Aho is focusing his attention in San Pablo Bay between Buoy 5 and the Pumphouse. On Friday, November 28, nine anglers accompanying Chad for a "potluck" trip nailed 3 leopard sharks, one striper and a 78 inch sturgeon. Paul Martin of Discovery Bay caught and released the oversized fish on his thirteenth birthday.

On the previous weekend, Aho ended up with 5 sharks, one bass and a keeper sturgeon weighing 45 pounds.

Captain Jim Smith of Mr. Bass Sportfishing is hoping for another sturgeon year like last. "Last year we had great fishing from January thru April," said Smith. "It's very uncommon, but we averaged 4 fish per trip and even brought in limits some trips."

Smith noted that the river system over the past several years hasn't received enough rain to bring the sturgeon in force into lower San Pablo Bay. "To date, this year's no different," he noted. "The fish have been grouping up mainly in the West Delta around the Big Cut and in Pittsburg."

"One thing that is different from last year, is the number of shakers that we're catching," explained Smith. "On a recent trip aboard the Happy Hooker, we caught 24 sturgeon. Two fish were keepers between 70 and 90 pounds, while the other 22 were shakers. Although my clients can't keep the shakers, it lets me know that there are plenty of fish for future seasons."

On the past four trips on the Happy Hooker, Smith's clients have boated 7 keepers, all weighing 70 to 90 pounds. On November 30, his passengers landed a 70 pound sturgeon, a 20 pound salmon and 2 schoolie stripers.

If you're a bank fishermen, Terry White at Leonard's Bait & Tackle at Port Sonoma suggested fishing Sonoma Creek, located off Highway 37. "Fishing pressure is relatively light, but once this rain storm passes through, anglers will line up along the bank to catch sturgeon," he noted.

Another productive area for bank fishermen is San Pablo Bay from Loch Lomond Marina to China Camp. Anglers fishing the right tides there can catch a mixture of sturgeon and striped bass while tossing out shrimp baits, bullheads and shiner perch.

Another productive spot for sturgeon, though not from shore, is the "Sturgeon Triangle," from the Pumphouse, to Buoy 5, to China Camp. "I spoke with two boaters who fished next to each other between the Pumphouse and Buoy 5. One boat weighed in two 40 pound sturgeon and a 30" bass, while the other brought in a 65" keeper," said White. "They caught the fish at high tide using grass shrimp."