Walleye Wagons vs Sturgeon

[idahoron]

I have been talking about taking my Pontoon after sturgeon for a while. Today was the day. We started out at 7:00 am.








So after an hour we get to the destination.




I would like to say that both my buddy and I got several Strugeon each but we didn't. We fished for several hours and I saw next to nothing on the fish finder. I caught a couple of squaw fish and a couple of bass on my second rod.
Then Joe yells I got one.



I yell back I am coming. I get there and we both knew it was on the small side.



I was excited that one of us got to hook up with a sturg.





Well my first trip is behind me. I am ready to go get one on for my self. I have put the smack down on Cats that were bigger than that sturg but he pulled hard for his size. I am ready for one a little bit bigger. Oh well next time.

Ron
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[idahopanfish]

Good Job guys
Ron there a good reprt on sturg and cats by "the island" at swan falls. I'd be nervious that a big one would get hooked up and pull you right out into some current that could have serious reprocussions. Guess you would just have to be willing to cut the line. Good going though.

Took an hour to get there though, wow.
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[idahoron]

Going into pillar right now is tough for a toon. The flow was almost 3000 and that is down a long way. My motor on 5 just barely made it. After the water comes out of the hole the depth goes to about 4 feet. It gets fast there. There is NO way a big sturg could get a guy in trouble by dragging him. They can't go up the falls with a toon in tow. And if they go down stream that just gets you closer to the truck. There is a chance that a small one could cut a toon with a scoot but even this one didn't have sharp enough scoots to cut a toon. They could also breach and land on a toon I guess.
In reality not much to worry about. Then again after I hook up with a big one I will let you know. Ron
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[idahopanfish]

I am sure it can be done and I did watch Babe Winkleman, maybe on TV fight one from a float tube and it was a big one. I wasn't thinking of Pillar Falls, but more along there areas where there is more current, but then probably couldn't get there unless you floated down to a hole.

Anyways, on the show, he first hooked the sturg from a boat then got in the tube and fought it, since it was a tube, he couldn't fight the sturg in front of him. Most of the time he was holding the rod over his head with the rod pointing backwards. It was a long fight and in the end he had to go to shore to land it. It looked like quite an adventure!!
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[peter805]

Great report and pictures ! Im sure that you will
get one next time.[]
Thank you for sharing.

Peter
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]When I lived in Sacramento I hooked several sturgeon in the Sacramento river while fishing for striped bass. No heavy sturgeon gear...just fairly stout rod with about 20 pound mono line. Lost several that decided to return to San Francisco Bay with all my line. Did manage to land a 115# fish that was a bit over 6' long. Took me about a mile down river and I had to kick in to shore to finish the fight. Hitched a ride back upstream to my vehicle from a local farmer with a pickup that followed my battle downstream.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Saw an old guy in a tin boat hook and land one that was (and probably still is) a state record on 20 pound line. Weighed 420# and took him several miles downriver. He came towing it back upstream later, barely making headway against the current. Those were in the days before zero limit. They used the boat hoist to lift it up into his truck and the tail extended a ways out the back.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You can theoretically catch any species of fish from a float tube or pontoon. The limitations show up when the bigger fish start using their size and power. You just can't get enough "lift" from a flimsy floating platform like a float tube. Great while they are pulling against you and moving around away from your craft. But when you have to dredge them back up from straight down it is a tough challenge...even with a big catfish.[/#0000ff]
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[albinotrout]

Nice report. Hope you get one soon too![cool]
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[pontoonman]

Probably better when they do dive straight down. Some species react by heading for cover when hooked and on retrieve. I've had some dive just under my pontoon with some lure hooks exposed. Good way to get a puncture or something more severe. I always hold the rod tip well away as possible when unhooking a fish, just in case...

Pon

[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]When I lived[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You can theoretically catch any species of fish from a float tube or pontoon. The limitations show up when the bigger fish start using their size and power. You just can't get enough "lift" from a flimsy floating platform like a float tube. Great while they are pulling against you and moving around away from your craft. But when you have to dredge them back up from straight down it is a tough challenge...even with a big catfish.[/#0000ff][/quote]
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[flygoddess]

I watched some guys in Canada basically land a 6'+ Sturgeon on a fly from a tube many years ago, but unable to find it.
BUT, check out this video of the Babe.

http://youtu.be/lwnXpkyRsFM
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