Catch & Releasing Sturgeon

[BigFish1]

I was up sturgeon fishing this weekend and was horrified how people were catching and releasing sturgeon. We were timing how long people were keeping the fish out of the water. Some boats with a big sturgeon would take up to 5 minutes to get them back in the water. They didn't have a net so they would flop them in the boat, take off their coat, high five their buddies, grab their camera, take pictures with 5 different angles, then finally, release them. We usually don't even bring sturgeon in the boat. We just unhook them at boatside. If they are bigger, we net them and leave them in the water while we take out the hooks and get the camera ready. We take the picture and throw them back. You can't tell me that it is good for a sturgeon to be out of the water for 3 to 5 minutes. Lets help educate these so called sportsmen about releasing sturgeon.

[Esoxmn]

I have noticed the same thing every year. I wonder what the mortallity rate is.

[Jarnotski]

It is always good to get the fish back in the water as soon as possible, however these fish are very hardy unlike musky when it comes to being out of the water. The biggest issue that I have with catch and release fishing is when guys hold fish by the gills to take verticle photos. These fish are extremely heavy and holding the fish verticle is putting a lot of stress on the head area, not to mention the organs that are being collapsed on eachother. I would argue to treat these fish as if they were musky- in and out quit and craddle the fish while taking pictures. These are amazing fish and getting nice photos is not something that needs to be avoided, just need to use a little care handling fish that are older than a lot of the anglers out there.

[DTro]

 Originally Posted By: Jarnotski

It is always good to get the fish back in the water as soon as possible, however these fish are very hardy unlike musky when it comes to being out of the water. The biggest issue that I have with catch and release fishing is when guys hold fish by the gills to take verticle photos. These fish are extremely heavy and holding the fish verticle is putting a lot of stress on the head area, not to mention the organs that are being collapsed on eachother. I would argue to treat these fish as if they were musky- in and out quit and craddle the fish while taking pictures. These are amazing fish and getting nice photos is not something that needs to be avoided, just need to use a little care handling fish that are older than a lot of the anglers out there.

I was going to say the same thing.

Now I don't have to

[Bemidjifisher]

Don't jump me for what we did just listen.. We used to keep sturgeon, usually 1 per year (haven't for 14 years now). We would take the fish and leave it in the bottom of the boat. Drive home put the fish in the back of the truck. Drive to our dock on Rainy Lake tie the fish up by the tail and put it in the lake. This was well over an hour sometimes two out of the water. We would then let the fish swim for a 2-3 weeks in the lake in hopes of washing some of the pollution from the Rainy River out of the fish. We would then butcher the fish. We never had one die in the lake or on the way. So 2,3,5 minutes will not kill one of these brutes. Yes they should be released ASAP, but trust me this is not killing any of these fish as long as they keep their hands out of the gills.

[BigFish1]

I believe you bemidgifisher. But I still can't believe that the time can't be cut down. I guess for some of these guys they haven't been around big fish enough to control their enthusiasm. If they want to keep a hog out of the water that long they should go to one of the local establishments!!!!

[gizmoguy]

Rule of thumb: The fish should be out of the water as long as YOU can hold your breath.

[DHanson]

 Originally Posted By: Bemidjifisher

Don't jump me for what we did just listen.. We used to keep sturgeon, usually 1 per year (haven't for 14 years now). We would take the fish and leave it in the bottom of the boat. Drive home put the fish in the back of the truck. Drive to our dock on Rainy Lake tie the fish up by the tail and put it in the lake. This was well over an hour sometimes two out of the water. We would then let the fish swim for a 2-3 weeks in the lake in hopes of washing some of the pollution from the Rainy River out of the fish. We would then butcher the fish. We never had one die in the lake or on the way. So 2,3,5 minutes will not kill one of these brutes. Yes they should be released ASAP, but trust me this is not killing any of these fish as long as they keep their hands out of the gills.

I wouldn't believe that story if you bribed me with money. I agree with the guy that posted a fish should not be out of the water longer than you can hold your breath. Just because the fish was moving an hour or two after being out of the water does not mean it will live. Thats like saying when you were cleaning fish the fish were still moving and so they must still be alive, lol.

[DTro]

While I wouldn’t condone keeping any fish out of the water for an extended period, I think bringing a Sturgeon into the boat properly (no gill hold), unhooking it, and taking a few photos is far from the worst thing we can do.

