Finally- my first sturgeon!

Following up on a fresh tip (location wise) can make all the difference in the world, especially for 4 amateur sturgeon fishermen. We were fishing the heavily flooded St. Croix river last night and were catching the usual suckers and sheepshead. We were getting lots of light bites but not hooking many fish. About 1 hour into the adventure I picked up my rod to check for tension, and there was steady tension, and then it started swimming slowly. I set the hook, thinking it was a redhorse. I soon realized it was something different, because it was staying down and it even made a small jump close to shore. My friend netted it and we couldn’t believe our eyes, it was a lake sturgeon! We celebrated like crazy. Although not a big one (26″ about 4 pounds) it was a big moment for me since I’ve dreamed about catching one for the last 2 years. These fish are so cool and so strong. They are like a freshwater shark- with skin like sandpaper. Not long after that, my other friend caught a small sturgeon. The location was paying off. Later on I hooked up on another sturgeon, this one was much bigger, probably over 15 pounds. It gave a huge fight, I couldn’t do much to bring it in and the hook came out. I was dissapointed, but not long after that my brother hooked up on another giant, the fish nearly took out all his line on several long runs. It took a solid 30 minutes to tire it out. Our net was NOT big enough but we were able to land it with a little luck. This one was over 44″ long and weighed 18 pounds 12 ounces. By the end of the night all 4 of us had caught a sturgeon, a truly unforgettable trip.

congrats on adding a new species…. Ive nailed a few of these while fishing for eyes.. they can sure mess up walleye tackle….. strong, fast, can jump…. a very quality fight……

the only downside is that the season on the croix is VERY short….. I wish they would let us fish for them on a catch and release basis…. but at this time they can only be landed on an incidental (accidental) basis… and must be immediatly returned to the water…. which of course I favor anyway… a great fish like this should be tossed back, they live for a VERY long time and can get HUGE…. wouldnt a trophy fishery for these be a hoot?? what an attraction if they could nurse these babes back up to the 100+# range… and then allow catch and release fishing for a MUCH longer period of time……

Any chance you got a snapshot(s) of the treasured moment? We haven’t got any sturgeon pics to smile over on the photo page. Where on the Croix were you fishing yesterday and what was your presentation?

I landed my first a couple of years ago on the Croix in the fall. First one was 42″-didnt fit in net but with the sandpaper skin we we able to grab it(Nov water cold!). Similar to you-took 30 minutes and about 100 yards of chasing to land it. Got back to the spot (where we kept 9 walleye and sauger and caught an 8lb cat) and no more than 5 minutes past and we go into another one measuring 48″. The are such fun to catch-check out and set free. Last year on same spot we landed another 26″ sturgeon. All on fireball jigs w/ fatheads from 30-40′ of water. Remember the conditions-I am sure you wont forget the spot, you will probably find them there under similar circumstances for years to come.

BTW: proud of my approx 20-30 lb 38″ flathead again on a fathead and fireball jigs. I love those jigs!

We caught all of ours on nightcrawlers. We had many bites and empty hooks, so they don’t always hit agressively, you have to get lucky. We caught many small redhorse and sheepshead in the same spot, so I’m thinking the sturgeon are in this area feeding on them. While my brother was battling the big one, a different sturgeon jumped out in the middle of the river. it was much bigger, i would estimate over 50 pounds. This spot is just north of Taylors Falls- I don’t think it makes much difference where you fish since it’s all good water. Went there again today, and caught one 3 pounder as it was getting dark. Big channel cats are also present.

we took several pictures, I’ll send them in when our film is used up.

Check out James site for a pic with my 48″ sturgeon. Caught on jig and minnow. Dumb luck, but better lucky than good works for me any day. Anyone want to guess the weight? We didn’t have the scale along that day.

http://www.movingwaters.net

Hey Carp Chaser were below or above the dam? I fish TF all the time its where my grandmother lives I was up there all week. would love to know some info. Caught one last year at Interstae park in TF fishing for crappie with ultralights 27 inches talk about fun but a mess.

a few miles above the dam, I don’t want to give the exact location because it’s crowded as it is, but i’m thinking the whole stretch is good. also, your best chances are in the evening as it’s getting dark since smaller fish stop biting.

hey waterfowler, what’s the link to that sturgeon pic? i can’t find james site.

Here’s the pic… this should be easier than having to go look for it.