Taking Sturgeon Home

To all of the OG sturgeon fishmen, how do you take your fish home? Do you steak or fillet it on the beach? Cut it or fold it in half and stuff it in a cooler? Keep it whole and cover it with burlap sacks and ice?
Just curious...
Thanks

To all of the OG sturgeon fishmen, how do you take your fish home? Do you steak or fillet it on the beach? Cut it or fold it in half and stuff it in a cooler? Keep it whole and cover it with burlap sacks and ice?
Just curious...
Thanks

I live in Martinez, so pretty much close to most sturgeon waters, lay it out in the truck bed, buy sacks of ice ASAP cover it with ice and a big wet beach towel.  All that for a 30 minute trip but I take my fish flesh freshness pretty seriously.

Just keep it out of the heat. The fish won't die anytime soon unless u gut it.

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Just keep it out of the heat. The fish won't die anytime soon unless u gut it.

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Not sure if I'll be taking a live fish home...besides you want to bleed all your fish first to insure the best quality of meat. 

Just keep it out of the heat. The fish won't die anytime soon unless u gut it.

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Yeah, a note here, if you're gonna keep a sturgeon from a yak you want to kill it ASAP, if you keep it alive and it regains strength after the fight it will be just plain dangerous to have in the yak.

This time of the year the temps are down by the end of the day. I have just put wet towels fro the bay over the fish. I have a camper shell though so its out of the sun. During midday I would just cover them with wet towels and pack ice around the sides. Filleting on site is very doable also. Are you ready to go again? I am.

For fish too large to fit in my ice chest, I carry a large fillet board and knives and break the fish down before coming home. Bleed, gut and gill right before processing. Break it down in 2' sections from tail to head.

U guys are G's chopping up a sturgeon on site. I always thought that u have to keep it in one piece until u get home by chance u get game wardened.

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When you finally get a keeper I will share the secret

Bleed immediately, keep cool with light colored wet towel, field dress onsight (or at nearest cleaning station), chunk into "cooler" size pcs, take it home to do final butchering/packing.
A sharp knife is a MUST...

YouTube has some great vids on cleaning 'Dino's, it will save you a lot of grief the first time around...

I remove all yellow fat from the steaks, but that's just my preference. Soak in a little milk will improve flavor/texture too.


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Thanks fellas, I'll start packing a few beach towels