Rather, tighten the line by reeling and moving your rod away from the fish. No need to do a hard hook set with a circle hook. It is often a subtle bit with taps or swimming weight. When a sturgeon bites, they don’t hammer it. Fish this set up on the bottom much like you would fishing for carp or catfish.

A sturgeon rig is an 18″ snell with a 5/0 circle hook loaded with either nightcrawlers, frozen emerald shiners or a combo of both. Heavier gear will allow you to pull in the fish quicker, which puts less stress on the sturgeon and ultimately is better for releasing.īasically, a no roll sinker combined with a sturgeon rig will get the job done on the tackle end. These fish fight hard and on walleye gear, the fight often times can last an hour. Muskie gear or your strongest freshwater gear is a good choice. If you are going to use your own boat and tackle, some ideas. This is an easy way to use heavy duty sturgeon gear you might not own, be introduced to the right set ups with sturgeon rigs and of course, have the opportunity to fish some of the best sturgeon hot spots on the river. Where do I start? One option is to get a guide from a local resort. The fish are plentiful in the Rainy River, they eat a lot and are can be caught with consistency and the fish can grow in excess of 100 lbs. Lake sturgeon fishing is starting to become more and more popular, and for good reason.

Fishing planet michigan lake sturgeon