Sturgeon in the Columbia

Wish me luck.  I leave tomorrow morning for a couple of days of sturgeon fishing near Astoria.  Hoping to get one each day to fill the rev quota for the year.  So sad... last year for retention.

Wish me luck.  I leave tomorrow morning for a couple of days of sturgeon fishing near Astoria.  Hoping to get one each day to fill the rev quota for the year.  So sad... last year for retention.

How did I miss this? They're permantly shutting down the Columbia for retention?

yep - went from 5 last year to 2 this year to 0 next year.  That is my understanding... I would love to be wrong, but I don't believe I am.  I actually read it somewhere.

This is in the 13-14 regs...

Sturgeon fishing 2014
Effective January 1, 2014: catch-and-release
fishing ONLY in the Columbia River from
Bonneville Dam downstream, coastal, and
Puget Sound waters including their tributaries

Wish me luck.  I leave tomorrow morning for a couple of days of sturgeon fishing near Astoria.  Hoping to get one each day to fill the rev quota for the year.  So sad... last year for retention.

How did I miss this? They're permantly shutting down the Columbia for retention?

I know its a good thing. I'd rather it be C&R than over fish such a wonderful species. It still sucks though. :/
I also think the poaching penalty should be much steeper. I heard some crazy stat from a fish and game warden that just as may sturgeon are taken illegally as are taken legally every year.

Sitting on the Columbia waiting for my sturgeon. Here fishy, fishy, fishy.

I forgot about the waiting being boring.

good luck

Being bored fishing isnt possible! I'd rather be bored on my kayak than bored at work. Good luck!

Wind chased me off the water. Hoping it will calm down and I can head back out.

Good luck.

No fish today. Maybe tomorrow.

No sturgeon love... lots and lots and lots and lots of wind.  When I gave up to come in... the wind was behind me, the current against me.  I was doing 3.5mph with just the wind driving me... Johnny no like.

Too bad. Where you fishing? Are you picking up any shakers?

I got nothing, not even shakers. I suppose I could have had some bites but it was always so darn bumpy. I was fishing out of knappton down to the derelict boat. I was chased off the water 3 times today. When I left knappton I went over to deep river and paddled out to rocky point hoping the water would lay down. It never did.