Ideal sturgeon boat rod .....

[Pilar]

It seems that time when we all shift from chasing Salmon to whatever we chase in the winter. For me that is old diamondsides. Over the years I've gone through a lot of rods that fell short in one way or the other. Now I have a few that work, have lifetime warranty and seem to be just right.

A good sturgeon rod should be tough with backbone to get the fish off the bottom but have a fast tip so you can see the bite. I prefer one piece rods cause they can take more abuse but two piece is ok in a boat.

So what do all of you sturgeon fishers think? What is the ideal rod? I have two and I'll tell you what they are in a bit.

As far as reels go it's a no brainer, Diawa 50H is the end all be all of sturgeon reels. Bank or boat.

[ 11-26-2001: Message edited by: Pilar ]</p>

[Seefood Man]

This just reminded me-----Has anyone caught up with Joan from the "Happy Hooker rod shop that was in Troutdale? Just wonderning

[RKB]

John
I'll bite on this one my first choice is a Lamiglas G1335-T my 2nd is the good ole yellow ugly stik the kids can't hurt this one.I like to stick to the shorter rods for the boat and being one piece the longer they are the harder they are to transport and keep in one piece.
Ron :wink:

John why are you on the computer when you should be fishing :depressed:

[ 11-25-2001: Message edited by: RKB ]</p>

[Pilar]

RKB, you bet, the Ugly stik tiger is one mean mother. Even handles Big daddy if need be. When the fish are barely hitting though its too stiff. Like you I think that one is for the 'guests'.

Where is Joan anyway? She built a nice 15' bank rod for me some 10 years ago and a steelhead rod a year or so after that. What beautiful work! Does she still build rods?

[Seefood Man]

Pilar; One night, about seven or eight years ago, she closed up shop and split with everything. I knew a few people that was having work done, gave here money,,,,ect. never to here from her again. She did some great work, however, stiffing all those guys wasen't cool :depressed:

[Crabby 2]

My main and only meat rod for sturgeon is a 6'6" Sturdy Stick. Yes, one of those white old fashioned ocean salmon rods. It's been tough enough to withstand playing a dozen or so BIGGUNS a year and seems to be nicely matched with a Penn 320 GTI and 80 pound Tuff Line. From one footers to ten footers, it has been the economical choice for me. You can't beat the price...
$16, when it's on sale. If I ever break it, I'm not out that much.

Whenever I introduce newcomers to boat fishing, I always give them two rules: Rule Number One; DON'T LET GO OF THE POLE!; Rule Number Two; DON'T FORGET RULE NUMBER ONE!

Dale

[Pitch Pocket]

If I target the oversize, first I make an appointment in advance with my chiropracter. Then I use the yellow Ugly Stick with a large Penn Reel. It's stiff as a board and has the backbone to turn an oversized head.

Normally though, I target keepers. I like to use a good plug rod. My favorite is the Lamiglass 8' Hot Shot Magnum one piece with 50lb braided tuff line and an Abu 5501. Second and the most productive rod of all is an old Pro Rod 8'6 plug rod. I've caught dozens of large keepers with these rods and don't think I'd have a problem with a 60"er.

I think the soft tip allows the fish to play with the bait without too much resistance and I have no problem setting the hook. Heck, these fish seem to hook themselves 90% of the time. Normally I don't take the rod out of the holder until the rod is pumping with the tip in the water and the fish is swimming away....with my hook in his maw.

[Johnson_Bar]

If I am fishing keepers I like to use my Lamiglass GC 767 with 50lb tuff line on a Penn 321 gti. If I am using heavy weight or going after the big brother of the species I choose the Lamiglass GC66 XHC with a Penn 321 gti spooled with 80lb tuff line. I fish out of a boat and both rods offer excellent feel and backbone and have even landed a few in the 8 foot range with the smaller rod. Both also are one piece construction with the lifetime warranty, although 25 oversize later haven't needed to impliment it. We were at the fishery yesterday and landed 4 keepers and 2 oversize for 4 rods, it was redhot

[jet]

I really like my black ugly stick. It is 6" shorter than my yellow Tiger rod. I like the shorter rod for moving around the boat with big fish. It also has a removeable butt to put into a belt for the big boys or you can put a large ball on the end to help with the butt jabbing you in the **** you know what I mean.

