Sturgeon Fishing Rattlesnake Country

The Badlands

Off we headed, south of Calgary this past weekend to the Badlands of Medicine Hat in search of what the locals call “Dinosaurs”. Sebastein, Tony and I had made plans for this trip back in late March, to fish for Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the South Saskatchewan River system. The Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. They are characterized by steep slopes, minimal vegetation, lack of a substantial regolith, and high drainage density. They can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, buttes, mesas, hoodoos and other such geologic forms are common in badlands. Badlands often have a spectacular color display that alternates from dark black/blue coal stria to bright clays to red scoria.

History

A tent city sprang up in the valley of the South Saskatchewan River in 1883 while work crews were constructing a bridge, the only river crossing in the prairie railway system. The valley was also well known to itinerant Cree and Blackfoot who frequented it. Numerous legends account for Medicine Hat’s unique name. Evidence of early native activity is found in the Saamis Archaelogical Site. Located in the valley of Seven Persons Creek, the site is important because of the range of activities represented, the abundance and variety of features and the fact that it has been extensively excavated. Today a gigantic landmark teepee overlooks the site. The badlands is an area with exotic, surreal looking hoodoos carved into the river valley, which look like something taken from a scene in a sci-fi movie.

Pre-planning

There were many hours of hard work and preparation involved in this trip, even before we put gas in the trucks and drove off. Sebastein had offered to tie up our own, super strong, modified pickerel rigs for this adventure. The use of fifty pound test line for the main line of the rig, and fifty pound test line for the line going to the hooks is imperative in landing these robust fish. These rigs had blades attached to the main line, which offered extra flash to attract these bottom feeding creatures.

Tony had critical information of the area and had been given a few pins on the map from our friend Adam, who has local knowledge of the river system, as he has lived in Medicine Hat for many years. Tony had also spent numerous hours using Google Earth to get an aerial view of the stretch of river we intended to fish. I am a firm believer that if you study your quarry, and your river before you fish, your chances of success increase dramatically. Using tools like Google Earth, and maps, aid in the process of success and I strongly recommend you use them if you have not fished a river or lake before! HUGE thanks to both Sebastein and Tony for all their hard work in the weeks and days leading up to this epic trip. I am very grateful for your determination and I thank you both from the bottom of my heart.

The Journey

We arrived early morning Friday and picked Tony up to make the trek to the boat launch. We awoke at 5 in the morning to get a jump on the day. Friday was mostly a scouting day, hopeful we would at least catch a few fish in the locations we had pre-pinned on the map. I stopped at the gas station to add more fuel to both the truck and boat before heading eastward into the hoodoo filled valleys and canyons. With every twist and turn of the highway I could feel the adrenaline surging through my veins, knowing that every minute that passed and every kilometer driven, I was one step closer to our prize. Tumbleweeds gently blew across the highway as I followed Sebastein to the boat launch. Paying close attention to the road, I couldn’t help notice the antelope grazing in the farmers’ fields as we drove onward into the rolling hills. The trip to the boat launch seemed to take forever! I think all that adrenaline was making me anxious.

After reaching the boat launch I let out a big sigh and a feeling of calm came over me, much like coming home after a long day at work. We packed the boat with our gear a headed off to the first pin on the map excited and hopeful. It was a short fifteen minute jet boat ride through some of the most incredible views I have ever seen. I was simply awestruck at the landscape! We docked the boat and unloaded the gear in a jiffy. The structure of the river looked like a premier location where there would be sturgeon. We tied up our rigs, baited the hooks with large dew worms, spread out along the river bank and launched our bait out into the river excitedly. It never took long for our first bite which was unfortunately not a sturgeon, but a Goldeye that was hungry for our breakfast offerings. We stayed in this location for several hours with multiple species of fish caught including Walleye, Goldeye and short nose Red Horse Sucker. We all decided it was time to leave this location and head a short distance back downstream to a place we had spotted on the way up.

“Juno Beach”

After packing our gear back into the boat and making the short two minute drive back down the river, I docked the boat off on a beach area of the river I called “Juno Beach” as the boat came to a stop on the sand. I said “welcome to Juno Beach” and the name stuck all weekend. I think we will forever refer to this area by that name! This name was very fitting considering Juno was the randomly chosen code name for a 10 km stretch of coastline that included the villages of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer and Bernières-sur-Mer and the small port town of Courseulles-sur-Mer. There were many battles won on Juno much like the battles we had with the sturgeon on this beach front honey hole. This will be our code name for this very special place on the river.

We set up shop here and it never took long in this prime real estate to latch into an ultra-scrappy giant. I looked over and saw Sebastein loading up his rod, getting ready to set the hook after he was getting several good bites. He waited patiently until he knew the fish was biting and set the hook like a boss into this 45.5 inch sturgeon pictured here.

The ensuing battle took fifteen minutes before Sebastein was able to land his beautiful monster on the shoreline. Always keeping the fish in the water, and breathing, we gently removed the Eagle Claw hook from its suction cupped mouth. We captured three quick images before smoothly placing it back into the water to breathe as Sebastein slowly resuscitated the fish properly, before the release. An imperative part of this fish was the teamwork that was involved in landing it. Once Sebastein hooked up, both Tony and I reeled in our lines giving him the whole stretch of river to work with. There was no way we wanted to get this fish tangled in any of the other lines. Both Tony and I then made our way into the water awaiting the fish to be landed. “Team work makes the dream work” as they say and this was a prime example of us all working together as a team to bring this fish in properly. This was how we worked all weekend long and it made for seamless catch and release fishing. Both Tony and I congratulated Sebastein with high fives and fist bumps after he let his fish swim back into the river. I believe this to be great sportsmanship, which keeps the spirits high and the vibe positive, continuously.

