# sturgeon fishing



## Vladman (Oct 10, 2006)

Hello!

Can anybody tell me what is the best gear (rod,spin,braid/line) for off-bank sturgeon fishing?
I am totally new to that
Thank you.


----------



## ScottWood (May 16, 2005)

Try this link:
http://www.fishsniffer.com/cgi-bin/forumsyabb/YaBB.pl?board=sturgeon_fresh


----------



## Pendulauncher (Jul 24, 2006)

Vladman said:


> Hello!
> 
> Can anybody tell me what is the best gear (rod,spin,braid/line) for off-bank sturgeon fishing?
> I am totally new to that
> Thank you.


Where are you fishing? River or Bay (Sacremento River, my guess).

Regards,

Bill


----------



## DaHoSturgeon (Nov 28, 2006)

*How we Bank Fish Sturgeon here in Idaho...*

I bank fish Sturgeon every few days when its nice here in Idaho in the Snake River. I am a spinning fisherman, which makes things harder to find a good rod for them.

Sturgeon hang in deep, fast water, so it takes a lot of weight. Which defined what type of gear you need. 

You need a rod that will have a lure weight of 12oz or higher, a line weight of at least 40#, depending upon how large the fish are, and a length of at least 10' up to 15' long. Ugly Stik makes some good off the shelf ones that will work for your average sized fish.

For line, if there are lots of rocks and such in the water, you might want to go with a heavy super braid main line - like 65 to 80# PowerPro and use a 'top shot' or end leader of lighter weight mono of 20-30 yards. The main thing is to keep your main line together, so it should be heavier than the end line and leadlers. Main line cost lots of $$.

Sturgeon don't have teeth, so you don't need any wire leader or anything. Acutally, I have found that using a dacron braid hook leader works well for them. Its soft and easy to wrap around bait. I usually use 4/0 to 8/0 hooks here and morts (dead trout) as bait with 8-16oz weights. Put the weights on lighter leaders so they can be broken when snagged.

Your reel needs to have lots of line on it and a good drag. Big fish like to run and can run you out of line pretty easy. 

I use the largest spinning reels, like a Penn 9500SS or Okuma ABF-90, but any large spinning or conventional reel will work that will hold 300 or more yards of whatever line you are going to use.

I would check with the local folks for the local terminal tackle and bait setups for your area...

Good luck - They are great fish and big fun...


----------



## LiteTackleChamp (Jul 29, 2005)

i thought it was illegal to fish for them, arent they highly protected


----------



## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

I think just illegal to snag


----------



## DaHoSturgeon (Nov 28, 2006)

bmcox86,

No, you can fish for them - it is a major sports activity around here.

But, they are a highly protected species and you must use very specific rules.

They are obviously "Catch and Release" and you cannot use barbed hooks, and most importantly, you cannot remove them from the water. They don't have bones and must be in water to survive...

The Snake River has been chopped up with dams and there are various populations of them between the dams. But, for the most part, they are doing quite well...


----------



## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

Look at the location. The are legal to fish for in many west river systems. On the East Coast it is for the most part a nono.


----------



## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Welcome*

Welcome to the family.


----------



## Pendulauncher (Jul 24, 2006)

Digger said:


> Look at the location. The are legal to fish for in many west river systems. On the East Coast it is for the most part a nono.


Also, he's fishing for White Sturgeon....2nd largest in the world. I think the only type on the East coast is the Atlantic Sturgeon...could be wrong, though....maybe a sprinkle of Shovelheads here or there.


----------



## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

As far a East Coast Sturgeon goes an intresting thing happened when Hurricane Floyd broke the dam at Waller Mill Pond. There were fish that had been landlocked for about 90 years in that little lake(10-14 fish) and since then when W&M does their seine sample young sturgeon are showing up in quantity(which did not happen before the storm) in the James River. I have heard eports of 6 inch to almost 3 footers, which is great news, Heck in two generations there might be a fishable population. Oh by the way the fish that were behind the dam were in the 12 foot class. We can only hope.


----------



## DaHoSturgeon (Nov 28, 2006)

Pendulauncher said:


> Also, he's fishing for White Sturgeon....2nd largest in the world.


Yep, that's them... I am truely blessed to have moved here and have them to play with. We also have some of the best trout and steelhead fisheries in the world within 30 minutes of the house.

Up until it got cold a couple of weeks ago, I could drive down to the Snake River, a few miles away, and catch them just about every day I went until I got tired - which is usually one large fish for me... This summer I must have caught about 50 of them, all over 4 ', 20 or so over 5', with the largest being 8' and about 250# per the charts. I posted a pic of it. I was using a little Cabela's Whuppin'Stik 8' 50# rod to catch it with - which is how I know it was 8' long... I had gloves on and grabbed ahold of the hook leader to try and measure it and spooked it and almost went flying into the river. Big fish...

I have been trying to find them lately. I guess they go to deeper water to stay warmer, but haven't had much luck yet. Right now the high temp here today is going to be about 20deg, so I think I will wait for a day or three...


