West Linn dock - report progress!

[Rob]

Spending a beautiful day plunking for sturgeon with Mrs. Rob. No fish yet for us or anyone else. They're jumping like crazy, though. Seeing some really big fish break the surface all around us. Pretty cool! Anyone know why they do this? Only other bottom feeder I've seen behave like that is catfish back in va, but they would actually chase bait fish. Didn't think sturgeon were predatory in any way, but could be wrong. Anyway, great afternoon so far, will post again if the bite picks up!

 

[Casting Call]

Spending a beautiful day plunking for sturgeon with Mrs. Rob. No fish yet for us or anyone else. They're jumping like crazy, though. Seeing some really big fish break the surface all around us. Pretty cool! Anyone know why they do this? Only other bottom feeder I've seen behave like that is catfish back in va, but they would actually chase bait fish. Didn't think sturgeon were predatory in any way, but could be wrong. Anyway, great afternoon so far, will post again if the bite picks up!

Why do you jump? Ok guys jumping 101. Why do most animals jump; to get some place(be mobile);to get away from something;and to get rid of something. Think about it,the last time you saw a fish jump with a hook in its mouth,a cat jump in the air, or a roo or evan a frog jump. Time's up! "Auguilliforms preditors",parasite suckers, leeches, and eels. Sturgon jump for that reason to shake any form of parasite off including a hook. Mamals do it(whales,dolfins) for play or to round -up food or for along dive. Tony

 

[HereFishy]

Any time I see a fish jump, I think to myself "that fish just jumped because there's something bigger chasing it". As far as sturgeon jumping. I've only seen it happen during a reel spooling run after I've already set the hook. And I've seen one jump during a more than valiant attempt to get away from a sea lion (the sturgeon ultimately lost). It was quite the show. The sturgeon had to be at least 5'. It took the sea lion a little while to finally subdue it.

 

[bass]

The sturgeon jumping thing is weird. Some days they jump like crazy, hard to look at the river for a minute without seeing a jump or two. Next day at the same spot there aren't any jumpers.

CC, I have read that they jump to loosen parasites, loosen eggs, constipation, get some fresh air, etc. Tons of theories out there but only the sturgeon know for sure. I would agree that loosening parasites seems to be the most logical, I am just not sure sturgeon use logic

 

[SiletzTroutKiller]

It is pretty awesome to see the 7+ footers jump though

 

[bass]

It is pretty awesome to see the 7+ footers jump though

Pretty terrifying when one jumps right next to the kayak! Some days I feel like I am in a war zone out there. I did have a 3' fish jump and land on the front of my kayak once. That was pretty bizarre. That incident (and lots of other close calls) makes me think that they can't really see what they are doing as the come to the surface to jump.

Maybe they sit on the bottom and one says to another. "I dare you to jump as high as you can with your eyes closed"

 

[SiletzTroutKiller]

Pretty terrifying when one jumps right next to the kayak! Some days I feel like I am in a war zone out there. I did have a 3' fish jump and land on the front of my kayak once. That was pretty bizarre. That incident (and lots of other close calls) makes me think that they can't really see what they are doing as the come to the surface to jump.

Maybe they sit on the bottom and one says to another. "I dare you to jump as high as you can with your eyes closed"

Well I'm hoping that you never have a big one land on your yak!

 

[cpeaslee]

Maybe they sit on the bottom and one says to another. "I dare you to jump as high as you can with your eyes closed"

?

 

[bass]

Well I'm hoping that you never have a big one land on your yak!

Yeah, me too! I had a real close call with a monster I had hooked a couple of years ago. Dove under the yak and came up arching just behind me and wrapped the line on my rudder. I think his head actually passed over the back of my kayak for him to have done so. It just felt like I was looking up over my shoulder at my doom. He jerked the back end of my kayak down pretty dang hard as the line snapped. I think my wife had to wash that pair of underwear a few times before putting them back in the drawer!

 

[Jdangler xD]

Yeah, me too! I had a real close call with a monster I had hooked a couple of years ago. Dove under the yak and came up arching just behind me and wrapped the line on my rudder. I think his head actually passed over the back of my kayak for him to have done so. It just felt like I was looking up over my shoulder at my doom. He jerked the back end of my kayak down pretty dang hard as the line snapped. I think my wife had to wash that pair of underwear a few times before putting them back in the drawer!

This is funny, I, buying a yak and this is all my fears come true. Almost... I was fishing for sharks and rays awhile back lol. Big ones

 

[SailCat]

Why do you jump?

One reason sturgeon jump is 'cause they have no other direction to go. Such is the case with this four-footer which was hooked in the Columbia estuary in four feet of water, This put a check mark on a bucket list item. My buddy with the camera didn't realize he had gotten the shot until he got home.