Boating Big Sturgeon

Since the season is over, i’ll share what worked well for me this year….and it’s quite simple:

Fish where the big fish are, and then wait them out.

THat may sound cliche but…that’s what everyone says about every species. Fish where the fish ARE.

I very rarely will drop anchor and fish a spot because it “Looks” good, without first confirming that the area is holding big fish. Great thing about sturgeon in the St. Croix, is they’re the biggest fish in the system, and so are their returns on your sonar. I scan an area and drop anchor directly on top of a huge mark. If you spend enough time looking at your sonar, you’ll be able to tell when you are marking a BIG fish, versus a walleye, sheephead, smaller cats, etc… AFterall, if you’re looking for the biggest sturgeon, you must realize that they’re not in every area of every sturgeon hole…and when you do find them, they are significantly larger on your depth finder.

Now that you’ve found a few big fish on your depth finder, it’s time to fish them. Here’s where most people use a different tactic than myself; to each their own, but i’ll share mine.

I drop anchor vertical….Like straight down. I attach a bungee to my anchor rope to allow the boat to swell up and down without lifting my anchor. The more the wind blows, the less vertical i run my anchor. Even using two bungees to absorb the force of the wind and waves. Yes, my boat will sway, rock, but it’ll never budge the anchor. Anyone that knows me, knows i’m not wind shy and will fish sturgeon in 30-40mph wind, right in the wind blown areas….”Sturgeon don’t care”. This method that i’m about to explain allows me to fish the wind.

Now that my anchor is down, time to fish.

1oz to 2oz weights slipped onto my line. Swivel. 14-24″ of leader and an 8/0 circle. Bait that hook with your favorite bait. Now, loft your line away from the boat slightly, like 5′ and open the bail. The weight and bait will drop to the bottom (Don’t allow it to free fall, do so at a steady rate) and your bait will not helicopter around your weight causing problems. Once the weight has hit the bottom, put your rod in the rod holder. Allow weight to settle into position, it should be exactly below your rod tip, and exactly on the bottom, with zero slack in your line. Rock the boat slightly, and let out line so while the boat rocks, the weight isn’t lifting off the bottom. Rarely am i letting out more than 1-3′ of line. No, my rod tips aren’t bouncing 3′, but as the boat sways the weights are dragged around the bottom…Perfect!!

Rods should be orientated in the rod holders so they bounce the least. Depending on the direction the waves hit your boat, your should see a fairly constant rocking action happening, and placed your rods in an area where the tips bounce the least. With bells on your rods, bouncing of the boat should not cause bells to sound. A tap on the rod butt should cause them to sound though.

Ok, so now you’re fishing. Weight is either on the bottom, or dragging slightly above it. Bait, drifting 1-2′ behind the weight. Current and boat drift keeping the two separated. 2-6 rods spread out around the boat depending on where and how many people you have. BTW, the ONLY reason i do this vertical method of fishing rather than casting out lines is two fold: 1) My line is ALWAYS taut, and i’m ready to detect a sturgeon bite. 2) I don’t have to drop two anchors; which allow boat sway anyway, eventually causing slack lines, and then you just aren’t fishing effeciently.

#1 pet peeve while sturgeon fishing is slack in your line. You just aren’t fishing at this point.
Fishing vertical just flat out doesn’t allow slack to happen. The drifting, rocking, bouncing, etc…Isn’t detering any sturgeon bites either. Can have quite a bit of boat sway, as long as your weight is at or near the bottom…Tap tap tap

Set the 40 minute timer and start watching your sonar.
If a sturgeon taps your bait in this setup, you WILL see it in your rod tip, assuming you’ve done a good job of keeping your line relatively taut all the time. Bells should sound only with a sturgeon ‘hit.

When the hit happens, quickly reel until the rod either doubles over, or the bait is dropped. If the bait is dropped, immediately drop your weight back to the bottom. If rod doubles over…YOu’ve got a SHAKER! Pry that rod out of the rod holder and have some fun!

SHad caught everysingle fish over 48″ for me this year. Also caught fish on sucker, and worms.

So, that’s what i did 250 hours over the last 5 weekends…

I’ve noticed this year and kind of accepted the fact, that these Big fish, are not spread out, but can be quite concentrated at times. More than once has 40 yards been the difference from not only catching fish, but catching big fish. Once you are marking them big fish, make sure you’re not drifting past them and your anchor IS holding. The also will move/migrate. I set my timer for 40 minutes on my bird once baits are set, i only renew that timer after landing a fish, or if i’m waiting out some big arcs. If after 40 minutes the big arcs have left, and i have zero bites; i’ll pull anchor and scan the surrounding area and drop anchor again on another big arc. One, Two, Maybe Three more times of that and i’m off to the next major holding area to find the big arcs; returning at a different time to see if previously marked areas are ready to bite.
So, sometimes a small move, can be a great move.

