Sports

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Firefighters Sturgeon Derby When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Check-in starts at 8 a.m., weigh-in closes at 5 p.m. Where: The Snohomish River and its sloughs, to Priest Point. No Stillaguamish fish allowed. Headquarters: Priest Point residence of firefighter Pat Cook, 2 Priest Point Drive, Tulalip; anchor offshore or on the beach, or park at designated areas in the neighborhood. A free barbecue and auction will be held on the beach after the event. Contacts: pcook@lsfire.org; or jbilow@ci.marysville.wa.us Launches: Marysville, Langus Park, Port of Everett. Registration: A form is available online at www.firefightersheart.org/events.htm (then click on Firefighters Sturgeon Derby to bring up derby information and a registration form you can print out). On the morning of the derby, hand the completed form and your $30 (per person) entry fee to a volunteer at one of the above launches. The registration form also can be turned in at derby headquarters. Prizes: First, $1,000 from BMC West; second, $500 from Brutus Ace Line Hauler; third, $300 from Dwayne Lane; $250 for heaviest fish caught in an Alumaweld, from Three Rivers Marine, plus others. Sponsoring Lake Stevens and Marysville firefighters have raised more than $8,000 in total prizes.   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, June 15, 2008 Take on a world-class game fish in sturgeon derby Besides an unforgettable fishing experience, you also get a chance to help raise money to benefit firefighter/paramedic Steve Goforth, who needs a heart transplant. By Wayne Kruse Special to The Herald Pat Cook lives at Priest Point, where Ebey Slough meets Puget Sound, and he tells a fishing story: "I was out on the beach one day, and noticed a guy in a small boat holding a fishing rod. I didn't pay too much attention, as he drifted by the point westward toward Hat island. But then he drifted back, up the slough, then down again and westward again. "I looked a little more closely, and could see he was playing a fish, and that the fish was literally dragging him back and forth, into and out of the Slough. The next time he came by -- whoa! -- I could see the shadow of that sturgeon, up ahead of his boat, and it was literally bigger than his boat. "I yelled and asked him how long he'd been at it, and he said a little over three hours. "Last I saw, quite a bit later, he and that fish were still playing games." Sturgeon that size are not common in the Columbia, Fraser, Skagit, Snohomish, Chehalis and certain other rivers on the Northwest coast, but they're not exactly rare, either. One that size, however, will not win the unique Firefighters Sturgeon Derby coming up Saturday because the "slot" limit on sturgeon is between 42 and 60 inches. But it's also quite possible someone entered in the event will enjoy the privilege of hooking, playing and releasing an 8-foot or larger world-class game fish. The derby is a benefit to raise funds for Steve Goforth of Everett, a firefighter/paramedic facing a heart transplant and an expensive, difficult future. Cook, a Lake Stevens firefighter and the driving force behind the derby, has fished sturgeon locally for years. He rates Ebey Slough as probably the best bet for anglers in the derby area (the Snohomish River and its sloughs to Priest Point). Next best are Steamboat Slough and the Snohomish River, he said. Union Slough holds fish as well, but is shallower, dicier on a low tide, and not as often fished. The river, now open to sturgeon retention for its whole length, is probably better on its upper half than on its lower end, Cook said. "There are river fishermen who have their honey holes," he said, "but if you're new at it, the sloughs are just a lot easier to fish." While sturgeon can be taken at any time of day or tide, the outgoing and low slack are the prime times to be on the water. Not only does the lower water level better define the channels, slots and holes, and force feeding sturgeon off the flats, but it also helps eliminate bothersome trash fish. The low on derby day is a minus 1.8-foot tide at 1:15 p.m., which means prime time will be from roughly 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. "Another key," Cook said, "is that sturgeon seem to like to hang around pilings, stumps, and other structure. Watch knowledgeable fishermen, and they won't be anchored out in the middle, they'll be within 10 or 20 yards of the bank." There's not much to it, he said. Rig up, put on a sand shrimp, find a likely slot or hole (a depth sounder helps a lot), anchor and either cast the rig downstream from the boat, or "walk" it out, depending on current and tidal run. Generally, Cook said, it's better to keep your bait a reasonable distance away from the boat, and if you haven't had a taker in an hour, pick up and move. Sturgeon tend to "show" fairly well at times, so Cook said to watch for rollers and jumpers. Put your rod in the holder and relax, because patience is the key. This is easy, laid-back fishing, and not rocket science. Keep a close eye on your rod tip, however, because a take will likely only be a slight nodding action of the rod. "Take your time," Cook said. "Reel in slack line slowly, slowly, until the rod really starts to bend, then let him know you're there." Measure your fish in the water, without bringing it into the boat, and because sturgeon come equipped with some serious spines, have a pair of leather gloves on board. Cook said he has tried herring, anchovies and other baits, but he feels these fish, in this area at least, are pretty much bait specific, and that bait is sand shrimp. "Over the years, 90 percent of the stomach contents we've looked at have been shrimp," he said, "but some guys use herring and other stuff, and catch fish too." You don't need a special sturgeon rod; a standard 8-foot salmon/steelhead rod and level-wind reel works fine. Twenty- or 30-pound mono is about right, and either braided line for the leader, or 50-pound mono. Rig with a ball weight of 2 or 3 ounces on a slider, a snap swivel with a bead above and the slider above that, 30 to 36 inches of leader, and a single, barbless 2/0 to 4/0 hook. Information showing the tackle setup and how to hook sand shrimp are at www.firefightersheart.org/PDF/Firefighters_Sturgeon_Derby.pdf Cook uses a single shrimp along with shrimp oil scent, but says some anglers "bundle" multiple shrimp in nylon net for more scent and bulk. Some sturgeon fishermen use a buoy with their anchor, on a snap release, so they can follow a big fish downriver in a hurry. Cook said he doesn't bother with one, especially on the sloughs. "You're fishing in maybe 10 feet of water most of the time, so you usually have enough time to pull your anchor," he said. "And for legal-size fish, you won't have to go with 'em anyway." One final tip: "If you're new at all this," Cook said, "go online and research it. There's a lot of good information available out there."

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