Sturgeon heartbreak

[ryanonthevedder]

Lost a huge bloody fish in the Fraser today. We fought it hard for over an hour and it was still taking screaming runs. Chased it all over in the boat but we never really had the upper hand. No jumps, just head shakes, runs and sulking. We’ve caught a fair few 8 to 10 footers over the years but this one out fought them all. He found a submerged log in 20 feet of water and took another hard run as we helplessly tried to untangle. What a fish!

[steel_ram]

Sounds like you had your fun with it. That's why we call it "fishing", not "catching."

[dmaxtech]

Those ones make the best memories as there is so much you don't know and the imagination can build on that. I bet it was 12'+. Have seen a few of them roll beside the boat for a peek. Just makes you shit your pants knowing that stuff that big is swimming in the river.

[weatherby_man]

Oh man, exciting but disappointing eh. Go get him again!

[ryanonthevedder]

Those ones make the best memories as there is so much you don't know and the imagination can build on that. I bet it was 12'+. Have seen a few of them roll beside the boat for a peek. Just makes you shit your pants knowing that stuff that big is swimming in the river.

I am sure that if we had got him to the beach it would have been a new family record. It was so unusual on account of its stamina. Even the 8 footer we caught last year gave up after 40 min or so. We had another one pull the same trick today with the same result in a different spot. *******s.

[twoSevenO]

Could be foul hooked? Did you see it roll?

Back in 2006 we hooked an 8 footer in the front pectoral fin and fought it for over 2 hours. Also couldnt see it. Also thought we had a 12 footer. It was nuts.

We passed the rod around like 50 times as any one guy could only last a few minutes. It was intense.

In the end we finally got it up to the surface and realized it was hooked in the pectoral fit and unhooked it quickly to try and save the fish.

We must have set the hook JUST as he had spat the bait back out. Cant think of any other way how we would have managed to get him in the pectoral.

[ryanonthevedder]

Could be foul hooked? Did you see it roll?

Back in 2006 we hooked an 8 footer in the front pectoral fin and fought it for over 2 hours. Also couldnt see it. Also thought we had a 12 footer. It was nuts.

We passed the rod around like 50 times as any one guy could only last a few minutes. It was intense.

In the end we finally got it up to the surface and realized it was hooked in the pectoral fit and unhooked it quickly to try and save the fish.

We must have set the hook JUST as he had spat the bait back out. Cant think of any other way how we would have managed to get him in the pectoral.

Good thought... it’s always possible but we were using a circle hook so I think it’s unlikely. The hook was buried pretty well into some filleting leftovers which sat on the bottom for about a minute before I set the hook on him. Lots of head shakes before I passed him off to run the boat. I would lean towards fair hooked but you raise a good point.

[tubby]

When sturgeon get full they will lay on the bait...thats why you foul some when the river is full of food

[Leaseman]

When sturgeon get full they will lay on the bait...thats why you foul some when the river is full of food

This is true....but the action on your rod is very much different that that of a sturgeon strike!

[ForestWalker10]

i bet its dead now after that struggle.

[northernbc]

I bet your wrong

[ajr5406]

i bet its dead now after that struggle.


I doubt it.

[ryanonthevedder]

i bet its dead now after that struggle.

Lol, likely not. Sturgeon are one of the toughest fish in the sea imo. They get a better shit kicking than I could ever give every spring during high water.

[tinhorse]

My buddy is a guide and he said they have caught some sturgeon that have been reported being caught 5 times before. I bet some even more. Unlike salmon in fresh water sturgeon are feeding and can recover with a bit of rest and food and decent water temps if caught and handled properly.