Mid-winter Portland Sturgeon Intel

Z,

This was in the Lower Willamette (note the potential superfund site in the background).  No jumpers, I think they tend to do that in shallower water.  We were fishing a hole where the river went form 50 ft down to 90 ft or so.

Anyway, this are is primarily a nursery and the shaker to keeper ratio is something like 10:1.  The smelt are starting to run in the Columbia so sturgeon fishing there should pick up and the chance of a legal is much better.  Let me know when you want to give it a shot and I'll try and figure out a launch/fishing area.

I haven't taken any photos of my anchor system yet, but here is the extension cord reel I'm using.  I have 300 ft of 3/16 braided nylon on it and I think it will probably hold 400'. Because it's a reel it allows you to drop and raise the anchor fairly quickly.

Brian

I like the anchor reel! 

What do you do with it after you've deployed?

I've gotten an anchor, installed the quick release stern line but I was waiting to see what y'all came up with before buying the anchor line and rigging it.  Where did you find a 300' length of anchor rope?

My set up is pretty much like this one by FishShim of NCKA except for the cable reel I used and my choice to add an anchor chain.


Oh another difference with mine.. I think my bow line configuration is probably safer than FishShim's stern line in the Willamette.  We saw a lot of large pieces of wood coming down stream and unlike power boats they really don't make much warning noise.  I was glad to face up river so I could seem them coming.  A stern line however would have been much nicer to fish with because it would allow your line to stay in front of you and you wouldn't have to worry about the anchor line in front of you.  I'm choosing safety over convenience.



As for the 300 ft of line.  I probably could have ordered a whole spool somewhere online, but I bought 3 x 100 ft bags of line (3/16" braided nylon) at Joe's for about $7 each.  I tied them together to make one long line.  I'm not too worried about the knots. If anything, I figure they provide a weak link in case I find myself unable to retrieve the anchor from the bottom.  Better to break off deep, then to cut the line near the surface and create a possible hazard to navigation.  Anyway, the knots also work as 100 ft line markers.  I used a sharpie to mark out 50 ft sections in the second and third hundred feet and 10 ft sections in the first 100 ft to use as a rough sounding line.

When I get on station, I detach the reel from the buoy, drop the anchor and let the line spin off the reel pretty quickly.  When I hit bottom I figure out the depth (a fish finder eliminates this stop, but they don't always function right), then I feed out enough line for a 3:1 or 4:1 scope depending on current.  I then reattach the reel to the buoy line such that the line can no longer spin (photo later) and toss the reel and buoy into the water attached to the quick release bow line.  Being made of plastic it doesn't weigh the buoy down but does cause some minor drag.

Anyway, to pull up the anchor, I paddle upstream first until the anchor tightens again, detach the reel from the buoy line and start reeling as I float back down.  Once I get above the anchor with the line straight down I give it a tug and reel the anchor up.  Works pretty well, and I can deploy and pull anchor pretty quickly.

I must add though that the current really wasn't that bad on Sunday, so I'm not sure how good of a test this really was.  I could always get slightly thinner line, a bigger buoy, and a heavier anchor if need be.

Brian

Great info.!

I was thinking of running two camcleats, one for bow and one for stern.  Man, my simple little toy boat is starting to look like Frankenstein.  Where will the madness end?

It was a pleasure fishing and playing "guide" with you guys yesterday! (read: I got skunked and took pictures)
I’m glad to put y’all on my "secret" hole that you could never have found on your own. That's assuming you did not see those thousand boats parked in it from the interstate or that neon sign that said
 Toyota Hole This Way -->   
Now if I can find the dang cable for my camera, I'll post some pics of you guys. 

Both Brian and Roy's deep water anchoring systems worked great for the conditions. Mine worked too, but was a bit too cumbersome. I think Brian’s cord reel worked best and Roy did great especially for his first time out in big moving water. So I guess that makes him Deep Roy?
(sorry bad pun, besides CBY is waay too tall ) 
Roy got the big numbers for the day and Brian got the big fish. I caught somebodies lost 16 oz lead and 9/0 hook.  
Roy; I'm glad you made it home ok and your camera survived the dunking and got some bigger fish to the boat! Way to go! I really enjoyed fishing with you guys and it was great to be back in the PNW. Florida’s warm weather is nice, but this place is gorgeous
(even the superfund sites).

NICELY DONE!!!

Check out the front page teaser article.

-Allen

NICELY DONE!!!

Check out the front page teaser article.

-Allen

Cool, Thanks Allen.

I forgot to mention the question of the day from the gas guzzlers as we were anchoring right next to them was:
 
"what are you guys fishing for?" 

I should have said Marlin or GWS with as straight as face as possible..

I forgot to mention the question of the day from the gas guzzlers as we were anchoring right next to them was:
 
"what are you guys fishing for?" 

Doesn't it crack you up how PB'rs somehow figure since you're on a yak you can't bring in big fish. I had a PB'er say to me he wanted to see me hook up w/ a 20# Chinook.. (like I couldn't handle it) I answered that would be too small, I want a 40#'r. He and his buddy cruized on passed scratching their heads wondering if I was messing w/ 'em or serious.

Z

As promised some photos of my anchor system.

Nice one B. I wanna get down there and fish w/ the OR boyz sometime soon. Anyone down to try for some more dino action?

Z

Nice one B. I wanna get down there and fish w/ the OR boyz sometime soon. Anyone down to try for some more dino action?

Z

Barring any conflicts with my kid's schedules, I'd be game for a little dinosaur hunting.

Sure now people want to fish with me.

I have a few things coming up in March so I'll have to figure out my schedule, but I'm willing to keep trying until I get a legal one.

A couple things to consider..
1.) Strugeon retention is Thu-Sun, but you are allowed to C&R Mon-Wed if you wish.  I'm not sure what the nuances of AOTY rules are concerning whether only a Thu-Sun sturgeon counts for points or not.

2.) The next two coming weekends there are huge sturgeon tournaments here in Portland. 
March 1st.  Joe's Sporting Goods sponsers a benefit tourney
http://www.joessports.com/corp/index.jsp?page=event&eid=7500020023
March 8th... Aramark Sturgeon Derby
Maybe next year we can get a team together to fish one of these events. 

Brian

I did catch a fish, i swear..Wali, did you lose your camera cord?

I wanna fish for Sturgeon again like yesterday.. Tillie or Umpqua..?

sounds like a good idea on the tournament.

I ordered a 3.5 pound collapsible anchor, got 300 feet of 3/16ths braided and found one of those winders like you got brian..Found it at True Value. Now. A note on the winder, the one i got has little nubs in the groove where the handle rides and kinda grabs a little , i trimmed and sanded the groove and put just a bit of light grease in there and it spins nice.

Sure now people want to fish with me.
Brian

  Wanted to see if your fish mojo followed you to OR.

Z

Okay my rough schedule for March..

I'm not available/around the 10th-15th and the 22nd-29th.

I'm currently planning to do some fishing with Alkasazi and his son sometime during that in between period between of March 16th and 21st.  I was thinking Walleye in the Columbia one of those days, but don't see why I can't fish for Sturgeon during that week as well.

Anyway, with a little advance notice I can do either weekday and weekends.

Brian