Sturgeon fishing near Rio Vista May 4 & 5

CoachPotato

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jan 21, 2008
Messages
81
The weather and the tides were predicted to be just too good to miss on the Sacramento River near Rio Vista, Ca. I headed for Rio Vista with the C-Dory in tow on Wednesday with plans to fish two days. My friend, Willie, would join me on Day 2.

I pretty much frittered away the day trying to fish shallow areas of the Old Sac near Isleton on Wednesday, and spent much of my time removing weeds and other debris from my leader. It was frustrating and was not productive. The next day's current would be considerably slower and therefore be less "weedy" - or so I hoped.

After breakfast in Rio Vista on Thursday, Willie and I headed about five miles downriver to the Decker Island area to try for sturgeon. We managed to catch a few small stripers - even on eel meant only for sturgeon - but all were tossed back.

A nearby boat caught and released a sturgeon of about 68 inches on Thursday morning, and that encouraged us. But it was not be a sturgeon day for us. We kept at it 'til about 1530, then called it quits. No sturgeon this trip, but fishing still beats working. Working? Willie and I haven't had a job in years - how would we know?! :D

It was still somewhat weedy, but not as bad as the day before.

Lots of photos from the trip and more blather at my homepage: http://fishwisher.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/959/

Being humbled is good for the soul, they say. And there's always next week...
 

Silk

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
91
Re: Sturgeon fishing near Rio Vista May 4 & 5

Well there is no such thing as a bad day fishing! Do Sturgeon stop bitining in the afternoon then? How about night fishing, do they bite at night? Just curious, last time fishing these guys was in the 70's for me...lol.
 

CoachPotato

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jan 21, 2008
Messages
81
Re: Sturgeon fishing near Rio Vista May 4 & 5

Well there is no such thing as a bad day fishing! Do Sturgeon stop bitining in the afternoon then? How about night fishing, do they bite at night? Just curious, last time fishing these guys was in the 70's for me...lol.

I believe they bite anytime, but prefer minus or near minus tides that stir up the bottom a bit. IMHO there is no right or wrong time. Night fishing may be best as the river is quieter then and I believe they are pretty easily spooked. But in my old age, those all night efforts are behind me!
 
Top