So what’s the Sturgeon Tip of the year?

Circle Hooks?

Mono/Braid?

Suckers/crawlers?

Deep Shallow?

What’s going to be your hot…warm water plan for the early season?

Me?

I’m going with 20 pound mono on two rods and 80 pound braid on another two.

3/0 circles with fresh cut and sliced sucker in the 29 to 31 fow range.

…then I’ll let the fish tell me what to do.LOL!

I’ve been meaning to check the historical water temps on the Croix. I have to believe this year will rank a the top of the scale for warm water.

Fished braid last year – however a friend in the boat fished 20lb mono which out fished the braid 3-1, so I will definitely have a rod or two with 20lb mono on it.

As far as spots go – I think I will just follow the green boat around with the old guy in it

Mono 20lb

Crawlers and crushed fatheads!

2 and 4 Circles.

I’ll try both deep and the often over looked shallow area’s.

Boat will be lit up like a Christmas tree with an assortment of LED, Flood and head lamps at all times.

Have fun and lets see a legit 70″er this year out of the Croix!

With Pier as the present underneath the Christmas Tree.

Hope to see you out there Gary.

I think I’ll use a small walleye on 6lb mono, just for the fight

Serious question (I’m not always a smartazz),

What’s the deal with mono or braid? Can’t you just run a mono leader with the braid?

I personally hate the mono. I run only one spinning rod with it when in search of fish. Too insensitive. Like a few people here.

My plan is the same as always, search, search, search… Fatheads and crawlers and combos of both. Make sure to leave one fatty alive though.

Maybe try some Suffix 832 leadcore???

Braided hair from a horses tail with a hand-carved bone hook. A nice, flat stone for a sinker, too. I pull them in hand-over-hand.

Skin diving and noodling for my boat!

I think all power pro and new team catfish double action hooks. Crawlers and maybe some cut suckers or some last minute fatheads from Beanies.

lhprop1 I’ll try to be serious, but no promises.

I use up until this year 80 pound braid because of where I normally fish. The Sippi in wood. Getting mono (like 30 pound Big Game) is like trying to pull a big rubberband out of a snag.

Braid is much more sensitive over mono.

On the other hand mono is more forgiving and (personally) I think it’s more fun to fish with.

I dumped the #30 Big Game a few years ago and swore I would never go back. Now I’ve gone with 20 pound on two rods and I’ve been using it for channels over the summer.

It’s not as rubbery (stretch) as 30 pound and I’m thinking I’m going to like it.

Sturgeon are seldom (never say never on the river) in snaggy areas.

Sturgeon aren’t hook or line shy. (although some may not agree with the latter)

Best equipment to use for Sturgeon? What each person has the most confidence in.

I got a tip for all of you…

…GET THE HE\\ OUT OF MY DAMN WAY, YOU”RE ON MY SPOT!

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I got a tip for all of you…

…GET THE HE\\ OUT OF MY DAMN WAY, YOU”RE ON MY SPOT!

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No need to imitate a walleye fisherman.

Myself, I like having company while I’m sturgeon fishing. I just need to keep my eye out for BK. He sneaks up so slowly and quietly that it scares the crap out of me.

Pinch that barb off your circle hooks. It makes it do much easier to unhook fish.

Yeah, I like fishing close to fellow IDOers so you can shoot the breeze between catches.

Has or is anyone else bending down the barb on their circle hooks?

Or is the cheese standing alone again?

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Has or is anyone else bending down the barb on their circle hooks?

Or is the cheese standing alone again?

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I’ve been considering doing it, but I don’t quite know the best way to do it and I don’t want to ruin all of my hooks trying to figure it out on my own.

A plain j hook or treble is easy enough to get out of your hand/foot/leg/butt/face, but I can’t imagine how much it would suck to try and get a circle hook out.

I just crimp it down with my pliers as I’m tying the hook on…sometimes I forget and then when I’m struggling with the hook and pliers because the hook is in one of those goofy hard to get at angles…I remember and crimp it down next time in.

I’m not sure if I would crimp down the barb on a J. Since the circles are almost bent into…well a circle, it’s pretty hard to loose a fish unless it was a bad hook up anyway. Barbs wouldn’t make a difference in those cases.

First, I pinch it down with the pliers, then I rotate the pliers radially until the barb breaks off. I’ve even had some trouble removing the hook without the barb. I wouldn’t ever be afraid of loosing a fish because of it. I just hate struggling to remove the hook.