After a few engaging phone conversation with Mr. Tipton and myself talking about getting out on the water some day we finally found a time that worked for both of us and got together yesterday at the 9th street boat launch in Benica. Unlike a lot of times I fish where I am fixated on the catch I found myself this time more so looking forward to this trip for the conversation, and company of a man who is not only proficient in the fishing of white sturgeon but also a man who is a native of this very area dating back more years than I believe he would like me to mention. lol
I am approaching middle age and have learned a bit by many years of fishing these waters however I was in a unique posture yesterday fishing with another man who’s time on the water easily doubles mine in years. It was his life experiences of trail and error while fishing for white sturgeon that I was looking forward to. I was also going to try to discipline myself by listening more and talking less while trying my best to fight off my ways of fishing and open my mind to his. To be candid I also was curious of his approach and take a personal inventory of my own fishing knowledge after the fact to cross reference it to see how we matched up.
After we left the launch we made a short run to the Benica shelf and set anchor in deep water on a slow incoming tide going by gut as Mr. Tipton had recently upgraded his electronics and had a new system that needed the kinks ironed out of. Being a bit of a tech geek I had all of the update cards for his new system and used this time to fine tune his unit for maximum performance. While getting my work done Rich Was manning the lines. After some time and a whole lot of sharks we had to fish through we began to talk about how odd it was to find them here this time of year and agreed it was a clear indicator that we have not had a very wet winter that would have flushed this area out of salt water specie. Rich and I agreed you usually don’t see conditions like this unit late summer/fall. However, while fishing there I did manage to set the hook on a dino and had it on for a good minute before it came un buttoned a mistake Mr. Tipton would not let me live down and I chimed back it is these ridiculous khale hooks you use. I thought they retired these things back in the 80's! He enquired what type I used and I proudly said “Owner”. He laughed and said those ARE great hooks for catfish but not out here...lol
We laughed and agreed equipment is important if you have confidence in it and that is really all it amounts to. Anyway, he told me I better not loose anymore fish and I replied “hey if this trip doesn’t yield anything else what can I say I have already given you an out captain. Lol
He chided back and said I can’t believe you lost the 1st hundred pounder. I laughed and said oh it was a hundred pounder and I am sure before the day is over it will have grown to 150! Lol
A few minutes goes by and my pole gets a consistent light wiggle and I pop back and fish on! A lot of fun but not quite legal when we boat him and he makes 44 inches and back he goes. I asked if this would make up for the one lost and got a quick NO, from Rich. Lol
Anyway, after I got his finder straightened out we decided to take it for a spin. After some time had passed while checking various spots we finally found some fish home and dropped the hook on the end and beginning of a strong outgo in deep water. It wasn’t long before I hooked up with a nice legal 48 inch fish that gave a good account of himself and was almost bone white. I again asked if this made up for the one previously lost and Rich responded HELL NO! Lol
He said it puts you at 2 and a half fish. Lol
Another 30 minutes goes by and finally it’s Rich’s turn. He rears back and puts metal to fish mouth and the fight is on. Another nice legal fish that puts up a good amount of resistance before we boat him. 46 inches on the nose.
We talked a bit about leaving and decided to stay for a little longer before the tide really got moving and chased us out of the deep stuff. He then asked if I had to be back and any certain time and I said HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELL NO and we then motored up river checking various spot that Rich educated me on but were at this time vacant along with him giving my a bit of history of the water front. We didn’t find anything worth writing home about on the sonar and ran up into Suisun Slough. Once there after checking several locations we finally found one we liked. We set up directly above a steep drop off and cast our baits so they would rest on the slop. I began to have lunch and was eating my sandwich when my pole started to quiver and give a steady tick, tick, tick. Having already landed a few I was feeling a bit cocky and told Rich to take my pole. He sprang into action and hooked up with another sturgeon. It didn’t take too long to get it to the boat and I tailed it. It was 42 inches and I told Rich I only let him have that fish because my “sixth” sense had told me it was a small one! lol
He laughed and asked if I had any more lies and I responded one fish lie deserves another and he laughed. Lol
Around that time our anchor broke off and Rich was experiencing one of his main “pet peeves” (dragging your anchor through the fish) and we raised it back up and traversed back and forth across the hole studying our sonar when it had become apparent that we had spooked the fish and decided to move. We covered a lot of water searching but didn’t find anything home and headed back to Monte. After a good while of looking the sonar revealed what we were seeking. Around 20 minutes later (or less) while the outgoing tide had my face directly into the sun with my eyes squinting trying to see my rod tip I began to think to myself I really wish I had remembered to bring my sun glasses when Rich started a conversation about types of sturgeon bites and we both agreed some of our largest fish had come from very subtle, soft bites when my rod tip responds right on cue. I made ready and SLAM nailed em.
