Wow!!! Sturgeon season started.......

[Leaseman]

With a bang.....:mrgreen:

Newhunterette and her hubby, Peter the sturgeon wrangler, joined Nick and I to start this years season off!!!

We put in at Fort Langley and fought the fog for over half an hour before it thinned enought to get up on step and cover some ground.....:wink:.... felt good to be out on the water with people you always have a good time with!

By 9:00 we were anchored in what I thought was my favorite early spot..... a couple of soft "takes" with no fish made me wonder and we pulled anchor and moved a very short distance.....:tongue:

Four rods out, (this is for you Springer...:mrgreen:) not a cloud in the sky, no wind, down to sweaters as the sun starts heating the day..... my son Nick does the first hook set of the season....... and quickly passes it off to Peter (IIRC)........ "a bit of a sleeper" was said as the fish was a lump sitting on the bottom "doesn't know he is hooked yet" was mentioned!!

Suddenly the dino figured something wasn't right and away he ran, freight train comes to mind as a good discription! Then he did something that you don't see too often in the cold weather...... he jumped!! 3/4 of his body clear of the water, man, I never tire seeing these beasts do their acrobatics!!!

Long story short(er).... I believe it was close to 25-30 minutes before he tired and was at the side of the boat..... first fish officially landed and he was 7'7" and big girth......:mrgreen:

[elkdom]

I didnt see ANY fish jumping this morning,,,,,,,,,,,,:cry:

but then it is minus-29 Celsius, and the ICE is 40 inches thick on the lake here!:-?

[BiG Boar]

Something I have neve done. I would love to try this hunt one day.

[rburm]

hey Leaseman, always love the first fish of the season, and especially the first jump gets the heart pumping...feels good to be alive.


can't wait to get the boat out for the first trip.

[kodimack]

Nothing like fishing for a dinosaur, the 4 footers are fun and the 7foot + are awsome! There is something about catching a fish that you can hardly get your arms around the head .

[srupp]

$%@##@$$&^%&*$%*^%%&**(&%*&%()*^)^&&^&*%^%$#$^$##$#&$#&##^$^%#E^^**%^%$%^#^^#%^#%^*&*)^(%$^%#$^&^*%$%**$%&(^(^*(%%*)^)*&)&*&)(%(**(*)^*&%^^&$%&$$$&$&^%^*&*&^&^%$^#$^%#^&$(*^*)^&()^^%!!!!

#$!$##!@$#^%#$&^&&*$%$##@$#@@^@#%^^

!@###!@!#%!!!

#$!@#@^&@#&@#&$#%^#%^&**&(()^^&()$%#$%@


Thats wonderful new Mike, so glad you guys had such a good time..

its freezing up here and snowing...so gald you ladies and gentlemen are WARM..on the Fraser catching MONSTER dinos..


warm wonderful thoughts

Steven...:tongue:

[Island Redneck]

Congrats. Leaseman, sounds like a great first day out, nice day, big fish, good company, cant ask for anything more than that.

[Buck TraX]

Right on!! good to here of some eary success out there, i never fished them this early but what baits were they hitting stinkbaits, dewies or eulechons if you can disclose such info of course:mrgreen:

[srupp]

hmmmm so SAD to hear that Mr . Nick had to pass the rod to Peter to land....you stopped feeding Nick??Is he ill?? tired??:tongue::tongue:...Ill start with stocking the GERBER for Nicks bear hunt...:eek:..lol


Sounds like an AWESOME adventure as always...welll maybe a lot warmer this trip eh???

congrads to the 4 of you..well done BUD...

cheers

Srupp:tongue:

[Barracuda]

was that you parked just below queenship? water looked great yesterday , looking forward to the season.

[newhunterette]

OMGosh - my body feels like a freight train ran over me - those fish are so amazing

Mike, you always show people a great time, it was fun to finally watch you fight some fish rather than always being the guide. Nick was entertaining as usual, him and Peter sure have their comedy act together.

From the time the first fish was hooked we didn't have a minutes break to always get the rods back in the water before having to scramble again and again with the rods wiggling.

Bringing the first fish to the boat was incredible, so strong and healthy. I loved the last catch of the day as well, a double header between Nick and Peter and Mike sparing them off as needed. We had to drop anchor which was very interesting having the 2 fish fighting.

I will check out how well my video skills were as well as the photos and share a couple.

WHAT AN AMAZING DAY.

[Leaseman]

Sorry got distracted by a client.......... :tongue:

So to carry on..............

So with this first amazing fish done and photo'ed.... we re set the rods and sit back, basking in the sunshine and friendship........:wink:.... (again for you Phil!)

Within a couple of minutes we were into another fish.... and another, followed by a couple of double headers.... numbers building up and strength dropping.....

