Sturgeon Question......

4 REEL · 07-25-2003, 03:55 PM

I've been a little out of touch lately. We've been hittin the salt for salmon and tuna. Now it's time to hit the Columbia/Willamette for sturgeon. Kelly point area is prefered.
Is it open for retention? What seems to produce for bait(I have some vacume packed Sandy smelt from earlier this year)? K.P. honey hole or what?

Comeon you gator hounds, cough it up. If I see you out there I'll buy you a beer

Time Off · 07-25-2003, 05:10 PM

From what I've been hearing most are catching shakers and very few keepers. The big boys are still holed up in the estuaries. I think that area is open though. I had good luck this year with anchovies and shrimp.

phantom · 07-25-2003, 05:40 PM

I"ve been fishing TROJAN just because I'm new to the gator thing and don't know anywhere else to fish. I've been out four times 2 keepers. Lots of shorts. From what I'm hearing that seems to be the norm. I also have frozen smelt but it's from the cowlitz. As far as the estuary it's closed for retention! I've heard the WANA area is good and under fished right now. I might have to get a map and check it out. Good luck and good fishing.

6horsekicker · 07-25-2003, 06:48 PM

Phantom, where do you launch to fish trojan? I haven't fished trojan yet but would like to try it. Where to you anchor?

-6horse

Beerbelly · 07-26-2003, 08:56 AM

I think they have a launch in Goble.

4 REEL · 07-26-2003, 12:58 PM

Thanks for the information that we've got so far. We'll be heading that way in the a.m. and put in at Fred's, as usual.
Really thought I would have gotten a little more chat about this.

Whats-up?

phantom · 07-26-2003, 03:30 PM

6 Horse I launch at Kalama. A real nice ramp. It's only a 5 min run out from there. There is a small rock island just upriver from the cooling tower. Anchor between the island and the channel. You will anchor in about 60-70 ft of water and drift back until its 120-140 ft. I normally fish about 50 yds. out from the island even with the marker/sensor on the island. Best of luck. I may be out there on tuesday myself.

FROGGY · 07-26-2003, 05:02 PM

I was out at KP area today. No luck, not eeven any shakers. I tried both smelt and squid. There were other boats out, didnt see anybody bringing anything to the boat.

Fshklr · 07-26-2003, 05:09 PM

4 REEL,
Check out this info from the 23rd. If you don't get alot of responses, sometimes it's due to info that was recently talked about. Be sure to check the search option. I typed in kelly point to get the link below. Good Luck.
http://www.ifish.net/ubb/ultimatebb....=026984#000003
Fished friday afternoon incomming again below Stella. 1 at 44 and a 41-1/2 :depressed:
Will try again tomorrow. Be sure to move around. Don't get locked into 1 spot even if shakers are all around. A half hr of shakers is fun but no prize for the table. Smelt was the ticket yesterday.

[ 07-26-2003, 06:22 PM: Message edited by: Fshklr ]

Dipnet · 07-26-2003, 07:40 PM

My husband and I fished right below Kelly Point today and ended up with 25 shakers between the 2 of us. There were a few that were between 36"-40", but no keepers. We used plain smelt, scented smelt and pickled squid. Fished right on the edge of the shipping lane and had to move a couple of times for the ships.

Froggy, what kind of a boat were you in? We were in a 16' Osprey. There was a boat with ifish stickers not far from us for a while. I think it was a blue NorthRiver?? Maybe not, it was kind of far away and the sun was pretty bright!!!

Anyway we had fun even if we didn't catch any keepers. And after the ones we got in the estuary there isn't room for any in the freezer right now anyhow!!

Dipnet :grin:

FROGGY · 07-26-2003, 07:54 PM

Dipnet. I was in a 16' osprey as well. I was mainly in the willamette at KP, or just upriver on the columbia. I dont have ifish stickers yet

, shame on me. I was hoping to get anything today, even shakers. Guess I should have gone down river a bit. I might try the mult. channel tommaro.
We left around 10am this morning. Did the wind get bad in the columbia?

Dipnet · 07-26-2003, 08:07 PM

Froggy, the wind came up for a little while, but then died down. I think we saw you when we went by this morning. My husband said something about a boat like ours over by the beach just past the grain elevators. Was that you?

Dipnet :grin:

brshooter · 07-26-2003, 08:32 PM

Dipnet,
That was myself and Slow Roll in the Blue North River. We fished from 7am until 4pm. Nothing but shorts for us. Pretty depressing.
Started out down around 32, found a few shorts. Tried just below Kelley Point, same results. Did much better up by T-6. Didn't see anyone setting the world on fire though. Smelt/squid combo seemed to do the best for us.

FROGGY · 07-26-2003, 09:38 PM

Yep, that was me dipnet. Didnt notice a boat like mine out there, but then again I am always fidgeting with something out in the boat. Id make a great bass fisherman, I cant sit still for more than 5 seconds without finding something to clean, sharpen, fix, organize, etc.

fishingfirst · 07-29-2003, 10:24 AM

Keep trying all those same spots, just change baits. We used Roll Mop herring on Sat. Had a nice 48" keeper in the boat and lots of large shakers. Caught fish all day until we ran out of the roll mop, then we started dipping the squid in the in the roll mop juice and that worked until it ran out.

Scott