STURGEON !!

[outdoorsman]

Can anyone enlighten me on how to find a sturgeon or two?  I've been trying for a long time but can't seem to even get a few shakers.  Post if you like or e-mail me if its a real-hot tip.  THANKS ALOT !! REALLY.

 

[Bigolwiggler]

Dont know where yer fishin but  try   calfishnet.com for up to date reports.   As for where to find em. Right now the mothball fleet is spitin out some sturgies.   This means they are headed up the delta where I fish.   If you fish the fleet and dont know what spot to drop anchor . Try down stream and slightly of to one side or the other of a charter boat ( you dont wanna fish right behind him and block the fish going to his boat)   If you ever pull up anchor and find clams on it yer in a good spot. That dont mean the fish are there but when they pass thru they will stop there to munch.

I fish Montezuma and know some descent spots , but like I said I dont know what area yer fishin.

Brett

 

[Bigolwiggler]

Well I'll tell you where my favorite sturgy hole is.
On montezuma slough.   East of the Grizzly Isl. bridge about a mile and a half is a place we all call the Red Barn. Well the barn isnt there any more but there is a public pier there. Well you continue east passed it and you go around a left hand bend in the river.  The next bend is a right hand bend.  This is the area.  Now , about right in the middle of the bend is a 60 foot hole.
I fish the right side edge of it. I watch the depth finder following this edge still going east. As soon as I see it gettin shallower , say 52-55 feet I drop anchor.
Now this is the important part !  The only time I have ever taken sturgion here is at the TOP of the tide and the first few hours of the outgoing tide. The bigger the tide the better.

You may have to use a rear anchor to keep the boat from swingin if its breezy.

Heres what I use . Being they are mostly feeding on clams here. I Shuck a bunch of clams ( A pound or so )  I tie them in roe netting . Kinda like roe balls.
I call them clam balls. This is done prior to going out.  Save the juice that comes out while you are shucking the clams. Keep the clam ball soaking in the juice till yer ready to put them on the hook.
I usually put a bunch of grass shrimp on the hooks and top it off with a clam ball. The shrimp give it a nice crunch I think. The nice thing is that these baits are inexpensive compared to ghost and mud shrimp. I used to use mud shrimp exclusively but at $8 or more a dozen it gets expensive. I find that a 4 ounce weight on a slider is plenty unless the tide is too strong. You GOTTA keep the bait on the bottom. I have yet to find anyone else using this method (clams). But one day I was there and we boated 2 sturgies in 1-1/2 hrs while the other 4 boats around us caught nothing.  One I had to turn back cuzz it was over 6 feet long. Sounds like a fish story but its true.   This should be prime time right now. Usually a few days after a good rain is best.  I have caught quite a few keepers here, its definately worth a try.

There are a couple other good areas near here but this is my best hole.
If ya got any questions email me @    hmz6@juno.com

Brett.............................

 

[Bigolwiggler]

They did good at the fleet
friday .

 

[outdoorsman]

Hey thanks for the info.......check your e-mail too.

 

[overdrawn]

BIGOLWIGGLER,
Just a comment to ghost shrimp, I havnt fished the areas that your speaking of...nor am I familliar with them in any way...but I use to fish some of the backbays in So. Cal, and made a shrimp gun to extract ghost shrimp from the mud at low minus tides...have you ever tried to get your own bait? It doesnt take long, I used a 2" piece of pvc made it about 36" long...at one end glue on a slip cap, drill a 5/8 hole in the center of the cap to allow for a allthread rod to fit into...with the use of fenderwashers and nuts you take a rubber handball place a slit in it and slide it on the allthread and lock it on with nuts and fenderwashers, allow the allthread to extend out through the slip cap and place a "T" handle on it. ya just waid out in the mud at low tides sliding the pvc in it and pull up on the "T" handle and pull the pvc out and push the rod back down and the ghost shrimp shoot out...just thought I would let ya know, maybe ya already tried this and it was too time consuming for ya, I use to spend about a half hour getting bait prior to fishing. Also use to roll over the bigger rocks at minus tides and dig to get the innkeeper worms for bait at the same time.  

