SteveM Posted October 29, 2011 Posted October 29, 2011 I got invited out for a day of sturgeon fishing a couple weeks ago. I had never caught or even seen a sturgeon before, so I jumped at the chance. I headed East & met up with Dale & Wayne, followed them to the launch on the SSR... Following Dale's boat to the river... Beautiful scenery down that way; seems fitting to fish for dinosaurs in this prehistoric setting... Some nasty black clouds went through the area... Dale & Wayne wait for a bite... Fall colors... Dale caught a couple suckers, a sauger, & this small sturgeon... (more to come...) Quote
SteveM Posted October 29, 2011 Author Posted October 29, 2011 I got to feel a sturgeon on the line when I reeled in this little one... Wayne got the best of the day; a quick measurement said 52 inches... This fish ain't gonna win no beauty contests, for sure; but, they sure as hell fight hard!!! Can't wait to do it again in the spring; there's a 60 incher out there waiting for me... Quote
monger Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 Cool, dinosaur fishing! Kind of fitting for an "experienced" fellow like yourself. Always fun to try something new. Quote
SteveM Posted October 30, 2011 Author Posted October 30, 2011 Cool, dinosaur fishing! Kind of fitting for an "experienced" fellow like yourself. Always fun to try something new. Veeerrry fuuunnnny... If it wasn't already past my bedtime, I'd come to your house & hit you with my cane! Quote
SanJuanWorm Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 Cool man. Next thing you know you'll be walleye fishing with me and get completely crucified. Quote
bigbowtrout Posted October 30, 2011 Posted October 30, 2011 I think it's time you both leave this forum Quote
SteveM Posted October 30, 2011 Author Posted October 30, 2011 Cool man. Next thing you know you'll be walleye fishing with me and get completely crucified. Walleye fishing? Me?? Never!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...I mean....never AGAIN....(maybe ) Quote
lamponius Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 Nice report! And those walleyes are beauties... Quote
reevesr1 Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 Awesome buddy! I need to go catch Sturgeon sometime. Quote
bhurt Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 Cool man. Next thing you know you'll be walleye fishing with me and get completely crucified. dave, you don't need to do anything to get crucified............. Quote
SanJuanWorm Posted November 2, 2011 Posted November 2, 2011 dave, you don't need to do anything to get crucified............. Quote
bhurt Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 Back to the original topic. Looks like you had a awsome trip I have friends in BC that do stergon every year and hopefully one day I can make it down there to join them. Not knowing much about stergon fishin but everything I have heard is that bait fishin for them is the best way, can you catch them on a fly (I know Doc caught one on the bow on a fly but that is a very rare thing) Quote
bhurt Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 Dave, Always serious, lol, your just too easy of a target, ahahahahahaha Quote
SteveM Posted May 11, 2012 Author Posted May 11, 2012 Sturgeon update: on Wednesday(May 9th), I joined my buddy, Dale, for another day of chasing these magnificent fish on the South Saskatchewan River near Medicine Hat. Another friend(Bill) joined us for the day. We landed a couple walleye, a whole bunch of suckers(I landed 2 at once at one point) and 11 sturgeon between 3 of us. Here are some pics from the day... Bill landed his first ever sturgeon... They have some cool, intricate patterns when you look close... Gotta handle the little ones carefully, or you'll get poked fulla holes... The suckers down there are much prettier than the ones we see on the Bow, and they aren't covered in that snotty, nasty, slime... Well, I guess they're only "pretty" from the gills down... Some of 'em get pretty big... ...but, we weren't hunting suckers...(continued...) Quote
SteveM Posted May 11, 2012 Author Posted May 11, 2012 We were hunting these guys... Finally, I had one of those "moments" that Rickr talks about. I had a very subtle bite & set the hook, expecting another sucker or small sturgeon. Wrong. As I reeled down, my rod tip kept getting closer to the water, but the fish was NOT coming up! In a "moment", I knew I was hooked into the biggest fish of my life! I was using 50lb braid + 40lb leader & cranked that fish 'til I was worried about breaking my rod, and it still took 15 minutes to get him to the boat. Man, these fish are powerful!!! What a blast! Eventually, I got him to where Dale could tail him & hoist him into the boat...(you can probably tell from his grin just how much Dale enjoys helping a friend land the biggest fish of his life; he is a class act!) My 4 foot sturgeon... ...and, back you go... End of a fun day with a couple great guys; heading back up to the boat launch... I know it ain't fly fishing, but it sure was fun catching such a big, strong fish. I would have thought that a fish that size would have been fairly easy to land on such heavy tackle; not so much- these dinosaurs fight HARD! Going back for more on Saturday... Quote
beedhead Posted May 11, 2012 Posted May 11, 2012 Right on, good stuff... Congrats on your big Sturgey.... I cant wait to get back at er', the power of those big Sturgeon is amazing..... Nice to see the Sturgeon makin a come back.... We got lotsa small ones last year as well... I started Sturgeon fishin last year with some guys that have been doin it for years, and they say they have never caught so many small Sturgeon as of the last three years, so thats a good thing.... Catch and release Regs sure have helped these Sturgeon make a come back in the SSR... Thanx for the report and pics... Cheers... Jeff.. Quote
SteveM Posted May 11, 2012 Author Posted May 11, 2012 Right on, good stuff... Congrats on your big Sturgey.... I cant wait to get back at er', the power of those big Sturgeon is amazing..... Nice to see the Sturgeon makin a come back.... We got lotsa small ones last year as well... I started Sturgeon fishin last year with some guys that have been doin it for years, and they say they have never caught so many small Sturgeon as of the last three years, so thats a good thing.... Catch and release Regs sure have helped these Sturgeon make a come back in the SSR... Thanx for the report and pics... Cheers... Jeff.. Yeah, it was a blast. I watched my buddy land that 52"er last fall, so I knew they fought hard, but it doesn't really sink in 'til you hook a good one yourself. I can't imagine what an 80lber would feel like on the end of the line! Later in the summer the goldeye will move into the area we fish & start feeding actively; I'll definitely bring along the fly rod & have a bit of fun... Quote
monger Posted May 13, 2012 Posted May 13, 2012 Awesome Steve! Congrats on your 4 foot fish. The river valley down there is such an interesting place to spend a day. Quote
Nick0Danger Posted May 13, 2012 Posted May 13, 2012 Yea walleye fishing is a bout as exciting as realling in a rubber boot. That said I do a bunch of it. Quote
SteveM Posted May 13, 2012 Author Posted May 13, 2012 Awesome Steve! Congrats on your 4 foot fish. The river valley down there is such an interesting place to spend a day. Yeah, it's beautiful down there; like another world. Two of Dale's buddies camped down there from Tues-Friday. I watched one of 'em relocate a pretty big bull snake out of their camp; plenty of rattlers down that way, too. Quote
SteveM Posted May 13, 2012 Author Posted May 13, 2012 Were you upstream or downstream of M Hat? Up. Quote
SteveM Posted May 16, 2012 Author Posted May 16, 2012 Sure is beautiful down there... Even the suckers are pretty! I took this sunrise pic on the way east Saturday morning... Quote
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