Fish are not humans, they don’t “hold their breath” when you take them out of the water. In fact a lot of fish can tolerate being out of the water for quite a while.

If it was so bad, with all the fish that are caught, there would be fish dying by the dozens.

Has anyone seen even one dead fish???

[DHanson]

Most fish sink to the bottom when they die. A few will float.

[Shack]

I wonder how long the tagging process the DNR does for sturgeon takes?

That process is for the fish’s benefit and longevity. I would think it takes as long as or longer than a fisherman taking an image. I would hate to think it would kill them.

I cast another vote for when Sturgeon are handled proper, they last a long time out of the water and go back in the water to live long health lives. More so than most species of fish.

That's better than the fate of a monster walter out on the Rainy when caught by an angler.

[chadnev11]

We were fishing on the river when the DNR was tagging them when people caught them. They would do all their measurements and tagging that took a while and this was after the people took pictures of them. We asked if it was bad for the fish and they said they are a tough fish that can with stand being out of the water for like an a hour.

[Shack]

I checked into how DNR tag sturgeon on the MN DNR web site. I figure I should, because I have never been involved with a DNR tagging process. I found this:

Data collection

Once a sturgeon is captured, the weight, length, and GPS coordinates of the site are recorded. If the fish has already been tagged, the tag number is recorded. If the fish is not tagged, a small plastic coated tag with an identification number is attached to the base of the dorsal fin. Before releasing the fish, biologists remove one of the pectoral fins. By examining the spine in the pectoral fin the age of the fish can be determined. A thin section of the spine is cut and examined under a magnifying scope. Visible in the section are rings, somewhat like the growth rings in a tree trunk. By counting the rings, biologists can determine the age of the fish.

And a couple of images.

I wounder how many Sturgies the DNR have killed over the year, just joking . I do not think they would be doing this, if it had any effect on the fish's outcome of life.

I also think some of the guys here on FM have been involved in this process as well.

I thought I seen it during a famous video

[Jarnotski]

I was fortunate enough to help the DNR tag fish when I was an undergrad, it is a pretty neat operation. The fish are held in holding tanks while they are being tagged and not worked on. I'm not sure if the DNR are tagging fish again but I would suggest volunteering if they are looking for some help. Ofcourse it is hard to help out when you would rather be catching them.

[Tyler Holm]

Right along the lines with gill holds, one really needs to be careful not to drop these fish. Not one single fish in my boat was dropped this weekend, but I saw at least 5 monsters get dropped from waist/chest/shoulder height. They are slimy/slippery and they some do struggle during the photo opp, but for golly sake make sure you've got a firm hold/hug on the fish any time you have it off the boat floor.

Another peeve is the "tuna releases". After catching and photoing a nice fish at least have the courtesy to gently place it back into the water and revive the fish (head facing into the current) until they are good and ready to swim under their own power.

[Bemidjifisher]

 Originally Posted By: DHanson

I wouldn't believe that story if you bribed me with money. I agree with the guy that posted a fish should not be out of the water longer than you can hold your breath. Just because the fish was moving an hour or two after being out of the water does not mean it will live. Thats like saying when you were cleaning fish the fish were still moving and so they must still be alive, lol.

So you are saying that a fish that swims for 3 weeks isn't alive??? It is just still flopping??? DHanson, If you'd like to put you money where your mouth is let me know.

[oilguy]

The local CO told me they have confiscated poached fish that have been out of the water for way more than an hour and successfully released them. He also reiterated the new laws pertaining to taking fish outside of the slot. The fine this year has been raised form $500 to $1000 which also allows them to confiscate your boat. They were thinking they would probably be getting some boats this spring. So, measure carefully!

[Silver Scale]

These fish are not wimpy muskies which can die if you look at them the wrong way. Two things you DO NOT want to do is put your hand in the gills, or lift or hold by the gill plates and do not drop them. Well I guess that's three but you know what I mean. Time out of the water is not that critical with these fish, unless it's below freezing and they you could freeze fins and gills. Get them back as soon as is reasonable.

