Napa River Sturgeon

I thought so!  I could barely lift that thing up!  Felt like a hundred to me.  THANKS

Wonderful fish MadMax, Congratulations!!!!!

The weekend before last a friend and I launched from cuttings warf road to target stripers.  As we were unloading the yacks we saw a big sturgeon jump about 30 feet from the dock.  About 5 minutes later a guy fishing for stripers from the dock pole bends double and line is screaming off.  My friend and I look at each other thinking "no way has he hooked a sturgeon on cut anchove".  About 10 minutes and a lot of nice runs later he brings in a 51" sturgeon.

I had one really nice bite but didn't hook it.  We plan to go back out this week with shrimp this time and target them. 

Hey Max... that is a great fish!  The biggest legal kayak sturgeon this year I believe.

I don't want to take anything away from your awesome catch... but I'd double check any scale that weighed a 64 inch fish at over 100 pounds.  That would be dramatically outside the norm.  Generally 60ish pounds is the right neighborhood for a 64 inch fish... A fish that length would have to be an absolute football to weigh 100 lbs, and even at that I think it would be a stretch.  As a point of comparsion, Josh's 65 incher from 2005 weighed 60 pounds. Generally they need to be up around the 72+ inch range to hit the 100 lb mark.

Like I said... GREAT fish... you were due for a big payday... you've definitely been putting in the time!

EK

Hey Max and Co,

  Great catch again,  Thinking of trying this area tomarrow for sturgeon and stripers,

 can you get there from hwy 29?, still trying to figure this area out...

  Have you tried up Steamboat slough for stripers????

  Saw a post on coastside, but that was most likey for the delta " Steamboat " slough..

  Henring Injected Ghost shrimp?.....Danglin

The Cuttings Wharf exit is off of Highway 121 going East, just before where 121 goes into Highway 29.  Go down river after the launch, about 1/2 mile to the RR trestle.  I was fishing about 150-200 yds up river from the RR trestle, fish in the channel, but closer to the Eastern shore.  You should be able to mark a hole there.



I haven't tried the Steamboat Slough area for stripers, but Pondsurf is the expert on this area.  I'll forward him your request.  He grew up fishing this area and speaks Striper. 

Eric, you're right.  I remembered the 100 lb mark being a maximum fish, but that was under the old law of 72".   The head, fins, guts weighed 30 lbs.  I've yielded 30% of filleted fish vs overall weight, but there's more waste that way.  I skinned this one and steaked it out.

OH...and the herring oil injected Ghost Shrimp.  Danglin, get the needle attachment for the bottle of Pro Cure Professional grade Herring oil.  It replaces the regular cap which only has a nozzle on it to goop the oil on top of the shrimp.  Inject the shrimp like you would a chicken or turkey, stick the needle under the carapice and squeeze some oil in it, as well as under a couple of shell segments of the tail from the top of the shrimp.  I squeeze some on the outside too.  Seems to make a difference.  I do this even though it kills the shrimp. 

Thanks for the follow up.........Looks a little " not happening" shrimp wise, I guess frank and I are going with the big baits of anchovie/pileworm cocktail......let ya all know.........Danglin

That is a Fatty  GOOD job Bra !!

Nice!! Been thinking of trying for the linesides out there for a while. Just haven't gotten out there. I've duckhunted there in the past, but never tried fishing it.

That fish is definitely "beyond the thunderdrome". WTG

scott