Reel the Pen 320 GTI works for me I have 2 of them now. The best part is the drag washers are so cheap and easy to replace. A few Big Daddys can burn a set of the drags up.


Jet~~~

[ 11-25-2001: Message edited by: jet ]</p>

[Fishalot]

I have a old Diawa rod set up with a Diawa 50 H that I bought 2 nd hand and tied new eyes on. It looks alot stiffer then it is, the blank is a purple color I love to fight fish on it. The oversize fish take to long on that rod. For the oversize I use a Lami Sturg Speical with a Penn 330 GTI Tuff line, heavy leader, big hook and shad," LOOK OUT MR." sturgeon I'm opening up a can of you know what? when you hit my line.

Love to fish so I fishalot :grin:

[Stz ll]

Lamiglass 6 1/2 foot Sturgeon Special with a Calcutta 700 equipped with 80 pound Tuff Line.

[Tacklebuster]

When I can get away with using 4 to 8 ounces of weight, the only rod I will use is an old 8 foot 6 inch Custom Made rode with a special wrap base needed to lay the meat to the keepers. It is an old rod that slayed many a salmon while I was stationed in Alaska. I mainly use it from Astoria up to Terminal 6. I have however used it in the gorge due to the slow current this year. I have 2 oversize to her credit and she is still going strong. I recently put an Okuma Epix reel on the rod spooled with 30 pound tough that seems to be doing OK. I will put her to the test in weeks to come though.

When I am targeting the Hogs or in a lot of current that forces me to use 12 ounces on up, The yellow Ugly Stick is a tough one to beat. I have 80 pound tough line spooled on a Penn that is worth it's weight in gold if you ask me.

[RW]

Stz 11, Sheeeeesh, a Calcutta 700 for sturgeon, that is to nice a reel to use for such a big ugly fish.

I use an Ugly stick with the Penn 330, I have outfished most others with the so-called lighter tip for sensitivity type. Gator fishing is keeping me busy waiting for steelhead fishing, thank god..... RW

[Pete]

I like the 7' black Ugly Stick (USCC 227 OMH 30-60 pound) with the gimble on the butt ... combined with a gimble seat fighting belt it keeps the rod from twisting during the fight, a feature I really like. As for reels, I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned a lever drag reel ... I have a Shimano TLD 20 lever drag which I think gives me much better control of drag. I release it for casting, set it just light enough that the clicker keeps it from spilling line until a fish hits, then I can quickly set it back to exactly the right tension for fighting the fish - something you really can't do with a star drag.

But, truth be told, I think I get more hook-ups with salmon gear ... tip sensitivity is everything some days ... two weeks ago I put my G Loomis BBR 864C and Penn 965 to the test. On the way to the river, my buddy and I were discussing how many times we'd heard people talk about breaking rods on fish and the fact that it had never happened to either of us. We were fishing for keepers when my rod took a slow bend. I thought I had a plactic bag or something on my line, but 200 feet away 8 1/2 feet of sturgeon came clear of the water. Since I was willing to put the rod to the test and trust my reel, I put a huge bend on the rod and in just 20 minutes had the fish to the boat. I'm not sure I want to do that again, but it taught me the value of enough rod. My poor back-bouncer was as good as a 3 foot rod ... a severe bend took all the spine, and my leverage, out of play.

The lesson, I guess, is that I haven't found the sturgeon rod I really want; one with salmon rod tip sensitivity, but with enough backbone to give me the leverage to lift a big fish from the deep in heavy current without making me feel like I'm totally overmatched.

[ 11-25-2001: Message edited by: Pete ]

[ 11-26-2001: Message edited by: Pete ]</p>

[Mr. Fisherman]

Johnboy,

This one is EASY. I like the rod with the fish on it! :shocked: I fish with some pretty serious fishermen and they rarely let me use my cheap old rods unless we are Halibut fishing :wink: .

The bend is my friend :grin:

Seriously though I like the yellow ugly sticks and Capin' Dan!'s North River just fine. Love the Diwa 50H, kind of miss the one I borrowed from you a while back. Wish I had a good left hand reel. I always seem to get to reel in my fish when I take along a lefty. Nobody seems to be able to handle it.

