A few tips, there's tons more but here's some stuff that can help you out with more hook ups: It's mostly about knowing the holes they lay in in different times of the season ie up, mid, lower sections of the river and what they are feeding on in the river at the time you are fishing. If the salmon just start to migrate up then the lower section can be very good and they follow runs of fish. As the fish spawn the Sturgeon key in on the spawned out meats of the Salmon to feed on, if Salmon aren't in the system then match baits to what they normally feed on in the river but don't just have one type of that on board. Eulachons are key to use when they are in the river as well. We put multiple different baits out and see what they want to bite on on that day. Scents can help a lot getting that sent down river to the Sturgeon's noses if you aren't right on them. Mixing baits with fish oils can help as well as it holds the scent well and distributes it out well also. If using roe, use fresh roe without cure. We have tested side by side comparision's time and time again with fresh unscented/uncured roe vs cured and/or different scented roes and the natural roe out fishes it every time. If on the lower river fishing slack tides can be key too as it's easier for the Sturgeon to move around scavenging foods to eat. Sonar can help too finding contours/holes on the river bottom that they like to lay on. Marking these spots are key on the chart as you find them. But they can change year to year do to sediment filling some of them in after the freshet. Guides aren't always getting those numbers of fish every time they go out. Personally I don't like to sit on the same holes time after time cause that's not good for the fish at all. But the Sturgeon do wonder up and down the river a lot and out to the ocean and back as well as the tagging has shown so it's not always the same fish being hooked in the same holes. If you find small Sturgeon and other small fish getting hooked up then go to larger hooks. Small fish stealing your bait and getting hooked up can take away valuable hook ups with larger SturgeonWent out last weekend and caught my first sturgeon of 2019 he was a little guy and didnt put up much of a fight. But man did it feel good getting back on the river.
Ive been sturgeon fishing for 4 years now and still will not catch 1 everyday, and if i do manage to get a bite going the most i have ever caught in a 10 hour day is 3 or 4. So i don't understand how guides can nail 10 fish a day consistently. Any tips ?
That post is epic, you and Mike D shared a lot of tips!Think like a fish and you will do good!
I have fished them for 25 years, have had a blast! Takes time to know the river and then things come easy..... on a fresh water forum a few years ago, we had over 200 pages on sturgeon fishing....