45 minute battle and being held by the gills. Not a good combo. Probably not an experienced sturgeon angler, but now we have outdoor news to thank for educating all other inexperienced sturgeon anglers.
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Obviously the Editors at Outdoor News need a bit of education as well.
It’s too bad these gentle giants have those “handles” and we can’t seem to get the word out on handling these fish.
Most anglers will say “but they swam away fine”, and I can’t say this 30 to 50 year old fish died…I can say a deer shot in the lungs doesn’t die right away either.
I don’t think Outdoor News would post a photo of a muskie being held by it’s eyes so I hope they will review their policy and possibly help to educate our our States new and incidental sturgeon anglers.
Write to the editors. Maybe they’ll follow up. #SLM Sturgeon lives matter!
Someone sent this to me in an email. I made a comment about how I have learned that is the wrong way to hold a sturgeon. Learned that from this website. Probably a good idea to send a note in to the paper. Maybe they did not know.
Obviously the Editors at Outdoor News need a bit of education as well.
It’s too bad these gentle giants have those “handles” and we can’t seem to get the word out on handling these fish
I would say you are making a difference and getting the word out pretty well. You educated this guy on it, so you made a difference to at least one guy that catches quite a few of them….
My gut feel is that the gill plate hold is not necessarily deadly(although it obviously is not good). Looking at the number of tagged fish that have been caught in my boat over the years that had multiple recorded captures, I would think at least some were not handled perfectly.
I do think that the larger the individual, the more damage an improper hold could cause though. Keep on educating, because the good fight is only won via lots and lots of little victories.
T
Quit Gill holding
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That’s sad, but damn those fish are resilient! The other sad part is holding them by the gill plates is completely unnecessary. Other fish can be hard to hold horizontally, but its pretty easy to get a grip on these buggers with their rough skin. I don’t know about anyone else, but those mid range fish we used to catch were all hauled in by grabbing the tail and getting a hand under the belly.
Why is using a net so hard?
We used a net on the bigger girls.
I caught this fish. Didn’t realize I also made an ido topic as well. Admittedly I had no idea how to hold one, I had never caught one before then and also was not targeting them. I have since learned this is a huge no-no. I feel bad that this picture has gained such negative notoriety and has also likely given others a negative view of how to handle these fish. Honest mistake I’ve learned from. What I will feel most bad about is if the fish did indeed succumb to the way I had held it. But I can say as I was cradling it on the side of the boat upon the release I had looked it over really well as I felt I had done something wrong. It’s gills were not folded over or ripped apart like the photos above show. Doesn’t mean much. But maybe it means something.
Don’t beat yourself up over it. As long as you learned and others learn then it’s not a total loss. Years past these things would have been killed for sure. Everybody has a first time. Most would have handled the fish the same way with all the excitement of catching something like that.
Steve not an attack on you personally. As Dutchboy stated don’t beat yourself up about it. Its an education thing. You now know how to properly hold one of these giants, and will probably educate more people now that you know. Thats all we can ask for.
As someone who used to routinely “eye” pike in the 70’s and 80’s, you are not blame. Learned it from my Dad and everyone I fished with.
The regulations should have some basic fish handling techniques for ALL species.
Outdoor news should run an article, too. Maybe every year at the start of each season.
Can you guys post up a good picture of the proper way to handle these fish? I occasionally pull one up while catfishing, would be nice to know the proper way. Thanks!
Jason for quick reference look at the Muskie guys. Try and support the body of the fish holding it horizontally vs vertical. Keep you hand out of it’s gill plate. If you know you are releasing and not taking a picture just leave it in the net in the water while removing the hooks. Then roll the net over and let them go. This is especially important with Pike. You don’t want to scrap any of their protective slime off if you don’t have to.
Thanks for asking 
it’s the first step in a safe successful release.
Can you guys post up a good picture of the proper way to handle these fish? I occasionally pull one up while catfishing, would be nice to know the proper way. Thanks!
