Re: rigging sockeye as bait for sturgeon
I use belly strips left over from filleting sockeye, hearts, guts (in a "roe bag" pouch), roe, and sometimes other pieces of trim from filleting the fish.
I put the roe in a bag if there are lots of course fish around pecking at it.
The best bait is the one they are biting. Always take a few different ones. If it is early in the run they like fresh bait. Late run they prefer stink bait from a floater.
When socks are in the river, that is usually what the sturgeon key on.
A good tip for helping it stay on is use a bait loop and secure part of it in the bait loop (if you REALLY need to then use spider wire as well) and then after piercing the hook through the bait put a rubber bumper from a buzz bomb on the hook bend. Simply pass the hook through the bumper and leave it at the bottom of the bend. It helps keep the bait on the hook.
You dont need a big piece of bait to catch big fish. Ive landed fish over 6 ft on a single sockeye heart.
Eat. Sleep. Fish. Repeat as necessary.