Sturgeon bite detection.

Before I begin this post please understand I’ve only been out once and only caught eight fish that time.

That being said, this being my first year at this I can really give a beginners opinion of the way they bite.

My experience sucker fishing on the Zumbro River is very close to how I think (again beginners opinion)these sturgeonfishes bite.

Whenever I got a tap-tap-tap I would do what I did when I was sucker fishin. Just slowly lift up and see if I could feel anything other than the weight and the bottom. If I felt a slight tug I just lifted up the rod and then a fish would pretty much be on. Circle hook fishing that is. Every one of the 13 fish that we brought to the boat that day were on circle hooks and they were all lip hooked.

That brings me to another topic I have questions about. And that is sinkers. All the different types. No roll, bank, egg, pyramid, and many more. What type of sinker is recommended for what? The day I went I had a no roll on one pole and a pyramid on the other. Both two ouncers. But I caught 6 fish on the pyramid type over 2 on the no roll type. Or is that a Chevy vs. Ford type of question?

Dan, you did very well for your first time out…considering who was with you.

Just kidding Hanson!

On the Croix with it’s charactaristics, I don’t believe it really matters as long as it’s a slip sinker. I know that the no-roll will be shot down because it spins on the way down in 30 fow, but that can be minimized by feathering it on the way down.

With all that said…few of us have fished for sturgeon for more than 2-3 years. We are all learning.

Brain was prepared for me to take a shot at the No-Roll

IF you feather the spool when a no-roll drops, they wont wrap up as much, even less if you are using heavy mono lines. Power pro is so darn limp that any opportunity with any slack will cause a couple twist. Those couple twist will reduce light bite detection.

That same day Dan caught his fish, I boated about 6 fish(various species) all with the same rod, none on the other rod rigged exactly the same… coincidence.

Bank sinkers are by far the best for deep water fishing. The design of a bank makes for lon cast(not important), but the same characteristics allow it to drop fast and strait(less twist). You still must feather the line when your bait is sinking regardless of the type of weight. When rig sinks, if your line is left slack, the leader will wrap around the main line most of the time regardless of the type of weight.

I agree with your bite detection/hook setting tactics Dan. If I feel the bumps ont he end of the line to me that tells me the fish has the bait in its mouth.. I start pulling/sweeping for the hookset. Rarely is a fish missed with circle hooks.