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Quail Point Hunting
Club and Sporting Clays
|
February 08, 2010
Headlines |
Winter Sturgeon and Bass |
There
weren't many
fish brought
to the
measuring
table at
McAvoy's
Harbor for
the Original
Sturgeon
Derby
despite
nearly 1000
entrants.
There was
one boat
that fared
quite well
and saw some
incredible
action over
the weekend.
Captain
James Smith
of the
California
Dawn ran the
boat during
the day with
his brother
Chris Smith
running the
boat at
night with
the same
group
throughout
the derby
time limits.
These
anglers were
rewarded
with the 1st
and 7th
place fish
today for
over $8000
in winnings
with the top
fish coming
under
Captain
Chris's
watch.
Throughout
the two
days, the
California
Dawn landed
sturgeon at
63 (Sunday's
winner), 58
(Sunday's
7th place),
53, 50 and
released a
46-incher.
They had
another fish
at 58-inches
which was
disqualified
due to being
bled on
Saturday
which would
have placed
in the
money. The
wide length
span between
places is
evidence of
the overall
slow fishing
where the
length span
is usually
fractions of
inches. The
Smiths found
the fish
between the
Benicia/Martinez
and
Carquinez
Bridges.
They also
had an
oversized on
for over
three hours
on Saturday
before the
hook came
out. Larry
Butler of
San Jose
hooked the
behemoth
while they
were
anchored off
Benicia.
Before they
could get
the anchor
pulled and
the fish
tearing off
line (on a
heavy 65
pound braid
setup) they
had to pull
out a Smith
family trick
of hooking
the rod to a
life jacket
and throwing
it
overboard.
Larry must
have been
asking "your
going to do
what!?" They
caught back
up with the
life jacket
a few
minutes
later to
find the
fish still
on but
tangled in
another
boat's
anchor line.
They got the
line free
and the
battle was
on... for
the next
three hours
they drifted
down,
eventually
all the way
into San
Pablo Bay.
Ever angler
on board
including
James took
at least a
15 minute
"shift" of
battling the
bruiser but
no one could
turn the
fish. At one
point as
they drifted
into the
Carquinez
Straights
and the fish
sounded to
the bottom
in over 100
feet of
water two
hours into
the battle.
Every time
they gained
back line
the fish
would turn
at will and
peel off
another 100
to 200 feet.
Finally
after three
hours the
hook pulled
free off
Bear Island.
While they
never saw
the fish
James said
it was by
far the
heaviest
fish they
have ever
hooked.
Jay Lopes of
Right Hook
Sport
Fishing also
had a derby
charter, and
he was
surprised
that the
sturgeon
were sparse
with only a
couple of
bites per
tide. They
were able to
put a
51-inch
keeper that
was
released, a
71-inch
oversized
and a
40-inch
shaker
during the
four tides
fished. He
is very
optimistic
about the
coming weeks
in Suisun
Bay with the
water
temperature
rising to
51.5 degrees
and the
inflow of
fresh water.
He will be
fishing hard
from
mid-February
until live
bait season.
B and S Bait
at McAvoy's
Harbor in
Bay Point
was ground
zero for the
sturgeon
derby, and
they
reported
overall slow
action with
Saturdays
winner at 62
and 15/16th
inches,
paying down
to 49-inches
with today's
winner at 63
and
11/16th-inches
paying down
to
54-inches.
The majority
of the fish
came out of
the South
Bay on
Saturday.
They ordered
loads of
bait, but
the bait
sales didn't
keep up with
the orders.
James Nguyen
at Dockside
Bait in
Pittsburg
confirmed
the slow
action
during the
derby with
only 20 or
so total
fish landed.
They had
several
reserved
orders of
bait that
didn't show
up today, so
things
weren't as
great as
they had
hoped. He
thought
Saturday's
action was
OK, but
things were
slow today
perhaps due
to many
anglers
getting off
the water
early.
Despite the
weather
reports, the
river was
very
fishable.
Alan Fong of
the
Fisherman's
Warehouse in
Sacramento
reported
good
sturgeon
action from
the banks in
Lisbon
Slough, as
the
diamondbacks
have moved
into the
Bypass with
the high
water. Ghost
shrimp and
eel have
been the top
baits. The
water has
been too
muddy for
stripers to
hit lures.
The
Super Bowl
Sturgeon
Derby will
be taking
place on
Saturday and
Sunday; and
in the past,
this derby
has received
heavy
interest and
participation.
Let's hope
participation
is high, but
this is an
opportunity
to practice
and refine
some
on-the-water
etiquette
which has
been lacking
in past
years. The
Delta is
always
crowded with
boats during
this
weekend, and
the radio
traffic has
been filled
with
profanity,
racist
diatribes
and general
immaturity.
For those
braving the
Delta during
the weekend,
please be
courteous of
other
fishermen
and take
this
opportunity
to treat
others as
you wish to
be treated
yourself.
On
Thursday 2-4
Pam Hayes at
Benicia Bait
reported a
few sturgeon
were landed
in the
deeper water
near Ozol
Pier with
fish at 65
and
47-inches
reported.
The larger
fish bit
grass shrimp
with the
smaller
legal fish
on eel. This
same angler
also picked
up a 33-inch
striper on
eel. She
said they
are working
hard to put
up all of
the bait
reservations
for this
weekend, and
she
encouraged
anglers to
make their
reservations
by tomorrow
if they
expect to
get bait for
this
weekend.
They
currently
are in good
shape on all
of the major
baits with
the
exception of
mud shrimp,
but
fishermen
will be
sorely
disappointed
if they
don't
reserve
their bait.
B and S Bait
at McAvoy's
Harbor in
Bay Point
reported
slow fishing
in the past
couple of
days, but
the water is
clearing up
since the
original
push of mud
and silt.
The Sturgeon
Derby is
keeping
their phone
ringing for
bait
reservations
in the past
couple of
days, and
they expect
to have
several last
minute
entrants
tomorrow.
McAvoy's is
sturgeon
general for
the Original
Sturgeon
Derby.
Herring, of
all things,
has been a
hot bait in
the
Pittsburg
area. Maybe
the fish
think they
are in the
south bay.
The waters
will be
crowded this
weekend so
pack along
(with
everything
else) some
etiquette
and some
patience.
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trips from Berkeley
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