Now, as for watching the sonar. I’ll attach some photos of my Bird. Few things i’ll point out;
1) A big fish on a sonar is identified by the THICKNESS of the return, not the length.
2) A big fish that has it’s noze to the ground and tail up, is about to slam your bait
3) These sturgeon sure do spend a heck of a lot of time suspended!!!! I’m tempted to start leaving 1 line suspended.

Pretty long read, but it’ll give you something to think about until next year’s hopefully much longer season!!

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Thanks for taking the time to write this up, good read! That’s a very different approach than I would have imagined; however all my Sturgeon experience has been on the Rainy. There’s no way to anchor vertically on that river unless you have a 400 pound anchor. I remember one year it took 6 or 8 ounces of sinker to hold bottom with your bait!

Can’t wait to try some of these idea out.

Nice write up! I learned a couple tricks to try next season. Hopefully with my upgraded sonar, I can use some of those tips as well.

This is a very, very informative article. I know I picked up a number of tricks and tips to try.

Thank you FB&RM!

There is more then one way to skin a sturgeon so to speak.

I’ve marked this to bump it to the top for next spring…or whenever the season opens.

Thanks for sharing Andy!

Thanks from me too Andy! Great read!

Steve Root wrote:

however all my Sturgeon experience has been on the Rainy. There’s no way to anchor vertically on that river unless you have a 400 pound anchor. I remember one year it took 6 or 8 ounces of sinker to hold bottom with your bait!

Can’t wait to try some of these idea out.

Definitely an article geared toward the croix.
Here’s what i do different on the Rainy due to current:
1) Bungee on anchor, but closer to 45 degree anchor point rather than vertical; i also use a drift sock to reduce boat sway since it affects my way of fishing more to sway when the current is stronger….Yes, i can run a drift sock on the Rainy and hold anchor simply by adding the bungee to my anchor line.

2) Just enough weight and line is closer to 45 degree angle behind the boat.
a)I don’t cast out. I drop the line vertical and let it drift back in the current until it hits bottom. WIth weight on the bottom and rod in rod holder, reel up until weight is suspended. Then open bail until bait hits bottom. Basically at this point the water resistance on the line is pretty much barely allowing your weight to rest on the bottom. Neutrally boyant, but on the bottom. Theres a reason for this..
b) Every 5 minutes, open your bail. If line immediately goes slack, then your on the bottom and your line is free of debris. It is just as you left it…Good. If you open you bail and line comes out – your weight drops a foot or so; then you’ve collected debris and your lure was suspended because of the increases water resistance from the debris.
c) WHen fishing in debris (Which can be tested in item B above) i usually am cleaning my gear off every 15 minutes or more depending on item B above. The more line i need to let out due to increased line resistance, the more frequently i’m cleaning my rig.

I believe this helps on the Rainy because if you use too much weight, and the boat sways, the weight will get pulled closer to the boat, and then when the boat sways back the other direction, your weight will stay put, but your line will bow between the weight and the rod….OR your leader length will increase from your weight to your bait…Neight is good at all…Basically if you run a long leader in heavy current, your bait flutters about. COnversly, if there is bow in your line from the weight to the rod, a sturgeon has to take at least that much line for you to feel the bite. Good luck with that.

SO that’s what i do up there to be sure my line is tight, boat is swaying the least it can, and having the rod in the rod holder allows me to drink beer and laugh at everyone who’s gettting their butts kicked from their first sturgeon!!!

I by no means have figured out these fish. They still continue to prove me stupid from time to time. But these are some of the tactics i use to help catch them when they want to be caught.

FBRM,

I’ve been following you posts this past sturgeon season and found them very informative and interesting. I think the best thing I learned form you was to simply start reeling when you get a bite. I always use to try to slowly lift rod out of the holder before reeling to set the hook. My hook-up percentage was pretty good this season… much better than past years. What surprised me on a couple of sturgeon was how slack the line went a couple of times. I thought for sure I had missed them and when I was reeling up to put new bait on, surprise, they were there. I have no where near the number of sturgeon you caught, but I actually did as well with crawlers as shad this year, even late in the season.

From BK I learned to not be afraid to fish deeper. I seasons past I would rarely fish deeper than 35 feet. 45 – 50 feet of water just use to seem so deep to me that I’d never fish it but that’s the depth I caught nearly all my sturgeon and channel cats this year.

Now I’m hoping for a good walleye night bite on the Mississippi this fall.

