# 6 foot dinosaur caught while sheepshead fishing



## 153 Large fish

The boys and I were fishing the pass for sheepshead Saturday.. We were fishing 58 feet of water when I got a nibble on a live shrimp... I lifted the rod and it didn't raise...lol...I thought I was hung up until the drag started going off slowly...after about 40 minutes of careful handbreaking with 20 pound test, a monster arose!! A six foot GulfSturgeon!! The surprise catch of the day..The miraculous part was the fact that we were in the middle of about 40 boats and only 3 people's lines got interfered with...any way it was very fun and surprising


----------



## Realtor

ha ha Ive watched your videos several times in FB!!! Supercool catch!


----------



## 153 Large fish

Awesome thank you...that doesn't happen every day... lol


----------



## FenderBender

Wow! In the pass of all places! That's probably a once in a lifetime weird catch. Very cool.


----------



## stc1993

I bet that wasn't on the bucket list. LOL you don't see many caught that's for sure.


----------



## 153 Large fish

We all had our guesses going from boat to boat...I thought it was a monster Black Drum at first, but it fought too long!...it was too slow for a shark...didn't run in big circles around the boat like a ray...so about 20 minutes in I figured it might be a huge grouper...it surprised us all lol!!!


----------



## JoeyWelch

That’s a cool catch.


----------



## FenderBender

Looked it up, seems Gulf Sturgeon ONLY eat in the winter months and not at all the rest of the year when they are in rivers and freshwater. Kinda crazy but explains why you never hear of them being caught.


----------



## 153 Large fish

FenderBender said:


> Looked it up, seems Gulf Sturgeon ONLY eat in the winter months and not at all the rest of the year when they are in rivers and freshwater. Kinda crazy but explains why you never hear of them being caught.


I'm for sure no expert...I'll buy that! Gulf Sturgeon makes more sense...lol


----------



## Boat-Dude

WOW how cool is that. :thumbup:


----------



## Jason

Thats prob a one in a lifetime occurrence there...good deal!


----------



## 153 Large fish

Jason said:


> Thats prob a one in a lifetime occurrence there...good deal!


Jason, you're exactly right... I told my boys you could have 100 boats target sturgeon for 100 days and still not see one


----------



## stc1993

153 Large fish said:


> Jason, you're exactly right... I told my boys you could have 100 boats target sturgeon for 100 days and still not see one


I'll be honest I didn't know they went in saltwater. I've always thought they were a freshwater fish.


----------



## MaxxT

How old do you think that fish is??


----------



## 153 Large fish

stc1993 said:


> I'll be honest I didn't know they went in saltwater. I've always thought they were a freshwater fish.


I only saw fishing shows in the Northwest part of the country catching like 10 footers, but had no idea they were in the pass...


----------



## 153 Large fish

MaxxT said:


> How old do you think that fish is??


I'd say 60 years on a guess...what do you think?


----------



## stc1993

I knew they have some kind of sturgeons in the Swannee & Withlacoochee Rivers I believe.


----------



## VandalRefugee

153 Large fish said:


> I only saw fishing shows in the Northwest part of the country catching like 10 footers, but had no idea they were in the pass...


https://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=i&...aw2aN2qU5QHJLNLfQ1ehc12e&ust=1521715949891832

They get a lot bigger than that! They catch 15 footers on the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam every year, there's probably some 18-20 footers left but you'll never stop them! It's one incredible fishery that sadly isn't going to last much longer unless they tear down the dams.


----------



## Desert Eagle

Not many have even seen these fish.


----------



## FishWalton

Desert Eagle said:


> Not many have even seen these fish.


True....but if you fish the CowFord area (Ebro,hwy 20) you will see them in the summer. They jump a lot. It's a known sturgeon area where they spawn.


----------



## DAWGONIT

++ on once in a lifetime, and forever memory.

I think IGFA offers a release certificate and would be interested in the specifics.

thanks for sharing.


----------



## J Smithers

I use to see these river monsters in the summer time on escambia river. It's been a few years since I've seen one but its pretty scary when you're cruising down the river and a 6 footer jumps out of the water 10' from your boat. Very cool catch


----------



## willie mckoy

Very cool catch and something your family will never forget!

Those fish are in the Escambia and Yellow Rivers, as well as the Choctawhatchee and as was mentioned the Suwanee. They need rock bottom to spawn which is why you find them in these rivers. Most of the larger rivers like the Alabama and Apalachicola they historically used are dammed now which keep them from migrating to these spawning areas.


----------



## Desert Eagle

fishwalton said:


> True....but if you fish the CowFord area (Ebro,hwy 20) you will see them in the summer. They jump a lot. It's a known sturgeon area where they spawn.


