16 April 9 , 2021 MAP FEATURE
VOL . 40 • ISS . 7
The Pittsburg marina and public boat ramp are the gateway to fishing sturgeon , striped bass and other fish species on Suisun Bay and the West Delta .
Photo by Dan Bacher , Fish Sniffer Staff .
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TOCKTON – Donoven Bowen of Jamestown , California had a dream to catch a “ slot sturgeon ” – a white sturgeon in the 40 to 60 inch legal size slot limit - with Captain Steve Mitchell of Stockton , the owner of Hook ’ d Up Sport Fishing . Not only did he fulfill that dream , but he was able to battle two other sturgeon the same day . In between battles , he had to hook up with his life support system in the cabin . The 27-year-old Donoven suffers from central and autonomic nervous system failure , a condition that he is born with it , according to his mom and dad , Lora and Guy Bowen . He has already lived seven years longer that his doctors said he would , “ At this stage , he does very little , so he sits in a chair at home ,” said Lora “ He watches movies or plays on the phone . He has scars from heart surgeries , has duel breathing pacemakers in his diaphragm that breath for him , has a heart pacemaker , and has a GT through which he receives nutrition .” The trip almost didn ’ t happen . The date that his parents and him picked , Tuesday , March 23 , was unfishable due to strong winds , but they could go the next day , said Mitchell . “ They already had a motel ,” said Mitchell . “ Luckily we were able to get the people already booked for Wednesday to reschedule to allow the three to go .” The following day Mitchell started the trip at 11 a . m . to give the wind time to die down .
“ All I want is a slot fish , “ Donoven told Steve . Although he had caught an undersized and an oversized sturgeon years before , he had never caught a keeper .
Angler Lands First-Ever Keeper Sturgeon , Despite Great Odds
For 1-1 / 2 years , Donoven had been telling the locals in Jamestown that he wanted to catch a sturgeon with Steve Mitchell . Locals began to help Donoven collect cans to be recycled so he could pay for the trip . The parents also put in some money for the trip . On trip day , Mitchell drove his boat from his berth in Pittsburg to the Middle Ground , the mouth of Suisun Cut and to Little Suisun Cut , but didn ’ t see the fish that he wanted to target at any of these locations . “ We finally arrived in Suisun Cut . I advised Donoven what to do when he got a bite and how to fight the fish ,” said Mitchell . After 15 minutes , Donoven had the first bite of the day and fought the fish for 10 to 15 minutes before he landed it all by himself . It measured 46 inches long . His dad and mom told him if he had caught one sturgeon , he could also battle theirs . He then landed two more fish measuring 44-3 / 4 and 46-1 / 4 inches long . “ It was a really great day . a dream come true ,” said Donoven . “ It was amazing . I could not be more thankful to Deckhand Tony and
This angler shows off a beautiful sturgeon landed during a recent trip on Suisun Bay with Steve Mitchell , captain of the Top Gun .
Photo courtesy of Hook ’ d Up Sport Fishing .
Captain Steve . It took all I had to reel the fish in . My arm was pretty sore and still is .” “ It was unbelievable he had the strength to reel the fish in ,” said Lora . “ He gave it all he had . Captain Steven and Deckhand Tony ’ s enthusiasm was what made the day extra special . It was a perfect day .” “ It was pretty much a blessing , It was meant to be ,” summed up Mitchell . Steve Mitchell will be booking sturgeon trips from Pittsburg through April 10 , when he moves this boat , the Top Gun , to Berkeley Marina for the spring and summer live bait halibut season . “ This has been a really good year for the sturgeon ,” said Mitchell . For more information , contact Steven Mitchell of Hook ’ d Up Sportfishing , ( 707 ) 655-6736 . Since it has been a dry year , the sturgeon fishing has been concentrated in Suisun Bay and the West Delta this season , although sturgeon have also been available in San Pablo Bay and the West Delta .
CDFW : Sturgeon Biology , Status and Threats
Biology : Sturgeon are members of Family Acipenseridae , an ancient lineage of bony fishes that coexisted with the dinosaurs . The group , which also includes paddlefishes , diverged from other fishes at least 200 million years ago in the early Jurassic period . There are 27 species of sturgeon worldwide , two of which , White ( Acipenser transmontanus ) and Green ( A . medirostris ) – are native