The wonderful town of Astoria will be our saving grace over the course of the next six weeks as anglers in the area will be afforded the opportunity to enjoy some of the finest "keeper" Sturgeon fishing anywhere. Sixty percent of the Columbia River quota from Bonneville Dam to the mouth is taken out of this area in the six weeks that the fishery will be open. This statistic alone says it all regarding the quality of the fishery.

Spring feeding opportunities are what draw the large numbers of Sturgeon to the estuary. Anchovies and clams are the main attraction, but occasional herring balls and sand shrimp will also add to a Sturgeons diet this time of year. An interesting variable this year will be the smelt run that never really did show up this winter. In talking to my colleagues in the guide business, most feel that a lot of the sturgeon in the Astoria area never left and, because of their lack of traditional winter feed, will be looking to make up for lost time in the estuary.

Most of the fishing pressure is focused from the John Day and Deep River areas to the East of Astoria down to the Hammond area to the West. Sand bars that run for miles and various channels that may run for a while and then just dry up characterize the area.

The incoming tide can certainly spread fish out, but the rising water levels from the tide areas that were once high and dry are now five and six feet under water. These now submerged areas are opportunistic areas for Sturgeon to feed on sand shrimp and clams. Anglers can get into these areas and do very well on sand shrimp, but be sure that you're conscious of what your depth finder is saying. There has been more than one boat that has ended up on the beach as the tide has run out and fishing has been too good to leave. This is one approach to fishing the estuary, as plenty of anglers prefer the success the deep water can provide. The outgoing tide will move fish off the flats, but how far off the flats these fish will move really depends on who you talk to. I know of guides in the area that rarely fish deeper than fifteen feet of water. Others prefer the deep stuff. It is my belief that the fish are where they are and you have to be willing move if you're not getting bit. On an average day, I will pick up and move ten to twelve times. I know this is real profound, but I feel if I'm not getting bit, I'm probably not on fish.

Along with the numbers of fish in the area, one of the main attractions is the fact that anglers are able fish with light tackle. I'm sorry, but Halibut gear on a 25 pound keeper isn't exactly my idea of fun. My setups include a Lamiglas Pro Bouncer rod accompanied by a Shimano Tekota reel spooled with 30 pound Mustad Pro Plus, which is the new copolymer line that's out on the market. I still use 80 pound Dacron on my leaders with a 6/0 Mustad Ultrapoint Barbless Sturgeon Hook. The light tackle that we're able to use in the area absolutely makes this fishery. Even the fish that don't quite make the minimum are a blast to catch.

Keep those lines tight and we'll see you on the river.