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Anybody else ready for the sturgeon run ?

bassbuster1
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bassbuster1 Proficient

bassbuster1

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I know the icefishing season is still very much underway,but I am already getting pumped for the spring walleye and sturgeon runs.They are right around the corner.Man, there isnt much that compares to having a monster sturgeon on the line,its like deep sea fishing without the sea. LOL The Rainy river is a great fishery. If anybody out there is looking for info on the river from I Falls down Loman ,give me a call.

Bassbuster 1

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LindellProStaf Collaborator

LindellProStaf

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Hi bassbuster1. Watching the fishing shows on TV and seeing boats on open water is starting to give me spring fever too. I live on the river east of Baudette and have been catching a few eyes and saugs in the late afternoon. About a week ago just as we were going to reel in for the night a friend of mine hooked into a big one. Well I rolled up my sleeve to grab whatever it was and hoping it wasn't an eelpout (even thought they are fun to catch too). Well 45 minutes later the hook pulled out of the fish's mouth. We never got it close to the hole. Saw the bobber come by twice but never got the fish off the bottom. Must have been a dandy Sturgeon....

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DUCKJ Proficient

DUCKJ

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we got our cabin booked for mid april(weekend after eye season closes I believe). Last year we got close to 100 sturgeon in 2.5 days betwen 8 guys. First time up there fishing and man was it FUN!!!!!!!!!!!! Biggest fish we got was 62.5 inches of nuttin but line ripppin fun. Cant wait, only 2.5 months to go. Rods are ready and waiting.

Duck

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dockholiday Rookie

dockholiday

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I'm ready...the calls are coming in about sturgeon...and I got a case of soft water fever. I hope this season is going to as good as last. Big one last year was 63 1/2"...a 17 year old kids first sturgeon...not bad. Pray for a fast thaw boys.

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sirj24 Newbie

sirj24

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hey people, I am new to the forum so please bare with me. last year I was in a group that was going to hit the river for sturgon for our first time ever!! we were really looking forward to it but we got snowed out so we didn't make it. very bummed. so this is our first year so if you could please pass along any information you can spar... i think we were some what prepared last year but going in pretty blind so if any of you know any good old spots that would more than likely put us on the sturgon i would be in debt to you. thanks in advance!

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setterguy Mentor

setterguy

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I would say try different things, different length leaders, different amounts of bait, different size hooks ect. These all seemed to make differences the past two seasons we were up there. I'm new to the sport as well, this will be my 3rd year and this was the best advice I got...like pike stabber said look for the deepest part of the river you can find then set up right where it starts to drop on the down stream side of the hole. It has seemed to work pretty good for us but there are a lot of guy who have done much better than us too.

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pikestabber Proficient

pikestabber

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Just remember that these fish are passing through to spawn in smaller creeks/streams. The reason to fish the deepest holes is that the fish will rest/feed in these areas before heading to the next hole, then they push on through the shallower stretches on their way to spawn.

I suggest a 2/0 to 3/0 hook (I like octopus hooks)with a couple bunched up crawlers, 25-50lb line (I like braided), and a rod heavy enough to handle these fish--musky rods work well. Don't use a leader more than a couple feet or it will raise up too high off the bottom in this quick spring current. Remember, if you use walleye gear, you can still get these fish in (after an hour or more!)--but you would merely be putting undue stress on these large spawning females, so please gear up appropriately to land these fish as fast as keeping them safe permits.

Snap a few photos and release quickly and gently--don't keep the fish out of the water long! Yes, these will likely be the biggest fish you will ever catch, and the urge to oogle and snap a hundred photos is strong, but get them back to be caught another day.

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Tim_Anderson Rising Star

Tim_Anderson

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Deep holes on outside bends are a great place to try (I have a number of them that I visit every spring!), but keep in mind that sturgeon also concentrate on the shallower runs/gravel flats that are associated with long straightaways.

For some reason, they also tend to be concentrated near the ice pack...something to keep in mind if you go up early.

And, "deep" is a relative term depending on where you are at in the river. Up by Birchdale, deep is 15 feet. Down by Vidas, you can find 25 feet. And out by the lake you can find water 30-40 feet and more.

Minnow and crawler combo is good bait. Keep moving till you find em. If you're up during the walleye season, look for those walleye guys with their rods bowed up looking impatient! That's a dead give-away that the sturgeon are nearby.

Lighter spinning gear is fun, but it takes forever to land them. We use our musky gear now, and it has enabled us to catch huge numbers in a day...something we could have never accomplished with the lighter gear. And, the mid to large fish really give you a run for your money, even on the heavy equipment.

I had a client catch 37 sturgies last year in about a half a day. His last one was pushing 90 pounds, and it took him nearly a half hour to land it. After that, it was time for a break!

It's tons of fun. Good luck!

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setterguy Mentor

setterguy

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Thanks Tim, and Pike stabber. Its one thing to know where they might be, its quite another to know why. One of my favorite parts of the weekend is cheering other guys in other boats on while they fight a big one.

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bassbuster1 Proficient

bassbuster1

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They also make there way up to the dam in I falls , here they are concentrated, there is a deep hole right below the dam,the fishing can be totally awsome there.Where the little and big fork rivers dump into Rainy river are real good spots too. Eight mile marker just down stream from the little fork gives up alot of sturgeon also.

Good luck

Bassbuster 1

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bottom feeder Rookie

bottom feeder

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I'm looking forward to spring sturgeon fishing too. We need such good thoughts when the weather is crappy like it is this morning.

The DNR put together some information last year on preparing for your sturgeon fishing trip, and on handling large fish. This is useful information for both first-timers and for sturgeon vets.

Here is a direct link:

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/baudette/sturgeon_advice.pdf

There is also other Rainy River information available from the Baudette DNR web site.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/baudette/index.html

Regards,

Bottom Feeder

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