Sturgeon on the pier
Published on July 9th, 2009 by Rodney
I stopped by the No. 3 Road Pier this evening to put up a couple of posters for Saturday’s Fish for the Future. While there, Marco stopped by to do a bit of sturgeon fishing so I stuck around and watched for awhile.
The No. 3 Road Pier offers a variety of fishing in the summer, from baiting for peamouth chub to jigging for pink salmon. Pier fishing does not offer solitude, but the social aspect can be very appealing. A chair, some snacks and the right companions can turn a fishless outing on the pier rather enjoyable.
White sturgeon can be commonly caught in the Fraser River year-round. It is a catch and release fishery, which anglers can enjoy from both shore and boats.
Heavy gear is required when fishing for white sturgeon.
Baiting up!
Big bait catches big fish!
A large bar weight and eulachon are tickets to big white sturgeon.
A dozen or so anglers patiently waited on the pier. They chatted to kill some time while keeping an eye on the rods. The wait was not too long. A solid bite on one angler’s rod turned the atmosphere on the pier instantly. The crowd gathered to watch as his reel screamed after a hookset.
Oohs and Ahs came out from the crowd while waiting for the fish to surface.
Its head emerged after a couple of minutes.
To land a big fish, the angler had to guide it into the shallow water.
An evening success!
Gentle release to be fought on another day.