----------



## Pendulauncher (Jul 24, 2006)

DaHoSturgeon said:


> Yep, that's them... I am truely blessed to have moved here and have them to play with. We also have some of the best trout and steelhead fisheries in the world within 30 minutes of the house.
> 
> Up until it got cold a couple of weeks ago, I could drive down to the Snake River, a few miles away, and catch them just about every day I went until I got tired - which is usually one large fish for me... This summer I must have caught about 50 of them, all over 4 ', 20 or so over 5', with the largest being 8' and about 250# per the charts. I posted a pic of it. I was using a little Cabela's Whuppin'Stik 8' 50# rod to catch it with - which is how I know it was 8' long... I had gloves on and grabbed ahold of the hook leader to try and measure it and spooked it and almost went flying into the river. Big fish...
> 
> I have been trying to find them lately. I guess they go to deeper water to stay warmer, but haven't had much luck yet. Right now the high temp here today is going to be about 20deg, so I think I will wait for a day or three...



Waaay back late last century, I had the good fortune to live in Washington (not DC....the REAL Washington). Man, I miss being out there.

For those of you who haven't been out to the Northwest, make it a must do. Just seeing the difference in landscape (western Washington, Oregon, & BC vs. the eastern side plus Idaho) is worth the trip. Fishing (including saltwater), waterfowl, mule deer, mtn goats, coyotes, maybe .....plenty to hunt & fish for out there.


----------



## Pendulauncher (Jul 24, 2006)

*this one's probably over 10 or 15lbs......probably*


----------



## DaHoSturgeon (Nov 28, 2006)

*Sturgeon Picture*

Yep, thats a 9' or 10'er and probably in the 350# to 450# range - Serious Fish... That is what I am gearing up for and trying to catch off of the bank. My 8'er was a serious challenge and they basically double in weight every 15" to 18" at that size.

At the new Cabela's in Boise, Idaho, they have a picture like that with 6 guys standing in back of the fish for the picture. It was probably 12' to 14' and about 1,000# caught in Hells Canyon, ID. It said it took them all, four cases of beer, and 6 hrs to land it.

There are lots of old pictures from back in the horse and buggy days around here that show 15' and larger fish that were usually drug in with the 'horsepower' and ropes. They look sorta like the shark in the Jaws movies...

I saw a place on Ebay the other day that will sell little aquarium sized Sturgeon. I have been thinking about getting some just to study them and blow away some locals... They are not the white local variety, which would be highly illegal around here.

I still haven't had any luck finding an appropriate spinning rod, so I just ordered my first casting reel - an AVET LX 4.6/1 - a left handed silver one. So, if I can ever learn how to cast it, there are lots of poles out there that should work. It's being mag'ed with 'rare earth magnets' for backlash control which I hope will help, but in any case, its sounds cool...


----------



## DaHoSturgeon (Nov 28, 2006)

Pendulauncher said:


> For those of you who haven't been out to the Northwest, make it a must do. Just seeing the difference in landscape (western Washington, Oregon, & BC vs. the eastern side plus Idaho) is worth the trip. Fishing (including saltwater), waterfowl, mule deer, mtn goats, coyotes, maybe .....plenty to hunt & fish for out there.


Here in Idaho, both hunting and fishing are a BIG deal. Lots of businesses close down for the start of a season and that's understood.

I was at a party the other day and these long term locals there were talking about doing an all day trip, where they were going to go deer hunting in the morning and then duck hunting and sturgeon fishing in the afternoon in their jet boat.

In the paper a few weeks ago, there was this article that some little local town was up in arms about their 'pet' wild tom turkey that hung out in the town park, was shot on the opening day of turkey season in town. Which I guess ended up being 'legal'...

Its not like where I come from in Kalifornia...


----------



## david123 (Jun 24, 2004)

I once had conversation with an old timer who had seen the Atlanyics some up the Delaware River to Spawn. Said they looked like submarines coming through the shallows. 

Unfortunately, it ain't happenin' anymore. At least not that I've heard and I live about 20 miles from the river


----------



## Pendulauncher (Jul 24, 2006)

DaHoSturgeon said:


> Yep, thats a 9' or 10'er and probably in the 350# to 450# range - Serious Fish... That is what I am gearing up for and trying to catch off of the bank. My 8'er was a serious challenge and they basically double in weight every 15" to 18" at that size.
> 
> I still haven't had any luck finding an appropriate spinning rod,


If memory serves me, the largest on record (not rod 'n reel) was dragged kicking & screaming from the Frasier River in British Columbia (I don't think that's too far from Vancouver)......22ft, 1800+ lbs.

Unfortunately, I never got my sturgeon. Chased 'em from central to northeastern Washington (could look right upstream on the Columbia and see Canada). Priest Rapids and Grand Cooley Dams on the Columbia. Lower Granite Dam on the Snake. High water, fish were on the move, and it just wasn't in the cards.

As for a spinning rig.....check out the Seeker blanks. I think your post said looking for 10ft, 2pc. Not sure if it's 1 or 2pc, but Seeker makes a few sturgeon worthy 10ft blanks. SJ100H (40 to 60 lb line) and SJ100XH (40 to 80 lb line).If they're 2pc, I might have to get 1 for shaaaaks.


----------