Now I know a few of you know Ali's husband Peter.... big strapping guy, hard working, lots of fun.... well we decided that we would break for a boat lunch/bbq at one....... 12:30 rolls around and again Nick hooks a nice fish..... anchor dropped and we have to chase this one as it screams down river...... 45+ minutes later we finally have it to the boat.... all 8'8" and a 46 inch girth......Pete and I are beat as we took turns fighting it! I believe this was number 9-10-11, not totally sure!!

Very tired campers we head back up and hook up with the buoy again. Nick sets up the bbq while Ali teases him about his cooking...... Pete casts out one rod, the groups agreement while we eat lunch and we sit back and relax with a beverage..... Pete has the rod beside him and can't see the tip so I tell him I was going to watch it..... with a minute or two the soft bite is happening...... I quietly give Pete crap.... told him he should have casted it out with no bait....:twisted:.... luckily it was just a small 3-4 footer........

Continue after lunch with a few more, day ends with Nick and Pete playing a double header 6-7' fish......

Pull anchor andhave the current carry us down river.... Ali and Nick snoozing while we have another beverage "on deck"......

What a great day on the water....:mrgreen:

End result was 16 fish boated with another 4-5 lost and dozens of hits missed........

So Mr. Srupp..... I know where to find them for the next few weeks.....:wink:

[srupp]

Wow! as always Mike its always a barrel of monkeys and the most fun you can have with your clothes on..

Sound like a normal BLAST with the Leasman..

Drs . appointment at 1 pm today..cleared for work?? then we can see if ya got room in your schedule....sounds like a plan..

cheers

Steven:mrgreen:

[Leaseman]

Wow! as always Mike its always a barrel of monkeys and the most fun you can have with your clothes on..

Sound like a normal BLAST with the Leasman..

Drs . appointment at 1 pm today..cleared for work?? then we can see if ya got room in your schedule....sounds like a plan..

cheers

Steven:mrgreen:

Remember the first time out and itold you how you would feel the next day.....?

Well, today is that day.... "the soap kept being dropped".....:mrgreen:

[srupp]

hmmmmm..... bummer..

Butt I hope you feel better..

cheers

elmer Fudd Ruppster

[warnniklz]

Kinda hi-jacking this thread but you sturgeon fishing guys and girls should check out Brad's Sturgeon leaders if you don't tie your own.

they come in

7/0 with 80lb braid (5 pack)
8/0 with 130lb braid (4 pack)
9/0 with 130lb braid (5 pack)

all in 30" lengths.

[Barracuda]

how are they any differnt then the $2.99 Mustad sturgeon rigs ?


Leaseman have you ever used Circle hooks?

[Leaseman]

how are they any differnt then the $2.99 Mustad sturgeon rigs ?


Leaseman have you ever used Circle hooks?

Had a few discussions on them....... I don't have the patience to wait for the fish to hook itself, that to me is part of the fun!! Talked to the guys who probably was one of the first to use them, but he has all the patience in the world.....:mrgreen:

As far as rigging goes, I tie my own and are partial to the 9/0 owner hooks, had a few 9/0 gamis straighten out on me! I also tie different lengths depending on the bait being used and usually use the 96# dacron leader material!

[Ride Red]

Had a few discussions on them....... I don't have the patience to wait for the fish to hook itself, that to me is part of the fun!! Talked to the guys who probably was one of the first to use them, but he has all the patience in the world.....:mrgreen:

As far as rigging goes, I tie my own and are partial to the 9/0 owner hooks, had a few 9/0 gamis straighten out on me! I also tie different lengths depending on the bait being used and usually use the 96# dacron leader material!

We use 9/0 gamis without any problems. I like to use dacron leader when the fish are fussy cause they don't feel it like mono. The biggest my boys and I have landed was 8'6". That was a 45 min. fight with very tired arms afterward. My absolute favorite time are dead calm nights on the Fraser with flat water. When the fish jump the whole world comes alive.

[yama49]

Any pics? great story, one day i ill have to try that adventure out. thx for sharing.

[Barracuda]

alot of the times we are holding the rods feeling for the nibbles. The anticipation is half the fun and that feeling you get on a solid hookset is is unforgetable:twisted:



I have some 2x strong ultra point#8 mustads im gonna try , I found sharpening the points from the get go to get them sticky sharp made a big differance in hookup also.

ive been makeing my own leaders with 80lb mono as i couldnt find spooled dacron over 50lb (I forgot to look at the show) so i picked up some premade 80lb dacron ones for 2.99 a pack wit # 7

i might rig up some circle hooks for fishing off the beach.

[doubled]

Awesome stuff Mike, you are one lucky fellow to be able to enjoy a fishery like that. Keep it up, love reading your Fraser adventures.

DD

[Good2bCanadian]

Just bought a sturgeon rod setup and am going April 9th on the fraser.
Can not wait.
Only been fishing for sturgeon once at the mouth of the salmon river in FT Langley a few years back. We caught a few 4.5 footers from shore. Unreal looking fish.