How to catch sturgeon on the Volga

Sturgeon: description and behavioral characteristics

Sturgeon is a species of fish in the sturgeon family. Externally, it has its own characteristic features: a short blunt snout, a long and narrow body, dorsal and lateral fins resembling a crest, and four antennae that complete this unusual picture. These fish are dark gray in color, only their bellies have a lightish tint.

This aquatic resident grows very slowly. The total lifespan is about fifty years, during which it can reach a mass of eighty kilograms.

Depending on the period of spawning immigration, there are two different forms of these fish: spring and winter. Spring fish spawn in the spring season, and winter fish spawn in the fall.

These fish are very resistant to changes in weather and environment. Usually, they float on the bottom. They are also quite hardy and can easily swim several hundred kilometers in search of food.

Sturgeon habitats

These fish are deep-sea inhabitants of the bottoms of reservoirs. Their habitats are as follows:

1. North America.
2. Black Sea.
3. Sea of ​​Azov.
4. Caspian Sea.
5. River Don.
6. Dnepr River.
7. Kuban.
8. Ural.
9. Rivers of Siberia.
10. Lakes Baikal and Zaisan.
11. North America.

As for the specific habitat of this fish in reservoirs, it prefers the following places:

1. The deepest underwater places, as well as holes and steep rifts.
2. Zones of confluence of the tributary with the main body of water. This can be explained by the fact that it is in such places that there is a lot of oxygen.
3. Places of reservoirs with a soft bottom.
4. Areas of water bodies where shallow water abruptly changes to depth.
5. Shallow water areas (only on lakes).
6. Areas of reservoirs that are overgrown with algae.

Peculiarities of sturgeon biting by season

Depending on the season, their bite has the following features:

1. In the summer, such fish are most active in grabbing bait, so this particular season is the most favorable for catching them. The main thing is to choose the right bait to attract the attention of the fish.
2. In autumn, these fish sink even further to the bottom, so it is more difficult to lure them to the surface. However, if you use bottom tackle, there is a high probability of a good bite.
3. In winter , it is very difficult to catch sturgeon, since it will react poorly to baits offered to it. A good bite is possible only if you use live bait, otherwise, catching it during this period will be unsuccessful.
4. In the spring, with the first warming, the bite of this fish increases sharply, so that already at the end of March you can safely go out to catch it both from the shore and from a boat.

Sturgeon fishing technique

Having figured out what the noble predator bites on, it is necessary to understand which fishing techniques are most effective, in particular how to catch sturgeon on fishing grounds.

Unlike carp, the sturgeon approaches the offered bait with caution, carefully studies it, and carefully tries it. This can be noticed by the slight twitching of the float; you must always be prepared to make a hook.

As soon as the float sharply leaves the water surface, a hook is immediately made. It is better if the fishing thread is pulled perpendicularly downwards.

When catching sturgeon on a donk, the behavior of the fish is similar. At the moment of biting the prey, the top of the bottom tackle begins to tremble slightly, then bends into an arc, and immediately a confident hook should be made.

At the initial stage of fishing, you need to be extremely careful; the predator breaks off the leashes. The sturgeon is not used to giving up, and will take every possible means to get off the hook, which makes the fisherman’s task very difficult. The fish often confuses the gear, rushes in different directions, and tries to lie to the bottom.

Source: fishelovka.com

Methods of catching sturgeon: choosing gear

This fish can be caught using two tackles: bottom and float.

