View Full Version : Sturgeon and Tides
high_arc
12-19-2002, 10:49 PM
When is the best tide to fish for sturgeon? I have never done it and a friend of mine wants to take me out on Saturday, out of Camas. I looked and it looks like there is a good outgoing tide at 1:30ish. He wants to go out at 8:30 am. Does it matter much?
wetaline
12-19-2002, 11:03 PM
I haven't done nearly as much sturgeon fishing in the last two years because the salmon runs have been bigger (starting earlier and lasting longer) ... but I had always felt that it wasn' t as much as the tide as the amount of current. So when the water is up and running hard, I found that the incoming was best because it just slowed down the current some....
However with water at normal flows i've found the bite to be best outgoing, or at low slack...
I'm sure others will have something different to say....
Bottom line - dont worry to much about it, as long as you can keep your boat anchored strait....
Tacklebuster
12-19-2002, 11:51 PM
Sturgeon love to feed in the current. I have found that 9 out of 10 times the bite is at it's peak when the water is cooking. I personally like the ebb tide but if you do your homework, you will get them at any stage of the tide.
Elkhunter
12-20-2002, 06:27 AM
Outgoing tide was the key yesterday at T6, as soon as it changed the bite dropped way off. Good luck! :cool:
KingFisher85
12-20-2002, 06:30 AM
It seems that outgoing is the key when fishing from a boat and incoming is the key to fishing off the bank.
Biteme
12-20-2002, 08:19 AM
outgoing upriver but if your willing to move around to land on some fish incoming can be good to. downriver either works as long as you have good flow. the biggest reason outgoing is preferred is that the current keeps the boat straight and the flow carries the scent of your bait to the fish. with the incoming you have to first find some fish and then put the baits in the middle of them.
Pilar
12-20-2002, 09:03 AM
At Astoria I have had good luck both ways. Normally we launch on the outgoing to avoid the rush at the ramp. Then sturgeon fish through the tide change and roll out to the salmon grounds for the flood tide.
Up in the Portland harbor and Vancouver harbor, the ebb seems to produce the most action. The bite is more of a surge than a peck, peck and the fish seem to feed better. Current across a deep spot attracts fish as well. That same spot in no current or a flood just kicks out shakers.