Sturgeon Fishing

[wassachu]

I lived in California for 25 years. I fished San Pablo Bay, the next bay inland from San Francisco. Fishing for white sturgeon in California was a challenge. The sturgeon population was low because California for years allowed anything over 36", then 40" and then 48" to be kept. Sturgeon don't start to spawn until they are over 6' so they were killing off the females full of roe. In the early 90's California finally smartened up and applied a window to the keeper sizes. Anything between 48" and 72" could be kept. Washington state and Oregon have had this window for years and the Sturgeon population there is huge. My largest was only 5'2" and 60lbs. What a good fish. Big thick fillets of white meat. No bones a no fishy taste. A very popular fish. The world record white sturgeon caught on a rod and reel is 468 Lbs caught in San Pablo Bay.
Sturgeon are on the East Coast but are protected. I doubt if you could catch one anyways. Your bait hast to be in contact with the bottom and there is two much competition for bait setting on the bottom. We had this problem in California when there was a lack of rain. Salt water would fill San Pablo Bay and the trash fish and crab would come into San Pablo Bay. After a good rain the trash fish and crab would be pushed into San Francisco Bay. Sturgeon have been seen jumping in the rivers of Maine.
I miss fishing for sturgeon but not enough to move back to California.

[jazzrockskier]

Fished the Delta for many years was always interesting as the same bait and presentation could get sturgeon, catfish or stripped bass. Miss the Delta, but the fishing is better here on the lower Chesapeake.

[FASTWATER]

468# is just a pup up here!!!PEACE

[Anders]

I hear of sturgeon being caught on the James River often. There are a lot of catfish on the James but there are way to help target them over other species. I know last summer a 10 ft sturgeon was found dead on the shore. How much would that weigh?