Sturgeon Fishing Tutorial

Introduction

If there is a fish that is coveted above all fish in the San Francisco and bay delta system, it has to be the white sturgeon. This prehistoric animal is one of the most elusive fish in the California bay delta system, and is on many many anglers bucket list.

Sturgeon fishing is mainly considered a winter fishery; perhaps that is why it is considered such a frustrating one. While most anglers prefer the warm comforts of their heated homes and beds, there are few die hards that will fish year round. (To those die hards, I dedicate this tutorial)

There are few personality traits that are essential to fishing sturgeon.

Patience
Determination
Persistence
Staying Hungry
Know How (Increase fish IQ here)

One fisherman waited 25 years to spear fish a sturgeon through an ice opening at Lake Winnebego in Wisconsin, but on average it takes 2-3 years of fishing before an angler gets a fish; for me it took 5 years. There is a learning curve to every fishery, and landing the first fish will increase the time between catches.

Popular Kayak Fishing Locations

Here is a list of some popular kayak fishing locations in the bay area and delta.

North Bay:

• Napa River
• China Camp
• Paradise Cay

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SouthBay:

• Oyster Point
• Oakland Airport Bay Farm
• Dumbarton Bridge
• Alviso Slough and Coyote Creek (Power lines)

Delta:

• Sherman Island
• Montezuma Slough
• Pittsburgh

The Lost Anchovy – Sturgeon Essential Equipment List

• Fisherman’s Game Clip
• Gamakatsu Big River Hooks  (Make Sure to Crimp down Barb)
• Spro 130lb swivel
• Galvanized Anchor Chain
• Danielson Galvanized Folding Anchor
• Bait Buttons
• Shimano Trevala 66MH rod (Universal Rod)
• Dexter Russel Fillet Knife (Best fillet knife IMHO, cheap and works!)
• 50-100lbs mono filament leader

Tides, Rain and Environmental Triggers

Sturgeon will bite through the tide but there are a few times during the tide swing when the fish are more active. Normally the last two hours of an outgoing tide is considered the best time. Negative and big king tides drive the sturgeon to feed.

Fast moving tides are the best time to target Sturgeon. (Full and new moons w/ a negative tide are best). The strong moving tides lift feed from the mud floor of the bay and delta and disperse them along the channels and contours. This environmental trigger signals sturgeon to go on the bite as they scour the bottom foraging for food.

During a middle of a tide change it is typical to see sturgeon float through the water column. These are not feeding fish but rather passing fish. The feeding fish are found large red arches on the bottom of a fish finder.

Fishing Ledges, Shipping Channels and Holes
Finding contours changes, fishing along shipping channels and deep water holes are excellent places to locate sturgeon. The shallows in San Pablo bay are a popular location for sturgeon as well.

Bait
Sturgeon feed on a plethora of bait through out the year as they scour the muddy bottom of the bay and delta searching for food. Here is a list of common sturgeon baits that has proven to work for these prehistoric dinosaurs.

Grass Shrimp
Mud Shrimp
Ghost Shrimp
Anchovies
Herring
Shad
Salmon Roe
Lamprey Eel

Learn how to Pump Ghost Shrimp by the reviewing the tutorial.

Each location and season has its preferred bait. For example in the January-February, with the arrival of the herring spawn, sturgeon in the south bay can be found gorging on herring and herring roe. The Sturgeon descend from San Pablo bay to feed on the abundance of food, and feeding them the right bait will increase strikes

Alternatively anglers in San Pablo bay prefer to fish shrimp baits. (Mud, Ghost, and Grass) around the famed pump house while anglers in the delta prefer using Roe when the salmon are migrating through the river system. Eel and worms are an excellent combination when bait-stealing critters are actively feeding in the water or there is a scarcity in shrimp baits.

Learn how to Fish San Pablo Bay For Big Sturgeon

All the baits work, however, there are times when the sturgeon key in on a preferred bait. It is best to go with what they are actively feeding on.

Reference:
http://www.bassjack.com/sturgeon08.htm

California Strugeon Regulations Updated

The CDFW have updated their regulations for the 2023/24 year.  There currently is a 1 fish retention limit with. Those with 2023 will be still be able to use them. The remaining two tags will be void. Only 1 tag will be legal to use for retention of the White Sturgeon. 

