Going rod-&-line fishing tomorrow, to a small lake (100 metres long,
say, by 30 Metres wide to give an idea) in the Northwest of England, &
hoping to catch some good sized sturgeon.

I know they're in there.. I've seen the photos ;)

What I'd like to know, is what would the best method and bait be?

Do they take sweetcorn? maggots? bread? luncheon meat (I hope they
like spam, I have plenty)? or do they prefer something else.

And what about groundbait; a constant trickle of maggots into the
swim, one good dollop at the beginning, or what? & what's best to use?

I know things vary from water to water, but in general, what are the
habits of the sturgeon, & what kind of kit / method should I use
(float? ledgering on the bottom?)

I have a spinning rod with an open-face type reel (the kind with a
bale arm that you 'click back' to cast) - not looking to buy a new rod
& reel, but if there's a particular type of float, or lure, or other
'ancillary' paraphenalia I might find useful it'd be interesting to
hear.

Whatever kit I use, any hooks have to be the barbless kind, so the
fish can be returned to the water without injury.

Thanks for any information you can unearth about this species.

Hi Gan~

Fishing for Sturgeon is great fun. Here are some tips that I hope will
make it more enjoyable for you.

The Sturgeon Hunter (“the web’s Sturgeon Resource”) recommends the
following for angling sturgeon; the advice is targeted toward fishing
on Canada’s west coast, and gives some good basic info:

~~~~~~~~~~
“Rods are typically anywhere from six to nine feet in length,
preferably one piece blanks. These rods provide enough lifting power
and backbone to turn a big fish. The Sturgeon rod is coupled with a
levelwind reel that is capable of holding at least 250 yards of eighty
pound toughline. An example of a suitable reel would be the PennŽ
models like the 309, and the 320/330GTi series. For a higher end reel
some guides are using an Abu GarciaŽ Morrum.

A Sturgeon setup doesn't have to break the bank, and can be had for
around 150 dollars Canadian if the angler buys used gear. Mainline
should consist of either a good quality braided line or 80-100#
Maxima. Leader Material needs to be heavy, and some options include
40-80# Maxima as well as the braided nylon lines that are popular due
to their abrasion resistance.

Most anglers are using hook sizes in the 7/0-10/0 range. I've seen a
Sturge straighten a 8/0 so don't be shy with the hook sizes. The
mainline is attached to the leader using what's known as a "California
Slider". Weights can range from 6-22 ounces lead depending on the
current / depth / tidal influence.
Sturgeon are opportunistic feeders, and use their sensory barbels to
locate food. They seem to key on the food source that is present at
the time in the river system. When the Salmon are running, salmon
"parts", including belly strips gills and roe will produce. In the
Spring, when the Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) run is in full
swing, the fish are keyed into this food source. Popular staples that
will produce at all times include Lamprey and Ditch eels, and even Dew
Worms in clusters.

Sturgeon fishing is hit and miss. This may be largely due to factors
such as barometric pressure. When there is a stable weather system for
a number of consecutive days the fishing tends to be consistent. A low
pressure system will turn the fishing right off. Tides also affect the
fishing.” (“Sturgeon Angling,”
http://sturgeonsite.coastangler.com/angling.htm )
~~~~~~~~~~~

According to nwfish.com, for fishing Sturgeon along a bank, rods are
usually “10 to 15 feet long and capable of casting extremely heavy
leads very long distances.” (“Rods & Reels” by Dennis Hull,
http://nwfish.com/Sturgeon/bait_and_scents.htm )

Fresh bait, with something common to the area you are fishing in, is
important. “Sturgeon are feed by using there nose, and for this reason
scent is very important…Fresh is Best. While sturgeon are bottom
feeders they are not garbage eaters and they are very tuned in on the
native food sources... When there isn't a large amount of fresh bait
always use some added scents. Some examples of these are shrimp oil,
sardine oil, anise oil, and any of the dozens of others that are
available. The best way to use these is by injecting your bait with
them. They also aid in masking the human odors. Sturgeon will change
the scents that they like during the day so do be afraid to mix it up
as far as which type of scent and bait combinations that you use…Use
as fresh of bait as you can get and stay away from too many added
scents. Plan on bringing lots of bait and moving a lot...” (“Bait and
Scents” by Dennis Hull, http://nwfish.com/Sturgeon/bait_and_scents.htm
)

Lake Sturgeon often like “worms, insect larvae, snails, clams, some
fish and fish eggs, bits of aquatic plants...” (“Lake Sturgeon,” BWCA,
http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/fish/acipenser.html ) But you
should consider the particular area you’re fishing in, and what would
be at the bottom of the lake, before you make a decision on bait.

“Ten Tips For Better Sturgeon Fishing” also suggests that if fishing
off a boat, you use care when dropping your anchor, as a carelessly
dropped anchor will scare of the sturgeon. They also suggest a quick
release anchor; nice, sharp hooks; using tackle that’s as light as is
comfortable; thin leader; fresh bait; and using a tight drag.
(http://usafishing.com/hippostrugeon.html )

Have fun!

Kriswrite

Keywords Used:
sturgeon fishing
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sturgeon fishing England
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sturgeon fishing "Northwest England"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=sturgeon+fishing+%22Northwest+England%22&btnG=Google+Search

freshwater sturgeon fishing
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=freshwater+sturgeon+fishing+&btnG=Google+Search

Right then - I have a much better idea of how to go about things now,
thanks for a very good collection of info :)

People like to eat sturgeon, huh. I found the odor of the fat
off-putting. I wasn't able to trim off enough of it to make it taste
good. (The market claimed it was fresh.) I'm probably missing with
sturgeon. Fishing, though, is relaxing and fun. Good luck.


JF

Some parts of the sturgeon are supposed to be quite good. But notice
that Gan specifically said he was going to release any fish that he
caught. :)

Kriswrite

Gan, an excellent fishing guide I know had this to add:

"Gan,
You didn't mention what you consider a 'good sized' sturgeon.  Neither
did you mention the species of sturgeon you are after, nor the size of
your spinning outfit.  Depending upon the species and location a 'good
sized' sturgeon may be two to three meters long!  Since the body of
water you are fishing is roughly the size of a football field, I am
going to assume that the sturgeon are stocked and that a 'good sized'
one would stretch a meter, maybe a meter and a half.  I will further
guess your tackle to be medium/light freshwater tackle, something with
which you can handle a 10-20 pound carp.  While perhaps on the light
side, this equipment should suffice, so long as the body of water is
relatively clear of obstructions and your drag is set correctly.  You
should also fish much the same as you would fish for carp:  Slack
line, sliding sinker, open bail, set after the fish has run a meter or
so.  For bait, try crayfish if you have a supply, otherwise use
shrimp.  (You want fresh shrimp.  If the bait dealers don't have it,
buy it at the fish market or grocery store.)  Try peeling it and
threading it onto a 1/0 to 3/0 hook with only the point exposed.  As
for 'groundbait' (we call that 'chumming'), pick out a good spot
(probably the deepest water) throw out a good 'dollop' of shrimp at
the beginning and fish right in the middle of it.  The chum pieces
should approximate the size of the bait you are using.  Good Luck! 
And bring a camera!  When you catch one, send us a photo! "

Thank you very much for the extra info! As it happens, the trip has
been put off for a day, so this is very timely. On a recce myself & a
friend made last week, my friend did note that several of the anglers
had shrimp in their baitboxes.. interesting! I shall remember to take
my camera & let's hope for fine weather ;)