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As some of you know, I moved from Reston VA to Vancouver WA about a year ago. I've written a couple of reports about fishing out here that included mention of my quest to catch a "keeper" size sturgeon (38 to 54 inches, measured from the tip of the nose to the fork in the tail... not to the tip of the tail).
During 2010 I'd caught a few too big (up to 9 ft long at about 400 lbs) and many, many that were too small in the 26-36 inch range (measured to fork in tail). All of this sturgeon fishing was done in my neighborhood on the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam where sturgeon in the "keeper" size range could be kept most of the year (August and September excluded). 2010 ended without me getting a keeper down here.
However, I had a new option to try now... they let you keep "keeper size" sturgeon ABOVE Bonneville Dam during part of the winter and then it's not permitted for the rest of the year up there.
We have mild winters here so on Jan 20 I braved fishing on a day with temperatures in the 40's (on a boat with cover and heat) and went 35 miles upriver to fish ABOVE Bonneville Dam for the first time. Me and the guys that I was with caught 9 fish. We kept two at 45 inches, one at 42 inches, and one at 40 inches (mine, approx 18 lbs).
Had some for dinner last night, I really like this fish. I want more of this. However, the authorities out here require you to report each one you keep and you are only allowed to keep 5 per year... so I'm thinking that I'll try to get another to keep in spring, then summer, and again in fall.
Here are some other pictures from the Jan 20 trip:
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Excellent report Bob....we needed it BAD!!
How did you cook the fish?
And what did you catch it on?
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Cooking:
We bought some sturgeon at Costco last spring which we baked. Sprinkled with Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Salmon Seasoning and then sprayed on some olive oil. We liked it and will probably do it again that way with some.
Last night we baked again using a recipe that Janet found online. Ground some almonds down to the texture of bread crumbs, mixed in some spices, spread this on the fish and then sprayed on some spray margerine.
I think this would also be good baked with Old Bay seasoning on it. We plan to try that the next time we make it, now that we have a supply of filets in the freezer.
I'm told that it's also very good breaded and fried. I'm also told that it's good smoked.
Bait:
When trying for "keeper size" we use smelt most of the time and sometimes squid. I caught the one pictured on squid, but most of the bites that day came on smelt. Herring and crappie are also used as bait for sturgeon this size.
When targeting the big monsters for fun (catch and release), we have used whole american shad. I've heard of other folks using things like large salmon heads and even whole chickens as bait for the bigger ones.
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WOW!
This was the first time I learned there is such a thing as sturgeon fishing. It is very interesting. Congratulations!
Joe
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Great report and pics, thanks Bob.
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This must go on the "bucket list"....
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Question...
I see many aluminum hull boats (than Fiber Glass) in Alaska and other cold places There must be some reasons??? Just curious.
joe
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ComeOnFish wrote:
Question...
I see many aluminum hull boats (than Fiber Glass) in Alaska and other cold places There must be some reasons??? Just curious.
joe
ROCKS!
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don't those boats have a really shallow draft too? I wanna say that most I've seen on tv are jets also?
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Aluminum boats are very common out here and Curly is correct, it's not about cold. Fiberglass does not handle dents in it as well as aluminum does. Some have "deep V" hulls for a better ride in choppy water on the big river and some are designed with shallow draft for fishing in the smaller tributary rivers that have salmon and steelhead runs... those commonly have jet drives and are called "jet sleds".
Now about the "cold" comment... I'll have you know that the winters here at lower elevations along the Columbia River, west of the Cascade Mountains, are actually warmer than back there in northern Virginia (but our summers are cooler). I've only had one dusting of snow here and rarely have temps below freezing during the daytime. Here's a comparison:
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