Bottom tackle for this fish includes the following components:

1. Fishing rod. Its length must be at least four meters. Preference should be given to medium rods (with a length of five to six meters), since you will need to cast over a long distance. A feeder or carp fishing rod is best suited for this purpose. In addition, you must pay attention to the pass rings. It should be made of carbide or ceramic.
2. Coil. It is best to use a spinning reel. It must contain at least one hundred and fifty meters.
3. Main line. Since these fish are quite strong, problems may arise when fishing them with a thin and weak fishing line. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to use strong braided fishing line with a diameter of 0.4 mm. Its color is not particularly important, since sturgeon are not very shy. Also, the main line must easily withstand a load of up to fifteen kilograms.
4. Leashes. For them you need to use a fishing line with a small diameter - 0.20 mm. However, it is not recommended to make leashes that are too thin, as they will often get tangled and cause additional trouble to the angler. In addition, it is advisable to make leashes removable, as this is very convenient and practical. Their length should be from half a meter to one meter.
5. The weight is selected depending on the casting distance of the tackle and the strength of the current in the reservoir in which the fishing will take place. Casting over long distances will require massive weights. For casting over short distances, small weights will be sufficient. As for their shape, flatter weights work better in strong currents, since they do not get caught on the algae on the bottom. For fishing in the middle reaches, it is best to use oval or teardrop-shaped weights, as they are ideal for such fishing conditions. As for the weight of these parts of the tackle, weights with a mass of fifty to one hundred grams should be used.
6. Hooks should be from number three to number seven. Also, they must have a long fore-end and a sharp sting. It is best to use carp hooks.

Float tackle includes the following components:

1. Fishing rod. You should use a strong match fishing rod with a dough of no more than forty grams. In other criteria it should be the same as for bottom fishing.
2. Coil. For fishing with float gear, it is best to use a match reel, which will have a large spool and hold from one hundred and forty meters of fishing line. In addition, such a reel should have a rear drag, which is very useful when fishing for large specimens of this fish.
3. The main line should be 0.20 mm in diameter. It should also be resistant to abrasion.
4. To create leashes, it is necessary to use florocarbon fishing line with a cross-section of 0.19 mm.
5. Float. It is best to use floats of the “wagler” variety, which will additionally have their own weight.
6. The weight should be teardrop-shaped or triangular in shape. Its weight should be from fifty to seventy grams.

How to catch sterlet

What kind of tackle does the sterlet bite on? This is a very interesting question that interests many novice fishermen. Therefore, it is worth considering the technique of catching sterlet using a donkey, a rod, a spinning rod and other gear. It will be important to familiarize yourself with how it bites on various equipment and which equipment is most suitable for catching sterlet.

Donk fishing technique

Donka is the main method of catching sterlet. Many fishermen note that this gear is more likely to catch a good catch of fish. This tackle should be used from the very beginning of the summer season; it is best to choose a donkey with rubber shock absorbers.

This method is highly effective because a large number of leashes are used - up to 5 pieces. When fishing with a donk, there is no spooking of fish.

What gear should you have:

Coil. For donkey, a suitable option is an inertial type reel. Thanks to it, you can make long-distance casts. In addition, there will be no snags, and therefore fishing will be easy.

Fishing line. The fishing line is suitable for any color, because the sterlet is not shy. Since it rarely jumps off the hooks, you should not pay special attention to the quality of the fishing line. A thin line with a thickness of about 0.30 mm is suitable.

Leash. It is advisable to use a leash with a length of 20 to 40 mm. A permanent or removable leash will also work. The most suitable is a removable leash. It can be replaced with another if desired.

Read How to choose a reel for an ultralight spinning rod

Sinker. When choosing a sinker, it is necessary to take into account the type of bottom and how overgrown it is

It is also worth taking into account the speed of the current. The optimal weight of the sinker is selected only through experiments

Hook

For sterlet, the most suitable hooks are No. 5 or 7. No more than 5 hooks should be installed on the bottom.

Fishing technique with a float rod

It may seem to many that catching sterlet with a fishing rod is a very uninteresting process, but with this equipment you can catch a large number of fish. Since this fish is of a calm nature, fishing with a fishing rod takes place without any resistance.

What gear should you have:

1. Fishing line. Any type of fishing line can be used. But still, you should not buy a fishing line that is too thin, because it will be difficult to hook other gear onto it.
2. The rod should be long and strong.
3. The coil should be of the inertial type. It is with the help of it that you can make long casts.
4. Hooks. Hooks should be small and thin. A maximum of 2 hooks are allowed on one fishing rod. The best option would be 1 hook.
5. The leash should be chosen to be thin so that it does not get tangled with the fishing line.