 

[Bigolwiggler]

Hey there over drawn.  You know somethin , I built one of those things a few years back, Woorks great.
I use them up here in Tomales Bay for Horseneck Clams. They run deep so I first locate them, then stuff a 12 inch diameter 30inch long pvc pipe into the sand around the clam. Then I suction  the sand out of the pipe with that tool. I do run into ghost shrimp from time to time.  My sturgy grounds are far from where I can find ghost shrimp so it hasnt been feasable for me to get them myself.
Thanks for takin the time to respond.  You sound like a tinkerer too like me.

Brett

 

[overdrawn]

BIGOLWIGGLER,
Horseneck Clams!!!! I havnt had them since around 1980, they are the best fried clams I have ever eaten. My x's family use to farm them out of Bodega Bay I think it was. Boy I sure wouldnt mind coming across some of them in the fryer. Take care!

 

[Bigolwiggler]

We got a great horseneck recipe from a captain in Bodega.  Diced onion , tomatoes, cilantro , jalipeno, ground up clam , a small blast of tobacso and bind it all with mayonaise. Add a little crushed garlic  a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of basil.
This is scooped into the halfshell and BBQ'd till its bubblin.  
Never had any leftovers from this dish !  
Truly restraunt quality stuff !

Brett............

 

[outdoorsman]

Bigolwiggler ....Have you been on the water recently?  I hear the delta is muddied up alot.  Fish Hookers fished Mont. slough this week and scored an 80lb sturgie.  Soon as the duck season closes we need to hook-up, if not sooner!!

 

[Bigolwiggler]

Hi Outdoorsman,
Sorry I didnt reply sooner. I got yer email. Yea between duck season , salmon & steelheading, work( way too much of that !) and etc. etc .  Sturgeon season hasnt seen me yet this winter. I do try to keep up on the "goings on" though. I dont see any time in the next couple weeks now with the holidays !
We do need to hook up though.  Hey do you know a guy named Claude Garalde @ pac Bell ? Hes a great fisherman.

Brett............................

 

[outdoorsman]

Bigolwiggler...No I don't know the man.  Where is he from & who is he?  We'll get together.  Whether its ducks now or sturgeon later don't matter to me. Where do you launch from on the delta?

 

[Hntrjohn]

Sorry to say this but in todays Modesto Bee, 12-15-01. It says the Feds will like to put the sturgeon on the endagered species list.

John

 

[Bigolwiggler]

I launch at Suisun City , BUT! they are building a new ramp at the Grizzly Island bridge. This will make it a 10 minute run to the sturgeon hole.

Hntr john, I have heard rumors of the sort. I would have thought the idea to be somewhat ok someyears back , but I tell ya , with the newer size restrictions I really believe the population is definately on the upswing.  There are lots of sturg out there.    If they try to put them on "the list" they will be hearing from some of us in the delta.

 

[outdoorsman]

Bigolwiggler..........Buddy went out yesterday and today.  52' sturg Monday and only 1 (14lb.) striper today.  3 people fishing, says its slow now.

 

[Bigolwiggler]

Well duck season is winding down , and Montezuma
Slough sounds to be doing real good. Are you ready Outdoorsman ?  My buddy was almost spooled the day before yesterday, he uses 50 lb. test.

I generally use 28-30 .

Brett..................

 

[outdoorsman]

Bigolwiggler...I went out last Sun. Fished Mont. slough caught 1 catfish, moved out to river caught 1 catfish.  When we came in a guy pulled out behind us.  50" sturgie, it got under my skin a little.  Then he pulled out a picture from the day before,66" sturgie.  Now i'm mad !!   I am "sooooooooooooooo" ready to catch a sturgeon it's not even funny!!  This is become a passion now.  I NEED A STURGEON !! ..........Erich.

 

[ranchwife]

My Grandmother said that the best way to catch a Sturgeon is to feed it well and spend lots of time with it - she should know she caught a 6 foot Sturgeon.  My mother agrees with her also; she caught a 6 foot one also.  My husband says the best way to catch one is to never stop chasing it and that flowers and dates work really well.

We should all know - my maiden name is Sturgeon!  This has always been the joke in our family.

 

[Mnfshrman]

LMAO off RANCHWIFE....that was a good one.