largest Idaho sturgeon

[basskikker]

I been wondering what is the largest sturgeon you guys have seen caught in idaho, hooked in idaho, or even just heard a rumor about in idaho. i heard fish and game tagged a 14 footer below CJ and i heard a couple stories of guys hooking into 14 footers below Swan, anyone can comfirm these stories? i wonder just how big they still get now days?
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[thebug]

ive seen a 12 footer below strike
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[FISHID4LIFE]

My personal best is 8 feet caught bank fishing below strike took about an hour with 2 of us taking turns. I use a 12 foot ugly stick with a penn 330 loaded with 50 pound test, and I feel like thats about the most that setup can handle from the bank. I know you can land bigger fish from a boat and I'm sure people have landed bigger fish from the bank but sometimes even a spunky 6 foot sturgeon who's pissed off enough can make me feel like I'm not fishing heavy enough gear. I've lost a few fish that ran like a runaway 18 wheeler screaming down a mountain that made be feel like I lined my reel with floss instead of 50 pound line. It is a bummer never getting a chance to see what beast was on the other end. So who knows what monsters lurk down there. I've seen a picture of one landed out of a boat below strike that was over 9 feet, but I've heard alot of talk about bigger fish. PLEASE PLEASE someone take a Bleeping picture the next time you catch a monster. I wanna see what is hiding down there. Just for fun I've posted some pics of the biggest sturgeon I could find online both I believe were caught in the Fraser River in Canada. Now lets get an Idaho fish to compete with these. I'm trying []. I'll let you all know as soon as I land something like these fish.
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[FISHID4LIFE]

Here is a pic of a few we've caught below strike.
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[SmartWeed]

c late 1800's from the Snake near Weiser


1911 - Snake River near Bernard

1918 - Snake River near Reynolds Creek


Early 1900s - Snake in the Magic Valley
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[basskikker]

here's a few of the larger ones i've caught. the one from the boat measured in at 8ft 9in. but it has a massive girth- i could'nt put my arms around this guy.

and the second pic is my largest. caught him below swan measured to be 9ft 10in. if you look at the outline of its head you'll see its about half the size of me
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[idahofish17]

I know a guy thats caught an 11ft. Fish and game was there when he got it and took some meastumernts and stuff. He said thats about the biggest they can get in from shore. Hes hooked into bigger ones but you cant get them in.
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[iliketofish]

I think we need to flag those pictures as illegal. They CLEARLY took those surgeon out of the water! []

Thanks for posting those! makes me wish I lived back in the 'Good ol days' sometimes!
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[basskikker]

i been thinking, maybe i should get me an ocean setup- for like marlin or something and head out on a boat and try to find me some monster sturgeon? but i guess with the Torium i picked up, i doubt from a boat a sturgeon will be able to strip off 300yds of 80lb mono when i am able to chase it? maybe i should give that a try. i would love to pull in a 14foot sturgeon. i just hope theres some left
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[fishin4days]

Sounds like the way to go. I've been spooled from the bank on the 12' ugly stick running 50lb mono too and the next set up I buy will be heavier. From a boat you should never lose one on the set up you mentioned.
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