It is recommended to use float gear to catch fish near the banks after the flood has subsided. At this time, she begins active hunting near coastal areas. Activity occurs during the daytime, so this is the right time to use float gear.

Spinning fishing technique

When the autumn cold sets in, the water in reservoirs begins to decrease. Therefore, the sterlet begins to go to greater depths. At this time, it lives in depressions, holes, where rivers merge. In these places it is recommended to fish with spinning tackle.

What gear should you have:

1. It is best to use medium or large sized spinning rods.
2. The coil should be of the inertial type. It will provide a good casting distance and prevent snags, and fishing for fish will be easy.
3. The fishing line comes in different colors. The diameter of the fishing line should be 0.25 to 0.35 mm.
4. The leash should be used thinner than the fishing line. Suitable leash with diameter size 0.2 mm.
5. The sinker is selected empirically. When choosing this gear, it is worth considering the type of bottom and its clutter.
6. Hooks should be used with a long shank. The most suitable sizes are 5, 6, 7.

Other fishing methods

Nets are often used to fish for sterlet. However, they are only allowed to be used if there is a special license.

So, if fishing is planned with nets, the following recommendations must be followed:

1. It is advisable to install the network in bottom places. It is desirable that the distance between the leads and the bottom surface be no more than 30 cm.
2. Sometimes the leashes are lowered deep to the bottom places, and then, using “checkers”, the hooks are raised higher.
3. Nets with checkered floats are used in reservoirs with high currents.
4. The nets should be attached to the bottom using a special peg to prevent them from being carried away by the current.
5. If the nets are installed on a rocky bottom, the hooks must be raised so that they do not come into contact with the stones.

The best baits and lures

The most effective baits of animal origin include:

1. Herring is an excellent bait , but in order for it to really “work”, it must be marinated in garlic, sunflower oil and onions before fishing. Before attaching it to the hook, it needs to be cut into small cubes. When hooking, the tip of the hook should be completely covered. This applies to all other attachments too.
2. Capelin. Smoked capelin is best suited for this purpose, as sturgeon really like it. It should be installed in its entirety. For better strength, the fish can be tied to a hook with threads. It is important to use small capelin so that the sturgeon can swallow it completely.
3. The worm crawled out. This is a very long worm that needs to be put on a hook several at a time so that they form a kind of moving ball. This way they will attract the attention of fish very well.
4. Shrimps. They can be used both boiled and raw. It should be planted whole. It is on shrimp that especially large specimens most often bite. Shrimp can also be used when biting activity has decreased in order to resume it again.
5. Squid. Sturgeons really like their meat, so they happily bite on them. You can use frozen squid, which can be found in any fish store. Squid meat should be cut into small cubes and planted in several pieces at a time.
6. Liver. It is best to use beef liver. It should be cut into thin long strips and placed on a hook.

The best baits of plant origin include:

1. Millet porridge. It is not difficult to prepare: you just need to cook the millet until it absorbs water, then cover with a lid and steam until it can be cut into small pieces.
2. Dough made from wheat or corn flour . You can also add a little sunflower oil to it. Pieces of dough are rolled into small balls and placed on a hook.
3. Corn. It can be used both boiled and canned. Several grains should be planted at once.
4. Peas. It should be steamed in a thermos until it becomes soft. Plant in the same way as corn.

Bait requirements

Shrimp may be suitable as bait.
The sturgeon prefers bait that moves, in other words, of animal origin. If you decide to use herbal options and combinations, then you should use additives with rather sharp and strong odors.

Since the fish feed from the bottom, the bait should be within its reach - on the bottom. The consistency of the bait should not be hard, as it may confuse it with a stone and spit it out.

Also, due to its physiological characteristics (large mouth), the bait should be used in medium or large sizes. The ideal bait is considered to be whitebait, especially freshly caught ones.

The following baits are suitable for catching sterlet:

• live bait;
• earthworm;
• muckworm;
• maggot;
• crawl out.