Thanks

boone wrote:

FBRM,
What surprised me on a couple of sturgeon was how slack the line went a couple of times. I thought for sure I had missed them and when I was reeling up to put new bait on, surprise, they were there.

I think they’re picking up the bait and then suspending. Many times for me this year too. Just gotta keep reeling. I swear several times this year the rod hasn’t doubled over until the fish was half way to the surface.

I wouldn’t put a ton of weight in my statement about shad and fish over 48″…Shad was what i primarily used, so it makes sense my catch rates reflected that.

Glad you guys got something out of this.
I certainly don’t mind sharing tactics or spots for a catch and release species…. Often told someone i don’t know to drop anchor right next to me because they were biting. However, let me know your going to harvest a sturgeon – and i’ll never let you know where to find em. Just how I am.

However, let me know your going to harvest a sturgeon – and i’ll never let you know where to find em. Just how I am.

I think there are a number of us that say “Just how I am” more so when it comes to Sturgeon.

I declined trips for LS (even though the chance of catching a 60″ is small) to people that indicate they are going to keep on. It’s just too young of a fishery in my mind.

good read, i employ many of the same tactics myself, basically started doing it this year, and on the windiest day i also caught my biggest, really the only think i do different is anchor.

yummymuskie wrote:

good read, i employ many of the same tactics myself, basically started doing it this year, and on the windiest day i also caught my biggest, really the only think i do different is anchor.

It wasn’t windy that day!!!!

LOL.
Was fun watching you guys get worked! Heck of a evening!

Great read. What are you using for an anchor (maybe I missed that)? I’m guessing heavy.

I just use a 30# anchor. Nothing too excessive.
I have also used the waterspike with this method too. But that requires more rope and thus greater swaying (Unless you’re in current and can use a drift sock)

Water Spike here.

..and there are many places on the Croix it just won’t hold. Shale bottom areas mostly.

I’ve had 100 feet of rope out with the spike in sand and have been wind blown well off my “spot”.

FBRM,

Thanks for posting this article. I need to upgrade several of my tactics and I like the vertical presentation idea. One question though, with 4-6 rods out, do you get tangled much once a fish is on? Or is this where fast acting fishing partners come in?

ET

cougareye wrote:

FBRM,

Thanks for posting this article. I need to upgrade several of my tactics and I like the vertical presentation idea. One question though, with 4-6 rods out, do you get tangled much once a fish is on? Or is this where fast acting fishing partners come in?

ET

Haha.
If it’s just me, then it’s only two or three rods, but I run heavier rods and horse in anything under 4′ long. Anything over 4′ long and I’m trying to reel in other rods while maintaining control of a double over rod.
I mostly hate pulling anchor, so no wimpy rods allowed in my boat.

Channel cats, while your sleeping are the absolute worst for tangling vertical lines. Little b**tards can make a guy mad when a 20″ cat eats two of your lines and tangles into the third! Of course that only happens when I hear a bell go off and just don’t want to open my eyes @3am lol.

Having a fishing partner sure helps getting lines up.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Water Spike here.

..and there are many places on the Croix it just won’t hold. Shale bottom areas mostly.

I’ve had 100 feet of rope out with the spike in sand and have been wind blown well off my “spot”.

Here’s what I used to do with my waterspike…

Tie a 10# anchor 15′ from your waterspike, and then run line from the 10# to your boat cleat.

To deploy, slowly drop waterspike to the bottom, once you feel like it hit bottom, slowly let out more line until your 10# hits bottom, raise it off the bottom slightly and drift or back up until your waterspike holds, then drop your 10# to the bottom, let out some rope and tie to cleat.

The 10# anchor 15′ from the waterspike acts like 30′ of chain… It keeps the angle of pull on your waterspike in a downward position. The 10# also lifts off the bottom when a big wave lifts your bow, acting like a cushion or bungee.

Anyway, that only works if you are on a bottom content that allows the waterspike to hold.

Need less rope out too.
When I used to run a rear anchor, I’d pull the front one tight until the 10# was off the bottom… That’s zero movement anchoring

I’m just going to get a 50′ Power Pole.

Or 50′ sea legs

Well. Not far away from sturgeon season.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Well. Not far away from sturgeon season.

Have you guys tried a vertical fishing tight to a jig? I know this sounds like a silly thought/direction but with a tight line in mind I would assume this is the very best way. I do know they will eat those jigs. You get any size jig/hook combo you want. the only thing you might loose is the circle hook. Maybe that could be manipulated as well. Beyond that you are 100% in touch with your bait. I have caught them on jigs on the bottom and suspended. This could work well with the run and gun idea using the sonar and trolling motor so you don’t have that anchor line to worry about.

