Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: boneaddict on February 11, 2008, 10:24:30 PM

Title: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: boneaddict on February 11, 2008, 10:24:30 PM: This was an e-mail I just got and thought I would share.

This Sturgeon was caught on the Willamette River just below Oregon City two weeks ago.

It weighed out at over 1,000 lbs and measured out at 11'1'. It was 56' around the girth and took over 6 and a half hours, and 4 dozen beers, for the 4 guys taking turns at the reeling it in.

Any Sturgeon OVER about five feet has to be released unharmed and cannot be removed from the water.

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv47%2Fboneaddict%2Fbonesbucks%2Funtitled.jpg&hash=e242ede0d2b00e1c623fc91212987a34ddd706e6)

They are brood / breeding stock and probably older than most of us.
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: jackelope on February 11, 2008, 10:29:30 PM: bone...i might be wrong here, but i think that picture has been around for a few years. not sure, i just think i 've seen it somewhere before.
i thought it was used for a boat ad for custom weld or something like that.
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: bowhuntin on February 11, 2008, 11:11:28 PM: Man that is a huge sturgeon. I have a friend that worked down on the Columbia for wdfw and said that there would be some huge sturgeon that would get into the fish ladders and binge on shad going up the ladder.

Has anyone seen the old time pictures of the sturgeon that had to be pulled out of the water by horses? Had a professor a couple years ago that had an old time picture with the sturgeon and horses, man it was huge.
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: AngelFace on February 12, 2008, 12:01:13 AM: WOW!! That would be so cool to catch one that big.
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: ICEMAN on February 12, 2008, 05:36:31 AM: Quote from: bowhuntin on February 11, 2008, 11:11:28 PM
Man that is a huge sturgeon. I have a friend that worked down on the Columbia for wdfw and said that there would be some huge sturgeon that would get into the fish ladders and binge on shad going up the ladder.

Has anyone seen the old time pictures of the sturgeon that had to be pulled out of the water by horses? Had a professor a couple years ago that had an old time picture with the sturgeon and horses, man it was huge.

Yes. Saw a huge wall mural of it at Wazzu years ago, awesome photo.
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: wackmaster on February 12, 2008, 10:28:45 AM: ''Sturgeon"
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: tmike on February 12, 2008, 11:17:16 AM: I also heard a story at WSU that a guy couldn't pull one up with his horse so he went to get his truck. When he got back all there was were drag marks where the horse was pulled in. Looking at that one I think it could be true.
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: hogsniper on February 12, 2008, 11:23:04 AM: I think i saw this picture before and it was from the Frasier River..I am not sure but do know it is one big a$$ fish....I have caught em to about 9' before but 11...Holy CRAP
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: Coasthunterjay on February 12, 2008, 12:07:01 PM: yeah that is a blast.....i have a friend that is a professional fishing guide down in the tri-cities area and that is what he primarily targets are the big boys.......my dad has a picture of a sturgeon he reeled in after several hours of trading off and is leaning over the side of the boat holding this fish around the head and my dads fingers are barely touching........man i now those guys are a blast........

not to hack this post but if anyone wants to catch some of these when season comes let me now and ill give you all my friends information. hes a good guide and will show you a heck of a good time.......

man i love sturgeon fishing.......

GREAT PICTURE! WHAT A HOG............
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: Houndhunter on February 12, 2008, 05:50:26 PM: if i remember right

a fish like that is around 150-200 years old, even the shakers are like 20-30 years old and there only a few feet long
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: HawkenBob on February 13, 2008, 04:33:45 PM: Thats a pig for sure. But it is an old photo taken on the Fraser. Its been around along time.
The story is kind of streeeetcheeed too. A fish like that will take some time but 6 hours is a serious stretch. Plus 6 hours is really bad for the fish.

I have done my fair share of oversize fishing, the biggest we ever landed was just shy of 12 feet. Figured it at 1000 to 1100 pounds. It took the 4 of us over 2 hours and drifted about 6 miles down from Bonni to finally roll it over at the boat.

Most fish will be in the 250 to 400 pound class with a few way over. I have caught a few 10 footers also and there a hell of a struggle.

One of the best Oversize guides in the NW hands down is Frank Russum out of P town. Sturgeon frank as they call him has been doing this as long or longer than anyone.

Although, this fishery is still pretty easy to get hooked up on if you have the anchor system, and the 130 pound class gear.

And FYI, Its not only against the law to remove them from the water, technically you cant even "Float" them higher for a pic.

June, July and Augest are best...
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: huntnphool on February 13, 2008, 05:03:30 PM: Actually Hogs is correct, that fish was caught in the Fraser a few years ago.

I have been hitting the Columbia since I was a lad, they are so much fun to fish for. Speaking to the biologists I found out that on average sturgeon dont start spawning until they reach around that 60" mark. They told me that they grow approximatly 1 1/2"-2" per year, that should give you some idea how old they are before they start spawning.

In 1909 Seattle hosted the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, a worlds fair, and recieved 100 small sturgeon as a gift from Russia I believe it was, which were released into Lake Washington. Its believed that this fish was one of these 100, which would have put it around 95-100 years old.
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: FISHBOY on February 13, 2008, 07:49:03 PM: I think this is the fourth story and state that this one fish was supposevely caught, last yr my cousin in MN emailed me the same pic with a story saying it was caught in the Rainy River on the MN and Canada border, now that I didnt believe, this one I might.
Title: Re: Barbecue anyone?
Post by: gramps on February 16, 2008, 07:00:55 PM: In the early '60's there were some old photos in a gas station in Kahlotus of fish like that being pulled out of the snake river in 1910 by teams of horses. I would think a fish like that may be 80+ yrs old.