Advice getting started

G
Gonzo
Hi guys,
Just got a small boat (16') and would like to get into a little winter sturgeon fishing with my son. I've got all the usual salmon set up.
I don't need any secret spots or anything. Just a few questions.
General areas? Structure to look for? Safest areas or things to beware of this time of year?
 
T
troutmasta
Im not the most informed sturgeon angler here but I would say near the Willamette channel in deep water.

Our resident sturgeon master Bass(ironic) may have some more fine tuned advice. '

In the meantime use the search feature to search the archives. You'll find plenty there.

Tight Lines
 
Aervax
Aervax
Most anyone anchored up on the Columbia right now is fishing for Sturgeon. Make note of the areas where you see them. There are maps you can buy and there is quite a bit of info on the site to be found using the search function. Those are good methods of finding places to start. If you have a fish finder and a map, look for deep holes. This time of year a lot of anglers are focusing on water 60-80 feet deep. The slow water close to Willamette Falls and is a good place for a 16 foot boat.

Be careful out there. There is a lot of water on the Columbia where I would not feel safe in a 16 foot boat, most of it in fact. Calm days above Bonneville could be your best bet because the current is slower. Anyplace on the Columbia is going to whip up into small craft sink fest with a moderate wind.

My disclaimer here is that I have caught my share of Sturgeon, but there are anglers on the forum who are Sturgeon experts. I encourage them to correct my shortcoming on Sturgeon knowledge and help you with some of their advanced knowledge .

For bait squid, herring or shrimp all work. Take a little bit of each with you, and do not hesitate to switch things up untiil you start getting bites. If Sturgeon are there you will start getting some rod bouncing shortly after casting. If I do not have a solid take down within 30 minute I will move to a new spot.

Use heavy line and as much weight as necessary to get the bait to the bottom. 100 pound line and 4-6 ounce weight is not uncommon. i do not use Salmon or Steelhead rods for Sturgeon. You will be catching fish from 2ft-9ft long (5-300 pounds). Bigger fish will take 30-60 minutes to wear down and bring to boatside even with heavy tackle. Salmon rods and lines will take too long to wear the big ones down. The longer the fight the more physical stress to the fish. They can take many hours to recover after a long fight.

Good luck to you, and let us know how it goes.
 
Last edited:
bass
bass
Hey Gonzo,

Where are you located? I would recommend fishing the lower Willamette river. It is far safer than the Columbia and I believe that there are lot more fish per acre. If you let me know where you are I will let you know some spots to launch and fish.

I used to think they needed deep water, and they are often there, but it is not necessary. Last few weeks I was catching fish in 34' of water that was near 60' of water. In general, I think the fish look for places where they can feed effectively. Often deep holes will collect food so they are often a good choice, but often small humps and dips in shallow water are just as good or better. Current is another funny thing. I used to think sturgeon always wanted to have a fair bit of current, and they will hang out in heavy current, but I have had great days fishing the still waters of the Swan Island harbor.

The conclusion is that they can be and often are pretty much anywhere :)

Best of luck, let us know where you are so we can give you some more precise pointers.
 
G
Gonzo
Bass,
I live in Tigard. Sounds like the Willamette is my best bet especially while I get used to handling the boat.
 
bass
bass
Easiest place to launch and fish is out of Swan Island boat ramp. The ramp itself is at the back of the harbor, there is a decent dock and there are fish in the harbor (not current at all), as well as out in the current (which is usually quite slow compared to up around West Linn and Oregon City). It is definitely where I would try first. There are usually folks out there fishing so you will be able to find spots by observing. In general, the biters int he harbor tend to move around (you will mark fish everywhere, but they will not all be biters).

I like to start around the first big dry dock (which is on your left as you head out) and fish from there out. If I do not get some action pretty quickly I keep moving. In any given spot move your casts a few times. If you do not get any bites then move spots. Use anchovies or herring and do not waste time changing baits - it is just like real estate: location, location and location. If you have a hard time find biters then head out into the main river. I tend to like to stay closer to the North/East shoreline (on your right as you head out). Just head down towards the railroad bridge and stop whenever you mark fish near the bottom. Out here you will not mark the fish densely like back in the harbor, but if you find them they generally bite pretty well.

Last thing to remember is that the Willamette is tidally influenced all the way up to the falls. Generally the best bite out in the current occurs during the maximum current flow. Depending up on the Willamette river level vs the Columbia level that can occur on either the incoming or the outgoing in this area. Look at this site to see whether the best flow is on the incoming or outgoing:

http://or.water.usgs.gov/will_morrison/monitors/

Use this site to check the expected levels and observe the tides up and down the river:

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/river.php?wfo=pqr&wfoid=18685&riverid=203289&pt[]=142028&pt[]=147483&pt[]=142704&pt[]=144162&pt[]=142246&allpoints=144254%2C141263%2C142810%2C144173%2C144257%2C142028%2C147483%2C142704%2C144162%2C142246%2C142980%2C141602%2C144049%2C144431%2C144435%2C144243%2C146799&data[]=hydrograph

Best of luck and maybe I will see you out there one of these days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rogerdodger and troutmasta
G
Gonzo
Huge thanks Bass. Worked that harbor for a couple of hours. 3 landed, 2 missed and lots of smiles.
 
  • uploadfromtaptalk1421284843823.jpg
  • Like
Reactions: rogerdodger
T
troutmasta
Very cool Bass!:)

And very cool Gonzo!
 
J
JustMe
Good deal, Gonzo. Love that smile. Looks like you made due with the salmon gear.
 
bass
bass
Gonzo said:
Huge thanks Bass. Worked that harbor for a couple of hours. 3 landed, 2 missed and lots of smiles.

Great job on getting out there and catching some fish.

By the way, you are a lot younger looking than I would have guessed :)
 
jamisonace
jamisonace
That's a happy kid. Nice work. Bass put me on to that spot too. We had a lot of fun.
 
S
Stonefish
Good stuff Gonzo. I bet I know what the subject was during Show & Tell at school!
 

Similar threads

bass
Replies
2
Views
578
bass
bass
bass
Replies
1
Views
341
troutdude
troutdude
bass
Replies
0
Views
395
bass
bass
bass
Replies
0
Views
426
bass
bass
bass
Replies
0
Views
390
bass
bass
Top Bottom