Sturgeon

This is the view from the back of Zale's boat as we sped out of Chinook bay into the Columbia just south of the bridge at Astoria. We ran upriver about a couple miles past the bridge and found a flat next to some deeper water. 6oz cannonball lead on a slider rigged up on trolling rods. Baitcasting reels with braided line and a 20 in leader. We ran the leader on a needle through a Sardine and half hitched it. Then you cast, put the rod in the holder and wait.

The first bite came on my rod and I lifted it out of the holder. The tap tap tap of a fish got me excited and I lifted the rod to set the hook and the fish was gone. Zale told Dave and I that you have to set the hook like you mean it. A few minutes later Zale hit a fish and brought it in. A 20 in Sturgeon was tossed back to go home...

After a while the tide started to come in compressing the river and slowing down the current. We ran further upstream, closer to shore and cast again in 60 ft of water. Again my rod got the first hit and I lifted it gently out of the holder. Tap tap tap, but I waited. Pull pull pull and I threw my arms up lifting the tip of the rod as fast and high to the sky as I could but the end of the rod pointed down into the water. The fish was hooked.

Dave and Zale reeled in their rods as I made my way to the back of the boat as the fish ran right under the motor, and splashed once hard. I thought I had lost him but the rod dove down again, after seeing the surface he understood that there was peril in the situation and line came off of my reel as he ran for his life. Minutes later after lifting and reeling the fish was in the net. He taped out to 37 inches. Too short and we let it go.

Later Zale's rod would be hit so hard it would dive towards the water but the fish was gone as soon as it appeared. Dave would reel one in after we ran to the east again that would tape out to 44 1/2 in. Just a half an inch too short to keep.

All in all we spent 11 hours on the water and boated 4 fish. None big enough to keep but nontheless our first Sturgeon for Dave and I. My thanks go to Zale and Dave for inviting me. Time on the water is priceless. Time on the water with other fishermen is even harder to beat...