Sturgeon Basics for the Wisconsin River by Gary A. Engberg 8-31-2010

Sturgeon Basics by Gary A. Engberg  8-31-2010
It’s that time of the year that many people in the Midwest look forward to, the opening of the lake sturgeon fishing season. The season opens September 4 and will continue through the end of the month. The main and only place in southern Wisconsin to fish for this prehistoric fish is on the Wisconsin River from Sauk City to the Wisconsin Dells. To be able to fish for sturgeon, you need a valid Wisconsin fishing license and a sturgeon tag which may be picked up at all registration centers or online for $20.00 for a resident and $50.00 for non-residents. You must register the fish in the county it was caught before 6:00 P.M. the following day. The mandatory regulations are necessary to protect and manage this unique species. Lake sturgeon needs more protection than most fish because of their long-lived nature and specific habitat requirements.
Male lake sturgeon mature at ages 13 to 15 years (about 42 inches long), while female sturgeon don’t mature until they are 22 to 24 years old and around 56 inches long. Once mature, males spawn every 2 years, while females spawn very 4 to 5 years. These figures show why the lake sturgeon is so closely regulated and monitored.

The most common way of sturgeon fishing is by boat or shore on one of the legal rivers in Wisconsin. Anchor your boat close to a drop-off and cast your bait out while putting your rod in a holder. Then, I put the clicker on my Ambassador baitcasting reel and wait for a pick-up. You  need a stout and strong rod to be able to handle these fish which can easily weigh 50 to 100 pounds. A strong line like Stren monofilament or Fireline in 30 to 50 pound test is required to be able to handle these gigantic fresh-water fish. Bait casting reels work best, but I have seen many anglers using big, strong surf- type rods with large open-faced spinning reels and do well. Shore angler’s use more weight because they like to get their bait way out in the river’s current and in deeper water away from shore. Egg sinkers from 2 to 6 ounces are put above a barrel swivel. From the swivel run about 2 feet of leader line to your hook. The hook used is a 2/0 or 4/0 filled with nightcrawlers or cut bait. Make sure to have plenty of bait because smaller fish will constantly pick at your nightcrawlers. If fishing from a boat, 1 to 2 ounces of weight is usually enough to keep your bait on the river’s bottom which is necessary to catch these bottom-feeding fish.
The best areas to fish seem to be below the dams and tailrace areas on the Wisconsin River. Deep-water close is important and the fish seem to hold in this deeper water when not feeding . When feeding, the sturgeons like water 10 to 15 foot deep with a sand and gravel bottom. I would never venture more than a mile or so below the dams when fishing for these prehistoric fish. The big fish seem to like to have access to deeper water which is found in the scour holes directly below the dams at the Wisconsin Dells and Prairie du Sac. Nighttime  is a good time for sturgeon fishing since this is when they move shallow to actively feed. So, get some crawlers and a musky rod and give this kind of fishing a try. Smoked sturgeon and caviar are well worth the effort!!