Features:  There's no mistaking a sturgeon. This primitive looking fish has large bony plates running down its back, a long flat snout, and a deeply-forked tail. It's also covered in rough, scale-less skin, similar to a shark. Though they can reach lengths of 20 feet, most white sturgeon rarely get over 10-feet long, which seems plenty long to us. Some populations migrate between the ocean and freshwater, but not necessarily with the same consistency as salmon or steelhead. These prehistoric fish may live well over 100 years, and may not mature until they are 25-years-old. 

Habitat: White sturgeon are primarily found in large freshwater streams and estuaries along the Pacific coast, but will occasionally undertake extensive ocean travels inside the 50-fathom line. 

Technique: Sturgeon are bottom feeders and have four barbels near their snouts. They use these to feel and smell food, so putting some stinky bait on the bottom is the way to go when you're sturgeon fishing. The largest sturgeon populations are in the Columbia and Willamette rivers, but anglers can find them in bays and estuaries along the coast as well.