According to experienced fishermen, sterlet prefers a worm to any other bait. Even if you take live bait, you can expect fewer bites on it than on a worm, especially since large sterlet takes on live bait, so you should expect bites for a long time. Live bait is selected within 3-5 cm. As for maggot, it is better to use it in combination with a worm.

Moreover, the appearance of the worm does not play any role, and the sterlet equally actively takes both the crawling worm and the earth or dung worm. As a rule, only one worm is placed on a hook, but not with a stocking, but rather it is pierced in some places. The result is a very appetizing, wiggling bait.

A large crawl is not needed, despite the fact that the sterlet’s mouth is not small. The most effective fishing is obtained when using a medium-sized crawler.

Since the sturgeon is a predator, it prefers bait of animal origin. Nevertheless, even plant baits give good results.

Animal bait

When searching for food, the sturgeon primarily relies on its sense of smell. Therefore, if you want to attract him to your bait, it must be fragrant. It is advisable to marinate meat baits using onions, garlic and dill. Vegetable baits need to be flavored with a variety of flavorings, for example, anise drops, garlic or unrefined sunflower oil.

Sturgeon is a bottom-dwelling fish, so for fishing to be successful, the bait must lie on the bottom. It is also necessary to monitor how the bait is positioned on the hook. It should not dangle or fly off the forend at the slightest touch.

The bait should not be torn off by the current. If you decide to fish for fry, then it must be the type of fish that is found in the reservoir where fishing is supposed to be done. Sturgeon is a cautious fish, so food that is unfamiliar to it is more likely to scare it away than to attract it.

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Fine for illegal sturgeon fishing

Officially, commercial sturgeon fishing is permitted only in a few water bodies in Siberia. As for amateur fishing, it is permitted in almost any region of our country, but only on paid ponds and with a special license.

If you catch this fish illegally, you may receive the following fines:

1. For one Atlantic sturgeon caught illegally, you must pay a fine of 40,000 rubles.
2. For catching in Siberia, the fine will be 100,000 rubles.
3. If caught during spawning, the fine will be 300,000 rubles.

In addition, for such actions you can incur criminal liability according to the law, since sturgeon fish are included in the Red Book.

Fishing techniques and tactics: tips and tricks

Fishing from the shore has the following features:

1. Catching sturgeon is very similar to catching carp, only these fish bite a little differently. When they first try the bait, the float twitches a little, and it is at that moment that the angler should be ready to hook the catch. When the prey bites, the float will very quickly disappear under the water, and just at that second you need to hook it. To do this successfully, it is recommended to tilt the line down.
2. When catching sturgeon using bottom tackle, it is also worth knowing certain rules. When the prey bites, the tip of the fishing rod will twitch a little, but you can’t rush to hook it. You should wait until the rod bends sharply into an arc, and only after that you can hook the fish.
3. You need to catch sturgeon fish slowly, without making sudden jerks, so as not to break the tackle. It is advisable to gradually bring the catch to the shore. The use of a friction brake is very convenient.
4. Just before the shore, the sturgeon often makes sharp jerks in the hope of escaping. It can jump high right above the water, so the angler only needs to seize that moment and throw the fish ashore.

Catching sturgeon from a boat has the following features:

1. If you catch this fish from a boat, then its location should be changed every half hour.
2. When throwing the bait mixture, you need to take into account the speed and direction of the current so that it does not get carried away from the place where you will throw the tackle.
3. Typically, fishing on wide bodies of water is more effective from a boat than from the shore, but this does not mean that it will be easier. On the contrary, landing sturgeon from a boat is usually more difficult.
4. A short and powerful spinning rod can be used as bottom fishing gear for fishing on a boat.

Fishing on paid reservoirs has the following features:

1. The big advantage of fishing in such reservoirs is that you know in advance that the sturgeon is found here and you just need to catch it.
2. It is very important in such places to choose the right bait specifically for sturgeon, otherwise small fish will always get caught on your hook.
3. If the weather deteriorates a day before the catch, then you should not go out to catch sturgeon, otherwise you will simply waste time. When temperatures change, the sturgeon usually stops pecking.

