Oversized Strugeon from the Kayak

 I've been trying to get somebody to go chase the BIG girls with me for the last 5 years. Sounds like a great headline "Kayaker disappears like a bobber while hooked to Herman"   
  But other than requiring a skilled (slightly psychotic) crew, it should be quite doable. My concern is for the fish though. Once hooked up, you'd get drug (sic) around till she got tired. Bad enough the 40 minute to hour long battles they endure tied to convention boats. But to a yak, you have no leverage and there is no way to "rush" the fight. I've caught a couple oversized in sleds and it would be hellaciously fun in a yak, but those are ancient fishes and it'd be a shame to kill one.
What do y'all think?

Wali,

When are you back in town.  I guess oversize season is during the summer near Bonneville Dam.  I guess I'm more worried about the current out there than the large fish.  If Allen et al can wrangle salmon sharks from a kayak I'm sure an oversized sturgeon is possible too.

As for the sturgeon suffering.  At least the river is fairly cold and the species generally hearty.  I think they'll be fine.

Brian

I've always thought I'd try it on the Fraser before the Columbia.

-Allen

I think I've just been waiting for an unintentional over sized sturgeon to find my line before actually trying to target them.

If Allen et al can wrangle salmon sharks from a kayak I'm sure an oversized sturgeon is possible too.

As for the sturgeon suffering.  At least the river is fairly cold and the species generally hearty.  I think they'll be fine.

Brian

Yeah, but Allen was eating them. Oversized are strictly catch and release for those tuning in and didn't know.
I've read that they don't spawn when stressed and dragging around a big kayak can be stressful (ask anybody in a big game   ) But you are the fish Dr. and I defer to your superior knowledge.

I'm in PDX New Year's to  1/4/09   I PM'd jself and I'd love to go look for keepers in that time. You in town?

Hey, we let 2 of those sharks go!!!

Hmmm ... Wali ... I'll do what I can to be there when you're there.  I'll let you snare my oversized ... 

-Allen

Yep, I'll be in town then.  It's not exactly oversized sturgeon fishing time, but we should be able to find some sturgeon to fish for.

BTW, starting Jan 1st, the sturgeon size limit for legal fish are going to be based on fork length with a new slot limit 38" - 54" FL.

Brian

slightly psychotic crew..

Did someone call my name...  

Z

Hey, we let 2 of those sharks go!!!

Hmmm ... Wali ... I'll do what I can to be there when you're there.  I'll let you snare my oversized ... 

-Allen

So how long was the fight with Jaws?

Snare!?! They roll over and you stick your hand (arm) into this long, snoot looking, mouth and get your hook (and bait) back. Don't think I'd want to tail them as that's the business end. Now try THAT with a salmon shark!

I'd be great to see you (before you try that with a salmon shark)

Fight time on the sharks was 1 hour.

-Allen

Bad mojo to mess with those old fish IMO. Landing them in a yak would take a lot of time. You can easily fight one for an hour or more with heavy gear out of a boat and still only be halfway to landing one.  I have caught quite a few in the past out of my sled and no longer fish for them can't bring myself to harass them for my entertainment any more.  Most of these fish are the egg producing females, wearing them down to zero can cause them to abort their eggs, leave them vulnerable to predation from sea lions,  or outright kill already stressed fish.  The funny thing is if you fish for sturgeon for any amount of time you will hook an oversized wether you like it or not (they are everywhere in the system).

Yeah PP, that's what I was thinking. A kayak seems like it would be worst than a sled as you'd have to really wear her out and we'd only be along for the ride.

Even Allen's Salmon sharks (which BTW are half the size of a lot of Sturgeon) could sound and there's a lot less sounding to do in the river.

Okay, I'm rescinding my "they'll be fine" comment.  I still think they'd be more likely to survive than a lot of other species out there.  Although, I suppose being too stressed out to spawn is almost as bad from an evolutionary perspective.

FFTW, I'm not sure what you mean by "sound".

Brian

FFTW, I'm not sure what you mean by "sound".

Brian

Go straight down. As in the part when Allen was most "uncomfortable" fishing and the time you could put a bit of pressure on them (Although getting the boat sideways works pretty good too)

I feel guilty with all fish

the smaller fish especially. I feel bad man handling trout.

It always makes me feel better when the fish is big and mean enough to take off a limb. Feels like more of a fair fight.

I think any time we step into a fish's life we stress them out, and ALL stress is bad and can lessen the chance of survival.

Lucky for them, I don't catch that many!

-Jason