The sturgeon rig
A sturgeon rig is a heavy bottom rig: a sliding sinker runs on the main line above a strong leader and a single barbless hook, so a feeding fish takes the bait without feeling the weight. It is built for big, powerful, catch-and-release white sturgeon on rivers like the Fraser and the Columbia, where barbless hooks are the law.
| Component | Spec |
|---|---|
| Main line | Heavy braid, around 80 to 130 lb, for strength and to feel the take in current |
| Sinker | A sliding sinker on a slider or run ring, 110 to 450 g (4 to 16 oz), heavy enough to hold bottom in the current |
| Bead | A buffer bead above the swivel to protect the knot |
| Swivel | A strong, large swivel rated for the fish |
| Leader | Strong mono or coated braid, 45 to 130 lb, around 45 to 120 cm long |
| Hook | A single barbless circle or octopus hook, size 5/0 to 9/0 to suit the bait and the size of fish (debarb it if it is not sold barbless) |
| Bait | Local bait to the river and season: salmon roe, lamprey, eulachon or pikeminnow, depending on the rules and what is running |
What it's for
White sturgeon, on the bottom of big rivers, fished hard and released. A sturgeon is an old, armoured, very powerful fish that can run well over two metres, so the rig is heavy and simple: a sliding sinker that holds bottom in current, a strong leader that survives a long fight, and a single barbless hook so the fish comes off cleanly at the side of the boat or the bank. The sinker slides on the main line, so a sturgeon can mouth the bait and move off before it feels the weight. This is a catch-and-release fishery: the rig is built to land the fish quickly and unhook it without harm.
The rig at a glance
Read top to bottom, the way it sits on the bottom. The main line, heavy braid, comes from the rod and passes through a sliding sinker, carried on a slider or a run ring so the sinker runs free on the line. Below it a bead protects the knot, then a strong swivel tied with a Palomar knot. From the swivel hangs the leader, a strong mono or coated-braid leader, 45 to 130 lb and around 45 to 120 cm long. At the end is a single barbless hook, a circle or octopus pattern, snelled on, with the bait on the bottom. The defining detail is the sliding sinker above the leader, so a taking sturgeon feels little resistance until it moves off and the line comes tight.
Catch and release, and barbless
White sturgeon on the Fraser and the Columbia are catch-and-release only, and barbless hooks are required by law. So this rig is barbless by design: pinch the barb flat or buy a barbless hook, land the fish quickly on strong tackle, keep a large sturgeon in the water and never lift a big one by the gills or the tail. The strong leader and heavy sinker are there to shorten the fight, which is what protects the fish. Confirm the current rules and any closures with the provincial or state authority before you go, because sturgeon regulations change and some reaches close at times.
How to build it
- Thread on the sliding sinker. Run the heavy braid main line through a slider or a run ring carrying the sinker, so the sinker slides free on the line, then add a buffer bead below it to protect the knot. The free-sliding sinker is the key: a taking sturgeon moves off without feeling the weight.
- Tie the swivel. Tie a strong swivel to the end of the main line with a Palomar knot, below the bead. The swivel stops the sinker, joins the leader, and stops the heavy braid twisting. The Palomar is strong and simple on heavy braid.
- Snell the barbless hook on the leader. Tie the single barbless hook to the strong leader with a snell knot, then tie the other end of the leader to the swivel with a Palomar. The snell makes a circle or octopus hook turn and set in the corner of the mouth as the fish moves off, which is what hooks a sturgeon cleanly for release. Pinch the barb flat if the hook is not already barbless, and bait it.
How to fish it
Lower or cast the rig to the bottom of a deep run, a hole or a seam, pay out enough line for the sinker to hold in the current, and tighten down so you can feel the bait. Set the rod firmly in a holder, because a sturgeon take can pull a rod in. The bite is often a series of taps as the fish mouths the bait, then a steady pull as it moves off. With a circle hook, do not strike: let the rod load, lift smoothly and let the hook find the corner of the mouth as the fish turns. Then hold on. A big sturgeon will run hard and may jump, so use the strong tackle to bring it in as quickly as you can. Land it at the boat or in the shallows, keep it in the water, slip the barbless hook out, and let it swim off in its own time.
Where this rig works
The sturgeon rig is for white sturgeon on the big rivers of the Pacific North-West. Across the atlas it is fished on the Fraser River in British Columbia, the river that grows the giants and runs a strict catch-and-release fishery; and on the Columbia River on the Oregon and Washington line, for white sturgeon in the lower river and the reservoirs above the dams. As the atlas grows, every new water that uses a sturgeon rig will link to this same page.
Sturgeon rig questions
A heavy bottom rig: a sliding sinker runs on the main line above a strong leader and a single barbless hook, so the bait sits on the bottom and a feeding sturgeon takes it without feeling the weight. It is built strong to shorten the fight and barbless so a big, protected fish can be released cleanly.
So a taking sturgeon feels little resistance. The sinker runs free on the main line above the swivel, so the fish can mouth the bait and move off before the weight comes into play, then the line tightens to the rod. A free-sliding sinker also lets you feel the gentle, tapping bites a sturgeon often gives.
A single barbless circle or octopus hook, size 5/0 to 9/0, matched to the bait and the size of fish, debarbed if it is not sold barbless. The leader is strong mono or coated braid, 45 to 130 lb and around 45 to 120 cm long, on a heavy braid main line of 80 to 130 lb. Everything is stepped up because the fish is huge.
Yes. On the Fraser and the Columbia, white sturgeon are catch-and-release only and barbless hooks are required by law. Pinch the barb flat or buy a barbless hook, land the fish quickly on strong tackle, keep it in the water and slip the hook out cleanly. Confirm the current rules before you go, as they change.
Two. The swivel is tied to the heavy braid and the leader with a Palomar knot, strong and simple on heavy braid. The single barbless hook is tied on the leader with a snell knot, so a circle or octopus hook turns and sets in the corner of the mouth as the fish moves off, for a clean release.