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I am looking at getting into sturgeon fishing and I'm not sure if this is the right Forum ( if not please move it mods ).
Anyways I want to Fish for cats at the same time Which I already do but I want to Hook into a sturgeon sometime. My main setups are a 5' ul rod with 4lb line and a 6'6 ML rod with 8lb line I Know I need a heavier setup but I'm thinking a 7' Uglystick with 30 lb Line would that be Heavy enough I would use cut bait or even catfish dough balls. Would that wourk for sturgeon? Or would I want some Heavier Line. I am not out to just muscle them in I am mostly out for the fight. I already have a freezer full of fish I just want to have some fun catching big game on light line.
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I will be bank fishing here in Idaho. I have seen the setups the guys use here to me they seem like overkill but like I said before I have never sturgeon fished before. I was going to go to the local bait shop and look for rods and reels tomorrow.
The type of water I will be fishing is a river next to a dam with some fast moving water and some still water spots. Its the Snake River.
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That is the same area i fish.
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I didn't realize your were from ID DO you fish down at CJ strike?
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I live in UT. I fish ID quite often. Never fished CJ.
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Wyo-J, I fish Strike all the time, both above the dam and below.
Get a 12+ foot rod for fishing off the bank, and a reel with a strong drag that holds at least 300 yds of 50 pound test. If you don't you will end up breaking off these fish, and they will suffer for it. When they break off, the tag end can get snagged up in the bottom where they feed, and cause them big problems.
Your best bet is to fight them fast, and release them in good condition. You should never fight a sturgeon longer than a hour(30 minutes if you can).
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Thanks for the info I will look into 10 and 12 ft rods and Go with the heavier line what hook type and size should I use and what kind of bait? I want to do Catfishing at the same time. I know the cats out here arent as big as what I used to catch in MI or at least I don't think thats kind of why I wanted the lighter line. Are there many big cats below the dam at CJ?
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I will second what Mojo and Lunkerhunter are telling ya. I started fishing sturg in 07 around King Hill. We use almost the exact same set up: 12' Big Water Ugly Stik, 40 or 50 lb mono and 12 oz pyramid sinker, 7/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks, with a rainbow trout "mort" in the 8" range but it varies. My buddy has a 13' Gregor Welded with a 15 hp Merc. We fish from the bank, then when we hook one, we jump in the boat and fight it from the boat, so you can stay right on top of the fish.
I like the idea of using a spinning reel - at least so you can reel with your left hand. My buddy from Jerome who takes me out just uses those big saltwater conventional/trolling reels. They hold anywhere from 350-550 yards of 30#, and it's dang near impossible to find a left hand retrieve.
But anyway, Mojo and Lunkerhunter are right on the money. Sturgeon fishing is big big big big game fishing, and if your're not geared up for it, you're just urinating into a real strong wind.
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Yeah I will be getting a big spinning reel I prefer the left handed retrieve. I will shoot for 50 lb line then
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Wyo-J please do the fish a favor and stick with mono as well. Braid is really hard on them when they roll up in it.
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