Sturgeon fishing anyone catch them?

[Moosebunk]

Spring 2003 was fishing with a bud. Kept telling him I was going to get a 9lb walleye. Cast a 1/4 jig and grub tipped with a piece of sucker into a foot of water at the shoreline then cursed when I got a snag. No snag though, it moved, and I told the bud it was the 9lb'er. Fight started slow until the fish decided it was hitting the current. Up came the anchor and we laid chase a few 100 meters down river to keep up with the fish. Then, it turned into the current and swam back up river to where we started. My buddy did a good job staying on top of it and when it surfaced off the back of the boat we saw we had about a 15-20lb sturgeon on the line. RIGHT ON!!! But I was trembling with adrenaline, only with a marlin have I shook like that since. The fish dove again heading down stream a little then turned fast going under the boat heading up. I was using a modified (broken and repaired) 4 1/2 foot light spinning Rapala rod with 6lb XT, and I tried to sweep the outfit quickly around the bow of the boat but the line just knicked the anchor rope knot and the fish was lost.

 

I've sat for a number of hours over the years since, waiting in sturgeon infested waters, and never had another one bite. Places where a sturgeon jumps somewhere around you every 10 minutes. These great fish are totally on their own clock, living fossils that can certainly try any humans patience.

 

But about the great whites out in BC... yeah, different story with better results.

 

 

 

If you're going to try for them I'd suggest trying in a river before lake. That way the scent of any baits will carry better to draw them in.

Edited March 21, 2008 by Moosebunk

[steverowbotham]

I hooked one in the Nottawasaga about 6 years ago, never landed it though

[philly86]

Caught one in the lower niagara river this past fall while fishing for steelies, only 8lb but still a good experience, felt like a big snag at first. Heard theres some monsters in the upper part of the river though

 

philly

[smbhunter]

I have never hooked onto a sturgeon before, but would like to someday. It is one fish that I have on my personal 'fish to catch,' hit list. I know there's lots in the Nottawasaga river at certain times of the year, and I have had an incredible experience with one in particular in Lake Nipissing.

I was fishing at chapman's chutes, in the south river which is the furthest navigable point by boat from the lake. We were anchored off the left side of the chute, catching several carp, suckers and white bass. One guy hooked into a small sturgeon earlier but couldn't bring it in. The boat was maybe 20 ft from shore sitting in about 12 ft of water, when I saw this beast swim up the ledge between the boat and shore. This fish was about half the length of the boat, (16 ft boat), and over a foot across the back of it. IT WAS HUGE!!!

When I went back up to Nipissing that fall, the owner had an article cut out from the North Bay Nugget, posted up in the fish cleaning hut, about this giant sturgeon netted by the ministry at chapman's chute. The ministry estimated this sturgeon to be 8 ft long and about 250 lbs. The article was dated about a week after we had seen it.

I could've reached into the water and touched the fish how close it was to the boat. That's the closest I have ever been to sturgeon.

[DanTheMan]

You want sturgeons, just come to Timmins.I fish for them every year and there a BLAST to cast. I catch about 10 to 15 a year and let me tell you, in my opinion, the best fight EVER i had in fish.Atleast,I have 1 advantage here in Timmins that some plp dont have down south

 

Here's a few pic from me and the wife and my bud from the last few years.

 

Here's my biggest from a few years ago

 

 

 

My bud's fish caught 10 mins after mine

 

 

Here's the wifes pics (love the mitts,lol)

 

 

And Last year surprise fishing for walleye (lol)

 

[wacky tambaqui]

Hey Dan,

 

What river are you fishing, the Matagami?

 

If I was born looking like that fish, I'd ask God for a refund

[Roy]

If I was born looking like that fish, I'd ask God for a refund

 

Sturgeon have been around longer than humans have. They also outlive humans. If you like livin', purdy isn't always the way to go.

[shane]

"If you like livin', purdy isn't always the way to go."

 

HaHa! There's a joke there somewhere......I just can't think of one right now.

[ch312]

likely around 15 years ago my dad landed a 125lber on 17lb line in the notty. the ad in the paper was titled "ok, wheres the chips" lol