Sturgeon questions

MasterCaster · 02-29-2004, 10:12 PM

I saw it before in another thread but now I cant seem to find it with the search engine.

Is it legal to use 2 hooks for sturgeon? We had alot of trouble this last time out with not being able to hook up with alot of our bites, I was thinking of having 2 hooks one through the head of the bait and one in the belly. The reason for this is we were having alot of bites that were good and hard but when we would reel in the mid section was torn up and the head untouched. These were not trash fish bites or anything like that Im fairly sure. It just seemed as though the hook in the head wouldnt make contact alot of times no matter how I had it rigged or what direction the hook was facing.

My other question is where are the KEEPERS!?!?! We have made 4 trips out and have yet to hook up with anything over 42". We have caught fish up to 1/8" of 42" but nothing over. Have seen some keepers caught around us but we still end up keeperless. Any help or advice would be greatly helpful. If you dont want to share on here email or PM me.

I have read alot of the posts previously and they were a great help. However the more help the better as we NEED it! [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

Thanx
Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

wannacatchem · 02-29-2004, 10:29 PM

This is from the regs...the way I read it is you can use three hooks, barbless.

Let me add that I think two hooks on sturgeon is not necessary. I rig my smelt by threading the hook thru the body a couple times starting at the tail and burying the hook in the head, through the eyes. This puts the bait in a head down stream position, and most (all?) fish eat their food head first. I have lost a couple fish from the hook not sticking, but I think thats mostly from me setting it too early. Send me a pm on the where

Hook and Weight Regulations
1. No more than 2 hooks may be used while angling for Pacific halibut and no
more than 3 hooks may be used while angling for other species. A double or treble
point hook is classed as one hook.
2. Measure hooks from point to shank, see sketch at right.
3. When angling for sturgeon, use of multiple-point hooks is prohibited in all waters. In the mainstem Columbia and Snake rivers, barbed hooks are
also prohibited.
4. When angling for salmon or steelhead, (except in the ocean or as listed under for specific bodies of water) the following regulations apply:
a. Single-point hooks larger than 1-inch and multiple-point hooks larger than 9/16 inch are prohibited.
b. All weight, if not part of a conventional lure, must be attached above the hooks. When using single-point hooks larger than 5/8-inch or
multiple-point hooks, the attachment of the weight must be 18 inches or more above uppermost hook.
5. Barbless hooks are strongly advised unless specifically required.

[ 02-29-2004, 11:31 PM: Message edited by: wannacatchem ]

Biteme · 03-01-2004, 05:43 AM

when your getting bit and the belly is eaten out of the smelt adding another hook might help catch the biters but I dont think you want them they are ********* and not sturgeon.

Bendman · 03-01-2004, 06:02 AM

MasterCaster...I have had that happen many times over the years. Especially in the winter time. What I have found is that once I finally hook one they are real small. NOT ALWAYS but the bigger ones tend to "just walk away" with it and the little ones tend to hammer it...over and over again. I use stinger hooks (2) and it didn't make it any better.

LQQKASTAR · 03-01-2004, 06:14 AM

i got a question.
i went fishing with some well respected ifish members on one of those open seat post.
anyway we were on the willie sturgeon fishing and i mentioned that barbed hooks were legal on the willie, from the looks and comments i got i might as well said dynomite was legal.
i allways fish barbles, but just want too know what the law is.
ive read the regs over and over on this, but dont see where its illeagle, the CR regs are as clear as a bell, as you can see in wannacathcem's post rule# 3
thanks for any input on this

[ 03-01-2004, 07:22 AM: Message edited by: LQQKASTAR ]

Smj · 03-01-2004, 06:15 AM

MasterCaster...I'm convinced that many of those bites we miss are the sturgeon swimming through the maine line and hitting it with their scutes and/or tails. I use tuffline and you can see a fishfart at the tip of the rod fishing in 70' of water. At times when I get sick of missing those "Bites" I'll just start reeling slowly and you can feel the fish tugging, and the scutes popping your line, yet when you set the hook...NOTHING! This seem to happen when the current slows, so I'm picturing the fish down there in the slow current just swimming around in a circle looking for the bait and his body/tail is hitting the line.

Another explanation is, small fish, you know, 12"-16" sturgeon. Many times after missing alot of bites you'll wait longer and when you reel in you wonder how in the heck that little sturgeon got that 7/0 hook and 8" smelt in his mouth.

What Biteme said for sure.

