Sturgeon Conservation/Handling

With the amazing sturgeon year we're having already it could be easy to forget this is still a vulnerable fishery - someone else mentioned previously that it would be great to see more fish released so I just wanted to back that up.

In no way suggesting there's anything wrong with keeping your legal limit of fish - just want to throw out a reminder to help take care of these amazing fish; we don't want them to go the way of the rest of the dinos!

With fish you do intend to release, take caution to ensure maximum survivability. Sturgeon look pretty tough but are still very susceptible to injury, especially when out of water. Remember, they don't float, so we'd probably never know if an injured fish dies after release - you won't see them floating like rock fish around a party boat.

Excerpt from DFG website regarding handling:
Some marine and anadromous fish require additional care due to their size or the depths at which they are caught. For instance, sturgeon are prone to overharvesting because they mature late, spawn episodically, live long, and grow to be very large. To limit harvest and preserve the best spawners, it is only legal to possess sturgeon 46 to [66] inches long. Careful handling of all sturgeon to be released is important for the species’ survival, especially the oversize sturgeon. Oversize sturgeon are very powerful and often difficult to handle protectively. They are best left in the water and should never be lifted (or snared) by the gill cover.

“All too often we see pictures of anglers improperly holding up sturgeon and other fish that they intend to release,” said DFG Wildlife Inland Fisheries Division Deputy Director Sonke Mastrup. “Sturgeon are especially vulnerable to being damaged, especially oversized fish that the angler wants to get a quick picture before releasing it.”

If you're not inclined to take DFG's word for it, here's a note from NCKA's own Eric KZreelrods' article:
Never land a fish that you intend to release. If you aren't going to keep the fish, let it go while it is still in the water. Certainly never use a snare on a sturgeon that you intend to release. Snares can cause substantial internal damage, resulting in not-so-good prospects that the fish will survive.

Here's an article about last year's sturgeon study. ....they caught 615 white sturgeon and 14 green sturgeon.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news08/08132.html

I would add that using a snare to control a fish for the purposes of measuring and removing hooks should be fine... it is a very secure way to control these fish.   Just be gentle with the snare and don't lift the fish by the snare if you intend to release it.

Someone said when we were out last Sunday" don't use a snare on that fish" meaning the 4ft green that I caught. I thought about that for about 1 second after I grabbed the tail then thought better of it. Those spikes are bad news. In the pic Allen provided the snare is loosely around the lower section of the fish. I was thinking that it would be OK . I just didn't want to tighten it up around the gill plates. Now what about the PB pics I have seen where they bring an oversized on the boat to measure and then realease. Bob who owns the REELENTLESS showed a pic one day on coastside of an obviously way oversized laying on the deck and then returned.How in hell can someone get a sturgeon that big all the way on the boat without stressing or injuring it? Someone asked him and I think he said something like "that fish was just fine". I don't know a whole lot about sturgeon but I do know that there isn't much to protect the inner digestive organs, so to pull a fish that size onto the boat is in my mind an obvious operator error and shouldn't be done. Am I right?

to pull a fish that size onto the boat is in my mind an obvious operator error and shouldn't be done. Am I right?

I'd say you are right.  Hopefully kayak fishermen can lead the way in setting examples of how to gently handle these awesome fish.  Experience the rush of releasing a big fish - it's worth it.   

Today I finally got around to reading the Jan 16 issue of WON. On the first page is a small picture and caption that read in part "...........Oakland Airport.......filling his last sturgeon tag........." This was the Jan 16 issue so that angler caught and kept 3 sturgeon is less than 16 days, Sheesh,

Then on page 4 was a pic of a 45# striper (released) but being held up by lip and jaw for the pic.

I guess the heat of the moment can account for the striper,

and sturgeon is really good,,,,,

But,,,,

 

Ravens- I think you guys handled that fish pretty well; from what I saw, you never even tried to pull it completely out of the water. The greens are fascinating - way more prehistoric looking than the whites (sturgeon, that is!).
Now, as far as your attempt at dispatching the white one you kept, well, that's a whole other story! 

