White Sturgeon on the Columbia River, Oregon: 7/8/16-7/9/16

[JDTuna]

Having successfully crossed alligator gar off the list, I had one other trip planned to fish for a species I had wanted to catch for many, many years: white sturgeon. I decided 2016 was going to be the year, and I went ahead and booked a trip to fish for sturgeon on the Columbia River in Oregon on July 8 and 9.

July 8:

I met the guide at the Dalles, Oregon boat launch early and we got ready to head out in sunny, calm conditions. As i hopped on the boat, he remarked "its just you," and laughed. I knew then i was probably going to be in for a beating.

We ran downstream a couple of miles from the launch and got ready to set up at the first spot. The bait was whole, fresh American shad that had been caught downstream. Shad are not native to the area. Ironically, the shad that had been introduced years ago to the Columbia River were from the Delaware. The rig was really unique, with a single barb less hook to aid release.



The gear was an Avet 30 filled with 100lb braid paired with a specially-made sturgeon rod. White sturgeon are tightly regulated in the area and while there is a very short season where you can keep small sturgeon (<54"), thankfully, large sturgeon are catch and release only. Good management can be credited for the healthy sturgeon populations in the river.

As we approached the spot, I dropped the bait down to the bottom in 200 feet of water. We set up on the anchor, and I put the rod in the holder, awaiting the bumps that would signal a sturgeon bite. As he had said earlier, it wasn't long. Within 5 minutes the tip started bouncing and I slowly picked up the rod. Once we were sure the fish had the bait, I set the hook hard. The fish responded by peeling line off the reel under 18 to 20lbs of drag. Once we settled in to the fight, it became a vertical battle as I worked to winch the fish up from 200ft as it ran and bulldogging to the bottom. By far, the hardest fighting fish I had been connected to in freshwater. After a short fight, the fish emerged from the depths of the river. When they get close to the boat, they turn over and can be easily handled by grabbing the bottom jaw. "Smaller than average, about 7ft and 175lbs," the guide said. After a few pics, the fish swam strongly into the depths with a few swipes of his massive tail.



We set back up, and within 10 minutes the rod tip started bouncing again. Over the next hour and a half, I released 4 more fish from this spot ranging from 7 to a little over 8ft (around 175 to 320lbs), and pulled the hook on one or two. We never waited longer than 15min for a bite. Since this spot was in close proximity to a small beach where I could get in the water for some pictures, I opted to do so before we headed to the next spot.







We headed upriver to the next spot, and set up in about 50 feet of water. Right off the bat we were getting hits from small fish, and i quickly released a 3ft and a 4ft fish. Then, I got the bite I was waiting for. The rod tip bounced hard, and I picked up the rod. After letting the fish eat, I set the hook hard and the sturgeon took off peeling drag. The line angled upward, and the massive fish jumped about 100 yards from the boat. The fish alternated between peeling drag and bulldogging for the bottom. The guide handled the boat flawlessly, and I slowly worked the fish to the surface. Finally, I saw the beast appear a few feet below the surface. He got a hold of the lower jaw and the fight was over. This sturgeon was massive, and the guide estimated the fish to be just over 11 feet and about 800lbs. In all likelihood, this fish was over 80 years old. After a few pictures, she was released and swam away strongly. It was a great feeling to watch this old fish swim away to continue to prowl the riverbed.





Thoroughly beaten up with another day to fish, I decided to call it a successful day and head in.

July 9:

The day started out sunny with no wind; however, the guide mentioned there was a west wind in the forecast, which was likely going to build a chop on the river (west wind vs. east current). We set up in the same spot we started the previous day, and within minutes there was a hard thump on the rod. I set the hook and it was clear this was a good fish. Unfortunately, the fish ran into some discarded rope and popped the braid. We reset, and the wind increased and the chop began to build quickly. It didnt seem to bother the fish, and I was hooked up again in no time. It was a good one, around 9 feet and 400lbs. With the building wind, this was the last shot to take pictures at the beach.



We gave the area a little while longer and I released a 7 footer before we moved up river.

The wind was steady as I dropped the bait at the next spot. Even with the wind, I hooked up quick on another nice fish. For the second time on the trip, the huge fish headed right for the surface and exploded from the water. This was a big, very fat fish that was estimated at 10 feet and 600lbs. At this size, this fish was likely at least 70 years old.



The wind continued to make things difficult, and the bites began to slow. We stuck it out since it was my last day and I ended up releasing another 9 foot and 10 foot fish, estimated at 400 and 500lbs respectively.



It was an unbelievable trip catching dinosaurs on the beautiful Columbia River. I had the pleasure of fishing with a very knowledgable guide who was a phenomenal fisherman and truly knew the river. Total tally was 13 white sturgeon, with 11 between 175lbs and 800lbs. I know this won't be my last trip white sturgeon fishing!