First Sturgeon Attempt MC Nov 30th, 2008

My first sturgeon trip was a learning experience...and another skunk. I took the two old boat rods and reels I bought for a sixer of Hamms out on Multnomah Channel with my wife for the afternoon. Lots of little nibbles, some possibly even from sturgeon.

My first non-worm bait trip, using shrimp and pickled herring.



As we headed out, the outgoing tide was mild and the fog was off the channel a bit







Eagle sonar/GPS works great. Time to learn it better for salmon and ocean fishing.



The crux of dino fishing??? Waiting



I managed to get my anchor stuck so well on the bottom that I had to beach and pull as hard as I could to clear it. BTW, the zip tie weak link trick worked fairly well. Even after it broke, the anchor grabbed more mud. The trolley, float and quick release system works like a dream.



When waiting for something to happen, eat and take pictures...





See you all next Sunday. I think I'll be heading out there tomorrow (C&R only) to practice and get rid of the smelly bait.

Jay

Nice report Jay with plenty of good photos. I didn't think it should get lost under Spot's sturgeon post so I split it off to a new thread.  Sounds like you've got the rigs  figured out and now it's just a waiting game until you connect on one of those nibbles.

Brian

From the looks of your first pic your "shrimp" were actually prawns, which may work, but what you really want is sandshrimp (the kind that come in the little chinese food like box).  Sturgeon love sandshrimp, the fresher the better.

From the looks of your first pic your "shrimp" were actually prawns, which may work, but what you really want is sandshrimp (the kind that come in the little chinese food like box).  Sturgeon love sandshrimp, the fresher the better.

Sandshrimp in PDX area?  Fishermans? Joes?

Fisherman's, Joe's, Sportsmen's Warehouse should all have them fresh every couple days depending on demand.  Sometimes though you show up and they're out.

yes both fishermens and joes carry them.  A good combo that seems to get them this time of year is sandshrimp and worm cocktail soaked in scent (lots to choose from, I always like to have herring oil and anise oil around).  Tie them on with stretchy thread and soak with scent.  Squid is another good bait this time of year. Little trick is to tie a strip of absorbent fabric (I like old cotton sock) right above the hook and soak it with scent. More scent the better this time of year when the H20 temps are low.  

yes both fishermens and joes carry them.  A good combo that seems to get them this time of year is sandshrimp and worm cocktail soaked in scent (lots to choose from, I always like to have herring oil and anise oil around).  Tie them on with stretchy thread and soak with scent.  Squid is another good bait this time of year. Little trick is to tie a strip of absorbent fabric (I like old cotton sock) right above the hook and soak it with scent. More scent the better this time of year when the H20 temps are low.  

Good Tips!!

From the looks of your first pic your "shrimp" were actually prawns, which may work, but what you really want is sandshrimp (the kind that come in the little chinese food like box).  Sturgeon love sandshrimp, the fresher the better.

Prawns have a bit of a following in the Bay Area sturgeon fishery.  But you're more likely to see sand shrimp (ghost shrimp) and grass shrimp (native to the bay?).  Or 1/2 and 1/2 combos.  But grass shrimp isn't always readily available and some people swap in market prawns.  Eel (lamprey) is also used and stays on the hook a long, long, long time.  So long you soak one all day, bag it up, and use it next time.  I don't see it used much up here, is it?  Herring have their time and place too, mostly during the winter herring spawn in the bay when the sturgies are slurping them down like candy.

-Allen

lamprey used to be real popular, for the reasons you stated.  But now they are hard to come by and I think (rumor yet to be confirmed) may be no longer legal to use in Oregon.  I used to get a bucket full at the base of  Willemette falls in the early summer (june) and use them all year.
I am sure prawns work fine, I have caught sturgeon while using prawns while salmon fishing many times.  For some reason they are not a popular or traditional bait in this area.  Floater salmon, now thats another story, and a smelly one at that .

I know that it is now illegal to fish for, retain, possess, or use lamprey for bait in WA.

I haven't fished much for sturgeon. Caught one once a few years ago, accidentally though, targeting cutthroat, and it turned out to be a keeper. Took over 20 minutes to get it in, light-lining it to fatigue. On my TFO 9' Series One 6 wt flyrod. Hooked it right on the outside edge of the mouth, but I wasn't sure if it went after my fly or not. (I'd like to think it did). I had let the fly settle to the bottom while fending off a piling, and tightened up into the fish when I began stripping. At first, i thought it was a large sucker, as the hole was only 5 feet deep. It made one good long run, but after I stopped it and dropped anchor, it went back and forth in a dogged, but uneventful struggle. This was a Green Sturgeon, and it was legal to keep them then. (Not any more, though, in WA).

I want to start fishing for them. Would my salmon mooching gear be heavy enough?
I have a couple of good nearby places to tube up some sandshrimp, though. Hard work, but  its a nice walk on the mud flats, otherwise.
There's some good sturgeon spots in Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay tributaries.