The recreational fishery for white sturgeon(opens in new tab) (Acipenser transmontanus) remains open year-round in ocean waters. The daily bag and possession limit is one fish that must be between 42 inches and 48 inches fork length. The annual limit is one (1) sturgeon per person, and the maximum number of sturgeon that may be in possession aboard a vessel is two fish. Read the press release announcing emergency regulation changes

Harvest has been reduced to one white sturgeon for 2023 and 2024. Catch and release fishing for white sturgeon will still be allowed with a valid sturgeon report card after one sturgeon is kept except for closures outlined in California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Sections 5.80(opens in new tab) and 27.95(opens in new tab). The slot limit has been reduced to 42-48 inches, and a limit of two fish per vessel per day was added. Fishing for white sturgeon will also be closed seasonally upstream of the Highway 50 bridge on the Sacramento River and Interstate 5 bridge on the San Joaquin River from January 1 to May 31, 2024. This upstream area will re-open to catch and release fishing on June 1, 2024, once spawning season is over.

CDFW Reference

Anchor System

Getting properly anchored is critical to catching sturgeon. I spent many years learning different techniques, and researching a plethora of methods to anchor my kayak properly. If the kayak is not anchored properly forget about hooking up with a sturgeon. (Seriously). Most anglers anchor at the bow or the stern (Personal Preference here)

Here are two systems that many kayak anglers use.

QRAS( Quick Release Anchor System)
QRAS system as explained on NCKA
QRAS system post
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=16289.0

Trolly System:
I don’t like to drill holes in my kayak so here is a method I use to attach an anchor trolly that is drill less. It works well for me.

Anchors Up (What I use)

I use a 3-5lb anchor and a galvanized chain (Bigger the better) that attaches to the anchor and the main line. The Anchor keeps the chain from lifting off the ground. This is a must have for properly being anchored.

Reference:
http://www.kayakfishing.blog/blog/diy-kayak-anchor-reel

The sturgeon bite

The soft bite of the sturgeon is unique to this fish as its potential large size.
For such a large fish the sturgeon has a very subtle bite that escapes most fisherman attention. Unlike the strike of a salmon, strip bass or halibut (All predator and ambush fish), the slurping of a white sturgeon can be easily missed or mistaken for bait fish. If a bite is suspect

SWING FOR THE FENCES!!!

Lift the rod from the holder and face it in the direction of the fish; Take back any slack line; wait for the pull (Sucking action) and set the hook. Keep the rod tip high and reel to set the hook. Sturgeons have leathery mouths so make sure to get a solid hook set!

It is important to keep the rod tips straight and in the direction of the current in order to keep the bait laying on the bottom. Bouncing bait along the bottom will dramatically decrease strikes. Veteran sturgeon anglers deploy drift chutes to straighten the bow of the boat and keep it straight. Using a bait bucket will suffice for this on a kayak while keeping the bait fresh. Here are two types of bites that I have encountered.

Suicide Runner. (Typically in the middle of a tide)
Soft taps and pulls (Towards the end of the tide)

At the end of a fight a sturgeon typically will give off the “surrender bubbles”. This is pretty typical behavior of the diamond back. This sign is a good indicator that the fish is ready to be netted. Make sure to keep all oversized in the water and practice safe releasing.

Popular Locations in California:

Black point
Napa River
San Pablo Bay (Pump House or near rat rock)
Montezuma Slough
China Camp State Park
Oakland Airport

Terminal Tackle
Reference Links

https://coastsidefishingclub.com/grey-beard-articles/an-introduction-to-sturgeon-fishing/
http://www.bassjack.com/sturgeon00.htm

South Bay Sturgeon Fishing Tips
http://www.scalzfishing.com/south-bay-sturgeon-fishing-tips/

Bait selection
http://www.bassjack.com/sturgeon08.htm

Conclusion:

Fishing for sturgeon has been personally one of my biggest challenges as a Kayak fisherman. By pure determination, patience, and will power I was able to push myself along when all good sense told me to throw in the towel. The cold alone will deter most anglers. However, for the determined and persistent, the pure joy of landing the first fish will eclipse the years of agony and pain –Instantly. To those anglers, I dedicate this article. Keep trying ! there is a Dinosaur that is looking for your bait. Tight Lines—The Lost Anchovy.

Edited 1. 14.2019