I've seen them in BW River up around Paradise Island. I'm back in a swampy area with a large saw grass area blocking my view toward the river's main channel. Every few minutes there would be a LARGE splashing sound. I trolled around so I could view that area and it came a few feet out of the water. Kinda frightening at first - it was a good 5' long. They have signs at some ramps along the river describing them...


----------



## 153 Large fish

VandalRefugee said:


> http://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=i&r...aw2aN2qU5QHJLNLfQ1ehc12e&ust=1521715949891832
> 
> Thet a lot bigger than that! They catch 15 footers on the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam every year, there's probably some 18-20 footers left but you'll never stop them! It's one incredible fishery that sadly isn't going to last much longer unless they tear down the dams.


Those are a different kind of Sturgeon...I believe white sturgeon...this was a Gulf Sturgeon


----------



## 153 Large fish

DAWGONIT said:


> ++ on once in a lifetime, and forever memory.
> 
> I think IGFA offers a release certificate and would be interested in the specifics.
> 
> thanks for sharing.


Awesome I'm going to look into that for sure!


----------



## 153 Large fish

willie mckoy said:


> Very cool catch and something your family will never forget!
> 
> Those fish are in the Escambia and Yellow Rivers, as well as the Choctawhatchee and as was mentioned the Suwanee. They need rock bottom to spawn which is why you find them in these rivers. Most of the larger rivers like the Alabama and Apalachicola they historically used are dammed now which keep them from migrating to these spawning areas.


Very interesting!


----------



## softbutchharley

That is just wayyyy coool !!! TY for sharing this one. That is indeed a rare almost never heard of incident. Just awesome !!! And the best thing ?.... We LIVE here !!!!! Stay salty


----------



## 153 Large fish

softbutchharley said:


> That is just wayyyy coool !!! TY for sharing this one. That is indeed a rare almost never heard of incident. Just awesome !!! And the best thing ?.... We LIVE here !!!!! Stay salty


Yes sir, definitely staying Salty!!!lol


----------



## how2fish

You are the man !! :notworthy:


----------



## 153 Large fish

how2fish said:


> You are the man !! :notworthy:


Lol...!!


----------



## SurfRidr

I saw one once on the Perdido River summer before last, it was on a sandy shoal where the water was clear enough to make it out... thought it was a log resting on the bottom till I drifted over it and it leisurely scooted off. Probably 4 feet. That's incredible to catch one, very cool.


----------



## 153 Large fish

SurfRidr said:


> I saw one once on the Perdido River summer before last, it was on a sandy shoal where the water was clear enough to make it out... thought it was a log resting on the bottom till I drifted over it and it leisurely scooted off. Probably 4 feet. That's incredible to catch one, very cool.


From what I've learned they don't eat in the Summer...they.just do their thing...lol...strange life


----------



## lettheairout

See them a bunch on yellow river and blackwater river. Seen one jumping out the water a few years back. They are cool 

sent from outside your bedroom window


----------



## my3nme

Wow, best catch I've seen on here in a long time. A true fish of a life time. Congrats


----------



## Buckyt

I saw one jump in front of 4 Seasons pier at Orange Beach several years ago. I was close enough that I was certain what it was, but some of my friends have laughed at me about this sighting.


----------



## 153 Large fish

my3nme said:


> Wow, best catch I've seen on here in a long time. A true fish of a life time. Congrats


Thank you....it was a blessing...very fun and unforgettable...


----------



## CalvinandHobbes

Know a spot on blackwater they come to every year in the summer time. You just sit there and watch and wait and you will see some sturgeon jump out the water.


----------



## Rickpcfl

I was diving the Suwanee River a couple of years back and saw a bunch suspended near some rocks. It was cool to see. I know that a number of people have been hurt after hitting them in a moving boat while they jump. It is neat to see.


----------



## bigrick

That's awesome. I've never seen one over this way but remember one surfacing around the jetties behind the Beau Rivage in Biloxi when I was younger.


----------



## 153 Large fish

Buckyt said:


> I saw one jump in front of 4 Seasons pier at Orange Beach several years ago. I was close enough that I was certain what it was, but some of my friends have laughed at me about this sighting.


I've heard many people say they've seen them but no one believes them...well they do now lol


----------



## 153 Large fish

CalvinandHobbes said:


> Know a spot on blackwater they come to every year in the summer time. You just sit there and watch and wait and you will see some sturgeon jump out the water.


I've never seen one jump, I bet that's pretty awesome!


----------



## 153 Large fish

bigrick said:


> That's awesome. I've never seen one over this way but remember one surfacing around the jetties behind the Beau Rivage in Biloxi when I was younger.


So I guess they're all over and most people just don't know it... probably because they don't eat in the Summer


----------

