I have fished between Swan Falls Dam and Walters ferry for years and have done very well at previous times, but I'm looking for some info on Sturgeon fishing Strike. I feel Swan is being over fished and would like to go some where else. Any info would be great. I have a boat and was wondering if anyone would mind giving me a few pointers where to start on the lake. pm's are great if you would like.
Thanks in advance.
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Thanks for the PM
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haha think Swan fall sturgeon are being over fished? you should see cj on a week end! every sturgeon i catch now has at least a dozen scars from being hooked. but thats why they are out there for, to be caught. so best of luck... I am leaving to strike in about thirty minutes.
send me a pm and i'll give you some more info if you want
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[quote basskikker]
you should see cj on a week end! every sturgeon i catch now has at least a dozen scars from being hooked.
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Are you fishing above or below the dam?
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Quote:Are you fishing above or below the dam?
I'll be fishing above the dam from a boat. when I can get some time to go.
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I went sunday and hooked one. first trip ever and just getting started. I was on a boat and just looking for channels. It got off when it ran into the anchor. going back this weekend. If i have no luck i wont ask for your spots but just some pointers on tackle adn bait. I love the sturgeon stuff.
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Tackle: if you think your gear is heavy enough, you haven't hooked a big one yet. Bait: Fresh cutbait is best. Tackle: 8/0 or 9/0 circle hooks, 80lb dacron leader, and MONOFILAMENT line (braid is hard on the fish when they roll), and heavy weights. That is all you need to know... Go explore and have fun!
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Most everyone that I know of fishes for sturgeon below the dam on CJ. But I have seen baby sturgeon there in the reservoir. During one night trip last year when I was fishing off the walkway, there must have been 30 of them swimming around just below the surface. They were all about 2' long, and some shmuck wanted to start snagging them. That was, until someone threatened to throw him over the side if he tried.
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[quote StacyR]Most everyone that I know of fishes for sturgeon below the dam on CJ. But I have seen baby sturgeon there in the reservoir. During one night trip last year when I was fishing off the walkway, there must have been 30 of them swimming around just below the surface. They were all about 2' long, and some shmuck wanted to start snagging them. That was, until someone threatened to throw him over the side if he tried.[/quote]
Stacy, those are most likely naurally recruited fish from the Bliss Dam to Strike section of the Snake. We occasionally pick up 18" to 30" fish in the lake while fishing for catfish. Bliss Dam to Strike is one of the 2 sections of the Snake that have natural spawning that is actually successful. The other is Hells Canyon. Cool that you saw them, and cooler that the potential snagger was "convinced" not to try it.
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[quote Mojo1]
Tackle: 8/0 or 9/0 circle hooks
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Joe, have you just recently started using circle hooks? Have they been hooking themselves with the circle hooks?
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I use heavy rods and reels loaded with 80 lb Dacron line with 80 lb Dacron leader. I use 7/0 and 8/0 Octopus hooks (with the barb bent down). I use a sinker slider and pyramid weights adequate to keep the bait from moving around (between 4 and 10 ounces depending upon the wind and current). I have had my best success using pickled herring and night crawlers (pickled herring above the hook as an attractant). I fish water from 24 to about 45' deep (I have tried deeper without success), and I look for a place with a relatively smooth bottom. If you fish where the lava rock is on the bottom count on getting snagged on every cast.
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Thanks for all the great info everyone.
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Kent, I just went exclusivley Circle Hooks last year. Idaho is looking at mandating it, and I wanted to figure them out. Yes, they totally hook themselves. You just have to keep the line tight, and once the fish picks up the bait just wait for the line to come tight and start reeling. It makes the whole process much easier. I must say my catch rates have not dropped.
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below the dam it can be very crowded. sorry for not being clear. above the dam, i don't have to worry too much about my hole being taken and the fish i pull out seldom have scars from being hooked before
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Interesting, however, I would miss the hook set. For me a lot of the fun is trying to hook them and to laugh at others (and myself) when we mistime the jerk. That said, I will get some circle hooks and give them a try. Where did you purchase yours?
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I have to agree with that. I rarely fish for sturgeon because I can't eat them here. But I did give circle hooks a honest try on Halibut for a summer in AK. They are not for me. For me 50% of the fun is the hook set or lack there of. [shocked] However, as Mojo1 pointed out, it is the way of the future so might as well figure it out.
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I have purchased Circle Hooks at Cabela's, Sportsman's Warehouse, and on e-bay. I stick with Gamakatsu, because they are sharper than my rapier-like whit, and have yet to fail me...[laugh]
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I'll try the local stores (Sportsman's and Cabelas); however, because we don't have sturgeon in Utah it is often difficult to find sturgeon size tackle locally.
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Try ebay. You can buy circle hooks there in sizes up to 20/0.
I bought a bunch of 4/0 for catfish from a seller called happyfishing188 and have been pretty satisfied with them. There were a couple of bad hooks in the bag, but at 100 for $8 shipped, I couldn't complain.
Caught a lot of cats on them this year.
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