White Sturgeon Fishing Berkeley: Catch and Release in the Bay

If you are looking for white sturgeon fishing in Berkeley, this is the trip. We fish for white sturgeon inside San Francisco Bay, and every fish goes back in the water. It is catch and release. White sturgeon is a bucket-list fish. They can top 300 pounds. You are not out here to fill a cooler. You are out here for a shot at one of the biggest fish that swims in the Bay. It suits anglers who want to hook something big in winter, when the ocean trips are slower. It also suits people who care more about the fight and the photo than the fillets. If you want fish to take home, ask about our other trips. If you want to say you held a sturgeon, this is the one.

The sturgeon season on our boats runs January to April. That is our winter trip in the Bay. Salmon runs in July, September and October. Halibut is on the ocean side from April to August. Crab is November and December. So when the crab calendar closes out, sturgeon picks up. Exact dates depend on the year and the conditions. The captain sets the calendar and confirms your date when you book. If you have a specific weekend in mind, reach out early and ask.

A sturgeon trip is $250 per angler. Each boat takes up to 6 guests. If you want the boat to yourselves, the whole boat sturgeon trip is $1,500 for up to 6 anglers. One price, and nobody on board you did not invite. That works well for a group of friends, a family, or a work crew. All gear is provided on the sturgeon trip. You do not need to own a rod or bring tackle. Since this is catch and release, there is no fish to clean or take home. What you get is time on the water with a captain who knows the Bay, and a chance at a very large fish. For anything else about what the price covers on your day, ask the captain when you book.

Reel Addiction Sportfishing is a small, captain-run charter out of the San Francisco Bay Area. We run two 30-foot six-pack boats out of the Berkeley Marina. There are two licensed captains, and both are USCG licensed master captains. Each boat takes six anglers, so between the two boats we can put 12 anglers on the water a day. Capt. Ben Mechling runs the operation. The same boats and crew run salmon, halibut, lingcod, rockfish, bluefin tuna, sturgeon and Dungeness crab through the year. A six-pack boat keeps things small. You are not fighting for rail space with a crowd. The captain can see what everyone is doing and help when you hook up.

We meet at the Berkeley Marina. The address is 201 University Avenue, Berkeley. The boats fish the waters around Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland and Emeryville, and the sturgeon trip stays inside San Francisco Bay. Departure times are set by the captain for each trip. Your meeting time will be confirmed when you book. Give yourself enough time to park and find the boat. If you are not sure where to go once you get to the marina, ask the captain before the day.

What to bring is simple, because the gear is on the boat. All rods, reels and tackle for sturgeon are provided. You do not need to buy or rent anything to fish. Beyond that, bring what you need to be comfortable for a day on the water. This is a winter trip in the Bay, so plan your clothes around that and ask the captain if you are not sure what to wear. Food, drinks and anything else personal are worth asking about when you book, so you know what to pack. The captain will tell you what makes sense for your date.

Do I need a fishing license? Ask the captain when you book. He will tell you exactly what you need for a sturgeon trip so there are no surprises at the dock. Rules can change, and he will give you the current answer for your date.

Can I keep a sturgeon? No. Our sturgeon trip is catch and release. Every white sturgeon goes back into the Bay. If you want fish to take home, look at our salmon, halibut, lingcod and rockfish trips. Those come back cleaned for you. The sturgeon trip is about the fish itself, not the cooler.

Is this a good trip for beginners or kids? All gear is provided and the boats are small, with up to six anglers. The captain is right there to help. Whether it is a good fit for your group, and for any young anglers, is something to talk over with the captain before you book. Tell him who is coming and he will give you a straight answer.

To book a white sturgeon fishing trip out of Berkeley, use the Book a Trip button on the Reel Addiction Sportfishing website. You can book a single seat at $250 or take the whole boat at $1,500 for up to 6 anglers. If you have questions about dates, licenses or what to bring, use the Contact page and the captain will get back to you. For the newest dates and openings, follow us on Facebook. Sturgeon runs January to April, so if you want a winter day on the Bay, get your date in early.