New sturgeon regs?

I was going thru the DNR regs today and noticed a couple things regarding sturgeon that I thought were really interesting:

• Wisconsin border waters: a 1-fish limit on lake sturgeon of 60 inches or less.
• Canadian border waters: The 1-fish limit now includes a slot size of 45-50 inch fish in addition to the “over 75 inches” limitation of yore.
• There is a state-wide 1-fish limit on lake sturgeon and every fish taken must be registered. So if you take your fish in the WI border season you can’t take one later in the year on the Canadian border.

So is it just me not having paid attention or is this new stuff?

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Wisconsin border waters: a 1-fish limit on lake sturgeon of 60 inches or less.

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Must be a typo. It should read 60 inches or more.

There was changes to the wording in MN.

The way the law was worded a person could take one over 60 out of the Croix in Sept ‘ll, then one using the same license out of LOTW’s in April…but only one tag was allowed per angling license season.

It was to cover off on a technicality.

Whoops! My bad.

60 inches or more is indeed the correct language.

I’m honestly not sure I could actually keep and kill something so incredibly awe-inspiring as one of these majestic fish.

*shrugs*

To each his own, I guess…

Putting the harvest length at 60 inches pretty much reduced the season to catch and release for a few more years for most sports anglers. I think most of use are ok with that though.

Ryan, I think we need to get a group or number of groups together to bring one of the 45 to 50 inchers home from LOTW’s and divide it up. I would like to try one too but can’t see killing one just to find out I don’t like it.

Something to think about anyway.

I could see doing that, it’s just that there are so many short-lived fish in the river around here that it seems a bit of a shame to kill a long-lived fish for table fare, no matter what body of water it comes from.

I really like the idea of dividing a big sturgeon across a whole bunch of guys. For some reason that feels a lot more in keeping with the spirit of our sport and the ancient traditions to which I feel very attached. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with responsible harvest… and reducing one fish to possession to get meat to a half-dozen households seems to be very responsible.

It just feels a lot more like “feeding the village” rather than hoarding something I’m not likely to actually use in its entirety.

IF (@!$#@$!!!) I ever make it to the Sturgeon Excursion I would love to participate in this idea. AND I have an awesome offset firebox smoker here at the house to use to smoke some of it with.

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I really like the idea of dividing a big sturgeon across a whole bunch of guys. For some reason that feels a lot more in keeping with the spirit of our sport and the ancient traditions to which I feel very attached. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with responsible harvest… and reducing one fish to possession to get meat to a half-dozen households seems to be very responsible.

It just feels a lot more like “feeding the village” rather than hoarding something I’m not likely to actually use in its entirety.

IF (@!$#@$!!!) I ever make it to the Sturgeon Excursion I would love to participate in this idea. AND I have an awesome offset firebox smoker here at the house to use to smoke some of it with.

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when people go up for the excursion it is only catch and release. it opens i think a week after.
i was fortunate enough to try some smoked sturge from a resort owner up on the rainy and it was awesome and i have had a craving for that taste for awhile now. it was similar to salmon. i have bought a tag twice with intent to harvest but never end up doing it. but it makes me a little more comfortable knowing i have a tag with just incase i catch one over 75″

Back before it was popular, between my friends and I, we used to kill 4-5 every year for the smoker from the rainy. It is excellent smoked fish. Personally I have not targeted them since they became popular – I believe that 2002 was my last trip(that was the first year that the wheelers point landing was full). On any given saturday in the late 90’s, there would be just a handful of boats in 4-mile bay on a given saturday…… those were the days…lol.

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when people go up for the excursion it is only catch and release. it opens i think a week after.
i was fortunate enough to try some smoked sturge from a resort owner up on the rainy and it was awesome and i have had a craving for that taste for awhile now. it was similar to salmon. i have bought a tag twice with intent to harvest but never end up doing it. but it makes me a little more comfortable knowing i have a tag with just incase i catch one over 75″

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Dur, now that you mention it, the Sturgeon Excursion is just after the possession season ends.

So maybe a few of us interested in this can team up for a group adventure of our own?

Anyone?

Three years ago the SE was in the catch and keep season. The dates haven’t been set for the 2013 SE as of today.

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Back before it was popular…every year…Personally I have not targeted them since they became popular – I believe that 2002 was my last trip(that was the first year that the wheelers point landing was full).

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Quite a strange reaction, if you ask me. I mean….if I have something that I love doing (enough to drive up there and spend my time and money doing it EVERY YEAR), and it’s kickass and uber-awesome, I don’t just STOP DOING IT if a few other people happen to start doing it.

I guess I’m surprised that the only thing you liked about it was the ‘unpopular’ aspect. I would have assumed the fact that you’re catching some of the biggest inland-water fish (save alligator gar) and having a blast with your buddies would have been more of an attractant than the ‘unpopularity’ factor. Just me though.

I don’t think I could ever eat sturgeon for the same reason PETA morons won’t eat venison . . . they’re too cute.

That said, we’ve always been told that a 50-100 year old bottom feeder will be stacked to the gills with mercury and all other sorts of goodies. Is there any truth to that?

From what I’ve been hearing, the mercury problem is most prevelant in the top predators. Walleye, pike, salmon, etc…

100 year old fish, don’t know. I dont think anyone has died or developed a tumor from a sturgeon.

I’d just hate to take a fish like that, not like the meat, then just throw it away.

They’ve got some pretty tough skin, too. I’d imagine it would be quite a bit more difficult to clean one of them than it would be to fillet walleyes.

That’s exactly what I’m talking about BG! What a waste.

There’s some YouTube videos on how to clean a sturgeon. Pull, pull, pull… Didn’t look too fun to me.

We went up a week early one year just to tag one. Half way through the weekend we decided to not use the tag for the same reason. I really want to smoke one and a 45-50 inch fish looks perfect but it is alot of meat. Even between 4 guys that dont know if they like it or not. A bigger group and there should be no problem with waste. Everyone I know that has had smoked sturgeon loved it!
My wifes grandfather and his neighbor taged one every year and it would take the two of them over an hour to clean it. Sounds like a pain in the Nothing like skinning a cat anyways.

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There’s some YouTube videos on how to clean a sturgeon. Pull, pull, pull… Didn’t look too fun to me.

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Right, but just like with alligator gar and deer you can have that hide processed into leather… which I think would be uber cool.

And honestly, how likely is it that anyone is just going to be all “EEW” about the meat? There are bazillions of people saying “mmm, good meat!” So my expectation is that it wouldn’t be an issue.

But, if we do take one and distribute it… if you don’t like it, don’t you dare throw it. That would result in a great deal of . Give it to someone who does!