It was not long before Tony had his rod loaded up and his line in the water that he got his first remarkable sturgeon, a fifty three inch (measured to the fork of the tail) hulk that took him for many line screaming runs and getting him snagged into a hefty rock in the middle of the river. I suggested both Tony and I get into the boat and head into the middle of the river to remove the snag; it worked seamlessly and the fish was freed after we got on the opposite side of the rock. Another great fish was landed and released once again! We all celebrated with delight and adrenaline filled hugs. A fish of that caliber definitely gets the blood pumping.

I was still yet to get a bite and waited patiently. Tony re-baited his line back up and aggressively launched his bait far into the middle of the river where the current met the shallow water on our side of the seam. His bait bounced along the bottom briefly before settling on the edge of the current line. He set the tension on his rod and placed the rod into the rod holder and sat back down in his chair. What seemed like only five minutes, but was probably more like twenty, Tony was getting bites and sank the hook into another amazing fifty two inch (to the fork of the tail) dinosaur. We were all hooting and hollering as Tony remained fixated on his battle, determined to not let his fish escape his grasp. After numerous reel screaming runs and two breaches, the fish was finally tired out and then landed. Tony asked me if I wanted to tail-grab his fish for him, which was both an honor and pleasure for me. The hook came out with ease as Sebastein readied his camera for a few quick images. Another fête ensued as we surrounded Tony with love and support for his amazing catch.

It was late in the day and we decided to pack up our gear to try a few more localities we saw going up river. On the second stop, Sebastein hooked another great fish before the sun started to set on an inconceivable first day. It was time to head back to the boat launch begrudgingly.

My Turn

The sounds of Sebastein’s phone awoke me early Saturday morning, but I was still full of fuel and blood pumping epinephrine so I sprang up immediately and headed to the shower. We left the hotel early and headed off to pick up Tony. I stopped at Tim Hortons on the way to the boat launch for lunch and some desperately needed caffeine. I met the boys at the launch and we agreed to head straight for “Juno Beach” to start the day. We talked in the boat launch area and I said “Today is the day I get my sturgeon boys, I can feel it”.

As I was backing the boat into the river, Sebastein asked me if he could drive the boat. I agreed and off we went, staying beside him acting as his navigator. He did an impeccable job driving which gave me time to take some scenery pictures on the way. The river was like glass with geese bathing along the shoreline as we avoided the protruding rocks, weaving in and out of them like pylons. The French guy has great driving skills! As the boat gently came to a stop on the beach, I had my chair and my rod in hand, fervent to get my first Sturgeon of the weekend. Tony courteously offered me the spot he was sitting Friday, where he landed his first two colossal specimens. I gladly accepted and set up shop hurriedly. The chair, bait and rod were set up in no time flat. I fired my line straight out into the aqua, sitting back in my new chair Tony bought me Friday night, (I ripped my chair on Friday and needed a new one). Tony and Sebastein went to Walmart Friday night as I was washing the thick mud off my boat. Big thanks to Tony for getting me a nice comfortable chair; you are the best my friend.

I sat and watched the tip of my rod for bites, remaining focused on the prize. After about fifteen minutes my rod tip was moving slowly downward as my heart raced madly. I stood up from my chair and gently removed the rod from its holder. I reeled in the slack line and felt a fish munching on my worms. I sank the hook into what felt like a car and the battle was on. I knew right away I had my first sturgeon of the trip. Both Tony and Sebastein came running down the beach after they heard me yelling “It’s a sturgeon boys”. I must say, once you feel the power and the fight of these creatures, there is nothing quite like it. I took my time fighting this brute as the fish initially started swimming toward me. Tony entered the water to tail my fish but as the fish was almost landed and saw Tony, he bolted back out toward the deep water where I initially hooked him. Both Sebastein and Tony were yelling at me and encouraging me with positive feedback, I gained the upper hand on the fish and Tony tailed him for me.

I will never in my life forget that moment in time. My very first sturgeon was a fifty two and a half inch (fork of the tail) goliath. I had an enormous grin on my face as we posed for these images here. Mission accomplished and back into the water she went, healthy and lively for the next lucky angler to catch. My first fish came at 7:30 Am and by day’s end, I had landed five immaculate specimens. Tony had accomplished six great fish and Sebastein caught and released four lake sturgeons. It was a day for the books and a day I will always remember for as long as I breathe. We headed home just before dark in awe an amazement of what had transpired thought the day.

The Last Day

With limited sleep and running on fumes, we headed back out for one last kick at the cat. Adam had asked if he could join us on Sunday as he had the day off. We all suited up and headed back to Juno Beach for a half day of fun. The boat was hefty but we made Juno Beach with no issues. Within the first half an hour, both Adam and Sebastein hooked up fish at the same time. Two fish were on; double header action to start another amazing day off with a huge bang.

Sebastein had brought his blue tooth speaker with us, and every time he put on Creedence Clearwater Revival, the fish responded, almost like they loved the music as much as we did. Every time CCR would play, the fish would bite and come out to play. It was surreal! Tony hooked into another great fish and we paused for a group photo before the release.

I hooked into another tank but the fish fought so hard it straightened my hook. Adam landed three amazing fish capping off a fishing trip of a lifetime. Words cannot adequately describe how much fun I had last weekend fishing with Tony, Sebastein and on the last day, Adam. After heading back to the boat launch, and before heading out of the South Saskatchewan River system home, Sebastein had said, “You know what, I had soooooo much fun this weekend; we should make this a yearly trip”. We all shook hands in agreement. Like how could I ever say no to that offer? It was an amazing, action packed, fish filled weekend with the best anglers on the planet.

We came, we saw, we slayed.