110 Lb Sturgeon
If you have been reading my posts lately, I recently posted about my trip to Portland Oregon fishing for King Salmon. That was in 2006 and a year has past, it is time to see my customer again with my real job. Everyone has to have a real job, right. Please, do not let the man get you down. Anyway, this trip I planned the fishing around my job. See I am getting smarter as I get older. But unfortunately the Salmon season wasn’t going to be at the same time as last year thanks to DNR of Oregon. I repeat: Do not let the man get you down!
I called both fishing captains I met last year to see what I could catch and the availability if any. Joe (the captain) and I discussed the possibility of catching Sturgeon at the mouth of the Columbia River. Paid my dues and got locked in for my trip. Called the captain a few time before the trip arrives to cover everything to hotels and even lunch for the next day. (highly recommend anyone calling there scheduled charter a few times before departure to check status and maybe what to bring.)
Met the captain in Astoria Washington, about a 2 hour drive from Portland, on the Columbia River June 6th 2007, just where it dumps into the ocean. Headed upstream about 2 miles looking for a good spot to fish. Sturgeon move a lot in these fast moving current rivers looking for food. Sturgeon cruise the flats during most of the day then move out to deep water, such as the channels to feed.
We caught a few here and there but no real big fish. Mostly in the 46″-48″ range fish as we moved a lot looking for the right spot to fish. Then we set anchor in one of the main channels, about 50 ft deep water. The bite picked a lot and in about 2 hours, we had our limit and were releasing most of them. Captain says “we got about 20 more minutes left and everyone should put on fresh bait” (anchovies) and casted out. Now on this boat there were 6 fisherman and the captain. Boat was about 26ft long and about 10 ft wide, jon boat style vessel with a 225 hp Tiller Handle Mercury outboard on the back. This is serious business on these boats. 5 minutes after my bait hit the water a 110lb Sturgeon bit. Put the steel to him and it was on, I mean on. Fish first jumped about 75 ft behind the boat tail walking like a Marlin. Total pandemonium while I am catching this fish. Someone gets tangled with my line, and two others on the other side of the boat are tangled. By the time the captain got everything under control, I was wore out. Fish pulled very hard and jumped about 4 times before we finally got him up to the boat 30 minutes later. I needed a picture so the captain and I hoisted this monster onto the deck for the photo. Took both of us to lift him and we finally go the shot.
Measured and released this fish with great pride, I had a blast that day. Took me the entire 2 hours back to Portland to get the smile off of my face. Oh by the way, they opened Salmon fishing the day after my charter. Not to worry, there is always next year!
Fishing License: $30.00, Box lunch: $12.00, Charter: $165, Tip: $30.00
