How to catch White sturgeon

White sturgeon feed in 46–66°F water and bite best at 50–60°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 7 waters; in October they are at their peak in Idaho fresh water, Washington fresh water, Oregon fresh water and 1 more.

70 pts · trophy at 72"Feeds 46–66°FBest 50–60°FIn season nowChannel edgeGrass flatPass / inletBridgeRiver

About

A living dinosaur — North America's largest freshwater fish, feeding in San Francisco Bay and the Columbia estuary. California's are a state endangered-species candidate and catch-and-release only.

How to fish it

Anchor on the deep channel edges on the strong tides and fish bait on the bottom; a long, slow pull, then set hard.

What it eats

ghost shrimp and mud shrimpeel and lampreysalmon roeanchovy

Live bait for it

Ghost shrimpThreaded on a #4 to 1/0 baitholder hook on a Carolina rig in the surf or the bay — the surfperch, corbina and sturgeon bait.

HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.

Salmon eggs (roe)A dime-sized spawn sac tied in mesh, or single eggs on a #10 to #6 egg hook, drifted along the bottom for steelhead, trout and salmon. Check the state's rule — bait is banned on many trout and salmon waters.