Rainy River this weekend.

So who else will be up there chasing Sturgeon this weekend? We are headed up Friday morning and will be fishing and staying near Birchdale. Time to bend some rods.

Good luck Mike. I was up there with Deuces a couple of weeks ago. We got some nice ones, and I popped out my 4th rib trying to horse a big one in. It was worth it and a great time.

How do you cook them up? Is it like taking back straps out on Eelpout and cooking in 7 UP? lol

Double 56″s was pretty epic

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bigcrappie wrote:

How do you cook them up?

You don’t. Let them go, let them grow.
Well… you can buy $5 sturgeon harvest tag can harvest one fish 45-50 inches inclusive, or over 75 inches in length, per calendar year: April 24 through May 7 or July 1 through Sept. 30. Was told they are tough like a steak. I wouldn’t take one knowing they are 25 years old before they can start reproduction. I feel they are too precious of a resource to put on a table.

we ate one once 20 years ago, smoked it. Was delicious but I would never do it again, too valuable of a resource, they do not mature till 20 or so years old. Also contaminants, think about it, as old as they get. So much fun to catch

Deuces wrote:

Double 56″s was pretty epic

That’s a heck of a double!

gimruis wrote:

Deuces wrote:
Double 56″s was pretty epic

That’s a heck of a double!

We almost needed a bigger net.

Nice fish fellas.
Is that cousin Eddie with you Deuces?

Anyone else ever get the Ribeyes from the Nelson General store? Last time in there she fresh cut them for us. Not to many old school general store around anymore. This will be diner again Saturday night.

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I will be up with my kid, Big Lance camper pulling a big red Skeeter. Not sure where we will be launching yet.

Buddies group was up last week 3 days, dozen guys or so. Boated 57 total with a 68” and a 72”. Said bigger average than past trips.

chuck100 wrote:

Is that cousin Eddie with you Deuces?

Good eye Chuck. It is the same hat he wore during Christmas vacation. I always thought they looked silly (that’s part of the point) and they are so warm. I wouldn’t have been as comfortable out there without it with the wind.

Live up date. Sturgeon are still biting. 58, 64, 65 so far.

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Is the beer cold Mike?

CBMN wrote:

Is the beer cold Mike?

It was when he got there. Not any more

Typically Rainy river weather today. Little bit of everything. Did get a quick photo of this double rainbow.

Water levels are up 3 to 4 feet from the end of walleye season. Dirty and plenty of crap in the water to.

Only caught the 3 Sturgeon this afternoon.

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Nice fish Mike. It looks like that lower rainbow hits the shore since it is in front of the trees. Go over and get the pot o’ gold. Have to lasso it though, looks like the Canadian side.

I wouldn’t keep one but have been gifted a freshly smoked, skin-on sturgeon steak once. It was really tasty and firm yet flaky.like a tough salmon fillet if I remember right. Would eat it again if given the opportunity. I do respect sturgeon though, so can go without.

Side note: my buddy did put me on my PB(and first) sturgeon a couple septembers ago on the croix. 52” but was one heck of a fight. I know they get much bigger.

I just returned from Rainy River with another friend; fishing 1 full day and 2- half days.
Fished first day at Pelland. only 1 sturgeon=my buddy caught his first sturgeon ever at 59″‘s.
Second day, fished out of Vidas, caught about a dozen sturgeon between 7am-1pm; no fish after 1pm. Of the dozen fish, 5 were between 50 and 61″‘s; the rest were under 30″‘s. Only 1 small sturgeon in 3 hours of fishing this morning,
The suckers were unbelievable as we went thru 250 crawlers. I personally caught over 40 suckers.
Other than 6 hours of fishing yesterday morning, we struggled mightily.

We don’t use crawlers for that exact reason. Crawlers attract everything and 95 percent of the time it’s not a sturgeon. We will triple up minnows on a smaller heavier circle hook. We don’t get many suckers be We will get pout. But it’s 75 percent sturgeon it seems like

Our weekend started out good with the 58 and 65 caught at the same time. Bite slowed after that. Ended with 7 Sturgeon for the weekend.What was really frustrating is the amount of Sturgeon surfacing around us. Just non stop at times. Dustin had his boat 10′ away from us at one point and a Sturgeon surfaced between us.

Think that’s a wrap for the Rainy River for me this spring. Heck of a good time.

Congraluations on the fish Mike.
My boy and I were out on pool 4 last week and the sturgeon were jumping all around us. Not one bite though. The first one jumped 4’ from my face as I was setting the first line. It scared the crap out of me. My son asked if it stole my balls since I screamed like a girl. I made some noise but don’t think it was a scream.

Bearcat thanks for the heads up on the minnows.
I had livescope and saw many sturgeon suspended halfway in water column. I would see 2-3 of them within 10′ of each other.
Anyone ever had luck targeting the suspended sturgeon?

Rodwork wrote:

Congraluations on the fish Mike.
My boy and I were out on pool 4 last week and the sturgeon were jumping all around us. Not one bite though. The first one jumped 4’ from my face as I was setting the first line. It scared the crap out of me. My son asked if it stole my balls since I screamed like a girl. I made some noise but don’t think it was a scream.