Sturgeon are odd creatures. Often times, match the hatch. In the lower Columbia during spring, use Columbia smelt because they are in the river. Don't use Great Lakes smelt, they don't seem to work (at least for us). Use shad when shad are in the river. In Hells Canyon, use trout, salmon, or bass, and at the Hanford reach when there are a lot of salmon in the river, use salmon or salmon eggs.

However, sometimes other baits are go-to baits. Pickled squid are great baits. Pickled salmon also tends to work well. Sardine or sardine wrapped onto other baits can be irresistible to sturgeon. Sometimes after a rain, worms work well. The bottom line is that we often bring a cooler full of bait of different types and start with the obvious.

Our lead-off baits are different in different areas. In Hells Canyon, I will start with pickled squid on one rod, and frozen trout on the other. Don't try to catch trout in Hells Canyon because they may be steelhead smolt, particularly in the spring and early summer. Many of those fish are endangered or threatened, and need every chance for survival we can give them. At Hanford, I will start with pickled squid, pickled trout or salmon, and frozen trout. Below Bonneville Dam or in the Bonneville Dam Pool, I will use smelt in March through May, then switch to shad. I will also usually try pickled squid if fishing on smelt is slow.

Other than pickled baits, use fresh or fresh frozen in good condition. Old baits that have started to turn bad either do not work, or work poorly. Sturgeon can be picky. Although not all agree, sturgeon are predatory. They will take baits 10 or 20 feet off the bottom, and some jumping behavior may be a feeding behavior. They will ram or swat fish to stun them, then swim back to pick them up.

Squid and salmon are a lot cheaper to pickle yourself than to buy already pickled. For pickling, I use the following recipe.

Place bait to be pickled into a clean jar

Mix the pickling brine with the ratios:

            1 cup fresh white vinegar

            1 tbs sugar

            1 tbs pickling salt (non-iodized)

            1 tbs pickling spice (buy in grocery store in spices)

            Add 1-2 tbs concentrated herring, salmon, or shrimp oil (herring is usually best)

Make sure all bait is covered, refrigerate.

Seems to keep for many months, although may look a bit weird.

Place baits on hooks with the head-end (or largest part) through the hook. Then tie a few half hitches along the bait so the bait will be presented as naturally as possible with the largest end downstream. Keep the hook point and two-thirds of the hook gap exposed. If not mostly exposed, the sturgeon will spit the bait quickly, and you will rarely hook up on a big fish.