The Slimy Stugeon gettaway! March 3

Launched at Blackpoint at the Petaluma river after the giant storm we had last Thursday night. I pulled my good sport friend Max out there with me. Actually, it was in the calm after the storm. Nice paddling weather and great to be out. Fished for about two hours with no luck then Max started seeing a fish jumping in the distance. After the second jump (which I didn't see) I paddled out on faith to investigate. Sure enough about 5 min of anchoring a big splash just to my right. 10 mins later fish on!!! He swam right towards me and I had him to the yak in about a minute or two. Then he turned to find my anchor line. I yelled to Max for help and then the sturgie was to the boat. Got the noose around him good and cinched it down. I pulled him up to measure him and he was behaving like a well mannered child. Max tried to toss me his tape measure that he had purchased in a gumball machine (it probably had a 14" tape in it) but it fell to the drink. We took a couple of pictures(one of which wasn't blury). It was obvious he was as long as my 4' snare so I carefully took off the snare and was going to try to find my tape measure somewhere behind me. As soon as Mr Sturgie felt that noose off his belly he decided he missed his mama and threw a fit. I had him by the tail for a few seconds while he squirmed onto the front of Max's yak then I just couldn't hold his slimed body anymore and I let him go... ok...he shook me Max started laughing. I was in a daze of what just happend. I learned a valuable lesson to never loosen the noose until he dead  Oh well, I caugh another one about 30" 10 min later and then the wind kicked up and sent us in. Great Day! Won the battle but lost the war. Here is the picture. -Brent-

Great job Brent!  Too bad he squirmed on ya!  At least you got the photo.  That's a good area to fish this time of year, especially on a big incoming tide.  Glad you had some action!

Erik

Thanks Erik- It was a lot of fun. He cut my hands up pretty good too as I was trying to hold onto him.
Brent

Good job, Sorry to hear about the get away though, that can be very frustrating!
Jason

Thanks for the report, Pondsurf!

That's always a good back-up spot, when other areas of San Pablo get blown out.

Nice job Brent!  Glad to see you got out onto the water.

Hi, Brent

Where is the river and yak launching place? How was the current or mud situation?
The problem with San pablo is you have to watch tide table VERY closely. Otherwise, you would stuck in the mud for good. 

The area Pondsurf was fishing was out of the mouth of the Petaluma River.  Lauch is at Black Point in the Petaluma river where highway 37 crosses the river.  You paddle out the river and into the flats.

The flats are usually most productive on a sizeable incoming tide...  you paddle out at low tide and get yourself into a foot or two of water and fish until the water is 4 or 5 feet, then move up shallower and follow the fish. 

In this spot you have to know the tide and current and paddle back before the outgoing tide kicks up because the current in the river can get very strong on the outgo. 

I've seen fish caught throughout that area... from the river to the flats.  In fact last year in March when I fished that area, the guys fishing the dock at the boat landing had about the best luck of anyone.  Go figure. 

Erik

Thanks Erik, you're the man! I couldn't say it better than the MASTER! It does get roaring on the outgoing. Plan well.
Brent

Congrats... Brent!  It's so cool to see you and so many other fishing for and landing dinos from their kayaks for the first time time this year.
Erik "The Sturgeon King" is not alone anymore