Polka Never Dies

<p><img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161114_061843-1632x918.jpg" style="width: 525px; height: 295px;" /></p> <p>November Sturgeon fishing was good for me so I&#39;m throwing in a breif summary. &nbsp;I found an old boat for sale that looked to be everything I wanted in a cat and sturg boat. &nbsp;It has performed admirably in Lake St Croix, which is certainly not the most forgiving body of water.</p> <p>First trip out was uneventful but I did get first fish slime in the &quot;new&quot; boat with a last minute small Sturg on a night with nothing else but Mud Puppies</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161102_215400-887x499_0.jpg" style="width: 525px; height: 295px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Next trip out was a Sauger and Sturg combo run with my Brother-in-Law. &nbsp;Focus was more on the Sauger side but Sauger water usually seems to have a few Sturgeon around. &nbsp;Set up on the edge between a sand bar and a deep mud hole. &nbsp;After a few Saugers and White Bass the surfNturf rod on his side of the boat went tappy-tappy. &nbsp;There is nothing quite like seeing someone hook into a proper Sturg on heavy tackle for the first time. &nbsp;One nice jump, a heavy battle, one wrap around the anchor line on a nearby boat (my father in law was a touch close while watching the fight). &nbsp;And his first proper Sturg - a tagged 50&quot; came to the net</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161105_140610-1632x918.jpg" style="width: 525px; height: 295px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This was the first tagged fish for the month, by the end of the month 6 different tagged fish graced the deck. &nbsp;Once I get more info on thosr I&#39;ll share more - that will probably be several months though from what I&#39;ve seen.</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161105_140450-918x1632_0.jpg" style="width: 295px; height: 525px;" /></p> <p>Graceclaw also joined me to add to the tagged tally with 55&quot;x19&quot; tagged fish and tangled the heck out of the anchor line and two other fishing lines, making things a touch challenging...</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161116_224612-1632x918.jpg" style="width: 525px; height: 295px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As expected on the Croix in late fall the &quot;elusive&quot; Mud Puppy was ominpresent, most nights too many puppies were being caught in the dark...</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161108_203328-1632x918.jpg" style="width: 525px; height: 295px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>At one point my anchor hooked something heavy and dragged up this strange contraption:</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161117_172643-1632x918.jpg" style="width: 525px; height: 295px;" /></p> <p>I later heard from the owners:</p> <blockquote> <p><span style="color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(246, 247, 249);">Looks like you snagged one of our catfish radio receivers. Many thanks for putting it back down safe and sound. Our crew was out again this week and found it in the same place. Very much appreciated! Mussel folks all have a deep appreciation for the fish community. So heartening to read that fisherman return that appreciation for mussels.</span></p> </blockquote> <p>Apparently they are studying the endangered Winged Maplelead Mussel, which uses Channel Catfish as a larvae host. The radio trackers are to study the movements of tagged Channel Catfish in the system. &nbsp;The Croix being one of the last places have the mussels still surviving.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The best night I personally had saw a 3 nice fish in the boat (pictured below in order: 54&quot;x20&quot;, 56&quot;x19&quot; and 60&quot;x23&quot;). &nbsp;With some smaller ones to boot. &nbsp;All 3 gave heavy, peeling fights. &nbsp;No spectacular aerobatics out of those fish but they were dang strong. &nbsp;I did have some really showy 46&quot; class fish on multiple nights. &nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161110_224613-1632x918.jpg" style="width: 525px; height: 295px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(246, 247, 249); color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">&nbsp;<img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161110_221017-1632x918_0.jpg" style="width: 525px; height: 295px;" /></span></p> <p><span style="background-color: rgb(246, 247, 249); color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161110_190927-1632x918_0.jpg" style="width: 525px; height: 295px;" /></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>RF29 joined me over Thanksgiving week, one of the last fish to come over the gunnels was this 48&quot;-49&quot; fish:</p> <p><img alt="" src="http://roughfish.com/sites/default/files/20161123_215957-1632x918_0.jpg" style="width: 525px; height: 295px;" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Unsatisifed that I had not been truely skunked we we back later and spent time wandering in the dense fog playing bumper boats with nuns. I&#39;m impressed with how well navigating by the Navonic phone app went. &nbsp;A dedicated GPS map would probably do better but with my headlights useless in the dense fog I was dang happy to have that app. &nbsp;The old days of my youth wandering blindy in river fog are not missed...</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In the end we were solidly skunked that night, not even 100% sure we had an actual fish bite and we didn&#39;t even catch THAT many Mud Puppies...</p>