Sturgeon virgin

Shaun Solomon · May 19, 2015

Hey folks-

I'm wanting to go C&R a sturgeon (having never caught one before) and have been looking into likely locations. I was thinking about trying Government Cove over by Cascade Locks, and wondered if that squared with anyone. Sorta a haul from Corvallis, and with my current situation I don't get as many chances to fish as might be hoped, so hopefully I can put in time in a good spot. I am between boats, so I would be banking it.

I have a 400 CalcuttaTE and a couple 300 Curados I could spool up with braid, I think that would do for gear, no?

Thinking squid for bait, but again, I am 100% new to this, so I am all ears if anyone has a better plan.

SS

bass · May 19, 2015

Shaun Solomon said:
Hey folks-

I'm wanting to go C&R a sturgeon (having never caught one before) and have been looking into likely locations. I was thinking about trying Government Cove over by Cascade Locks, and wondered if that squared with anyone. Sorta a haul from Corvallis, and with my current situation I don't get as many chances to fish as might be hoped, so hopefully I can put in time in a good spot. I am between boats, so I would be banking it.

I have a 400 CalcuttaTE and a couple 300 Curados I could spool up with braid, I think that would do for gear, no?

Thinking squid for bait, but again, I am 100% new to this, so I am all ears if anyone has a better plan.

SS

Are you banking it or fishing from a boat? If you are fishing from a boat I think you have a better chance around the mouth of Swan Island. The fish are likely gone from the harbor, but there should still be fish around the mouth. I do not bank fish for sturgeon so I can't really help much if that is your situation.

For bait I prefer anchovies or herring. I have never been outfished when using either of those. Squid is probably just as good, I just have never felt the need to try it. If you are banking it squid might be a better choice since it is tougher and would stand up to bait stealers.

Shaun Solomon · May 19, 2015

Eh, banking it, yes.

I like anchovies a lot myself. I will give those a shot. The last time I was in Newport there were a TON swimming around in the bay, and I really enjoy catching bait with sabikis for some reason.

Cheers!

bass · May 19, 2015

Not sure about bank spots right now that the river between the Lake O/Oak Grove RR bridge and the falls is closed to sturgeon fishing until September.

I love catching any kind of fish. Were you catching anchovies of herring in Newport? I know that herring run into the bay to spawn, I did not know that anchovies do to. It would be fun to catch enough for a whole year of fishing!

Shaun Solomon · May 19, 2015

Man, the regs drive me crazy. I am not used to having to know what the regs are unless I was planning to kill a fish, which I almost never do. Seems like C&R should be exempted, but what do I know...

I was not catching the anchovies, I was just watching them swarm. They were in immense schools, I suppose they could have been smelt or something, but they sure looked like anchovy. I did not see any doing the "basking shark" impression where they gape open their mouth like a muppet and filter feed, so I can't say for sure, but I was pretty close to them on the piers. They were not herring.

Big3d · May 19, 2015

The best easy spot for this time of year I can vouch for would be the dock at Cathedral Park under the St.John's bridge. You can fish the upper willy closer to corvallis, but I don't know anything else about that.

FishOn420 · May 20, 2015

Shaun Solomon said:
Hey folks-

I'm wanting to go C&R a sturgeon (having never caught one before) and have been looking into likely locations. I was thinking about trying Government Cove over by Cascade Locks, and wondered if that squared with anyone. Sorta a haul from Corvallis, and with my current situation I don't get as many chances to fish as might be hoped, so hopefully I can put in time in a good spot. I am between boats, so I would be banking it.

I have a 400 CalcuttaTE and a couple 300 Curados I could spool up with braid, I think that would do for gear, no?

Thinking squid for bait, but again, I am 100% new to this, so I am all ears if anyone has a better plan.

SS

If you are bank bound I know a great spot but I don't know if you want to travel that far. In Kelly point park where the Willamette meets the Colombia is a great spot to catch some good sturgeon. A friend of mine catches about 6 every time he fishes there. He also uses squid but herring and anchovies works too.

Sturgeon virgin

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