Message board post about one of my many fishing expeditions with Steven:
Steven sent an email last night asking if I wanted to accompany him to the Napa River. I had never really heard of the place, but he had done his research online and seemed enthusiastic about going, and it had been a while since we went out together. I threw some salted anchovies in a cooler, grabbed my Ugly Stik Tiger and we set off this morning at 11:30am.

After stopping at the bait shop for some mud shrimp, we drove out to a spot on the Napa River that had been mentioned in previous posts. (Thanks to KingCrab and Fishbum, you guys rock.) I don't know how to get there myself, actually. Anyway, we drove to the base of the railroad bridge, parked, and then walked out onto the bridge. The middle of the span is raised when the bridge is not in use, so we could only walk out to the eastern tower.

We noticed some Mexican guys fishing off the western side of the tower, and the eastern side was empty. We took up residence on the eastern side and started fishing, Steven with mud shrimp, myself with anchovies off a hi-lo. Steven was out for sturgeon, I was out for stripers. It being the holidays, I was trying to be thrifty and passed on buying bullheads at the bait shop. My presentation bothered me a little, but I decided to just go with it.

I fished seriously for about two hours Huck Finn-style, feet over the edge of the pylons, dangling over the water, ugly stik between my legs, reading Probably More Than You Want to Know About Fishes of the Pacific Coast . It was quiet, the weather was fair, the scenery (mildly) bucolic, an idyllic fishing experience.

Nothing was going on. We had some periodic light taps and something was ravaging Steven's mud shrimp, but we attributed that to bullheads, several specimens of which the Mexicans had caught. I got bored after a while and climbed a third of the way up the eastern tower, stopping when it was too dangerous to continue.

When I returned, I took a big, fat anchovy (the kind sold for $6 a tray), cut it in thirds, and baited the middle third to a 1/0 hook on the hi position of the hi-lo. I cast out towards shore and just kind of hung out, bored and a little restless.

Ten minutes later, my rod tip buckled. I snatched it up and the rod surged in my hand. Then line started whizzing out and the fish was running. I thought, "A sturgeon on an anchovy??". The fish was large and powerful, and I was using 20 lb. test on my main line and a 15 lb. test hi lo surf leader. I didn't think I had much of a chance, so I just kind of let it all hang out. I quickly opened the drag up farther and let the fish run.

We were excited but unsure how we were going to land the fish. We were still sure it was a sturgeon, and I was already conditioning myself to the near certainty that we were going to lose the fish. I was just sure we were going to lose it. The fish was headed for the middle of the river, and had already passed the break wall. The line was also visibly caught up on the break wall. I was convinced that any second now the line was going to snap on the wall and it was going to be all over.

The line held and Steven and I started towards the break wall. We had to go up and down three sets of 8' metal service ladders, fighting the fish and then handing the rod to the guy who had already climbed up/down. I crossed a steel girder that straddled the two pylons and that dangled over the deep water; before I had thought it a bit risky to cross, but with a fish on I crossed it without a second thought. Eventually we were on top of the break wall and then out at the very tip, standing on the end of about eight logs lashed together. We couldn't free the line, so I ran back for a sliding sinker and a 6 oz. weight. Sliding the weight down the line we were able to clear the snag and the fight continued.

In the meantime, the Mexicans (who had relocated to a spot on shore approx. 200 feet away) had seen us running around the bridge. One of them called out "Amigos?" and held out his arms wide. At the time, I thought this had meant he had seen the fish, and it was that wide. Which meant a sturgeon. Actually, I learned later, he was only gesturing, "How big?"

After we had freed the snag, we brought the fish up to the surface and discovered it was a striper. This was a great relief because it meant we had a chance of landing it. Steven ran back to the car (going up and down the ladders all over again) to fetch the net. The fish was already exhausted, and it was only a matter of walking it off the break wall, bringing it up against the pylon, and netting it.

End result: one 31" striper, at least 15 lbs (he was fat and fairly heavy). It took us probably twenty minutes to land him, due to all the climbing and running back and forth we had to do. The fish was really a team effort, and though it was on my rod, Steven and I needed each other to go up and down the ladders and cross the girders, fighting the fish. A person fishing alone would have lost it when it went around the break wall. The Mexicans also caught a nice striper about ten minutes
after we landed ours, 25" and also on anchovies.

Steven and I took it home, cleaned it, and had some nice filets with wild rice and asparagus. Great day. Life is good.

Fish: Striped bass, 31", 15-20 lbs?
Location: Napa River. Fishing off a bridge, a very pier-like experience, however.
Equipment: Ugly Stik Tiger 7' spinning rod, Shimano AX reel, 20 lb test, 15 lb. test hi-lo (store bought.)
Bait: Cut anchovies.
Time: 4:20pm, top of the tide.

-Kyle Mizokami

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