Preparations for the 2014 Original Sturgeon Derby XXX are starting to really ramp up! Now that the summer is over and the boats have been serviced and gone through...we are all ready for another awesome season of Sturgeon Fishing!

Keep checking back for information on our 30th Annual Original Sturgeon Derby taking place on February 1 & 2, 2014! Oh, and don't forget the pulled pork sammies and beans on Friday January 31st at high noon!

Last weekend a club member caught 2 monster stripers... a 38 and a 36 pounder...Now that's a nice limit! He was using splits in 40' near the entrance to Pittsburg Marina.

Another club member and his guest scored a limit of 10-15 pounders out by Middleground on bullheads and splits.

Some of our Facebook fans have been reporting shakers by Sherman Island, a keeper by the green buoy and a respectable trolling limit near River's End Marina in Tracy!

A buddy of mine, Jim Millward ventured up into the Sierras to Union Valley Reservoir last weekend for some trout...he got a few small rainbows. He says it was still really cold but had a great time.

I was able to get out yesterday with my Uncle Shelby...we started out in a steady rain and headed over to the deep by Snag Island...the water was glass all day...a beautiful day...slow on the bite though. Although, Shelby was finally able to catch and release his first shaker sturgeon! 33" fork length caught on an eel / grass shrimp combo hors d'oeuvre ....giving him a good fight and keeping us on our toes the rest of the day!


Hope everyone is able to get out this weekend and hunt for some fish in between Easter egg hunts!

Several of us members were on the water this past weekend. A few were in 20-25' between the Middle Ground and Ryer and picked up some nice stripers in the 15 lb range on splits and bullheads.  Others worked around Garnet Point and landed a limit on pile worms and grass shrimp.  B&S Bait says a lot of fish are being taken on whole anchovies.

Yours truly was out Sunday afternoon soaking grass shrimp and eel in 40-45' on the line....got 3 shaker sturgeon.  I plan on being out there on the stripers next weekend!

We had a little hiccup over the weekend when migrating OriginalSturgeonDerby.com to a new hosting service, but everything is now back up and 100% operational! 

So let's hear some fish reports! And upload some pics and videos!

Another great weekend is in the history books! The Original Sturgeon Derby XXIX started off on Saturday morning with beautiful weather and nice water as we all headed out to catch the perfect 57" specimen of a white sturgeon to weigh in!

Saturday night and Sunday the wind picked up and along with the wind came the choppy water. 

All in all over the 32 hour Derby there were 36 sturgeon weighed in with Saturday's first place fish being closest to the 57" target length at 57 1/32"... Sunday's number one slot was 57 1/8".  All the fish on the board on both days were within 2 1/2" of the target!

Thank you to all who participated! Be sure to bookmark our site and check back with us for local fishing reports throughout the year! 

If you have any pictures or videos to share please upload them here!

According to the fishermen around here...the water has warmed up a few degrees and the bite has improved significantly! Just in time for the Derby!

The usual baits are all working and fish are being reported as caught in both the shallower water and in the deeper waters.

It is going to be a great Derby! We will be taking sign-ups at the Club at 1001 McAvoy Rd, 94565 from 0630 am this morning throughout the night until 0700 tomorrow morning. No late sign ups accepted.

Raffle tickets, apparel and Pork Sammiches available only at the club! 

Target Size will be chosen at 0700 tomorrow morning and will be broadcast on channel 68...we will also post on FB and @sturgeonderby on Twitter by 0730.

According to everyone  we spoke with on Thursday through Saturday (yesterday), the sturgeon bite has been really tough...along with stripers.  Most of the locals are blaming the cold water temperatures for the slow bite. Water temperature at Port Chicago is at 48* today according to wunderground.com.

According to the local weather reports, by  Wednesday daytime highs will be into the mid to upper 60's with night time lows climbing into the mid to upper 40's by Friday. This may just be what the Dr. ordered to get the water temperature just a few degrees warmer turning the bite on for the Original Sturgeon Derby this coming Super Bowl  weekend!

The latest word on the sturgeon bite is grass shrimp and eel are the productive baits with a few sturgeon here and there being taken at The Middle Grounds, Garnet Point, and Honker Bay. Other reports have surfaced pinpointing the bite-zone at 27-30 ft.


If you're planning on using grass shrimp, eel or whatever bait you plan on, it is highly recommended you contact your bait shop and reserve your bait for Super Bowl weekend!

A listing of bait shops from Sacramento to the Bay can be found here.