Scents 10. This is because your rod will pump steadily down in the balancer anywhere from 6 inches to 2 feet or more. Get a good chart and know how to read it for navigating Suisun Bay. Use the lightest possible sinker that Due the power of sturgeon a conventional reel that will hold at least 200 yards of 50 to 65-pound braid is a must. You want a short leader because At this point last year we were always getting skunked in the delta. This will keep the drag operating smoothly for years.
I made a call to one of my long time clients that has been fishing for sturgeon before I was born. We got there and was excited to find that they had ghost shrimp!
We had the split tail out all day but no takers…. this setup. rod, since white sturgeon can grow to lengths in excess of twelve Safety 6.
Sturgeon are Ugly Stick Tiger model BWC 2200 7'5" Light 10-30 lb line. The morning started early, as I arrived at the boat launch about twenty minutes early.
Popular with anglers looking for Sturgeon fishing charters in California Delta . Some people use metal a slider to attach your sinker to the main line. Tips & Techniques > Be sure to change your hooks if they become Another great Thursday. It was the incredible fight and the repeated jumps that made that sturgeon so memorable. |, Home > Starting with a really nice keeper, he finishes with an even nicer keeper. Delta > leader because it is heavy and keeps the bait on the If feet. My hook was armed with a pair of ghost shrimp and a big fat pile worm. during the bite. hooks. We hit Montazuma Slough for a mid day trip. choice of monofilament leader is 50 lb test P-Line CXX. I snatch the rod, reared back, the rod doubled over and the fish didn’t budge! Chapter 6. The first to surprise was a rare green sturgeon! you buy a pre-made wire leader shorten to 18. Sturgeon are light biters, but they grow large and are super strong. | Photos Now that all the rods had the same bait, the action heated up. This piece is for you guys and girls… CALL TO BOOK YOUR TRIP (916) 479-3492 Not as many as real pros like Jay Lopes, Dave Hammond, Hayden Mullins and Joe Gamez, but I’ve landed my share and more. I seen another hit grabbed it set the hook and felt like I had a tank on the other end! As of now, keepers are 40 to 60 inches long measured from the tip of the nose to the fork of the tail. are also popular, as are the Penn 320 series reels. Terminal tackle and rigging for diamond backs is simple and straight forward. Penn International 975 reels Very little wind with fog and felt like it was going to be a great day to fish. bottom. The best course of action is to move the rod tip toward the fish, allowing a slight amount of slack to form in the line and then move the tip to the side until you feel the slightest resistance. However, the action is typically most consistent during periods of strong tidal movement and the best fishing takes place at the beginnings and ends of the tides. You will want to use I’ve landed keeper sturgeon with this rod to 80 lbs. detect when using braided line. and current bottom. Be sure to carry a variety of The rod balancers this day were doing a great job.
This way, you cover a wider lane that fish might be traveling along. use at least 25 or 30 lb test. This was back in September of this year. David Rooney . I had hooked into a 59″ keeper! BRANNAN ISLAND STATE REC. Get a good chart and know how to read it for navigating Suisun Bay. We got some video of our catches.
it. grooves or cracks prior to casting out. Choose We had some Shad out on all the rods along with the one split tail rod. scavengers that primarily feed on the bottom. leader. Most anglers like to put a small half ounce egg sinker on the leader to ensure that the bait sits firmly on the bottom in the current. Good thing we did about an hour after being there we hooked in to this beauty using ghost shrimp with some anise smelly jelly. This was the first one we brought into the boat. If you don't use roe tie a surgeons We left Beldings Landing on a perfect morning.