Heaving a giant sturgeon up over the side of a boat & then dumping it back over like you described can't be good for the fish. Since kayaks are only a few inches out of the water, an oversized fish could probably be managed up onto a kayak without injury, especially with help from a buddy - you'd just have to be careful about it. Personally, I'd rather leave it in the water & get photos with it alongside the yak, but if someone is absolutely certain they can get the fish onto the deck without injury, then go for it.

How about some serious gloves?

Always a good idea. Of course, how many of us have gloves on the boat but never seem to have them on at the moment we really need them?!

I think the main thing with snares is to use them sparingly, i.e. per Erik's reply.
Again, I didn't bring this up because anyone here did anything wrong. In fact, my observation is that kayak fishermen tend to be among the most responsible anglers out there and it would be great to continue that and set the example of good practices. Abking summed it up nicely:

Hopefully kayak fishermen can lead the way in setting examples of how to gently handle these awesome fish.  Experience the rush of releasing a big fish - it's worth it.  

If I'm going to release them I always try and snare the tail it doesn't always work but win some lose some
I don't think gloves is a good option they are very strong like a shark and it usually ends up with a big fish thrashing around beating up it self and everything around it.
I think a moderately used snare and when you release hold them by the tail in the water move them back and forth until they swim away strongly.

Good points, mickfish. Thanks for adding that.

I just noticed your Avatar What the Hell 

I just noticed your Avatar What the Hell 

Oh that, well... it was my first, in the slot, so kept it. Did you miss that report? It was DFG tagged, too.
Next one is going back in, though. I don't wanna clean another one in my apartment any time soon!

I'm reminded here of a very inspirational occurrence last year when the mADmAnM, our beloved FisHunter, did what all of us should consider doing when we want to release a big fish.  He jumped in the water and cradled that bad-boy (an oversized sturgeon).  With safety considerations in mind, that should be the model for all of us.

I've mused about catching an off-season salmon in the ocean incidentally (they've been known to hit the jigged shrimpfly...) or catching one in the Eel River and how I would handle it to assure the safety of the fish as best I could.  I am ready to go in the water and cradle per Adam's level of dedication - that is, IF I can get the tripod in place to film the whole thing.   

and I was going yeah! good man!

 

I was thinking about all this a lot yesterday. I had real trouble building a snare; Home Despot did not have line tigheners and the ones at Ace were too small. Bay Tackle was selling snares; for 119 dollars! That's why I went with a big salmon net to OAP yesterday. I netted the one undersize that was caught and to be honest I think it could handle even a moderate sized legal sturgeon. Netting would be better than gilling, but obviously not better than measuring while snared and still in the water. For my keeper I knew it was in the slot when I saw it so I had no problems gilling it.

I guess my point is; if you can't get a snare, take a net.

You have to have tags for sturgeon?

Yes, tags & report card - record all released fish on the card, too.

Of course, the most serious problem is not from those of us who are conscientious & follow the rules. The real damage comes from the actual poachers who couldn't care less about size or quantity limits, much less report cards. Some folks have seen highly suspicious activity from a group of boaters out there - nothing confirmed - but we all know the stuff that's seen is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to poaching. No doubt there's a lot that nobody ever finds out about. 

My rule of thumb:

Keeper in the 50 to 60 inch range. Keep one carefull cleaning and prepping of the fish. Have good vacuum packer. 8oz to 10oz steak/filet protions. Room in the freezer. When that is all gone go catch another keeper.

A 50" to 60" fish properly cleaned. fileted, and vacuum packed can yeild enough meat for one or two people for months in my opinion. 

Then just go out and have fun drinking a brew, hanging with the boys, hooking, sleighriding, catching, photographing, and releasing.
 
Goal:
I want my released fish slot on my Sturgeon Card to full by the end of the year.


GET OUT THERE AND FISH PEOPLE!!!