If anyone finds any pictures of the record sturgeon that was speared this year on lake Winnebago they should post them or the link. It was 79 inches long and 188 pounds. 
I know if i saw that go by my hole I’d take off runing. 
I’m pretty sure it was on the ice-fishing thread somewhere…..i’ll post the link if i find it.
There is a post on this fish in the general forum.
Gator Hunter
Anyone know how old a fish of that size is???
(I am guessing JC will know…) 
I think it was estimated to be somewhere around 150 yrs. old.
Gator Hunter
Gator Hunter (and others)…
Has catch and release made me soft, or does killing a creature 150 years seem to just be wrong? I mean, it was alive during the civil war… Come on, shouldn’t somethings be left alone?
Anyway, I think it “neat” that the guy got the record, but… not sure what the words are, it just bothers me. Am I alone? 
RG…..knowing how passionate you are about the outdoors, I do feel some of your sympathy, but I also look at it this way. That sturgeon has indeed been around over 100 of years….So it has also had more than 100 years to spread those genes…
Now if I would’ve caught that fish by hook and line, I would’ve let it go, but since they speared it, i’m sure it had little chance of survival? We kind of discussed this in previous threads about Trophy Calibur fish and C&R/Selective Harvest….Always a hot topic!!!
i’m no fish biologist by any means……but i believe i’ve heard it takes sturgeon dozens of years before they can reproduce…….than only once every 7-8 years after that.
no reason there should be a spearing season on these fish 
Nice work Jake….can’t wait to hear from some of our biologists 
i real did no work……but ok, what ever 
Quote:
Gator Hunter (and others)…
Has catch and release made me soft, or does killing a creature 150 years seem to just be wrong? I mean, it was alive during the civil war… Come on, shouldn’t somethings be left alone?
Anyway, I think it “neat” that the guy got the record, but… not sure what the words are, it just bothers me. Am I alone?
I feel exactly the same way RG. I have found it very difficult to find any good things about this story. 
Gator Hunter
Is it the fish being caught?, or the way it was caught that bothers everyone? Especially since there are two other monster fish laying on the ground next to it.
I just think it’s a shame to kill an animal that has been in this world longer than any man could ever hope to be.
Gator Hunter
Quote:
I just think it’s a shame to kill an animal that has been in this world longer than any man could ever hope to be.
Gator Hunter
ditto….
Amen to BF and GH. Live and let live… Harvest the juvenilles, if you must, but let the big ones go. 
Still waiting for any biologist comments. I believe JC, MossBoss, or Bass423 might know… 
while I am going off the top of my head I do remember some of the oddities. They do only reproduce once every 7 years and the numbers have been dwindling for years. They have made a comeback in some areas so I assume the spearing season accounts for the harvesting of some of these beasts. While it seems a crime I can only say that the officials making the rules better have a firm grasp on what they regulate.
Harvesting them…. I guess I am OK with it as long as they are not wasted. They are indeed only fish and with that mindset are nothing short of cattle of the water. Harvesting a 150 year old fish seems like a poor choice for supper though. No harm no foul.
jc
That sturgeon had to be, at least, a great grampa a few times over. Maybe JC could tell us, but isn’t it logical that the sturgeon was beyond it’s reproductive years? If that’s the case…as he said…no harm no foul.
It does seem to be a shame/waste to hasvest a fish that size and old, standing above it with a spear in the dark. Now if the fisherman had to dive in after it only using gloves and pulling it to shore or surface, now thats a noteworthy catch.
My own personal thought: I fish for the reason that one of the greatest thrills is to let the big ones go!!! The first time my wife caught a descent fish (7# Northern), what a great feeling I got to watch her and see the enormous amount of satisfaction she received from doing it. The hands were shaking, her voice was quivering, and I even saw a tear. But more rewarding was the constant reminder when she tells me that it was one of the most rewarding things she ever did. I used to duck hunt alot and thought it was a great sport, but the satisfaction of bringing home to little birds was short lived. It would be great if a guy had a choice in hunting to catch and release. Now back to fishing and this article: Everyone of us have a choice to do what we feel is right, and if this guy feels that it makes him a better man, than so be it. Myself, the memory of just being their, and not bringing it home is rewarding enough. If we want to get into ethics their has been a number of posts on catch and release and the harm we still do to fish. Just my 2cents! Fishnut
I agree that it seems a waste of a great resource. I will also say that if he was in the right to spear and that was within the open season…well then I guess.
I have become really torn about this whole subject. I find myself not wanting to fish below the dams because many of the undersized walleye and sauger have here air sacks exposed and my guess is that may of them parish. I feel that I am wasting again. Should I quit that type of fishing or am I way off??
I realize that eagles benifit as well as others by the possible death of the fish but it still seems wasteful.
Any other insight?
If it is done legally end of issue. The discussion is with the people who legislate the fish and wildlife laws.
Quote:
If it is done legally end of issue. The discussion is with the people who legislate the fish and wildlife laws.
I have to respectfully disagree. Just because it is legal doesn’t make it moral, or ethical. Not making a comparison, but there are many things that are legal. Burning the flag, waiting until the last minute and merging into a lane of stop and go traffic, etc. It’s legal. Doesn’t make it ethical, or morally right. I would, obviously, come on the side that says let the grand old creature swim to see another day. 
I am not a spearing proponent. Does that mean that I think that people who spear fish are bad people? No. I’m one of those people who will merge in at the last minute. 
Steve 
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
