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Hey, I'm heading sturgeon fishing at CJ Strike in two weeks. Does anybody have any reports or advice?
Also, I have a question. Last time I went we used crappie for bait. As I understand crappie are game fish, and you can't use game fish as bait, but I think I've heard there are different rules for sturgeon, but I can't find where it says that. That's a really long question but I think you get what I'm saying. Also, are the crappie biting in the river there, or should I stock up on perch before I go? Any info would be much appreciated.
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I am not sure on the right answer for bait but the Fish & Game site has an email contact point for just these kind of questions. You might give it a try. They have always answered my questions whether I email or call them.
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Everyone last spring was using crappie as far as I could tell. Do not know for sure if it was legal. They were all over on the spillway side. A 1" red and white tube jig 2'-3' below a bobber was the ticket with a 5" crappie every other cast. I have never tried perch. I have seen the following baits used: shrimp,octopus, whole and strips of trout, salmon strips, sucker meat, herring, nightcrawlers, and sturgeon candy. It is in a bottle and has worked well in the past but is $5 for a smallish bottle. It you are fishing above the dam there are some other baits that work like nightcrawlers. I have only fished below the dam.
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i just got back from sturgeon fishing there. hooked up six times and landed two. the bights been good at night and really slow during the day. as far as bait usage goes i am 99.9% sure that you can use what ever bait you want. if you use game fish just remember not to have more than your limit of that fish. limit for trout should be six, i don't think there is a limit of crappie, and small mouth need to be over 12inches to keep. i have been checked several times by fish and game and they didn't care that i was using trout and crappie. no body was catching any crappie when i was there. few trout were caught and few perch, so i would buy some bait at the store just in case. my favorite is octupus or squid (calamare) its like 5$ at sportsman's warehouse.
good luck!
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Vita Brand pickled herring - chunks - I had a 7 sturg day on Strike using Vita. Got it at Fred Meyer.
Try up the Snake River arm near Cove Arm. There is a nice trench about 70 ft deep they like to "vaccum". Get yer bait in there and wait!
I have used both trout & crappie for sturgeon while rafting through Hell's Canyon. It's a comon practice there. SDon't know about anywere else. I would take idahopanfish's advice and call fish & game.
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Thanks Fellas, I appreciate the advice and updates. I'll definately try the pickled herring. I'll let you know how I do. I should have from pretty early in the afternoon all the way through to the next morning. We'll be able to have at least four rods out, maybe five, so I hopefully we can get into some fish. Only a week and a half left!
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Get a two pols permit and fish for bass & trout while you wait for the sturg bite!
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make sure you lock your rods up at night. last week end some looser stole my penn 330 right off of my rod in my truck while i was sleeping.
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] It's also my understanding that its legal to use game fish as bait as long as it is dead and not a live minnow. They use a whole small trout for sturgeon on the Salmon river and small bluegills on Bear Lake for Lake trout.