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Fishing Information

Fishing Information References

Sturgeon fishing

Gear

We use only high quality, fish appropriate gear for all our Sturgeon fishing charters. The rods are a good quality, heavy action rod with a sensitive tip to detect even the lightest bite. A solid rod with a lot of power to move a large Sturgeon is a must. It is very important to use the right gear for the job in order to land any size Sturgeon as quick as possible.

Reels are just as important as the rod when it come to fighting a Sturgeon. Large line capacity and capability to apply a lot of drag is a must. The best suited reels are large level wind reels with no line guide. No line guide is a personal preference as it is one more part that could malfunction under the tremendous stain of fighting a large Sturgeon. It is also one more place you could get your finger caught and pinched in the middle of a long run. Lever drag reels are also recommended over star drag reels as the tend to have a drag system more suited to quick, consistent and accurate adjustment.

While fishing for Sturgeon on the Fraser River it is recommender to use at least 130lb test line. This might seem like overkill but this is to minimise the stress on a fish while fighting it. We need to be able to apply the most pressure possible on a fish to land it quick and release it quickly and safely.

The terminal tackle is scaled to match the bait we are using at certain times of year. A standard barbless hook for small bait can be as small as a 6/0 and a large barbless bait hook can be 11/0 or 12/0. It is important to only use barbless hooks. Never use a stainless steel hook. Swivels are large in the 4/0 range and weights tend to fluctuate between 12oz and 32oz depending on bait size and water conditions.

 

Technique

While Sturgeon fishing from a boat you want to be at anchor. You want to be a short distance ahead of the water you want to fish to allow the scent trail from your bait to flow through the target water.

The setup is a simple sliding weight system straight through to the hook. As a fish pulls on the bait the line moves independently from the weight allowing for detection of even the lightest bite.

The bite can be detected by a small pulsing motion of the rod tip or a violent pull down. With the light bite a good solid hook set is required to drive the large hooks home. It takes quite a bit of force to get a positive hook set so don’t be afraid to put some muscle behind it. Once a fish is hooked its time to hang on and enjoy the ride.