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Sturgeon fishing


ricqik

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As I understand it, fishing for a species that is closed for the season is illegal. Yet people continue to talk about how and where to catch them this time of the year. Why is that? No inland rivers or lakes is open at all for sturgeon and only a select few are open and that isn't until Oct anyways. Reason I started this post is because yr after yr from mid April till early may there's aways a few guys that ancor on the down stream side of the rxr tracks on the Croix catching sturgeon after sturgeon. From 50' or so away I can clearly see a heavy lead sinker, and a wad a bait and it ain't no medium action rod and reel, try musky to saltwater size baitcasters and heavy to duty action 7'+ rods. It's quite clear what they're fishing for but it's not my decision to make the call. Sure they could be targeting big channels or flats but common, sturgeon after sturgeon and not a single cat. If anyone is more gutsy, go down there and watch for a while, maybe you can sum it up better.

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I agree. Unfortunatly, there ain't much that can be done if they say they are catfishing, and the gear and bait are equal for both specie.

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As I understand it, fishing for a species that is closed for the season is illegal. Yet people continue to talk about how and where to catch them this time of the year. Why is that? No inland rivers or lakes is open at all for sturgeon and only a select few are open and that isn't until Oct anyways. Reason I started this post is because yr after yr from mid April till early may there's aways a few guys that ancor on the down stream side of the rxr tracks on the Croix in Hudson catching sturgeon after sturgeon. From 50' or so away I can clearly see a heavy lead sinker, and a wad a bait and it ain't no medium action rod and reel, try musky to saltwater size baitcasters and heavy to duty action 7'+ rods. It's quite clear what they're fishing for but it's not my decision to make the call. Sure they could be targeting big channels or flats but common, sturgeon after sturgeon and not a single cat. If anyone is more gutsy, go down there and watch for a while, maybe you can sum it up better.


It still doesnt mean they were targeting sturgeon!!! They could be targeting other species... Didnt anybody teach you not to point fingures?

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The sturgeon population is huge! if a guy wants to catch some so what? As long as they are released, I do it all the time in the winter with the same equipt. i would use for walleye. i think the season should be liberalized on the croix anyway there are sometimes too many of them.

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The population isn't huge, you're just in the right area where they congregate to feed. It's not huge until they start biting like carps and sheepheads.

Yeah but your odds of catching a cat would be better mid May and later, not mid April. The thing is they stop fishing there by about the 1st to 2nd week of May. Hmm, just when the cat bite is going to heat up and the sturgeon bite slows dramatically as the sturgeons move upstream to spawning growns.

I'll leave it at that cuz I know they ain't catfishing. Sooner or later, they'll get caught.

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The population is very large, i have caught them from 3 to 40 fet of water on just about any lure, from jigs to cranks. i dought they will get caught because they are not breaking the law. grin.gif

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The population is very large, i have caught them from 3 to 40 fet of water on just about any lure, from jigs to cranks. i dought they will get caught because they are not breaking the law.
grin.gif


What?! How come I don't have much luck catching them? confused.gif

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I don't either - I've fished the river a lot for many years and have yet to catch a Sturgeon...........

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I have caught at least a bakers dozen of them just drowning a crawler fishing for whatever I even caught them through the ice on a hook and minnow

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The sturgeons that I catch are all golden redish fish. They love to slurp up those worms. Hmmm those are suckers!!

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which part of Croix you guys were fishing? share the wealth man! smile.gif

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Watched two guy's on the 'Croix on Tuesday fishing w/pool cue rods and heavy tackle. Could have been fishing for cat's, I admit. But we watched them pull a sturgeon out and into their boat. I have never seen a boat pack up and leave that quickly in my life. And no, the fish never went back in the water. They know who they are if the visit this sight. Eventually you will get caught, and I know there are several boats that were at they 'Kinni that day that will watch for them in the future. Law's are law's for a reason. And talking to the people that target sturgeon DURING SEASON, they are not that plentiful and a very precious resource!

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The sturgeons that I catch are all golden redish fish.


Slippery bob, maybe you've been catching carp! j/k smile.gif

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The sturgeons that I catch are all golden redish fish.


Slippery bob, maybe you've been catching carp! j/k smile.gif


LOL's And if I say they were big eye'd block headed, dull silvery white with continous dorsal finn...LOL's

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Sturgeon fishing is easy. Throw on 45+ fireline, lots of weight, and a small or med sucker minow. 2 years ago i caught a 84 incher by Anderson plant. Released it back in after a few picts where taken. One is in the bait store still to this day. When we do fish for em, we get at least 3 a day all around 30-40 inchers. Nice fights, but dont stand a chance when you got that strong of line and a deap sea fishing pole....just hump em up.

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