[Rainyfisherman]

I live work and breath on Rainy lake and Rainy river. Fished all the species indigenous to the area. I can say without doubt that Sturgeon are the most hearty fish in the system. They can get oxygen from water and air for metabolic sustenance. No other fish is capable of this. Some of you are voicing opinion based on nothing more than a guess. No facts! Here is a fact. I kept a sturgeon 2 years ago to be smoked. We put it in the back of the truck and went back to I Falls. The fish was out of the water for over 2 hours. We set it in the crick by the house to clean of the gravel from the truck. Went in and had lunch. We came back and the fish was gone! We went down stream about 3 blocks and here the fish was swimming by the trap trying to get out to the lake. Alive and very hearty. This is fact not my opinion. In no way is a sturgeon out of water for 3 minutes going to kill it.

[jadkins]

May not kill it, but why not treat it with respect, take care of it, and get it back in the water as soon as possible. I think that is what everyone is trying to say. If you know how long a walleye can live out of water is there any reason to leave them out as long as possible? I would say no, let's enjoy this resource, but don't abuse it. I really don't care how long they "can live" out of water, it's irrelevent, treat them like you should any fish, I would explain that but I think it has been explained enough already.

[Rainyfisherman]

Jadkins

I agree whole heartedly. Its always best to respect the fish. I just dont think it is justified getting panties in an uproar because someone saw another put a fish in a boat. Especailly these critters. They are very hearty. Relax and have fun.

[jadkins]

Rainy,

I agree with you as well, but we all know if it weren't for complainers these pages would be pretty quiet right now with the lack of fishing going on elsewhere.....

It doesn't seem to matter what you are doing or how careful you do it, someone is watching, and probably complaining....

[bottom feeder]

There is some information worth checking out at the Baudette DNR Fisheries web page that is relevant to this topic. The link is on the "Fish Information...." page. The link is titled "Advice for Sturgeon Anglers." There is other sturgeon angling advice available at this page too.

At risk of violating some forum rules, here is the link to that page:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/baudette/lowregs.html

Regards,

Bottom Feeder

[huntnfishsd]

I was with Tyler Holm on his boat and I can vouch for him that our boat that we treated each and every fish (no matter the size) with the utmost respect. We would make sure every fish was completely ready to take off before letting go. What really got me upset more than people enjoying themselves taking pictures was the careless releases by just tossing the fish back without reviving. It was just tough to see I guess.

Also, I come from SD. So my chance of catching sturgeon are non-existent around this area, let alone catch a fish of that size! Every time there is a bite, you could have a fish of a lifetime on the other end!! So, you can bet I am gonna take a picture with some of my larger sturgeon so that I can capture that memory (along with a great story) to share with my kids and grandkids someday. I am truly sorry if that offends anyone.

[merkman]

 Originally Posted By: bottom feeder

There is some information worth checking out at the Baudette DNR Fisheries web page that is relevant to this topic. The link is on the "Fish Information...." page. The link is titled "Advice for Sturgeon Anglers." There is other sturgeon angling advice available at this page too.

At risk of violating some forum rules, here is the link to that page:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/baudette/lowregs.html

Regards,

Bottom Feeder

Great Link.

And a big kudos to the MnDNR for compiling this info!

[BigFish1]

Rainy, I am not saying I'm the only one who knows how to release sturgeon, nor do I where panties, I'm just saying that some of these so called fisherman could be easier on the fish. For any fish to be out of the water for 3 to 5 minutes is excessive. What is wrong with being prepared and getting them back in the water within 30 seconds or so? Just because they may or may not be able to live for two hours out of the water, should we test the sturgeon oxygen limits? I just think they could be a little more respectful.

[Rainyfisherman]

Bigfish1 I guess I and everyone on here has agreed with your stance on treating fish. But for some reason you just want to make an argument out of this. I think enough has been said on this matter. If its the last word you want then go ahead and post away. I will not respond to it. We caught 2 Sturgeon this last weekend. One was 55 and the other 56 inches. Fun fish to catch

[JimBuck]

I gotta get on some sturgeon! What an amazing fish.

[SDbowhunter]

A friend and I were fishing on the river he hooked into a nice 60" sturgeon. When we got it to the boat we landed it got the hookout took a picture and put it back all in less a minute. A couple other boats saw us land the fish. When we got back to the landing a game wardern showed up and and asked if we had a big fish was in the boat. I think someone may have called us in because they didnt see us relase the fish.