Anybody heading for sturgeon? Any advises on tackle/gear?

Hi guys! Looks like sturgeon opens with awesome limits https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=1828 . I probably go. Can anybody advice about gear, tactics, tackle, etc. I never fishied for sturgeon. Thank you in adance! 

Haven't fished sturgeon myself but the rig seems fairly simple, keep it on the bottom with a reasonably short leader, barbless hook with bait of choice.

If you give me a week or two notice I'd be interested in heading east to give this a try, though August is almost surely impossible for me.

I've done lots of sturgeon fishing, never from kayak before tho.

Sturgeon fishing is a lot of fun and pretty simple. You can buy the pre-tied sturgeon leaders (barbless) from most tackle shops, they come pretied with dacron leader. I typically tie this to a heavy duty swivel, add a few beads and add a sinker slider with weight. As for bait you typically want to find what the sturgeon are eating in that general area. A lot of people like squid, smelt, herring, anchovies, sand shrimp, shad, crappie, etc. etc.  I have had the best luck with Herring in our local rivers, but what works here may not work there.

Here's a basic visual of a sturgeon rig that I use (others may have different ways of doing it)


Here's the basic way how I rig up my herring:


A few good youtube videos that shows some of these techniques:

I don't know where you go for sturgeon. I used to go the Bonneville Dam on the Washington side to fish for sturgeon. I used 10 oz weight with 3 16d nailed to the weight so it will hold where you drop it. 40 lbs line minimum. Sand shrimp is the sturgeon favorite food but it broke up easily even when you use thread to wrap around it. I used lamprey eel and put it on the hook wraps it with thread and add sand shrimp on top of it and wrap more thread. Good luck with your trip, I wish I could come with you.

I don't know where you go for sturgeon. I used to go the Bonneville Dam on the Washington side to fish for sturgeon. I used 10 oz weight with 3 16d nailed to the weight so it will hold where you drop it. 40 lbs line minimum. Sand shrimp is the sturgeon favorite food but it broke up easily even when you use thread to wrap around it. I used lamprey eel and put it on the hook wraps it with thread and add sand shrimp on top of it and wrap more thread. Good luck with your trip, I wish I could come with you.

I assume this was a long time ago; lamprey are not allowed to be used for bait in Washington and Oregon:

http://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-56-122  "(2) It is unlawful to use lamprey as fishing bait, regardless of the source or species of lamprey."

http://www.eregulations.com/oregon/fishing/restrictions/

Yes, it was about 30 years ago. I moved to Seattle since 1985, and have not fish for sturgeon since then. I still my sturgeon fishing pole and 209 Penn reel.

in case you missed it, that's only in those two spots listed on the WDFW release.

looks lovely!

like diagram above for chovies/herring or squid. i like to cut slits in sides or smash baits a little as well as tie on a couple nitecrawlers. maybe inject a little scent as well.

Yes, it was about 30 years ago. I moved to Seattle since 1985, and have not fish for sturgeon since then. I still my sturgeon fishing pole and 209 Penn reel.

Hey the 209 is what I use for sturgeon too. Has held up well.