Another Stellar Sturgeon Report!

5-Cents · 11-29-2003, 08:15 AM

What a turkey day! I hope everyone else had a great one too and there is nothing better than hitting the water the next day to soak a line and continue to digest all the food I ate the day before (burp!) :grin:

My bro in law was in town with his family staying with us for a few days... I have not seen him since before I bought my sled so he has never fished with me before. I asked him if he wanted to do some catch and release stugeon fishing or stay home with the women and screaming kids on Friday. He thought about it for about .000076 seconds and said he would rather go fishing! :shocked: For some reason I dont think he expected to catch too many fish saying that he had gone sturgeon fishing a few times before with friends and had not caught much... was he in for a surprise and some sore muscles!

We hit the water yesterday with my buddy Cracker Joe. We launched from St. Hellens intending to fish the Multnomah Channel because the forecast called for heavy rain and wind. To my great surprise the weatherman was wrong again

and the water was like glass and it rained for about 10 minutes in the 7 hours we were on the water!

The fishing was nothing short of spectacular! We must have boated over 100 fish easy!

Here is my bro in law, Kelvin's first sturgeon ever on my boat!

Here is a picture of a small keeper sized fish that Cracker Joe boated.

We ended up with 4 keepers but the shakers were all good sized, most were over 3 feet long and they were very healthy fat fish that really put up good fights! We went through 6 dozen smelt, 4 boxes of sandshrimp, 3 jars of pickeled smelt and 3 jars of pickled squid... quite a day! We had countless doubles and 4 triples going too. The fishing is white hot so get out there and enjoy some great catch and release action and get your work out at the same time, there is no better way to burn that turkey fat, thats for sure!

skrimmy · 11-29-2003, 08:21 AM

Looks like the weather man blew that forecast bigtime. From the looks of the river, it was a very nice day on the water.

Nice pics Shane, thanks for the report!

Smj · 11-29-2003, 08:41 AM

Question, Are you guys fishing the deep spots or the flats?

Man, I haven't had the boat out for a month, need to burn up some of that old gas!

Smj

5-Cents · 11-29-2003, 09:14 AM

SMJ 44 feet of water... so the flats, in fact we were fishing on some clam beds. If you know some clam bed spots they will be getting hotter and hotter as we move into winter until the smelt arive in force!

Riverliver · 11-29-2003, 09:57 AM

What are some signs that your over clam beds?

justcastn · 11-29-2003, 03:41 PM

Oh boy I can't wait till the first of the year! Thanx for the report 5Cent!! :grin:

Riverkeeper · 11-29-2003, 04:07 PM

5 cents,

I've enjoyed your recent reports and pics a lot (you're making me reconsider my "dislike" of sturgeon). Keep them coming

Tacklebuster · 11-29-2003, 04:15 PM

RiverLiver,
Clam beds are usually located in shallow flats. I like the depths between 30 to 45 feet. Find you a nice muddy bottom that is flat for a long ways. There will be little or no humps, drop offs, slots, or holes. Find you an area that mud is always on your anchor when you pull it that is the same depth for a long ways back. Between Davis Bar and Catapilar (SP?) Island on the Washington side is loaded with them. The sturgeon are feeding on them right now and should stay on them until the smelt arrive. They are feeding on clams, crayfish, etc. If you were able to retain them now, you would find their bellies full of mud. The bite is usually really aggresive but be sure you are in plenty of current. We have been killing them as of late on them averaging 2 to 3 big keepers a trip.

Chris

[ 11-29-2003, 05:17 PM: Message edited by: Tacklebuster ]

Fish Hawg · 11-29-2003, 04:39 PM

5-Cents, looks like Team Carrot Milk is doing some pre-season training for the Sturgeon Derby. It seems to be working :grin: Keep those reports and pictures coming

Do they make a Clam scent

Tacklebuster, Thanks for the Info

, You learn some thing new everyday :smile:

Silver One · 11-29-2003, 04:42 PM

5-Cents,

I see by your picture that you have rocket launchers mounted on the top of your boat top canvas. Did they come as a factory option or did you do them yourself? Do you like them there and do you use them for rods? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Mike

Riverliver · 11-29-2003, 05:20 PM

Thanks for the info TB Ill check that out next time Im out on the Columbia
RL

5-Cents · 11-30-2003, 03:36 PM

Nice Chris

Silver One those are after market launchers and I do like them in that location. I have a bank of three on each side of the top. My canvas is permanent with a rigid frame so they work out great there. Only problem is in the summer when I take my top totally off.

Thunder jet · 11-30-2003, 04:15 PM

great sturgeon report! 5 cents could you post some pics of your top, and rocket launcher setup if possible. Looks like a great set up.

Private-Aye-Fish · 12-01-2003, 06:12 AM

Outstanding sturgeon report! [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] Looks like a great time for all.

SalmonJeff · 12-01-2003, 07:46 AM

tackle buster . how would straight crawdads work? you said that they will be feeding on crawdads and clams for a while until the smelt come in so what do you think? What about the fishery?

12-01-2003, 09:11 AM

I've caught Sturgeon so full of crawdads, they are exiting the rear. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] So you know, they are eating them and have caught them using crawdads. Don't know that I would eat anything that is a resident of the Mult. Channel though.

Rick

[ 12-01-2003, 10:12 AM: Message edited by: ****** ]

Tacklebuster · 12-01-2003, 09:23 AM

I'll throw you a bone.....

Get down to Bi-Mart and get you a crawdad trap, throw it in a nice slow water slough anywhere on the Willy or Multomah Channel. Crawdads are awesome bait and will outfish anything this time of year in my opinion. Keep your leader short and half hitch the crayfish to keep the body straight. If the crayfish is small, put it on the hook like a sandshrimp with stretchy thread.

I use a special scent that I have put together over the years that is killer. I have actually hooked sturgeon on a piece of sponge soaked in this stuff. I'm not gonna give you the full recipe but the main stuff is a little anise oil, and crayfish molt scent that the bass guys love. Mix the two together with a little vanilla extract and you got gold. Way better than that Sturgeon Feast crap they sell I will tell you that.

Trap you some nice crawdads in the spring and summer when they are everywhere and freeze them. Use it for bait when the smelt are not in and use it in the flats. I have caught sturgeon, catfish, and walleye with crawdads in the winter on the clam beds around the Portland area.

Good luck.....

[ 12-01-2003, 10:25 AM: Message edited by: Tacklebuster ]

5-Cents · 12-01-2003, 10:11 AM

WOW some secrets spilled from a sturgeon master [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Steelhead Hound · 12-03-2003, 10:41 AM

I thought you were the master of all fish 5-cent?????

GO TEAM POTATO JUICE

[ 12-03-2003, 11:42 AM: Message edited by: Steelhead Hound ]

ZaQ · 12-03-2003, 11:42 PM

Tacklebuster is the master of strugeon. Tips from him put me into some nice days in the estuary. Thanks for those tips, Tacklebuster.

Shane is just warming up and finding the schools of big fish. The 10th is coming, you guys better get a good night sleep.

Uglygreen · 12-03-2003, 11:45 PM

Helps if you stomp on the crayfish after its hooked up, works for little baby crabs in the estuary as well........ :shocked:

UG

Tacklebuster · 12-03-2003, 11:50 PM

I'm glad I could help. I'll be picking your brains in a couple of months for those springers Zaq, you to Shane.