If you’re an angler and you haven’t tried sturgeon fishing by now, you should know that fishing for sturgeon is quite an experience. Bringing one of these giant, prehistoric-looking creatures into your boat is an adventure that any angler will not forget.
However, if you’re going sturgeon fishing for the first time, you should know a couple of aspects about sturgeon fishing. In this post, I’m going to put into view a few tips about fishing for sturgeon.
1. The first tip that I’m going to put into view here, although a bit obvious, it’s really necessary. You must fish where the sturgeon are. I’m saying this because countless times I saw anglers looking for sturgeon where they thought they were supposed to be, yet, those waters were really sturgeon free. Sturgeon move a lot, and where you caught a few last month, there might be none at the moment you’re going to wet your lines next.
Best way to make sure there really are a few big ones in the waters you’re fishing in, is to use a fish finder. There are many brands out there, but I’m going to recommend you a Hummingbird fish finder. The 998c SI Combo model that I’ve been using has never let me down.
2. Needless to say, bait is another very important factor for catching sturgeon. For this matter, you should keep in mind that your bait must be fresh. And when I say “fresh”, this includes quite a few things.
First of all, the bait that has brought me great results for sturgeon fishing is anchovies and smelt. Now, to be considered “fresh” this bait must have its slime, its guts and quite an amount of blood, to attract sturgeon. Also, I’ve gotten great results using cow liver. However, in this case, you must change is pretty often, because as it’s losing its blood, the liver piece on your hook will become pretty much useless. In fact, to keep your bait fresh and attractive for sturgeon, you should change it really often, no matter what bait you’re using.
3. Regarding the hooks and lines, I must add here that, especially if you’re going to fish for sturgeon in salt water, it’s best to use anodized hooks. Anodized hooks remain sharp for a longer time, due to the extra protective layers, plus they are much more resistant to salt water. Also, don’t use extra large hooks, even if you’re going for big game sturgeon. They have a rather small mouth.
As for the lines, I usually use a 30 – 35 lb line, but make sure you have somewhat 200m of line on your reel. You might find it handy at some point.
An important aspect regarding your line is that sturgeons have the tendency of rolling in it. Since they’re covered with all those bony plates, they will wear out your line quickly. So, after every catch, check the last few feet of your line. If there are any abrasions on it, cut it off and retie.
I hope these tips help. Hook’em up!