Thanks Don,
In the time I was in Idaho (three days fishing) I seen some come out of the water as well and they are a sight to see when they jump!/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif That bite is really hard to detect but it didn't feel like the bottom of a boat with this little monster. After the hook was in the fish it was on, it ran out over 200+ yards of fifty-pound test while I was riding the spool with my hand./ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif I was convinced I wouldn't see the fish the way it was running as I have been spooled before and this was just how it happened. One long run with no pauses or even an indication the fish would turn at all, then it turned and this time I knew I had a chance at landing it. After that first run there were three more that were not as long as the first.
I feel very fortunate I was able to land this little monster, as I know many people have spent a lot of time trying to do the same. Next time I will have a rod built especially for the sturgeon and this should make it easier to get a hook into them. I'm also going to step up to a heavier line, probably some 80 or 100 pound braided line as I did set the hook a few times and couldn't move what I had set the hook into. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif
About the jumping, some fish jump to slap their body on the water to remove parasites but this may just be one of the reasons they jump.