Hey Guys and Gals! 2018 is starting with a bang! Our first trip of the year was for keeper sized sturgeon in the Columbia River! I was able to fish a great group of clients on Saturday the 6th of January and the action was hot! I will say that certain spots we tried were void of fish, so it was very important to be versatile and move around until we found the pods of fish. Sturgeon are pretty lazy this time of year. The water is cold and they really won't move too far for food, so you need to go to them. If they are in an area, it really doesn't take to long to get bit, so spend your time moving around rather than soak bait at a spot for long periods of time. All normal sturgeon bait worked for us! Baits like herring, sardines, squid, and shad were all working. If fishing multiple rods, put out the kitchen sink and see what the flavor of the day is. Keep in mind the keeper slot limit is measured from the tip of the nose to the fork of the tail on the fish's side. I see guys measure down the back a lot and that is an inaccurate and illegal measurement. The Bonneville pool is open for 38-54 inch fish, while the Dalles and John day pools are open for 43-54 inch keepers. All other sturgeon need to be released! In all these pools, the season will remain open until the state set quota is reached. This usually doesn't take long, so get out there and get your keepers before its over! I have a few remaining spots open for the keeper season if you'd' like to give it a try!