Leaving them in the water is preferred. But if you’d like to take a pic, cradling them in your arms giving full support to their body is best.
The one holding the tail up is also a common NO NO as that can injure their spine
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I caught this fish. Didn’t realize I also made an ido topic as well. Admittedly I had no idea how to hold one, I had never caught one before then and also was not targeting them. I have since learned this is a huge no-no. I feel bad that this picture has gained such negative notoriety and has also likely given others a negative view of how to handle these fish. Honest mistake I’ve learned from. What I will feel most bad about is if the fish did indeed succumb to the way I had held it. But I can say as I was cradling it on the side of the boat upon the release I had looked it over really well as I felt I had done something wrong. It’s gills were not folded over or ripped apart like the photos above show. Doesn’t mean much. But maybe it means something.
Steve,
Ignore the haters! Beautiful fish and congrats. Ever signal one of us has done things others consider (and probably are) wrong.
No wonder people don’t post pics anymore cause waaaaay to many people feel the need to comment.
Again, congrats on a beautiful fish.
And make sure you give them a kiss just before releasing them.
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Ignore the haters!
I honestly don’t see anyone being a “hater”. It’s being used as a teachable moment and hopefully it teaches many others the proper way to handle a fish.
And just an FYI if people didn’t notice this is a 5 year old thread.
And make sure you give them a kiss just before releasing them.
Big girls need loving too!!! 
Thanks – I will keep them supported!
@srtimm0424 That’s the way I held my first 15 pound flathead until it fell to the floor of the boat.
I cringe at the gill holds, but I’m still glad they are posted to help teach others. God gave them the perfect handlebars. 
PS congrats on landing the size of fish most people can’t even dream about!
It was most certainly a really amazing catch. One I’ll never forget and the story is still told by father in law to this day every chance he gets (he was driving the boat). I caught it on 8lb test with a 1500 size real and a medium light rod. Not to mention some damn fine chase driving by the father in law. Got really really lucky. Thanks for the words fellas. I really don’t show many people the picture as I’m so embarrassed by how I handled the fish. Killed me to see it up here to be honest. Had to respond to a really old post after my wife found it by accident. We didn’t have a tape measure or large enough anything to handle it. I sent it to the sturgeon fishery for the state of MN to see if they could estimate its age and weight based on my size. They were the ones who educated me on how bad my hold was to the fish. They estimated the fish to be a female based it’s size and girth. After they told be what they believed it weighed I felt even worse for the hold. Not even gonna mention it. I do very much know now, if I ever get that lucky again I’ll never do what I did. Even on the smaller ones. I do hope others learn from it as ya’ll have mentioned.
Nice fish
^^^ That’s what I’m talking about!!^^^
Although things are a bit different in WI, there are fish being speared everyday over there right now. Your fish has a chance to spawn again. Spearing doesn’t allow for that and they are still surviving in bago.
But that’s a topic for another thread.
Responding to this old thread, makes you stand out as a sportsman in my book. 
Thanks again all. Now, if any of you catch one of any size this spring i’d love to see the photo posted up on the thread here. Proper holding technique and all 
This spring?
Steve, one of things that have changed about LS fishing is the season has changed dramatically since you hooked yours.
There were two seasons on Lake of the Woods and on 6 week long season on the St Croix.
Today we have about an 8 month catch and release season throughout the State of MN.
They are catching (and releasing) them on the St Croix right now!
In fact I will bet there are just as many LS fishing shacks as there is crappie shacks out there.
Well hot dang, lets see em’ (when in season)!
I just referenced the spring as I accidentally caught mine in the spring on a 1/4 ounce jig and plastic fishing for eyes. Figured others would have the same outcome fishing for the spring eyes at the Y. Clearly, I need to read up on the regs for these giants, as I may actually target them for some C and R.
Here’s one from two years ago of a (former?) Member of this site on the St Croix.
I believe it ended up as a state record?
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State Record Catch and Release and she was/is a darling of a fish!
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