California Sturgeon

[Joselito G. Real]

There are two major species of Sturgeon living in California Bay Area
waters, although there are about 16 species worldwide. These two are the
green and the white sturgeon. The white (actually grey) sturgeon is the
most common, about 10 times more prevalent than the green sturgeon in terms
of catch rates. The green sturgeon can grow to about 350 lbs, while the
white sturgeon's maximum size limit has not yet been biologically
established (greater than 1000 lbs), the white sturgeon is the largest
fish found in North America's freshwaters. These species are "primitive",
and have never changed that much, they came earlier than the sharks, and
were amazingly adapted since the dawn of fish species in evolutionary
history. Sturgeons can live for more than a hundred years.

Sturgeon meat is one of the most expensive fish from the local grocery
stores in California, here's a comparison:
Rainbow trout: $1.99/lb
Salmon: $3.99/lb
Sturgeon: $8.99/lb

The California average time spent for fishing sturgeon is about 40 hours
per fish, it takes about one whole week to catch one on the average. But
if the conditions are good, a sturgeon master can have a bite just every
15 minutes after each cast. It is very hard to catch sturgeon every
half-an-hour as others reported, because fighting the fish takes about 20
minutes on a heavy tackle. The fish loves to play possum when you hook
it. The fish may look tired after the first 10 minutes, then you pull it
alongside your boat (tired means it is actually is resting and doing
nothing) but when you reach out for your net, it will dive with all its
might, dragging your boat, or breaking your line, or bringing your rod
and reel if you are not careful. So after you brought the sturgeon
alongside your boat, nudge it with a stick to play with the second round
of fight, and only after the second round (another 10 minutes), the fish
will be just about done. Unless of course the fish is less than 60 lbs,
you can land it in only 10 minutes.

A sliding sinker rig, usually with two size 6/0 hooks, wire line
leader, 275 yards of 30 lb test main line (you can go smaller if you want,
while most people uses 40-lb test), and a very sensitive rod tip.
The initial bite of the sturgeon is very very light, sometimes it is
difficult to differentiate the bite from water debris hitting the line.
After the initial bite, very carefully lift the butt of the rod,
aligning with the line in order to give out a slack. As soon as you see
(the slack line being tightened) the second light bite, set the hook with
all your might. Lifting the rod after the initial bite is very crucial,
and many fisherman gets too excited that they scare the sturgeon as they
lift the rod with too much excitement. So it is recommended that your rod
should rest on a fixed position such that you can lift it while about 3/4
to the end of the rod, it is pivoting against a fixed position. This
will minimize sideways movement.

The local favorite bait is grass shrimp (use about 6 pieces per hook),
then followed by ghost shrimps, and herring roe. But sturgeon can be
caught using blood worms, fresh carp fillet, fresh bluegill fillet, and
clams, the problem is that either the crabs or the stripers get to these
bait types more often than sturgeons.

Most sturgeon are caught in 10-27 feet of water, often near drop
offs. There are prime spots in San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Suisun
Bay, the Delta, and Sacramento River. Ask the local bait shops. Fishing
is done more successfully from a boat.

The best season is usually after a moderate to heavy rainfall, when
the river bottom is stirred, sturgeon move-up from the sea to the bay
areas up to the delta and the sacramento river. This means during the
first few heavy rains of the fall and winter seasons, which starts from
November and lasts until about April. The best time to be casting your
offering is about one to two hours before the peak of an outgoing very
minus tide, which also causes the river bottom to stir. The area near
the bottom of the Richmond bridge (I-80) is very productive year round as
long as you fish there during a very minus low tide.

I fished for sturgeon in one of the sloughs of the delta, near
Rio Vista, on my inflatable boat. I used a fresh carp fillet. After
about an hour, I had a very light bite, and then hooked the sturgeon on
its second bite. Soon, it pulled about 50 yards from my spool, I saw it
jumped twice (but not fully, only the fins and about half of its body),
it was bout 8 feet long, maybe greater than 350 lbs. I have a 45-lb test
big-game fishing line, and I tightened the drag further. Now the
sturgeon, is pulling my inflatable boat, and the anchor (15-lb mushroom
type), and dragging everything towards the deep water channel. I was too
scared as the inflatable boat neared the main water channel, so I cut my
line and rowed back towards the slough where I switched to fishing
stripers but got skunked.

Some freshwater reservoirs have sturgeon, like the San Pablo Dam
Reservoir, but the catch rate is about 150 hours per fish. So it is much
better to have a sturdy boat and fish the bay area waters.

Good luck to those interested. Never use an inflatable when
fishing for sturgeon, unless you love the thrill...

Joselito