Just brainstorming...

Well, forgive me if I'm off my rocker or misplaced my marbles.  I'm having visions of a sturgeon on a fly.  Anchored up, casting a threaded mud shrimp on a heavy weighted sinking taper and just sitting and sitting and...oooo...what's that?   Boink set and zzzzzzzzzzzzz...foevah'...  No point, just trying to consider the winter months and familiar yet new ideas that are prolly not new...also a shrimp fly doused to the max in shrimp oil or hanging out in the shrimp nasty bag for absorption...

Catching big Sturgeon on fly rod sounds like great challenge and fun.

Fly rod sturgeon would make you a hero indeed!

I’ve got another idea to add to the brainstorm. I got the idea in Monterrey when I was catching 2-4 large mackerel at a time on the sabiki. They were full of fight and a lot of fun to catch. I started thinking about how similar they are in many respects to Kokanee (small gamefish, caught using artificial, heck they even show up on the FF in a similar fashion…) why not bring an ultra lite rod and downrigger and spend the day getting them on Kokanee gear?

I hear ya’ to da max!  Let’s tie good knots and enjoy the bendo to maximum fun/ minimum gear experiments.  Pulling drag on a well filled 2000 reel.  Worst case, skunk day, best case, full on chaos with full hatch or pic depending on the species.

You wouldn't necessarily even need a down rigger. Just use a sliding sinker rig that so many of us use for Kokes.
Kevin.

Fly rod sturgeon would make you a hero indeed!

I’ve got another idea to add to the brainstorm. I got the idea in Monterrey when I was catching 2-4 large mackerel at a time on the sabiki. They were full of fight and a lot of fun to catch. I started thinking about how similar they are in many respects to Kokanee (small gamefish, caught using artificial, heck they even show up on the FF in a similar fashion…) why not bring an ultra lite rod and downrigger and spend the day getting them on Kokanee gear?

Trout rod and small kastmaster. Jacksmelt and macs are a blast on tiny gear like that!

sounds fun!

Fly rod sturgeon would make you a hero indeed!

I’ve got another idea to add to the brainstorm. I got the idea in Monterrey when I was catching 2-4 large mackerel at a time on the sabiki. They were full of fight and a lot of fun to catch. I started thinking about how similar they are in many respects to Kokanee (small gamefish, caught using artificial, heck they even show up on the FF in a similar fashion…) why not bring an ultra lite rod and downrigger and spend the day getting them on Kokanee gear?

Trout rod and small kastmaster. Jacksmelt and macs are a blast on tiny gear like that!

This - had a blast one trip down to Santa Barbara getting macks from the kayak on just such a rig.
Cheers,
Brad

And now, back to our sponser…

1.5 hours before and after a king tide low facing the current.  This is my only thought process of how I’m going to get the bait to stick to the bottom.  My wife hand snapped my heavier wt.  fly rod back in the early years when I was learning how to be a husband.  I still have a hefty fly reel.  Hmmmm, how to keep the bait stationary on the bottom?

 

Sorry for the thread jack, I should've stayed on the topic at hand...

I do have a large fly rod at home that I'd be happy to loan out for the mission. I'll look into the weight and length when I get home if your interested.

Sorry for the thread jack, I should've stayed on the topic at hand...

I do have a large fly rod at home that I'd be happy to loan out for the mission. I'll look into the weight and length when I get home if your interested.

Very good.  Handoff at Tomales with JohhnyZ whilst hunting salt water arachnids...

Hi guys,

You are going to need a 12 weight minimum, maybe even 14 weight for sturgeon. I've targeted shallow 3ft leopard sharks in San Pablo Bay with 10 weight and shooting line with LC13 that wore me out. I can't imagine what a sturgeon would do. You are going to need to look for shallow water for this type of fishing, 15 feet or less with as little water movement as possible. I would use shooting line with either LC13 or T14 heads to get down to the bottom, with 100 yards of backing and another 300 yards of 50lb braid or GSP on top of that. Think tuna-class fly reels. If you are not a purist, go ahead and rig up a ghost shrimp with magic thread on a 6 foot leader. I would not bother flycasting this. Just let out line as you paddle.

Regarding mackerel (as well as jacksmelt), I've had hours of fun with a 5wt setup with white wooly buggers and small clousers. You can even flycast a sabiki rig with a weighted clouser replacing the sinker. Again, shooting lines and LC13/T14 to get down deep.

Let us know how it goes!

Oh, and before I forget, if you do get a sturgeon bite on the flyrod, do a strip-set. Do not use the regular rear-back-the-rod-Bill-Dance-hook-set.

And now, back to our sponser…

1.5 hours before and after a king tide low facing the current.  This is my only thought process of how I’m going to get the bait to stick to the bottom.  My wife hand snapped my heavier wt.  fly rod back in the early years when I was learning how to be a husband.  I still have a hefty fly reel.  Hmmmm, how to keep the bait stationary on the bottom?

 

It's not like it is flyfishing anymore.  The fun would be in landing one on a single speed reel.  Just do that on a regular rod using your fly reel with conventional terminal tackle and bait.

I have this Canadian style mooching setup that would be perfect for this, long whippy rod with a single speed reel.  The rod actually has a bit of backbone to it.

-Allen

And now, back to our sponser…

1.5 hours before and after a king tide low facing the current.  This is my only thought process of how I’m going to get the bait to stick to the bottom.  My wife hand snapped my heavier wt.  fly rod back in the early years when I was learning how to be a husband.  I still have a hefty fly reel.  Hmmmm, how to keep the bait stationary on the bottom?

 

It's not like it is flyfishing anymore.  The fun would be in landing one on a single speed reel.  Just do that on a regular rod using your fly reel with conventional terminal tackle and bait.

I have this Canadian style mooching setup that would be perfect for this, long whippy rod with a single speed reel.  The rod actually has a bit of backbone to it.

-Allen

I’ve got just da rod for dat.  I figure I’ll just drop the bait and drift away from it while stripping line.  I’m seeing this happen.   Thanks for the idea. Stay tuned.