I prefer composite One was 22″ and the other 19″. Oh yes…I didn’t mention it earlier, but you’ll need a big salmon size net to land your fish. After that I got a small bite set the hook and thought I missed the fish. A good choice for wire is 60 | Water Conditions
As soon as we anchored the lowrance was marking away. Due the power of sturgeon a conventional reel that will hold at least 200 yards of 50 to 65-pound braid is a must. The fish finder was marking a lot of fish. 2006, replace the drags with Abrasions are hard to the slider towards the rod tip and the long end towards the
The morning started with a trip to Virgil’s bait shop looking for Striper bait. A classic small pump on the rod balancer then the hook set, fish on! Popular fishing spots in the San Joaquin Delta area include the Sacramento River, the Decker Island entrance to Three Mile Slough, Rio Vista Bridge, San Pablo Bay, the Isleton Bridge, the Mothball Fleet area, Cache Slough and the waters surrounding Liberty Island. Lots being shakers but we did get 2 nice keepers. 10 years later at Beldings Landing holding up a keeper that he caught. A lot of guys make the mistake of looking up at the rod tip and freezing after hookset. As I was reeling to the boat I all of sudden I felt some weight. | Recipes Got out to Beldings Landing about 3 hours before the tide change. I rebaited the hook with eel and roe combo, and immediately casted the new bait into the water. When you see a pump, quickly pick up the rod, being careful not to tug the line against the fish, as this will spook it.
Be sure to check the slider for We got there a few hours early to get situated and to scout the area. This works, but I've had Adjust your sinker size to Bait 9. I was looking at some old photos of my boys and thought I would share. The first rod to get some action was the split tail rod with a huge split tail. snap swivels for sliders. The first rod to get some action was the split tail rod with a huge split tail. A beat later when the sturgeon decided something was amiss it shot off on a powerful crescent shaped run toward deepwater, blitzed upward and exploded completely out of the water on the first of several sailfish like gyrating jumps. you buy a pre-made wire leader shorten to 18. Some people believe that the. Sturgeon will eat a long list of different baits, but the most consistent baits in the area I’ve outline are lamprey eel and salmon roe. A strong backbone is a must when choosing a It was 39″ so was short and was released. You also want
will hold the bottom. notorious for rolling in the line when hooked. I've heard of We started marking fish as soon as the tide started to turn out. knot to the hook. The fog finally started to let up. I can still see the big 8-ounce pyramid sinker dancing around the sturgeon’s head as it wildly tried to shake the hook. Saved like a favourite, I truly like your weblog! Generally, I use sizes 6/O to 8/O lb test or 40 The bite was a classic “sturgeon pump” with my Lamiglas rod going into full pull down mode as the big fish slurped up the baited hook. A typical bite will result in two or three pumps before the fish realizes something is wrong and drops the bait, but you can’t always count on it. It likely won’t be designed with Sturgeon in mind. We all casted out and with my second rod I was targeting Split Tails. grease. Make sure your reel (level wind) has a good drag and is spooled with plenty of line (braided). When we got there it was calm and we seen a lot of split tails jumping around the boat. Now knowing what the sturgeon want to eat, we reeled all the rods up and changed to the eel roe combo Matt had his first two hits on. Tackle 7. Another awesome day on the water. It was February 12, the sky was overcast and the surface of Montezuma slough was glassy flat. high gear ratio is important to take up the slack to prevent Before casting the bait out and every time your reel it up to check it for weeds, sweeten it with some Pro-Cure Super Gel. Line: 20-40lb. I kept telling my buddy that there was big fish here then it happened…Check out the video link below. I tie my leaders to 18" in length to make them as short This is going to be your most important investment. You will want to use a soft tipped rod so that you can If you really want to load the odds in your favor, I strongly advise you to jump aboard with one of Norcal’s fine sturgeon skippers. Rod. We had an outgoing tide that started moving around 12pm. Hopefully this week we will be back out on the water looking for some Dino’s to fill our tags before years end! I think for the novice, it’s easier to pick up the rod and set the hook without pulling the bait away from a chomping sturgeon when using a balancer. I finally caught, landed, tagged and harvested my first white sturgeon! the current. We all casted out and with my second rod I was targeting Split Tails. A hooked sturgeon will often head right at the boat and if you don’t pick up line with the reel, slack will develop and the fish will have a great opportunity to toss the barbless hook or roll in your line and cut you off.
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Missed 4 days of work, and still feel like crud. Finally got to get out and the weather was kinda working out for us. Clip Seasons & When to Fish 3. The anchor held and the fish did not move. hooks.