This report is for China Bend (a mile below). My girlfriend and I were about a mile down from the launch on the north side of the river. If you fish this area, you know the spot. What most don't know however is the best spots to fish. Always in the main channel! There is a creek and a nice parking area most people fish here and it is just a shallow flat off the main channel. Be prepared to tow a lure out 300 ft before you get into deeper water. Fishing will be slow here! We go just up stream from the main parking area where you can cast into that main channel (or drop a rock). It's a great spot because you are catching fish who wanna ride the channel or stop on the flats to rest and get an easy meal.

If you've never sturgeon fished, then weights is the only thing that really differs. Everyone uses a big barbless hook and some sort of meat. We use 10 lb rocks wrapped in wire as breakaway weights. In the channel you will never dig into the bottom on a 12oz sinker and you are just gonna get your line wrapped around 20 rocks at once. Use a rock and keep a direct path from weight to shore without rubbing against everything on bottom and fraying your line. We tow the weight and bait out in our kayaks.

it was a great time. We had 5 separate thumps Saturday before one finally took it and ran. 50 inches and our first keeper of the year. Sunday morning we got two more, 30 and 40 inches. The 40 booked it before we could get a picture!

The smoke was intense but ok. It was cool and windy both days with scattered rain all sunday.

What worked
50 to 65 ft on the edges of the channel
Pickled shad and squid (Sturgeon Candy brand)
Big rocks for weight

What didn't work
(Calm water current)
Weights under 10lb
Heavy breakaway line.... Use 12lb test not 20

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