# Cowford - Choctawhatchee River - near disaster



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Fished Cowford Island area yesterday afternoon, about 3 to 7PM. 8 bream with two big bluegills. Wish they all had been this size. Some with crickets and some with flyrod. Beautiful afternnoon with no mosquitos except close to dark.

Not many fish but we sure had a close call with a near disaster. My friend Freddy was the pilot and I was in the front seat of my G3 Pan Fish. We had not gone far downriver from the Cowford Landing when a huge sturgeon jumped very high about 10 to 15 feet in front of the boat and he was headed right for us. We looked him in the eye as he landed about 3 feet from the side of the boat. Gave us a good wetting from the splash. The boat was traveling about 15mph. Had the fish been more inline with our path he would have landed on top of us. It was a big one, maybe 25 to 30 lbs, but he looked bigger......more like a whale!

It scared us plenty, but I didn't really think about how serious the ramifications could have been until I got home last night. I think the best lesson learned from this is to always wear a life vest when running and have the kill switch lanyard hooked to you. A disaster can happen in a split second. Had that fish hit me, Freddy, or just landed in our small 14 ft jon boat it could have been really bad. 

Cowford is a known habitat for sturgeon on the Choctawhatchee River. So be aware and be cautious.


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## LRDD (May 23, 2011)

I had a huge sturgeon almost flip my boat once up there. I was fly fishing along early one morinng in a small 14 foot jon boat and he broke the water and landed right on the side of the boat. Damn near pitched me out. On another note, I fly fished the lower end of the river yesterday from 4:30 till dark, caught 23 bream and 4 bass.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

Same here had one a few weeks ago almost jump in the boat with us.


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

Try being in a kayak and one jumping about 3 feet beside you. I about had a heart attack.


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## Trucker (Sep 25, 2008)

I don't think that sucker could stand the smell in my pants if it jumped in my boat.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Man, I can only image what one could do to a yak. When you think about the speed of a moving boat and speed this has got me thinking since I fish alone a good bit of the time. A head to head with a big sturgeon and you loose.


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## baldona523 (Mar 2, 2008)

Have you guys seen the videos of the asian carp in the Illinois River and other midwest rivers? The carp the guys bow fish when they jump out of the water? They have killed more than a few boaters unfortunately.


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## deeptracks (Oct 2, 2007)

I have seen some on yellow river that would take a river boat out if timing was right....will make you keep you eyes peeled when running.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Yes, I have seen that on national TV and youtube. At least our sturegon are not that thick but some are very big suckers. Over in the Suwannee River west of Tallahassee there have been some injuries and I think a death or two in FL from jumping sturgeon. 
Have never thought very much about jumpers but I sure will now when I'm in the area where they are active.


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