Free: Contests & Raffles.
that was a good day on the big C, phool. i appreciated the opportunity to meet all you guys and fish with you. hope to do it again some time.
Heres a pic of my first keeper back when I was in Highschool. It was 54" and here's a pic of the biggest i've caught, a hair over 7'.
Man, that looks like a lot of fun!!! I have to try this one time!!!
Let it fly, Get that boat out on the water. Right now is a good time to hit the Willamette, nice calm water without the volume (current) pushing like the Big C. It is a good place to learn how to anchor and practice laying out line and generally have good time... Anchor system is critical for sure, get a quick release style four prong anchor depending upon the boat, sounds of your boat a 25 lbs would hold fine, use nylon anchor rope as it does not float, nor hold memory for the main line 200-250ft, then a boat retrieve buoy and locking mechanism, various types out there. Finally, tie poly rope for the last 50 foot, so it floats and you can re-pick it up when you have to leave your buoy to fight those OS or get out of the way of a barge, etc..... Always run ALL of your anchor line out in moving water, this does two things, ensures you always have adequate line out for "safety" reasons, plus it will train you to where you start dropping anchor to back into a hole for future crowded trips... Practice with it with people going fishing with you, it is tough as a one man operation. Keep your line neat and untangled, as it can quickly get tangled around motor, back of boat etc.. and then you got a chance of going under very quickly. Always leave a knife at the bow, where the line is attached, NEVER attach to anywhere but the bow in moving water. You need a sturdy rod anywhere from med-heavy Salmon gear to Halibut gear depending upon what your targeting as in in fish. I like braided 50-65 power pro line as the main line and sturgeon leader of 80-120. I soak those in scents alot of times. In between mainline and leader, run a plastic or brass slider with snap for attaching sinker at the other depending upon current anywhere from 4 ounce to 30 ounce plus near the dam.. Baits that seem to always produce are: Sand Shrimp (anywhere), Smelt (upper river), Anchovies (lower river), Lampries (hard to get but are great), Whole Shad (Bonneville Oversized), octopus, squid and/or a mixture of all as a cocktail... Bait up back wards i.e head at the end of the bottom of the hook and secure with magic thread. Sturgeon aren't into a beauty wrapped bait for presentation, it is all about scent- squish out some of the guts for a better scent trail.... Try different mixing in different scents and baits on different rods to see what is working better.. I always wear gloves but not sure if it is a huge difference with Sturgeon as it is with Salmon. and lastly, Have fun... and good luck..