Rich was just as exited as I was repeatedly asking is he a bigger fish. As this fish ran, and ran peeling line like there was no tomorrow I responded OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YAAAAA! Lol
I told him I enjoyed catching all of the other fish but it’s fish like this that gets us ALL excited!
He asked if I would like him to reel in his line and I said no, but after the fight really began to rage Rich reeled it in anyway and we began to work as a team. I really enjoyed that. I do that with my fishing partners but usually I am the one who has to orchestrate the event and Rich quickly cleared the floor space of any items that may get in my way when this fish decides to run me from one end of the boat to the other. This fish would pause briefly at times but I could not move him and gain back any line only sit there at a stalemate in between runs for seconds before he would take off again down river. Montezuma is a great place to fight big fish. Even in big tides the current is fairly mild in comparison to other places and when you fight a fish in it your fighting all fish.
Rich, kept looking at the spool and began to worry I was getting close to the backing and I told him I think we’ll be ok and right around that time this fish takes another blistering run and I said yeah, if you want to pull the hook lets do it. We did and Rich’s boat handling was perfect and we were communicating well together with a yell for this and a yell for that. The main thing is we were mostly drifting down current toward the fish which didn’t cause me to approach any faster then I could recover line so that I could maintain a firm connection with this fish. Once we narrowed the gap after a bit more of a struggle from this fish and seeing some good sized air bubbled exhaled I was able to pump him to the surface. At first glance I saw the massive very dark head rise up and immediately felt it was possibly over sized. Once boat side I was toyed with removing the hooks and leaving this animal in water but this brute would not be easily had and we decided to gently bring him aboard and take extra caution to place the fish on its side. It was then that we noticed this fish wasn’t a him but a very gravid (pregnant) her stuffed full of roe.
We put the tape on her and she went a little over 68 inches but what a beautiful fish. I can only remember seeing a few that looked so healthy.
She was so well fed and I’m not talking about her extended belly but from her head clear down to her tail she was so fat that even her scutes looked like the buttons on a big girls dress ready to pop as they seemed to be indented into her body.
Rich took a few pic’s for the board and off she went. He told me how valuable a fish like this was to a poacher and the future of the fishery was looking good with a girl like her being in the system. I thought to myself how glad I was for the slot and her chances of being caught but never kept.
At that point we decided to call it a day with a score of
Zack:1 keeper (48 in) 1 oversize (68in) 1 shaker (44in) (oh yeah and one ½ fish). Lol
Rich: 1 keeper (46in) and 1 shaker (42in)
For a total of 2 keepers 1 oversized and to fairly close shakers.
A nice bonus for a guy who’s goal for the day wasn’t so much catching as much as I was looking forward to the company of a very knowledgeable man.
We said our goodbyes at the end of the day and Mr. Tipton asked me if I had learned anything?
I responded of course I had. Too many things to list for the short answer. However, I had also learned many things about myself that day and I believe my fish instinct was relative to Mr. Tipton however, my knowledge bank pales in comparison to his even after fishing HARD for decades it was clear I still have much to learn and water to master.
In my humble estimation a man like Mr. Tipton is a successful angler because he is passionate with his approach and to sum it up in simple terms he is a success because “he loves what most of you like”
Thanks for the day, ZACK!
I know this ain't your thing but I thought you might like to read about it just the same. Very long 
