Vista’s muni dock. It was a wonderful relief to be at the ramp and out of the storm.

How bad was the windstorm that day? I monitored channel 16 during my grueling trip upriver, as usual, and heard Coast Guard Vallejo broadcast that a boat was capsized in their area. I also heard Coast Guard Rio Vista broadcast that a boat was capsized on Cache Slough near Liberty Island. It was not a good day to be on the Delta in a small boat.

Adding to the chaos of that day, as I was tying my boat down to the trailer, a sheriff’s cabin boat tied up to the dock. Five or six uniformed Fish and Wildlife Service employees emerged and walked to their two pickups, both of which had empty boat trailers attached. Something was very strange about all that, and I walked over to them and asked what was going on. After a bit of hemming and hawing, they told me that both of their open aluminum boats were swamped by following seas on Cache Slough and were beached on Liberty Island. They added that their two swamped boats were in addition to the boat mentioned in the Coast Guard Rio Vista’s broadcast! That was a total of four boats swamped or capsized in one day on the Delta that I heard about first hand. There may well have been more such problems that day. I wouldn’t be surprised.

I had way too much excitement for one Delta trip! But sometimes, in spite of planning and attention to weather forecasts, things turn worse than expected. Even so, I’m anxiously planning the next Delta Adventure. Surely, next week’s weather couldn’t be any worse!

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.