Sturgeon Fishing on the Minnesota/Ontario Border
Lake of the Woods Sturgeon Population Is Rebounding!
Aug 6, 2008
Die-hard fishermen living in the Upper Midwest have a tough time coping with the middle part of spring. It’s too late to be out on the ice, and too early for the regular fishing season opener. A great remedy for those "between season blues," is to attend the annual Rainy River sturgeon congregation.
The Rainy River flows out of Rainy Lake near International Falls, Minnesota and then winds its way west for 84 miles. Along that stretch it forms the Canada / US border, until it finally empties into Lake of the Woods at Wheelers Point near Baudette, Minnesota.
Lake Sturgeon Fishing Doesn't Require Special Skills
Sturgeon fishing isn’t exactly rocket science. It doesn’t require the perfect cast, or an accurate bait presentation. There's no need for a lot of specialized equipment either - a heavy bass rod with matching reel will do the trick. Tie on a number three circle hook baited with a big gob of night crawlers and add a sinker heavy enough to keep it on the bottom.
Then cast the rig out and settle back to wait for the gentle tap, tap, tap on the rod end that signifies the beginning of a bite. Chances are the wait won’t be long, because the last few years have produced a lot of fish and the action has been hot and heavy.
Sturgeon Almost Disappeared From Lake of the Woods
Commercial overfishing and pollution from paper mills upstream from their spawning waters, pushed sturgeon to the verge of extinction in Lake of the Woods by the early 1900’s.
But enactment of strict harvest regulations, an emphasis on catch and release fishing practices, and tighter environmental controls initiated over the years by Minnesota and Ontario, have allowed the sturgeon population to survive. In fact, sturgeon numbers have gradually been increasing since the 1970’s.
The Sturgeon Spawning Run Is Back and Fishing Is Great
Resorts like the Sportsman’s Lodge on Wheeler’s Point now host tournament events in early May. The winning catch at the Sportsman’s Lodge in 2008 was a sturgeon that measured 61 inches. Fish aren’t generally weighed during the tournaments, but according to a chart obtained from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, a 61 inch sturgeon would have tipped the scales at anywhere between 46 and 71 pounds, depending on its girth.
The Minnesota state record lake sturgeon was a 70 inch, 94 pound whopper caught in the Kettle River on September 5, 1994. New records will undoubtedly be set as the sturgeon population generates more and more old fish in future years.
Hook a Big Sturgeon and Hang On
When a really big sturgeon comes along, be ready to hoist anchor and follow the fish on rod-bending runs that will strip line off your reel as if the fish doesn’t even know it is hooked. Bringing a sturgeon up close to the boat is reminiscent of a bar room brawl. They thrash and twist and splash, right up to the end.
That’s only fitting because to see a sturgeon, live and close up, is to know that finesse could never be mentioned in the same sentence with this fish. It has a blunt nose and long boney body ending in a shark-like tail. Feelers hang down in front of a mouth that is tougher than leather and can be extended like a tube for stirring up food on the bottom. The sturgeon's look is pure pre-history.
They won't win any beauty pageants, but hook into a big sturgeon and it will at least earn your respect.
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