Kayak sturgeon report 3-3-12

[bass]

I met up with a fellow kayak angler at Hebb park (Canby) and we gave it the old college try. We fished for about 4-5 hours without anything to show for it. Moved around a fair number of times but could not find any fish (not even a verified bite). We tried the deepest holes in the main current and in the side eddies but could not find any fish. On the way home I stopped by George Rogers park for some C&R fishing to see if I could get the the stench of the skunk off my kayak. A couple of other kayak anglers showed up around the same time I did. I ended up with a couple of shakers. One of the other fellows did the same as me, but the third fellow ended up with two that were in the keeper size range (released of course). The upper river looks intriguing and I plan on cracking that nut this year!

 

[Lowell Life Fisherman]

what kind of kayak do you use, and do you put a depth finder/fish finder on it? also do you anchor in the spot you fish cause i would think even the slightest current would drag you around?

 

[bass]

what kind of kayak do you use, and do you put a depth finder/fish finder on it? also do you anchor in the spot you fish cause i would think even the slightest current would drag you around?

I have a Hobie Outback. It is very stable. I have a very old depthfinder (Lowrance X70A) that I use to help find the deep holes. I keep thinking about upgrading to a unit with GPS, but it is hard to set something aside that is still working. I have the transducer inside the hull (in a little foam doughnut that holds a little water) and shoot through the thin plastic with very little loss of performance. I do anchor to fish for sturgeon. I use a quick release to a float for anchoring (just like the power boats) so that I can drop off the hook when fighting big fish. Some guys anchor facing downstream, which puts you in a slightly more comfortable position to fish but leaves you blind to stuff floating down the river (like trees!). I prefer safe to sorry.

I hope I answered your questions. Feel free to ask more or ask for clarification if something I wrote is not clear.

 

[Lowell Life Fisherman]

what is the transducer? and what is its use? and how much does the kayak you have run?

 

[bass]

A depth finder comprises two pieces. The box, which has the screen and the buttons, and the transducer, which sends out the signals and receives them. Usually the transducer is in the water on a boat but the hull on a kayak is thin enough that you can signal through it.

My kayak costs about $1800. The pedal drive adds quite a bit of cost.