STURGEON
New Brunswick’s Saint John River is home to an extremely healthy population of Short-nosed and Atlantic Sturgeon.
Unfortunately, these prehistoric animals have been threatened to the point of near extinction in the majority of their native waters making New Brunswick the only option in the world for anglers to target what many refer to as “the living fossils”
While these sub species of Sturgeon do not reach the massive lengths of their west coast cousins, we regularly catch numbers of 10+ fish per outing and have seen as many as 30+ hit the net in a day on the water.
Average catch size is in the 40” range with the upper class of trophy NB sturgeon being in the 50” 25-30lb range.
Sturgeon fishing tactics consist of situating an anchored boat in a likely area and utilizing heavy weights to keep our live or cut bait on bottom where these fish are feeding.
This allows us to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, relax with the company of our fellow guests and pack a lunch that can be cooked over a stove during the day on the water.
Some general information about the seasons and locations are as follows:
March/April/October/November
Since Sturgeon group up and winter together in select areas, ice out and late fall are typically the most productive times of the season.
Generally, guests can expect to catch double or more of the number of fish they would throughout the summer months.
Due to ice conditions, March/April Sturgeon trips are limited to the Saint John NB area only.
We typically see ice moving out by mid
March and begin booking Sturgeon trips around the 20th of March while Fall and early winter will see ice begin to form in mid or late December.
For these trips gusts should prepare for air temperatures hovering around the freezing mark and dress for winter. We do regularly encounter favourable weather conditions that allow us be fishing in hoodies and enjoy the first warm sunny days of an Atlantic Canadian spring.
May
The ice will be fully melted throughout the waterway and guests can book trips in the Fredericton and Oromocto areas of the Saint John River.
Sturgeon spawning time is in June so we typically see the heaviest fish of the season being caught in May and this can be a great time of season to book a combo trip targeting smallmouth bass as those fish are in their pre spawn stages and feeding heavily.
**Sturgeon Fishing is closed during the month of June to protect their spawning season****
July/August/Sept
A fantastic time to book a combo trip targeting Sturgeon along with the many other species they share the water with.
Musky, Striped Bass, Smallmouth, Perch and Chain Pickerel are all options
- weather conditions range from 70f (20c) to 95f (35c) and there is always a chance for cloudy/rainy fronts that usually really turn on the fishing