Great question and lots of interesting dialog on this thread. That's just likee you posting a hot topic like this....

Later....

[Barnyard]

My favorite iis a W.W. Griggs(Custom Made)GX 902H. 9 fott long for lots of hook setting power....Got a ton of backbone and sensitive enough tip to detect the slightest bite...They don't handle braided lines very well but, I'm a Maxima user anyway...While we're on the subject I also fish a Penn 310GTI with it...Dandy reel...My 2

[bait boy]

I have used my uglystick in all of the conditions that the river presents and I still choose that rod over all others when it comes to do any heavy lifting. If I have to go over 6 Oz of weight the Ugly gets the nod but Capin' Dan has some 10-40 North River rods that can usually handle up to 10 oz. Uglies are cheap and last as long as I want to use them. I've got 2...... Capin' Dan bought a perty rod at the same time I got my Ugly rod and his has already failed on him.

If I had all kinds of money to throw around I would buy the Loomis Hybrid rod made for this type of fishing.

[invader]

been using for 15 years or so, a shakespeare sturdy stick! about 5'6" very strong and also the dawia 50 H for the same amount of time!!.....john

[Pilar]

OK go ahead and laugh.

For most sturgeon holes I use the Loomis HSR932C and a Diawa 50H with 30# mono. It seems like I go lighter every year. This rod is a 7'9", Magnum heavy, Ex fast tip, 12 - 25# line, 1/2 to 5 oz weight. Don't bring this rig to the gorge or the whoppers will whip it. The light tip shows every bump on your bait.

I love the ugly stik Tiger!

Recently I started using the Lamiglass 'Kenai Killer'. It has sensitivity and strength and it is really long. I'm still trying to get used to it.

For the big boys its the BWB 1120 black ugly Stik, with a Penn 4/0 and 400yds of 80# tuffline.

[Son of an Okie]

For keeper fishing, found a Fenwick Pacificstik Supreme that seems to be the ticket for me. Rated at 12-30#, it has a nice fast action with a noodle tip and lots of backbone. I use a Penn 320 GTI loaded with 50# Power Pro with this one.

For oversize, hard to beat the 30-60# Ugly-stik Tiger rod and Shimano TLD-20 loaded with 400 yards of 80# TUF (although sometimes even this doesn't seem to be enough).

[fishbait]

John, Don't know that I have found the perfect rod, but when I am in the gorge I use the yellow tiger stick, I prefer the lighter of the two. For keeper fishing I really like the Berkley back bouncer, 15 - 50 7'8", don't recall then number 92A I think. Fast tip and some good backbone.

[Bait O' Eggs]

John
I used my Kenai Killer this weekend and it had more than enough backbone for the keepers we caught. I had no problem telling when I had a bite with the tip. The rod is a bit long, but then again I like fishing a long rod, even in the boat. The only advantage I can find to short rod in the boat is it stores easier. When a fish makes a run under the boat or around the boat, the longer pole allows you to keep the line off the bottom corner of the boat where all the sharp edges are.

I nearly lost it all when a 36 inch shaker took the bait on the run Saturday and the fish-on rod holder folded over. I only had the pole partialy in the top part of the holder so I could remove it easier when I started to get a bite. I came out of the seat and got a hand on it, just before the columbia claimed another prize.

[Tanner]

Hey BOE. I figured you would be using your Bingo Bug rod for those sculpins (uh I mean sturgeon). :grin:

I am a big fan of the yellow Ugly Stick Tiger Rods 30-60. for keepers and oversized both. I also own one of the black Uglies and it works great for peelers, too heavy for anything else.

Fishing the Willamette I like to use my 15 - 50 Berkley Buzz Ramsey Chinook Rods

For reels.
Ugly Stick Black - Penn 330 - 80lb Tough Line

Ugly Stick Yellow Tiger Rods - Penn 320 - 80lb Tough Line and Penn 310 - 50lb Tough Line

Chinook Rods - Ambassadeur 6501 with 50lb Tough Line.

[Bait O' Eggs]

Tanner
The bingo bug rod is not much for fishing for any fish IMHO, At about 3 feet long and the backbone of a well done spagetti noodle, I am not impressed.

