Sturgeon fishing back in gramps day

Started by gstours, December 02, 2018, 09:05:25 PM

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Swami805

I fished for them a few times but didn't get one. My buddy got one, they're pretty tasty and no bones.
Do what you can with that you have where you are

oc1

#16
That's the Gulf Sturgeon jumping.  On the East side you also have Atlantic Sturgeon that get slightly larger.  You also have the little Short-Nose Sturgeon.  They jump more, but are too small to do as much damage.

The Short-Nose and Atlantic Sturgeon are endangered.  The Gulf Sturgeon is threatened.
-steve

Frank

Quote from: gstours on December 02, 2018, 09:05:25 PM
This is a prehistoric monster that was hauled ashore and luckily a picture was taken to preserve the way it was before the dams and pollution plus many other man made causes took their toll on these giants

Thanks for posting this. I had know idea they grew that large.
Frank. Retired. Life long fishing and boating fanatic.

Brewcrafter

When I was living/fishing around Southwest Missouri, the occasional sturgeon would get caught in the river tributaries of the larger lakes, and to my knowledge they still have them there.  There was also a similar bottomfeeding "dinosaur" type fish the would get pretty big called a paddlefish with a long flat bill that they would root in the mud with.

Decker

The closest I've ever come to a sturgeon is to eat caviar.   Is it possible to harvest the caviar without killing the fish?  Do fishermen eat the caviar from U.S. sturgeon?

Dominick

Quote from: Decker on December 05, 2018, 03:35:33 PM
The closest I've ever come to a sturgeon is to eat caviar.   Is it possible to harvest the caviar without killing the fish?  Do fishermen eat the caviar from U.S. sturgeon?
Absolutely.  Every once in a while a poacher is caught selling sturgeon caviar claiming it is beluga.  Dominick
Leave the gun.  Take the cannolis.

There are two things I don't like about fishing.  Getting up early in the morning and boats.  The rest of it is fun.

conchydong

They are also farming them now. Hopefully that will relieve some of the pressure on the wild ones.
http://sturgeonaquafarms.com/

gstours

  Things can change butt its going to take a long time.  Farming would take some of the demand off the wild stocks and put some fish on the market.... the indian tribes in oregon and wash. could curb their allowable treaty rites, n public awareness could be improved.  Total closures could lessen the incidental sports harvest and lessen enforcement problems.    Currently there are many many folks who want to fish for something as recreation fisherys are otherwise seasonal times with the species sought.   I,m hoping the white sturgeon fishery may come back through time and continual
effort to be enjoyed again by the public.
    The white firm meat is delicious,  smoked sturgeon is over the top good. 

oc1

#23
Quote from: Decker on December 05, 2018, 03:35:33 PM
Is it possible to harvest the caviar without killing the fish?  Do fishermen eat the caviar from U.S. sturgeon?
They are working on that.  Not only do you need to avoid killing the fish, you want the fish to be able to make a new batch of eggs in subsequent years.

I've never had caviar from Beluga Sturgeon, but caviar from Atlantic Sturgeon is terrific.  This was back before the fishery was closed.  It bought a good price and fishermen were more interested is selling it than eating it.  Then the meat was smoked and, like Gary said, it was something pretty special too.  The meat texture is a little weird when fresh but when smoked it is both firm and moist.
-steve

Gfish

Yeah. One a them ancient cartilaginous fish species, note the shark-shaped tail in the pictures.
I've assisted in spawning salmon, steelhead and trout species in hatcheries. Salmon were easy as they die after spawning. Kill the females and slit the peritoneum, 1 male to 5 females, not the best way to get genitic variability. Trout were harder, cause you wanted them to survive. There's  an art to milking them properly, get most of the eggs without doing internal damage.
I'd really love to see them milk a big Sturgeon, though.
Fishing tackle is an art form and all fish caught on the right tackle are"Gfish"!

festus

#25
TWRA has stocked about 1/4 million lake sturgeon into the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers since the early 2000s.  Here's the biggest one I've heard of caught on rod and reel recently, supposedly 45 pounds and about 5' long from the Clinch River at Kingston Steam Plant. That's down the road about 25 minutes away.  The fish doesn't look that big but the young man who caught it's a former football lineman, about 6'3" and nearly 300 lbs.

Anyone have an idea how old it would be?

gstours

Ok, now you're getting me hungry again🚣‍♀️    Interesting enough I believe the female sturgeon can have a c section after capturing and the eggs removed and incubation starts.   I,m not sure if the fish is fertilized first (possibly  naturally) or following the egg removal?  Butt if seen some of this in trying to supplement the sturgeon stocks in Oregon a s Washington alongside the Columbia River ..
   As we know it takes a state and federal assistance to do the work as it's costly and needs public support and moneys.  
  We all have seen the demise and over population of a species.   We have only Ben here a short time.
 In the Columbia River system it seems like the big money interests were way ahead of the public and pushed forward with their selfish interests before the google eyed public caught on.   The damage,would take a few years to get to the public,  so the dams were installed, 13-15 on the Columbia and snake river,
   The fishing for sturgeon started declining rapidly,  so the states wanted the license money and faked lots of promising.  People want to fish 🐟 for some thing.  The run timing of the salmon is spring, summer, so the sturgeon becomes a year around fishery ,  poorly managed.  Size limits were changing almost every year.   But they were being fished hard and year around,  it seemed like the weather was the limiting factor.   Within twenty five years you could only fish odd or even calandor days.  (Get that)  then other faked restrictions and it seemed too little too late.   It seemed like the fishing was what the people wanted and the managers sold the boat waay before it sunk 😫

whalebreath

#27
Northen Divine Sturgeon has been very successful selling both Caviar and meat from harvested fish.

It's a 100% contained land based facility and that's a real boost to marketing efforts.

I've tried the meat-a bit like a muddy tasting Halibut.

oc1

#28
Thank you whale.  If that is a photo of canned meat on their web site it would explain the muddy taste.  There is something about putting a can of seafood in a high temperature/pressure retort to sterilize it that brings out the muddy flavor.  It is the same with canned oysters and canned tuna.

If they are not selling smoked meat then they're missing the boat.  There is something about the oils and texture in sturgeon flesh that make it about the best smoked fish you will ever eat.
-steve

Gfish

Way back when, I counted 12 hydro-elec. dams on the Columbia system. Now there's maybe more. Depends on how you look at it: environmental disaster to me; economic boom to others. Hydro-elec. power generation, irrigation for farming & ranching( including trout farming in Idaho's Magic Valley) recreational opportunities( boating, water-skiing, fishing for non-endemic species), Dam maintenance employment, etc. Lotsa people probably prefer the more "civilized" type a recreation.
Don't know about the upper Columbia, but the upper Snake system is as wild and natural lookin as it could be. My 3rd favorite place in Yellowstone Park(South side). It's just that people gotta keep goin further and further back into the wilderness to enjoy natural stuff...
Fishing tackle is an art form and all fish caught on the right tackle are"Gfish"!