fishing for sturgeon?

[carpmanjake]

ok, so i think i am gonna be able to get my dad to take me on a lake sturgeon trip. where would u guys recommend within 2 hours of alexandria?

how do you fish for them?

what do you use for bait?

where should we focus our efforts?

i really want to catch my first lake sturgeon. and since my dad will be off for a while im sure he will want to too

[Jim Uran]

I'll be heading to the rainy river again shortly. I go every fall and fish off shore for a couple of days with the my gal and the kids, and catch everything from redhorse, to walleyes, smallies, and of course Sturgeon. I know it's more than a couple of hours from Alexandria but the fishing is awesome.

[carpmanjake]

I'll be heading to the rainy river again shortly. I go every fall and fish off shore for a couple of days with the my gal and the kids, and catch everything from redhorse, to walleyes, smallies, and of course Sturgeon. I know it's more than a couple of hours from Alexandria but the fishing is awesome.

wim interested! what do you use for bait?

[JBMasterAngler]

Yeah, your options for sturgeon are limited in MN, and even more so if you live in alexandria.

They reintroduced them in the red river about 10/12 years ago, but I doubt they're anymore than 10 pounds by now. Otherwise there's the already mentioned rainy river. Your other option is the st. croix river and the lower st. louis river...both are way more than 2 hours away

[Ralph Wiggum]

Technically, to be legal, the St. Croix and the Rainy River/LOTW are your only options. Both not really close to Alex.

[Nate McVey]

Quote:

Your other option is the st. croix river and the lower st. louis river.

JB, carful............you can't legally target sturgeon in the St. Louis

[Jim Uran]

Set yourself up a slip sinker rig and use night crawlers. Where I go it's about a 2 1/2 hour drive from home. But it's well worth it. We usually fish about 1/2 a day and than the next morning, last year we caught 13 of them.

[StillwaterAaron]

Technically, to be legal, the St. Croix and the Rainy River/LOTW are your only options. Both not really close to Alex.

Right on Wiggum!

Some day there will be a catch and release season in other areas but for now in MN those are the only legal areas to fish targeting them.

[carpmanjake]

Technically, to be legal, the St. Croix and the Rainy River/LOTW are your only options. Both not really close to Alex.

i noticed that right after i made this post when i looked at the sturgeon picture thread

[JBMasterAngler]

Yeah, I probably should've mentioned the seasons and such. I know the rules, but thanks for the heads up to anyone that may not know them.

[Nate McVey]

Yeah, I probably should've mentioned the seasons and such. I know the rules, but thanks for the heads up to anyone that may not know them.

There is no season on the St. Louis.......you can NEVER target them, so "seasons and such" have nothing to do with it............

[Grainbelter]

What lb test do you guys use, we're heading up to rainy and don't know what I need.

[croixflats]

A reminder For the Croix sturgeon fishing starts below the Taylor Falls dam and ends at the mouth of the river in Prescot.

[merkman]

Set yourself up a slip sinker rig and use night crawlers. Where I go it's about a 2 1/2 hour drive from home. But it's well worth it. We usually fish about 1/2 a day and than the next morning, last year we caught 13 of them.

I add a half of a frozen cisco in the bait ball and have very good luck with that.

[StillwaterAaron]

What lb test do you guys use, we're heading up to rainy and don't know what I need.

I do not allow under 20 pound test in open water. On 10 pound test I fought one for over 2 hours and never budged it then part of my rod went for a swim and the line snapped.

I use 80 pound Power pro. Is it overkill yes could I hook into a fish that I am glad I have it......yes I want big sturgeon I have caught hundreds of 30+ inchers and used 8 pound test on a 48 from shore but it is not good for the fish.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Mono --> 20lb is plenty

Superline --> Anything >50lb (I use 80lb, but that's just what is spooled on my reels already)

[Grainbelter]

perfect, thanks guys.

[Moonie]

Not sure of areas around Alex... we went up to the rainy this spring and did well on crawlers sprayed with WD40. Remember to use a setup with enough backbone and strength to haul in a monster against the current, and enough weight to hold bottom. I caught a 52.5 incher on my bass flipping rod spooled with 50lb powerpro and it felt like I was trying to lift a fridge off the bottom. They're fun!

[jwmiller33]

does anybody know why there is no season for sturgeon on the st louis river? i have fished the st louis for walleye several times and have seen times where sturgeon were jumping left and right, almost into my boat, which makes me think they are there in pretty strong numbers...

[Ralph Wiggum]

does anybody know why there is no season for sturgeon on the st louis river? i have fished the st louis for walleye several times and have seen times where sturgeon were jumping left and right, almost into my boat, which makes me think they are there in pretty strong numbers...

I would assume the same reason as the Mississippi--the DNR just doesn't have the data to support an open season.

[ec30_06]

I have heard from DNR personnel that the population is small and mostly smaller fish in the St. Louis.

[JBMasterAngler]

Majority of the st. louis population is stocked fish that haven't reached spawning age yet...supposedly the initially stocked fish should reached that age in the last couple years or within the next couple years. Anyway, the good news is it seems the stocked fish are showing good survival rates, but the mystery remains whether they'll have successful spawns.

[carpmanjake]

couldnt they just have a catch and release season everywhere????

[rushing]

we went up to the rainy this spring and did well on crawlers sprayed with WD40.

WD40 pollutes the water, poisons the fish!

[merkman]

couldnt they just have a catch and release season everywhere????

Hopefully some day.

I hope sturgeon populations grow enough across the state to support it.

The mighty sturgeon is a wonderful fish!!