Fishing Features

From shore and from boat

When fishing from the shore, on average, you should change locations every 30 minutes. For the convenience of fishing from a boat, you can use a short spinning rod as a donkey. If you decide to go to a wide body of water, then fishing from a boat will be more effective than from the shore. When throwing bait from the shore, consider the strength of the current in the pond

It is important to calculate as accurately as possible where to throw the tackle after the bait has been carried away by the current.

On paid reservoirs

The ideal time for fishing is considered to be the summer, when you can catch sturgeon in any way convenient for you: from the shore or using a boat.

The most important thing is to know some of the subtleties of this craft and listen to the advice of experts.

Today, fishing for sturgeon in open waters is almost completely prohibited. This decision was made to preserve the population of this rare and delicious fish.

To avoid becoming a violator, you will have to use paid reservoirs. Sturgeon is a bottom-dwelling fish and even its mouth is located at the bottom.

She feeds on what she finds at the bottom of the reservoir, and only during spawning she grabs everything. This fish loves peace and tranquility; it rarely rises from the bottom. Therefore, for successful sturgeon fishing, there is no point in wandering around in shallow water.

During the day, when the sturgeon is at depth, you should not expect that the fish will swim to your hands. If you are fishing from the shore, you should move to a new place every half hour. If the sturgeon smells it, it will swallow the bait. Otherwise, the fish is unlikely to swim, but rather just lie in the depths.

Catching sturgeon will be more successful if you go fishing at night. It is worth casting your fishing rod not too far from the shore, because for big fish this is hunting time, and shallow water is an ideal place for this.

In winter: fish gather in deep, from 5 to 20 meters, wintering pits from large areas. During this period, it is characterized by inactivity; it comes out to feed only during prolonged thaws, rising not far from wintering areas to a depth of 1.5 meters. For bait, granulated feed with the addition of oatmeal in equal proportions is suitable.

The mixture needs to be steamed, then it will emit a strong smell. Balls the size of a small walnut are made from the prepared mixture, and they are lowered to the feeder or simply scattered in places where fish accumulate. The same balls can be used as a nozzle.

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Bloodworms are good for a weak winter bite. 10-12 pieces are attached at the same time to ensure a confident bite.

In spring and summer: the active period of preparation for spawning, when sturgeon move into rivers with water warmed up to 15-20 degrees. In warm weather, they hide in deep places, so bait can be made by studying the bottom topography, using a spring feeder and from a boat.

At night, sturgeon can approach the coastal zone in search of prey in the form of ruffs and perches. They can be used as fillet bait, but in deeper areas in a bottom feeder.

River fish fillets, shellfish, crayfish meat and other animal foods become the preferred bait in the warm season.

You can prepare the right bait and leave the hook point exposed. To avoid wasted efforts, you should consider:

1. The worms are placed on thin hooks so as to maintain their mobility. They pierce in several places, hide the sting and keep 1-2 cm of the tail free. Small worms are strung in a bunch, checking the camouflage of the hook and the reliability of the bait.
2. Baiting crayfish meat requires skill. The skin needs to be crocheted multiple times, and before casting, hold it in water for a while so that the meat is secured to the hook. If there are doubts about the strength of the fastening, you can strengthen the contact with threads.

In autumn: as the weather gets colder, the fish move away from the coastal zone, but are still quite active. Pits and depressions, as well as river confluences, are the main fishing area. Here, as in the summer, bottom feeders with animal food are suitable, and as bait you can take fragrant compositions of capelin, smoked fish, and marinated herring. Silicone flavored attachments are proving themselves as an alternative to natural food.

But the most important thing is to know what to use to catch sterlet in a particular place. And of course, the choice of gear is also important.

If the reservoir is unfamiliar, it is better to position yourself at the exit points from the holes towards the shallows. During the fishing process, you should, as you “probe” the behavior of the prey, cover the entire radius of the area.