But, the bingo bug lures themselves is far and away my favorite trout lure. The old boys that developed the bingo bug and frisky fly were on to something. Movement like a flatfish and the looks of a fly with the feathers protruding from the plastic body, is a deadly combination for trolling. I wouldnt mind owning the molds to make the lures. They have just never been properly promoted.

[Tanner]

BOE,
I have two Bingo Bug rods that I use for Crappie, BlueGill and evben stocked trout fishing. They are an absolute blast. I have even caught shad on them, that is some serious fun.

[Thumper]

I guess my age shows......I use a couple of roller guide wire rods made for me by Gary Krum back in the 1970s. They are made up from IGFA 50 lb international blanks. The reels are 4/0 black senators, and the line is now 80 pound Tuffline. Geez, I feel old.

[Pilar]

So we have two schools of thought.

On one hand we have the tacklebusters using light as possible gear. I include myself in this category.

And we also have the meat rod fishers using 2 x 4s with guides on them.

The really cool thing about fishing is that there are so many ways to practice the religion.

See you in church.

[zigzag]

OK everyone has talked about great equipment, now it's time to tell of a rod (go ahead make it your "back-up") that fishes 100X better than it's price. At last year's sportsman show Englund Marine (Astoria) had this "no name" rod that they were dam near giving away that they needed a fork lift to finally break (they had photos!)&gt; You might have seen it. They had a 30# lead ball tied to the end of one at the show and they're demo worked. At a price of 15 or 20 bucks this rod rocks! The owners were laughing as they told the story, they just bought a bunch of them from China and thought "what the hell, they're cheap". It has been a great rod (NO MEAT STICK EITHER) It's called a "Pescaro" 7' Med heavy. If Englund's still has them get one or two, you wont be sorry!

[Gizmo Man]

for fun go with a 10' Diawa Canadian mooching rod with a shimano 2000 mooching reel.

Light tip, plenty of backbone.

It's like a big fly rod and reel. Lots of line...300yrds of 30# big game.

Had it out with Roy on saturday...

A couple of yrs ago, hooked a 10-12' gator and wrestled with him for 1hr. 6 mins before landing him. He jumped 3 times. A big blast.

Also use the yellow tiger stick and a 9' koonan 30-50#rod.

Giz...

[Nanook]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Son of an Okie:
For keeper fishing, found a Fenwick Pacificstik Supreme that seems to be the ticket for me. Rated at 12-30#, it has a nice fast action with a noodle tip and lots of backbone. I use a Penn 320 GTI loaded with 50# Power Pro with this one.

For oversize, hard to beat the 30-60# Ugly-stik Tiger rod and Shimano TLD-20 loaded with 400 yards of 80# TUF (although sometimes even this doesn't seem to be enough).<hr></blockquote>

Keith is being modest. He is probably the only person I have EVER seen man handle FIVE oversize by himself in one day. Usually the last one is right before dark and all we want to do it get rid of it! :grin:

[Beek]

Haven't seen this rod mentioned yet, but a lot of my buddies are fishing a rod called the Quantum "Big Cat". It's 7' one piece catfish rod that fishes well for Sturge. We fish the Fraser River using big weights (12-22oz) so we use suitable gear. You never know when your going to get a big guy so we fish big reels as well, Penn 320,330 with 100# Tuff Line with 72# leaders and big hooks, 7/0-9/0.

[invader]

well i feel i must post on this again... while fishing for the gators in the columbia this week i put my 15 year old sturdy stick to the ultimate test, the pressure i put on this old pole was incredible the fish would not come off the bottom more that a few feet...maybe he got stuck under something but the pole was bent in a u shape i was afraid it would bust, but, my line broke first after about 20 minites, it was 40# maxima too!!..........john

[salmonlips]

9' Heavy action North River (the same rod I use for the Tillamook bubble) I like the extra length to sweep with the hookset. For oversizers I collect garage sale salmon rods, cut them down and put a roller tip on them

[Pilar]

Back to the top :grin:

[Perfect Drift]

Reeder Rod, Lamiglas E 665 B, Tip like a salmon rod and enough strength to pull a truck.
You haven't used a rod till you use these.

[DF]

I like my ugly stick tiger :smile:

[Jim]

Has anybody used the 7' Shimano Tjera??

I liked them alot...just changed my fishing style altogether.

Jim