It has been some time since I posted a sturgeon story and this could have been one of the best, but it is about the one that got away and the consolation prize which was still a great experience. With the chum run in full swing the sturgeon are getting one of the last kicks at the can of gorging themselves on salmon carcasses that the fall season has to offer. October and the first two weeks of November can be absolutely fabulous for sturgeon fishing in the Fraser as these great fish give themselves one last feast before they settle into the winter during which they will migrate out to salt water or into deep holes in the big lakes such as the Pitt and the Harrison. This is also the time when some of the largest fish are in the lower Fraser which makes it anybody's guess as to how big the next bite might be!
Tuesday was spectacular weather, sunny, warm and clear with little or no wind and the perfect October tides where the Fraser Currents are often just steady enough to maintain the scent flow from the bait and keep the fish in the biting mood.
Tuesday was spectacular weather, sunny, warm and clear with little or no wind and the perfect October tides where the Fraser Currents are often just steady enough to maintain the scent flow from the bait and keep the fish in the biting mood.
We deployed our baits using both a circle hook and a regular hook to test the difference between rods and performance. The baits which performed the best were fresh coho gills and body parts however it would have been good to have some fresh chum but that was not available . Our first fish of the day chose the bait on the circle hook and the rod was a very stiff stick yet it was a determined bite so I lifted it and the fight was on. Within a few seconds as is typical at this time of year the fish broke surface and our jaws hit the deck as we realized what we were in for. This fish was truly massive and based on my experience was likely north of 9 feet long. A quick scramble to get the anchor line up and we began to drift. The fish broke water twice and each time it just looked even bigger with a massive head and girth and a huge sickle shaped tail. It took a run straight towards the boat and then our worst nightmare came to fruition.....the line went slack!
As I cranked up the line the weight showed up but the leader line was gone from the swivel........one of sturgeon fishings worst sins had occurred. It looked like the knot let go and there is no way to describe how dumb that feels.....but, that is fishing and it happens to the best of us.
As I cranked up the line the weight showed up but the leader line was gone from the swivel........one of sturgeon fishings worst sins had occurred. It looked like the knot let go and there is no way to describe how dumb that feels.....but, that is fishing and it happens to the best of us.
When all else fails and the fishing gets tough, the tough keep fishing. We pulled anchor after a while and went to a new location with the clock ticking down rapidly towards pulling anchor and heading home. The new spot had slacker current and the newly baited lines were tossed.
Before too long my rod indicated a few tentative bumps but then nothing.......the lines were pulled in, the bait checked and after about three more declarations that "this is the last cast"bthe last cast was made. Just before the last cast was about to be pulled in Art's rod did the deep bend as another fish sucked in his bait and the circle hook went to work.
The hook was set and the reel began to scream. This fish did not break water so there was no telling just how big it was. This was definitely another "pull the anchor" fish and as we drifted downstream with the fish towing the boat in circles my estimate as to its size steadily began to increase. Eventually after about 25 minutes and a kilometer downstream this beast began to tire and I was already there, but managed to hang on so we could tow it to the beach and get a good look at it.
Before too long my rod indicated a few tentative bumps but then nothing.......the lines were pulled in, the bait checked and after about three more declarations that "this is the last cast"bthe last cast was made. Just before the last cast was about to be pulled in Art's rod did the deep bend as another fish sucked in his bait and the circle hook went to work.
The hook was set and the reel began to scream. This fish did not break water so there was no telling just how big it was. This was definitely another "pull the anchor" fish and as we drifted downstream with the fish towing the boat in circles my estimate as to its size steadily began to increase. Eventually after about 25 minutes and a kilometer downstream this beast began to tire and I was already there, but managed to hang on so we could tow it to the beach and get a good look at it.
At just over 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length this fish was seriously smaller than our first fish but we got it to the beach and really appreciated the battle it gave us.
An interesting note in the slide show just above this text is the fact that the boat behind us is drifting farther and farther from the beach.......note to file, always drop the anchor to secure the boat BEFORE YOU START TAKING PICTURES.!!! It was not till the boat was completely gone from behind us and just starting to drift downstream with the main current that we twigged onto what was happening and I am happy to say the water was not above my chest waders when I raced out into the main river and was able to retrieve it!! (rookie moves to be sure!)
So if you want to see what the battle was like, just click on the buttons below.
An interesting note in the slide show just above this text is the fact that the boat behind us is drifting farther and farther from the beach.......note to file, always drop the anchor to secure the boat BEFORE YOU START TAKING PICTURES.!!! It was not till the boat was completely gone from behind us and just starting to drift downstream with the main current that we twigged onto what was happening and I am happy to say the water was not above my chest waders when I raced out into the main river and was able to retrieve it!! (rookie moves to be sure!)
So if you want to see what the battle was like, just click on the buttons below.
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