Bronwen and Darwin decided that while they had done other fishing and now a sturgeon trip was definitely on their Bucket List and it turned out to be quite a day for them. As predicted the early part was slow as the tides were not favourable but when the bite came on it really came on! The first three hours were only two fish but the last three hours were 9 more fish with 6 hitting in the last hour including what was the "Hail Mary Fish" which was likely the largest of the day but broke us off just as we were about to head into the dock. In total 11 fish hooked and 8 landed (we are required to use barbless hooks) with 4 "Newbys" or fish that had never been tagged before and were added to the Fraser River White Sturgeon Conservation Society inventory. Bronwen and Darwin wanted to get out of the city and into the fresh air and sunshine, maybe catch some sturgeon and they hit a grand slam on all fronts. A great day on the water!

Mathew called up, his dad, Theunis was visiting from South Africa and he wanted to fish in British Columbia and could we fit in a day sturgeon fishing. Turns out the pressure was on me as Theunis had made a bet with his wife that if he didn't finally catch a fish he would sell all his fishing gear! Well that just couldn't happen so we went to work and tested our gear. Mathew's comment while fighting the first fish, "I sit at a computer terminal all day, I don't use these muscles!!" Then we caught one where Theunis said, "This one is bigger and weighs more than my wife and I get to keep my fishing gear!". In the end we had about a dozen hookups, landed 10 and we tagged three newbies and had a great April day on the river.

Crystal called up and wondered if a sturgeon trip would be good for an "almost 7yr old" who was enthusiastic about fishing. Her son Zander told her, "It's OK mom if we don't catch a fish" She booked a four hour trip and the April fish did not disappoint! It was going to be his 7th birthday the next day and Zander and Mom got all the fish they could handle including a very nice "shore fish". We measured them all and tagged some new fish! Zander learned about sturgeon conservation, they both "tested their muscles" and Zander and Mom's day was "just perfect".

Skyler, "We had an incredible experience contributing to the conservation and tagging of White Sturgeon on the Fraser River in Vancouver! We’re excited for the information we collected to be shared with FRSCS - Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society and to adopt the sturgeon “Bob”, named by the 30 kids who ran to us on shore. Thanks again, Peter Krahn P. Eng., for taking us!" The November bite was on and half way through a 1.5 hr lunch break at a river side pub renewed energy and let arm muscles recover and then back onto the water for another 3 hours to end the day with 11 fish hooked and 9 landed! A great day was had by all.

Ertug wanted to give his friend Armondo a birthday surprise while on a trip to take their sons to a hockey tournament in Victoria. So they landed in Vancouver and got on board for a four hour trip and the November bite came on strong and kept the time on the water interesting and active. I had warned them that there were some big fish around and that they should keep good posture and that their arms might feel it by the end. And so it happened. The late October and mid November fish had been fattening up on salmon carcasses washing out from the tributary rivers after the spawn so the sturgeon have been well fed and the cooler water temperature meant they had plenty of zip when they took the bait. In the end, 7 fish in four hours was a day well spent on the water!

Bonny asked if I could take her husband Mike, their three sons and her on a Saturday sturgeon trip and they were eager to get on the water when the day arrived. The boys ranged from 4 1/8 to 9 years old and it was a perfect time for a family get together as the boys were keen anglers having pursued pink salmon and now wanting to up their game to sturgeon. The day began with some nice sized starter fish to get everyone going, including this double header. Bonny celebrated catching her own fish which didn't have a tag so she could tag it and claim to be the first person to have recorded its capture and release. The sizes picked up and they were on to a great day of sturgeon fishing. All this hard work creates an appetite and we broke out the on board barbecue and cooked up some bratwurst on buns to keep everyone's energy going. Mom took the younger brother home and the two older boys stayed on with dad to get the biggest fish of the day and claim the perpetual "Sturgeon Polka Trophy"! In other words, fun was had by all! The ride home was surprisingly quiet!