Umpqua Sturgeon Seminar

Todd Hannah, of the Oregon Angler, will be presenting a seminar on Umpqua river sturgeon fishing tonight during the monthly STEP general meeting at the Florence Elks Lodge at 7pm. Members and guests are invited to attend.  Hannah is a fishing guide based on the Umpqua River. He will share experiences based on his years of experience as a guide fishing the Umpqua. "I am going to give a when, where and how to seminar for the club in hopes of them going to the Umpqua and landing some sturgeon on their own," Hannah said. "We'll cover safety and the new rules and regulations for the Umpqua, how to read the river channels and how to read your fish finder to find the best holes."

This sounds like a great opportunity to learn how to catch sturgeon on the Umpqua. I will be there taking notes!

Dave

Dave: Look forward to your report. Is Todd the son of Denny Hannah, who was such a well known Umpqua guide?

sweet!!, Can't wait until our next Sturgeon trip.

I arrived at the STEP meeting a little early. I didn't realize how many people were involved in the STEP program. The place was packed. I found a seat at the end on one of the tables, and sat down next to a guy in a white shirt. Well, that guy turned out to be Todd Hannah. He was chatting with some of the other guys, and after he finished, I started a conversation with him, and told him where I had been fishing on the Umpqua. I had brought my map, and he pointed out a couple of good spots. Shortly afterward, he got up and left. When he came back, he had a large map of the Umpqua with all of his favorite spots highlighted. I was very surprised when he gave it to me.

After the STEP meeting, Todd took the stage and began his seminar. He started out with rods and tackle, and then discussed using scents and bait. One of the main things he emphasized was never use frozen bait, always use fresh. Since sturgeon have so much fresh food available, they show little interest in old or frozen bait. Todd next discussed the proper way to work a bite and set the hook. Proper types of weights was also talked about. I was surprised when he said that cannonball sinkers in the 4 to 10 ounce range worked the best. After casting out a cannonball rig, it tends to roll along the bottom and settle in the depressions or dropoffs where the sturgeon are feeding. Keeping clean hands was emphasized, and using WD40 or gloves to cover human scent is mandatory when baiting the hook. He showed the proper way to bait a hook with both sandshrimp and herring. This was a real eye opener for me, as I really hadn't a clue. I wasn't too far off, but his methods made a lot more sense to me, and were quite a bit easier. Next he discussed finding where the fish were feeding. Things like crabs and bullheads are figured into this. Also, the best times to fish are the 2 hours before a high tide, and also the two hours before a low slack tide, with a minus low being the optimum. Todd expects fishing on the Umpqua to be at it's best at the end of May and June. He said that fishing has been slowing down over the last five years, and he accredits this with the improving ocean conditions. It seems the fish aren't coming into the rivers as much to feed because they have more food in the ocean now.

All in all, I learned quite a bit, and I am sure it will improve my chances to catch a sturgeon. Todd lowered his normal fee to $100 for everyone that attended the meeting. I think I am going to take him up on that and I am sure that going with a knowledgeable guide will help my sturgeon catching abilities. I can apply those techniques to catching one in the yak.

Here's a link to Todd's website:

http://www.theoregonangler.com

 
  Good report Dave,,, Hanna is the master of the Umpqua ..
     Royg

Goldendog: Thanks for the update on the meeting. TH seems like the real deal.