Fri.Sat. 02/13-14 Winchester/Florence Sturgeon

There is a lot of talk recently how the sturgeon bite in Tillamook Bay is almost absent this winter.  I wonder if all the coastal sturgeon are off doing other things this winter.

Brian

we have had so little rain so far this winter, do you think that may have someting to do with it?

Zac's friends caught a couple keepers, not sure what day, up the river from where we were about a half mile, so they are in there.

"There is a lot of talk recently how the sturgeon bite in Tillamook Bay is almost absent this winter." 

Brian.. Where is this "talk" coming from?  I no longer visit "Cry Fish" so I miss out on a lot of good "talk" 

I'm wondering because my neighbor at the coast has been doing well in T-bay.. and I was planning to give it a shot next time I am there.

This weeks "Guide Forecast" Northwest Coast section...

Sturgeon anglers continue to question where the estuary population has disappeared to. Quality tides yielded poor results over the weekend and crabbing was dismal despite high effort.

I thought I had seem something on Ifish as well, but I can't find it.  Glad to hear I might be wrong.

This was posted by a Sturgeon guide on his site: You need to get out there B...

Sturgeon fishing:  Sturgeon action in the lower Willamette was good for some and not so good for others over the weekend. The key is finding a bunch of fish on the electronics and then being able to get them to bite. Sturgeon fisherman fishing in the popular well known holes found that one boat was just nailing them and other boats right next to them couldn't get a bite. The reason for this is the boat that was nailing them paid careful attention to what the depth finder was telling them and new how to read it. In these cold water conditions with the low flows the fish will ball up in very tight schools. Those fishing right on top of these tightly balled schools of fish caught fish, those that weren't fishing on top of the fish didn't catch fish. This last weekend was one of the times being in the well known popular sturgeon holes was the best plan, the Toyota, Office (don't know where that came from - it has been called Shenanigans forever) and other well known spots produced better than other upriver locations. The key even in these big well known spots is to look over the area good with the electronics finding where the concentrations of fish are stacked. Some times you will find them at the head of a hole sometimes they will be at the tail end of the hole, sometimes they will be in the middle or off to the edges. Find them first then make sure you are fishing in the middle of them after you drop your anchor - if not pull your anchor and drop it again until you are in the exact spot. Close enough is not good enough as I have always said, you have to be fishing in the fish. If you think you cant see sturgeon on your fish finder maybe you need to get a new one or learn how to use your unit better because if you don't see them they are not there and since they are not where you are fishing you most likely aren't going to catch many. Fortunately for me most people don't use the electronics and continue to go to favorite spots devoid of fish - leaves me more productive water to fish. Best baits again all over the map - once you find biters they bite everything. Lots of big fish in the river this year with above normal numbers of oversized fish being caught. February is a great month for good numbers of keepers and has always been on of my best months

the old timer that lives near us has had the usual success this year. He does have "the touch" and seems to be in the fish no matter what.  I hope the forecast is wrong as estuary sturgeon are some of the better eating gators in my opinion.

the old timer that lives near us has had the usual success this year. He does have "the touch" and seems to be in the fish no matter what.  I hope the forecast is wrong as estuary sturgeon are some of the better eating gators in my opinion.

I hope so too, don't want to have to drive up to Portland to catch sturgeon this year. Wouldn't mind checking that Long Tom area though...

Wouldn't mind checking that Long Tom area though...

Roy, let me know when you want to do that. Need to be real careful during high water on the upper Willamette. It can be alot faster than it looks. Anyone know about the best time to fish for dinos above the falls?

Quote from: Pisco Sicko on February 13, 2009, 09:14:41 AM
Quote
You're not going out on the Ocean and the wind is light... so what's the deal with worrying about a little light rain and above freezing temperatures?

I was wondering about this, too??!

Apparently, those South Coasties are a sensitive bunch, and spoiled by their temperate climate. whip2

I'm gonna have to ask you guys to publicly retract those statements!!.... We went fishing, and We froze our bal... err, our butt's off !!....... Wink Wink

 

Never!!

A bunch of went out on Saturday, in the Puget Sound country. Colder air temps and colder water temps. I still wore my Hawaiian shirt...

No fish, but my daughter did manage to chum up some seagulls...

Caught a nice picture of a heron. I wonder if he did any better than we did?