sturgeon fishing?

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

I have been river fishing for years now and have never caught or even seen a sturgeon. Where do I have to go to legally catch a sturgeon and what is the best method to do so. Any and all tips will be extremely helpful.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Are you fishing rivers with Sturgeon populations? The only ones in the Minnesota River are Shovelnose and they are not very abundant but are definitely out there and I usually hear about them being caught on crawlers.

If I were to target a river with Lakers in it, I would use a 3/0-5/0 circle hook with nightcrawlers gobbed on.

[Ed Carlson]

The Rainy River in April, starting this weekend, would be a good plan.

Rigging is similar to catfishing and is dependent on the conditions you face. A large juicy wad of NightCrawlers has proven most productive in the spring in this region.

[fiskyknut]

You've been catching many Sturgeonfish down in the Fargo region?

Sturgeonfish are going nuts on the Rainy right now! Saw oodles of them things pulled yesterday.

Barring weather calamaities this years Sturgeon Excursion should be epic!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Other than MN/Canada border water, legally you can only fish for lake sturgeon for a 6 week fall season (Sept 5 through Oct 15) on the St. Croix from Taylors Fall to Prescott. There is a continuous open season on shovelnose sturgeon on the Mississippi downstream from the Red Wing dam. Other than that, you cannot intentionally fish for them.

Crawlers, fatheads, and shad are all good baits.

[uppdacreek]

Ralph- are you bringing the shad from down here or can we get them up there in a couple weeks?

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've never tried shad on the Rainy and I don't know how well it would work. It's not native to the Rainy, so I don't know how well they would respond to it. There's a big shad population on the Mississippi and St. Croix, so it works well there. I haven't found that too many shops carry shad, though.

On the Rainy, I have done just fine with crawlers. A couple fatheads impaled on the hooks has been good for folks, too. I may try some fatheads this year.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Thanks guys for the info. I want to be part of the sturgeon club and I think I'm going to have to start channel cat fishing more that way I may have a shot at coming a crossed one. I just no that with the wife coming out with me this summer and only wanting to use worms she is going to get one before me. Then you know what she will say " Hmm there aren't that hard to catch! )

[fish_4_fun]

is there a special permit that applies when fishing in the 6 week period on the croix. and what are the regulations on it.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

I think its a tag and you are aloud to catch two and it has to be c&r only

[croixflats]

The St.Croix has new season regs this year. From Sept 5 to sept 30 1 is havestable with tag at 60 inchs.

From Oct 1 to Oct 15 catch and release only.

[Ralph Wiggum]

You are not required to buy a tag unless you are going to harvest one.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Very nice.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Very nice.

[croixflats]

You are not required to buy a tag unless you are going to harvest one.

Woops, nice clarification