And...The keepers are out there, you just got to keep at it...OR...maybe you can get KHH to un-doctor his recent photos to give you an idea as to where to get some bigger fish...Naw, probably not.

Smj

greenbuttskunk · 03-01-2004, 08:26 AM

you don't need two hooks. It's all about placement of hooks and hook size. Two hooks is overkill, and potentially harmful on alot of released fish.
just my 2-cents.
GBS

MasterCaster · 03-01-2004, 10:37 AM

Smj,

Quote:

This seem to happen when the current slows, so I'm picturing the fish down there in the slow current just swimming around in a circle looking for the bait and his body/tail is hitting the line.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">That actually makes alot of sense and exactly what I think happens. We had some foul hooked fish as well so that would be the most likely explanation.

LQQKASTAR,

Quote:

i got a question.
i went fishing with some well respected ifish members on one of those open seat post.
anyway we were on the willie sturgeon fishing and i mentioned that barbed hooks were legal on the willie, from the looks and comments i got i might as well said dynomite was legal.
i allways fish barbles, but just want too know what the law is.
ive read the regs over and over on this, but dont see where its illeagle, the CR regs are as clear as a bell, as you can see in wannacathcem's post rule# 3
thanks for any input on this

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">I dont know about others but even if barbed hooks were/are legal I still wouldnt use them. You catch too many undersize fish per every keeper and the barbed hooks would do more harm to them. I want to get them back on their way as easily and fast as possible.

I really dont like the idea of 2 hooks either just for the fact of releasing all the shakers and want to harm them as little as possible. It was just an idea we have been tossing around.

Thanx everyone for all the help. Any and all help is always welcome. Im not looking for anyones sweet spot or anything. Just want to bring home some meat!

Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

[ 03-01-2004, 11:43 AM: Message edited by: MasterCaster ]

Fishing Maniac · 03-01-2004, 02:04 PM

MasterCaster,

We had a similar problem last time out and we decided to try downsizing our baits. This made all the difference in the world. If you are using a whole smelt try going down to a 1/2 or 1/3 of a smelt. We didn't get any keepers but caught about 30 shakers and several within an inch or so of legal. Good luck!

Oncorhynchus · 03-01-2004, 03:43 PM

LQQKASTAR:
You are correct, it is not illegal to use barbed hooks on the Willie. I would bet that its even more difficult to hook them with a barb, though. The other posts make since as too many releases to be using barbs. But, it is not illegal.

LQQKASTAR · 03-01-2004, 03:56 PM

like i said i dont use barbed hooks!
it was mearly a question

KalamaSpark · 03-01-2004, 09:11 PM

I have used two hooks. it seams like i get more hookups. useing a gotya hook. 3/0 barbless with about two inches of leeder trailing the head of the smelt. sometimes it is the only hook in the fish.

Rubber Hooks · 03-01-2004, 11:03 PM

MC, We had a lot of those pecking type of hits Sat on the Willamette. We caught about 30 Shakers and 2 keepers 44 and 48 inches. 5 more in the boat for measuring. If you are getting belly hits on your smelt, it is probably Bull heads/ sculpins doing it. Most of your Sturgeon strike are on the head of the smelt. I usually hook a small piece of squid on the on the hook and hook the smelt through the head and half hitch the keader back to the tail. I make sure the piece of squid is under the first half hitch. On those pecking hits, I landed a gigantic Sturgeon, about 14 inches long. He had that 6/0 hook in his mouth. I think that most of our missed hits were dinks hitting the squid.
Good Luck and Tight lines
Rubber Hooks

fishuntr2 · 03-02-2004, 04:47 AM

Last saturday we were getting lots of pekker fish action but no hook-ups. So started using trailer hooks and proceeded to catch about 25 pike minnows. What was neat is after bonking these fish, we would throw them in the water and Bald and Golden eagles were swooping down and snatching them out of the water...right behind the boat! The eagles had been perched in trees along the channel.
It was xtra cool and we had a blast doing it. Didn't catch any keepers but fed a few birds!

[ 03-02-2004, 05:48 AM: Message edited by: fishuntr2 ]

Fish Hawg · 03-02-2004, 05:37 PM

I just read under the Washington Statewide fresh water rules.

Ad This Is what it says: single barbless hooks are requried in areas designated as "fly fishing only" or"selective gear rules," And while fishing for STURGEON. pg.20

I just wanted to give you guys a heads up.....Ross

Fish Hawg · 03-02-2004, 07:29 PM

TTT