This fish was a monster. 9 feet long but one of the fattest sturgeon I've ever seen.





Here she is swimming away.




Another big one coming up for a peek





Here's a cool picture I snapped at the mini-aquarium at Bonneville Dam. Face to face with about an 8 footer.





Here's the same fish looking down from above

Wow! Excellent pictures!

Reminds me of the old sturgeon identification adage around Ilwaco: One gill slit, try to catch it; More than that, get the hell out of the water!

That thing is a monster. Good pictures.

For anyone that's never caught them, they're a blast, truely a man against beast situation when you hook into one. I've gone fishing for oversize sturgeon 4 times and have been present when 13 have been landed and I still get a sense of awe every time I see one come up. Not to mention when they jump!

Cool pics!

Wow.... My sturgoen trip is the 28th, cant wait! Those pics just pump me up even more!!

Curtis

sweet pictures, looks like you guys had a blast. Now I wanna go

Way fun stuff! If you go, I suggest you get one of those marlin gut belts that you can jam the butt of your rod in to. You spend a lot...and I do mean a lot, of time doing nothing but this:



If you're patient, and don't weeny out and hand away the rod, you might eventually get to see something like this! I agree, as it's the coolest thing to see those monster come up for the first time!



Tack on a few more minutes of getting all bruised up, and you'll eventually win the battle and get to do this:



Man, now I really wish I was up in AK doing battle with a 200+ pound halibut...or a 50 pound King on the Kasilof! I love fighting BIG fish.

I would like to see a 5 fish limit in the North Puget Sound Tribs. Starting to get a lot of pressure the last 5 years, and not a large population of fish to sustain it. 5 sturgeon a year should be plenty for any Fisherman. These fish are Great just to catch and release. Good Fishin` just my .02 worth

I wouldn't mind considering I only fish for the oversize fish anyways. The only problem I would have with that is that it would be another case of the sportsman taking the fall. Maybe the could limit the other user groups, just a thought.

I can't believe that you bring in more than one of these a day! I was tired enough after reeling in two keepers, 43" and 55" last March. That 55 incher was large enough. In all we did release about 50 small ones in about four hours. Great fun and some of the best eating fish that there is!

I fished for oversized sturgeon on the Columbia once. We caught 4 or 5, all between 7 and 9 feet long. I honestly have no desire to do it again. Nobody in our group of four could play a fish alone. I could get the same experience by hooking the bumper of my friend's truck.
I agree with Cascade Bob, there has been a big increase in pressure on the S rivers.

Jacob, I see you are kind of clueless about the 5 fish yearly limit. This time it is the Sportsman that are taking too many fish and starting to hurt the resource. The nets are not the ones out there 7 days a week pounding this fishery. 10 years ago Sturgeon fishing was not so appealing, now it is one of the most desired on the Columbia from April through August.

Why are you folks talking about limits and "S" river sturgeon populations?

I thought this thread was about how fun it is to C&R some oversized Columbia Stugeon?

I strongly feel there should be no guiding on our "S" rivers for sturgeon, but hey, that's a different topic for a different thread.

In the meantime, JacobF and I will sit back and enjoy the memories of some oversized fishin'! Woooo!

Parker,

I was only helping set Jacob straight on what he was saying. I too enjoy playing the Big Dudes on the Columbia. My personal best is a 13 1/2 footer. I believe Jacob saw the video I had on that one. Our best day of Oversize is 14 hooked and 11 landed, all on video. No shame in passing the rod on a day like that.

Friends shouldn't let friends fish for oversized sturgeon, That is if you like Sturgeon fishing in the future.

Why Hockana? What's your evidence?

Here's my evidence that states that there is no current trend in the existing WDFW/ODF data that C&R'ing oversized sturgeon is having any significant impact on the fishery.

Lower Columbia River White Sturgeon Current Stock Status and Management Implications

Looks like the gillnet/commercial/tribal bashers won't even get to pipe up on this one! It appears that a reduced recruitment and increased emigration are looking to the be cause of the current decline in the "keeper" sturgeon populations, not over fishing or netting.

Interesting stuff.

That study is interesting, but it was done back in the 1999 time frame. I have a copy of it at home from back then. Even then "Keeper" size fish were becoming a concern for lack of numbers. It has been 4 years since that study was released, and the amount of fish that are being caught now way above those levels. I don't believe this fishery can keep up the numbers at the current pace. Used to be at Deep River ramp a busy Saturday was 40 or so rigs, now you have over a 100.

Parker,

You were saying that this fishery is not being over fished. Check out these numbers, you will see we are clearly over fishing the Estuary.

A record number of angler trips are expected this year in the Columbia River estuary, over 23,000 angler trips had been logged in the first 19 days of June. With trips tallying more than 1,000 per day and eight days remaining in the season, the all-time record for June of 27,000 estuary angler trips could easily be topped.

Those are some big fish guys that has too be a blast!well untill about half way through the fight anyways


Once again just too many people???