What size rod are you using on these beasts??
That's the big question about fishing the North Saskatchewan River: what gear to use?
Given that the rig I caught the sturgeon on will also catch mooneye, goldeye, walleye, northern pike, burbot, sauger, longnose sucker, white sucker, redhorse sucker and rocky mountain whitefish, and that the source of the twitch on the rod could be anywhere from 1/2 a pound to 150 pounds, the obvious question is WTF?
I generally try to find a middle ground with rods and reels and give myself an edge with up-sized braid for line.
I have 9-10 foot heavy-duty rods with huge reels full of 60 lb braid which are obviously best for sturgeon, but take the fun out of fighting anything smaller so I only use them if I am specifically targeting dinos(uncommon).
I have ultralight gear that makes fighting the goldeye and moonies a blast, but anything bigger will probably snap me off, so it rarely sees the river.
I usually use medium to med-heavy rods with matching reels with 20 pound braid and flouro leaders. This gives me a more than sporting chance at any walleye or pike, still makes playing the smaller guys fun, and gives me a chance at sturgeon up to maybe 40-50 pounds. That's what I caught yesterday's fish on.
After 30+ years on the river, this setup seems to serve me best.
Here's an example. This is a medium, where med-heavy is probably better for the river.
• Reel• 4 stainless steel ball bearings• On/Off instant anti-reverse bearing• Machined ported and double anodized braid ready aluminum spool• Aluminum handle with soft touch knob• Smooth multi-disc drag system with stainless steel and oiled felt washer• Threaded main gear design eliminates play...
www.cabelas.ca
