Sturgeon in the Salt

blurock · Post by **blurock** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:03 am

I'd really love to get out and try my hand at this fishery.
My main question is if anyone knows the tides to fish for these guys. I'm wanting to fish the flats around Camano Island but don't know what kind of tides I need to get in there.
And if anyone has any tips for catching these guys, I'd love the help!

saltyseadog · Post by **saltyseadog** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:42 am

need to hit a low tide might need waders too.

pm for more

mallard83 · Post by **mallard83** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:09 pm

Sturgeon in the salt is fun, but make sure your bait is well sucured. Flounder and sculpins can be a real pain. They will pick you clean.

Post by **G-Man** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 4:41 pm

The spots that I can think of are fished on the last half of the outgoing tide. If you are going to fish on foot, be concious of the water level at all times. Translation, beware of getting stuck on the bar!

PS - Crab also do a number on your bait.

Post by **eightballsaul** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:27 pm

I have always found that an outgoing tide is the time to fish for Sturgeon, Salt or no salt. I fish at the lower Columbia and have always caught fish on the outgoing tide.

blurock · Post by **blurock** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 8:24 pm

Well, I got out last night on the outgoing tide, fishing sand shrimp and herring (using stretchy string to keep it on there) but didn't catch anything but crab. There must be a secret to WHERE I'm suppose to be fishing...

But I'm certainly not going to give up! I'll figure this stuff out sooner or later ;) That's one of the best parts of fishing isn't it?
Can't wait to get back out on the water! Have to wade through the work week though...

Post by **eightballsaul** » Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:45 pm

You really need a good fish finder. You want to look for arches just off the bottom Don't be fooled by suspended fish. Sturgeon are bottom feeders and that is where you will find them. Locate the fish first. There just may not be any out there right now where you are fishing. Try usuing squid as a bait also. I have very good results with jarred squid or "sturgeon candy". Rig it on your hook Texas style like a plastic worm and fold the tenticles back over the hook. Then tie the entire thing on with strechy thread but make sure the tenticles are loose. give a little scent also. Let me know how it all works out.

blurock · Post by **blurock** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 11:27 pm

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the pointers and help!
I caught my first sturgeon today! Actually two of them. One big oversize that was probably around 7' and another keeper at 51":cheers:
I'm siked! Gunna go try it again tomorrow!

Post by **Gringo Pescador** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 9:24 am

Nice! Where did you end up going?

Website · Post by **The Quadfather** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:33 pm

Don't tell me that you hooked into those two fish after just your simple post about a month ago looking for sturgeon info!
You are a QUICK STUDY. Can you put up a report or at least say how you were fishing? I thought you had talked about fishing from the beach before, I can't imagine hooking into that from the beach. Nice job.

Dustin07 · Post by **Dustin07** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:02 am

no joke, nice work! that is going to be some scrumptious meat.

blurock · Post by **blurock** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:59 am

Haha, well I did LOTS of studying Quad, picking the brains of anyone I knew who might have some info... But essentially, yeah it was about a month haha

I fished out of a boat, though catching one of these guys would be a blast off the beach! I know a guy at work who catches them off the beach. Fished a single barbless hook with sandshrimp. I was in my dad's boat and he's sworn me to secrecy as far as location, and I don't really feel like getting shot!

We must have really hit 'em just right, cause we got two to the boat, and missed another that day. Went out the next day, fished the tide the same, same spot and tried some others, but only got one bite. Weather had changed drastically though, so I'm chalking it up to that. I don't think the difference between a 0 tide and a 0.4 tide would make that much of a difference. Speaking of Tides, I caught this one on the incoming, and the last fish we missed was on a fast incoming tide.

And man did we get a lot of meat! (There were jokes flying about getting as much meat off a sturgeon as my buck last year) Already tried Fish Tacos which were great! And did "Poor Mans Lobster" last night. That one was interesting, but actually pretty good. Fish and Chips, will be next, and I think were going to try to smoke some.

Anyone have a good recipe for a smoked sturgeon brine?

'OL GREY DOG · Post by **'OL GREY DOG** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:57 am

ok i thought you were crazy....IN THE SALT???...IN THE SOUND ????
WOW im impressed...and when i saw the pic of your fish i was invision'n those lil dot'd lines like you see on the chart of how a beef is cut up on the wall at the butcher shop..LOL
ok ok you cant/wont tell us where no prob
can you atleast tell us what the spot is like ??....water depth..on a seam behind something like in a river behind a big rock let'n your bait drift out of the current to the fish????.....are they relating to a river mouth???
come on annnny little tid bit ??
i fished 'em when i was a kid in Willapa Bay & Greys Harbor and the best fish'n was allways when the tides were rip'n either direction...we used broom handle rods a BIG hunk of lead and what ever kind of dead fish(left over bait from salmon fish'n that day usually)and all "worked"...we got some shad a few times from a guy at the dock in ilwaco and the in the Colombia fish liked those...i caught some small 1s in the Chehalis 1 time with old cured eggs that a friend was going to toss.. stuffed them in a piece of nylon stocking so it is was real tight,knot on both ends,put the hook through right beside the knot and threaded it up and sorta skin hooked it to the bag or what ever...then before casting it into a big eddy i stab'd my belt knife through it a couple times...made it milk real good
got the idea from a 'ol guy that grinds up all of his old cured bait and anything(fish)that might have been in the freezer too long and would freeze it in plastic popcicle molds...he used fish net stockings(my wife doesnt have any of those dang it)
annnnyways hope my ramblings help...keep up the GREAT work and reports
P.S. when i try it it'll be south of the Narrows/ Nisqually /Chambers Bay areas(relating too fresh water come'n in????)so mayyybe your hints/info wont affect what you and your folks are do'n or make dad mad LOL
(wouldnt want anyone get'n a whoop'n on my account)
tight lines 'n strong knots..DOG
P.P.S. i couldnt tell in the pic if your a good look'n gal or not.. sorry ...I COULDNT TAKE MY EYES OFF THAT FISH !!!

Dustin07 · Post by **Dustin07** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:07 am

LOL, in other words, congrats on fantastic reserach, great searching, and an awesome fish.

saltyseadog · Post by **saltyseadog** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:05 pm

iv caught 90 sturgys in 4 days, three ten footers

all released

Pradeep · Post by **Pradeep** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:27 pm

Nice Fish Blurock! A gem indeed! Sounds like you worked your way through until you hit the goal of catching one of these guys.

saltyseadog · Post by **saltyseadog** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 6:51 pm

26 including one 10 footer sat. night

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