Spearfishing for sturgeon (and stingaree)?!

Article about spearfishing for sturgeon (and stingaree haha) in SF Bay in 1880.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=2&res=9505E1DD143FEE3ABC4052DFB166838B699FDE

Now, can we still do it that way? No.

Imagine the ruckus when some early PETA types got that banned!   

Wheres the sport in harpooning a sturgeon from a boat with a couple of helpers . I'm not impressed at all , now a diver in  a wetsuit with a spear gun - that sounds more challenging !

with some of the really big sturgeon they would use mule and horse teams to haul them onto shore. not very sporting if you ask me.

They still spear sturgeon through the ice in Wisconsin

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/outdoors/39236522.html