Sturgeon are the dinosaur fish of the Pacific Northwest. They exist in other parts of the country of course, but Oregon and Washington are especially well known for giant white sturgeon. sturgeon require strong fishing line and very special leaders.
Quick Look
- 60 to 80 lb. Test
- Best: Braid
- Also Good: 40 lb. Test Monofilament
- Leader: 60 lb. Test Dacron
Why Use Braided Fishing Line For Sturgeon?
Braided fishing line has many advantages when fishing for sturgeon. It is strong with a thin diameter which cuts through the river current. It is also more sensitive than mono or fluoro which helps to detect the light bites of the sturgeon.
When I first got into sturgeon fishing, I was told to use nothing but mono as my main line.
However, the specific spot I was fishing, required extremely long casts into a deep and strong river. With over 100 yards of mono out and a big belly in my line from the current, it was almost impossible for me to detect a bite.
I spent hours and hours fishing all winter and only ever caught 1 small sturgeon.
This caused me to give up for a few years. Then I made friends with a guy who grew up catching sturgeon. He told me I needed to try fishing with braid. So I went to the store, spooled up with 60 lb. test braid and started catching fish every time I went out.
The difference was the sensitivity. As big as sturgeon are, they have a bite as light as a trout. If you can’t feel that bite, then you aren’t going to catch sturgeon.
When you are making long casts from the bank into a deep river, you need to use braid. The thin diameter of braid will cut through the current much better than a thick mono line will. And because braided line doesn’t stretch, you will have direct contact when the sturgeon starts messing with your bait.
What lb. Test Fishing Line For Sturgeon?
When fishing for sturgeon with braided fishing line, use 60 to 80 lb. test. This will be strong enough to reel them in, and thin enough to cut through the current. If you are fishing with monofilament line, use 40 lb. test to keep the diameter down.
Even though sturgeon can be well over 100 pounds, 40 lb. test mono will be enough to reel them in. The problem when using heavy monofilaments like this is that the diameter of the line gets so thick that it is difficult to keep your sinker on the bottom. You end up having to use a lot more weight to anchor it down.
What Leader Material For Sturgeon?
Sturgeon leaders are usually made up of 60 to 80 lb. test Dacron line. Dacron is a strong yet soft material that isn’t detectable by the mouths of sturgeon.
Sturgeon rely mostly on taste and feel when searching for food. Their mouth is on the bottom of their head like a sucker fish. They will swim along the bottom sucking up bits of food.
When they come across your bait laying on the bottom, they will suck it into their mouth and spit it back out a few times to feel if there is anything strange about it.
If they feel a hard monofilament leader, they will likely spit it out and leave it. However, Dacron leaders are so soft, that the sturgeon won’t be able to detect it. This increases your chances of hooking a sturgeon greatly.
Is Monofilament Fishing Line Good For Catching Sturgeon?
Monofilament is the second best choice of fishing line for catching sturgeon. However, many sturgeon anglers still use monofilament regardless of the disadvantages.
The reason I was initially told to only use monofilament for sturgeon was to prevent me from snagging my hook, cutting my unbreakable braid and littering the river bottom with strands of braid that could end up tangling in others line and cutting off their fish.
That makes a lot of sense, and I can understand why many anglers say this. However, if you are fishing from the bank and casting across the current, it makes things so much more difficult and greatly reduces your chance of actually catching a sturgeon.
The best solution is to do whatever you can to not cut your braid at your reel when you get snagged.
Carry a good sized stick to wrap the braid around and get a good grip, then pull with everything you got. Yes it is going to be extremely difficult to break off 60 lb. test braid, but give it your best shot.
Otherwise consider using a short section of 40 lb. test mono between your main line and sinker. That way when your sinker is stuck, you can still break the mono and get all the braid back.
Is Fluorocarbon Fishing Line Good For Catching Sturgeon?
You can catch sturgeon with fluorocarbon fishing line, however, it costs a lot more than braid or monofilament, and has no benefits over those lines when fishing for sturgeon.
