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Snake River Winter Sturgeon

© Louis Bignami

There's a lot to be said for anchoring out and drowning bait for sturgeon from the comfort of a heated cabin even during a steelhead run like this winter's. Catch and release, even in these days of three fish Idaho steelhead limits and double 20 steelhead tags gets a bit boring after four or five fish in the morning. So haul or anchor out and set baits for that "surgin" sturgeon can raise a sweat even on frigid days.

Shore fishing from the bank along the Washington side of the Snake runs through the string of holes from Lower Granite 40 miles or so all the way up to the mouth of the Grand Ronde. Good spots are easy to spot and popular on weekends with the best access from roads from the south and east bank of the river.

The south bank of the Snake below Lower Granite is one hotspot. The other side of the river near the campground works well too. Most of the inlet streams along the river dig holes where they enter, and the deep water here is the spot to drown bait.

Some of the creek mouths, particularly those downstream from Clarkson, have "mini-deltas" and small sandbars that are good spots to set duck decoys. There's usually a covey of quail and the odd pheasant as well.

Rigging Up

Start with a big, heavy outfit. My boat rig runs to a 50-pound class rod with roller guides, a heavy reel filled with 600-yards of 50 pound test and, to save my back a rod belt. Thread a snap swivel onto the line that will hold the sliding 6-ounce to 16-ounce weight needed to bottom out in heavy water. Add a swivel and at least 15 feet of 80 pound test mono or wire and a 2/0 to 4/0 hook.

Many experts use circle hooks and everyone needs the long heavy-duty leader avoids break offs when sturgeon roll up in the line. Tip: I use fairly small snap swivels and four or five inches of line to attach weight so if sturgeon hang the weight on the bottom it's easy to break off.

My shore fishing preference is a 12-goot heavy surf stick that can chuck up to 8-ounce weights. As a rule, when bank fishing you need to avoid spots with heavy currents that make fish impossible to hold on downstream runs.

Considered Casts

Pitching your bait upstream into the current so it sinks fast and drops over the bottom lip of riffles into the head of pools improves results. With good bait placement current sends smells downstream and the vacuum-mouth sturgeon move upstream. So make a good cast and let the bait stay put. Shore fishers can, of course, feed out a little line to let baits move a bit downstream.