Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: BC CHASER on May 25, 2008, 11:55:48 AM

Title: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: BC CHASER on May 25, 2008, 11:55:48 AM: A few friends and I are going down to chinook to fish next weekend. Does anyone know if the sturgeon are showing up and how its been? Also never shad fished before and would like some tips on how and where?
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: boneaddict on May 25, 2008, 01:51:46 PM: Will be down there June 7th. Never done it, but I have a great guide it sounds like!
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: washingtonmuley on May 25, 2008, 03:01:36 PM: My buddy guides the lower river and I know it has been extremely slow.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: cascademountainhunter on May 25, 2008, 07:44:57 PM: i went sturgeon fishing today just below beacon rock, only caught 1, and it was a shaker.
good luck to ya
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: huntnphool on May 25, 2008, 08:05:49 PM: Quote from: boneaddict on May 25, 2008, 01:51:46 PM
Will be down there June 7th. Never done it, but I have a great guide it sounds like!

Well that would be a matter of opinion Bone but thanks ;)

Anyhow, just got back and cleaned up a bit before posting results. It is still slow down there but we did manage a couple decent fish. Talking to folks and listening to guides on the radio it doesnt appear they are doing much better. In fact we heard lots of people are not even getting a single bite all day, I guess we shouldn't complain too much. Weather was beautiful Saturday until about 2:00 then the wind kicked up to 20-25mph and made it tough to keep the boat from moving. Today was rainy and overcast but wind was really a non factor. Here are a couple pics for you guys. It is picking up by the day so no worries, it should be okay by the time we get down there.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: robodad on May 25, 2008, 08:29:43 PM: Huntnphool,

Is there a prize for getting a tagged fish ??

Looks to me like your last pic is a tagged fish or no ??
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: huntnphool on May 25, 2008, 08:34:16 PM: Good eyes Robo, yes it was a tagged fish. We released all of them, but wrote down the tag# for the guy on the dock that records everything, but sadly no, no prizes except for the thrill of fighting and landing one of these beasts.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: robodad on May 25, 2008, 08:43:57 PM: Well maybe they will send you the fish's life story, hopefully others have caught that one before it was of legal size and turned in the tag numbers, it would be interesting to know where and when.

Hopefully it isn't just some dumb a$$ fish that has been caught 17 times in the same area, that would be a boring story !! :chuckle:
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: huntnphool on May 25, 2008, 08:51:38 PM: The guy at the ramp that records everything said there is a number on Wash. fish&game site that I can call to give the # to and ask for the info. I will have to try and find it.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: robodad on May 25, 2008, 08:57:17 PM: Cool !!

Let us know what you find !!
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: BC CHASER on May 25, 2008, 10:43:57 PM: Looks like you had a decent time huntnphool!
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: billythekidrock on May 26, 2008, 05:28:16 AM: Great pics.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: boneaddict on May 26, 2008, 06:24:53 AM: I can't wait. That looks cool.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: bullcanyon on May 26, 2008, 12:49:21 PM: Nice fish. We caught a few tagged fish last year. Most were tagged and released in youngs bay.(according to the f&g)

We'll be down there this weekend for the swwa derby. Hopefully things will pick up a tad before than. I've been preparing my partners for lots of anchor pulling until we find the fish.

Any decent chovies showing up yet?
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: huntnphool on May 26, 2008, 05:31:35 PM: Quote from: bullcanyon on May 26, 2008, 12:49:21 PM

Any decent chovies showing up yet?

Absolutely nothing as of Saturday. Sunday morning I saw loads of pelicans diving in the lower part of the river, since the smelt run is non existent its has to be anchovies they were targeting. Talking to the bait dock guy they have been picking them up across the bar so it should be them. Not sure how this will effect next weekend, hopefully they make a run up river or fishing is going to be very tough going for the derby. I will be there as well, marked a few productive spots this weekend just in case they chovies havn't shown.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: boneaddict on May 26, 2008, 05:37:51 PM: Have you come up with a time we are meeting at on the 7th. I assume its in Chinook, and is there more than one dock or put in. I've never been...... I assume you want darn early which is just fine for me.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: Antlershed on May 26, 2008, 10:23:37 PM: I am trying to make it down for the derby as well. Will probably fish a little farther upriver than you guys. Still haven't decided if I will enter the derby since it isn't biggest fish wins, but I understand why they went away from that.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: huntnphool on May 26, 2008, 10:42:00 PM: You might contact them if you were going to enter, its open to the first 200 teams that sign up and they have turned away dozens of teams each year.

The derby boundary line is upriver to the Tongue Point/Deep River line. I know you like it up from there but thats as far as we can go.

They still have a prize for the biggest fish but for the team award its total weight for all three fish. Its amazing how many prizes they give away, I've never seen a derby that gives away more.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: bullcanyon on May 27, 2008, 07:19:16 AM: The chinook derby is full. There is another one the same day that I think you can sign up for. I know they were selling derby stuff at the chevron in Cathlamet. I can't remember the name of the derby off hand though.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on May 27, 2008, 07:48:07 AM: We got two keepers on Sunday. We used Hooked on Fishing Guide service and were really happy with Dave. We probably boated 25 fish!
My first time after Sturgeon, it was AWESOME! :)
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: Antlershed on May 27, 2008, 03:24:34 PM: Quote from: bullcanyon on May 27, 2008, 07:19:16 AM
The chinook derby is full. There is another one the same day that I think you can sign up for. I know they were selling derby stuff at the chevron in Cathlamet. I can't remember the name of the derby off hand though.
That must be the one my dad was telling me about. They don't do biggest fish anymore because too many guys were catching fish in advance and then tying them up to the docks until the derby, and then they had guys just throwing the fish away. I didn't realize there were two different derbys going on. I don't think I'm going to enter though. I will be somewhere around Cathlamet fishing both saturday and sunday. What channel do you guys run on VHF?
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: huntnphool on May 27, 2008, 08:04:34 PM: Generally 10 for me, 68 if 10 is too busy.

The sturgeon have to be alive for the weigh in, this doesn't keep people from cheating I'm sure but at least they can release them after weigh in if they don't want to keep them. The other reason is every year the game cops and sheriff are there for the weigh in, there are always several dumb asses that walk up, stand in line and expect to weigh in 44" and smaller fish. Funny to see the look on their faces when the cops get involved. The gamies release the fish and go a little lighter on the ticket if the fish swim away, if they don't they get the book thrown at them, and rightfully so if you ask me.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: Antlershed on May 27, 2008, 08:33:16 PM: I was told they were tying them up by the tail, so they would still be alive. Who knows if it is true.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: huntnphool on May 27, 2008, 08:40:45 PM: A couple years ago a guy was arrested and convicted for doing just that. He ended up winning 2 different derby's that year. It ended up being a felony because of the amount of money that was involved in prizes. Someone saw someone messing around next to a barge and called the police, the police put surveylance on the barge and videotaped a guy retrieving a burlap sack, which held a large chinook. The guy then turned it in at the derby and got busted. This was according to the paper, who knows the whole story.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: Antlershed on May 27, 2008, 09:35:46 PM: Wow, some people truly are desperate.

I will be on Channel 68 all weekend. Not sure what kind of range I get, but feel free to try and say hi.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: huntnphool on May 27, 2008, 09:43:42 PM: will do, good luck
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: Antlershed on May 27, 2008, 10:00:24 PM: Thanks. You too.
Title: Re: Columbia River Sturgeon
Post by: rosscrazyelk on May 28, 2008, 09:05:09 PM: I need to do that.