Just a thought and wondering if you guys have tried it

You’ll have to find a jig that won’t straighten out with 100# of force. If you do, you might be onto something.

buschman wrote:

Have you guys tried a vertical fishing tight to a jig?

Few things:
1) I use two to three rods per person depending on the state i’m in…Which means i can’t hang onto them all.
2) Any weight attached to the bait in muck conditions will sink into the mud.
3) boat rock. See #1, rods in rod holders. The modified lindy rig reduced bait bounce compared to straight tie to a jig. You’d likely lose a lot of bait with it pounding on the bottom as the boat rocks.
4) Maybe a 8/0 saltwater jig would make me fee comfortable that it won’t straighten out – but no walleye jigs for 40+ pound fish.
5) In the event it takes the bait and runs – hook is already set with the circle.
6) I want a huge ass hook gap in case one of those 50# flatheads bite (Yep that has happened)
7)Lots of live bait on a jig (Think 5″ shad) has a lot of potential when bouncing around to clog up the hook point and potentially lose a fish. A circle hook in my experience if baited properly – won’t screw itself up and stick the hook point into the bait like a lot of J hooks do.

But hey, people do it. I’d rather you do that and straighten every hook out on an actual big sturgeon that i would see you use a big hook and light line and break off.

You don’t find anything new without trying something new!
Season’s open boys!!!!!

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Season’s open boys!!!!!

I have all the equipment to make this. You can not buy a jig from the store that would work and agree with your guy’s concerns. I have tried it for cats and still fall back to the standard 3way rigs that I use. Sturgeon are a little different but not much.

I was hoping you guys had tried this before and would have some ideas. I think that Sturgeon use sight a lot more than we believe and like how FBRM points out how these fish suspend. I have seen this too. Just wonder if there is more too this and how to use this behavior to our advantage.

The idea with the jig is to locate them on the sonar and be able to drop right on them and move with the trolling motor to stay with a fish if needed keeping your bait on the screen. We have done this with other species and it is a hoot. I just don’t know if a sturgeon would buy it. Chances are the 3way will be the direction to go. We all know they smell that bait and come to it. I just don’t know how much they use their eyes. If they are to any degree I think this could work and just be a fun way to target them some day.

Easy scenario would be to use a 1/2 oz egg sinker and let it slide all the way to the hook. from here you can use any hook/weight you want. Jigging does attract these fish but I think you first get them chasing and will almost have to lay it on the bottom to get bit. you would have to see these fish on the screen to really get this to work.

I spend most of my time fishing sturgeon south of Bayport so don’t have to deal with that muck.. Mostly hard sand bottom

I will report this fall if I have any luck with this. Chances are I will run out of patients and go back to the standard rigging

FBRM, I do like your method on rigging in the wind. That makes a lot of sense and got my mind ticking here at work.. we are slow this week

buschman wrote:

spend most of my time fishing sturgeon south of Bayport so don’t have to deal with that muck.. Mostly hard sand bottom

I know the stretch from the high bridge to I94 like the back of my hand.

*Almost anything deeper than 20′ from the high bridge to prescott is mud.

Everything between swing bridge and I94 with the exception of the hole at the swing bridge is sand and some rock.

You get south of 94 and there’s a whole new kind of soft mud once you hit the break. From there to Prescott is nearly all mud with the exception of all breaks, points, and shallow flats like Kinni or Catfish bar,etc.

Of course there’s some small patches of clam beds and little hard bottom spots – but they’re far and few inbetween >20′ of water. So unless your fishing the spots i mentioned shallower than 20′, your fishing soft bottom.

Are you fishing shallower that 20′ primarily?

I’ll certainly spend a little time fishing for suspended sturgeon, but i’ll probably do it from anchor while still effectively fishing for those on the bottom with the other lines. Suppose that lands me a fish – then i’ll have to start thinking of how to do that better…Feel free to figure that out for us all before the fall!!!

I do like the areas you mentioned. I try to find shelves on those sand points and like fishing the neckdowns late in the season. I fish as shallow as I can get away with. I usually don’t fish them till the water drops below 55 degrees. 15-32 fow depending on the spots. I have not tried jigging them just a thought. I am going to this year and will cross my fingers.

We have caught a lot of sturgeon south of 94 through the ice on these sand shelves jigging for walleyes with spoons. We have always talked about how much they might focus on the sight over smell.. Do not have any info so will learn the hard way.

Thank you for posting this article
Ive been searching all over the internet for specific lake sturgeon fishing tactics. There is very little information out there, beside the obvious “fish on the bottom of a river or lake with heavy tackle”
This is the most informative piece I’ve found.