I am planning to go tomorrow and wondered if there are any reports or tips on where
fishing best right now.

Thanks

It's pretty good in some of the better deep sturgeon holes on up the Gorge aways. Shane and I went in Nick Amato's new boat (nice to have an enclosed Bentley's top up there this time of year!) and we got our 3 keepers fishing from about 9:30 to 1:30 today (Fri.). Nick landed a 48 incher on an 8 to 12 lb. rated steelhead plugging rod. True! Because I put his new sturgeon rod on top of the canvas roof and it rolled into the river while we were playing one of the fish. We got several good sized shakers too. About half were on smelt and half on squid/sandshrimp combo. Saw others caught nearby also, so it's worth the time right now.

RT

hey rt is the sturgeon fishing decent on the bank. seen heavy spinning rods that could real them in. do you know of any places that you have a chance at catching them. heard bonneville is pretty good. never done it before. any info would be cool. have the bug to catch a sturgeon. Ben

Ben, the only places I've seen a lot of bank action for sturgeon is up in the Bonneville area. Some fish from Bradford Island, accessed on the Washington side, and some fish near the deadline and just below that near Tanner Creek on the Oregon side. But you better have more than a 12 lb. rod up there from the bank!!! There are more giant oversized up there than on down the river, but keepers too. You can access the gravel bar by Tanner by going thru the Bonneville Fish Hatchery parking area and parking just across the small bridge on the west end. Trails lead right down to the river. That is also a good bank fishing spot for the springers; starting in early April for those.

I've never banked it up there for sturgeon. They all use heavy rods, 80+ lb. braided line and leaders, big pyramid sinkers, and well placed rod holders pounded into the ground. I think they rig the same as for anchor fishing from boats - only I would put 5 or 6 half-hitches around the bait, instead of 3, to help keep it on the hook longer in that heavier current. Some guys that can park close to the bank in some areas such as Bradford use strong clamp-on rod holders on their bumpers. ... I remember the time one guy had one clamped on the front of his VW and an over-sized just pulled the car right into the Columbia jk, but it would be one heck of a long tug of war to beach one of those huge 10 to 12 footers! Just hope you only get about a 50 incher on.

hey RT much thanks for the info. gonna have to go do that sturgeon trip here in a few weeks. gonna try that bonnivelle area I think. hpoe for one of those 10 ftrs to see what its like. wonder if those rod holders with rubar and the pvc pipe and clamps like for plunking would hold a sturgeon. one way to find out. Ben