Why do sturgeon jump-sometimes?

In my quest to find out why life exists…I’ve come to a road block.

Why do sturgeon jump when hooked…sometimes and not others?
It seems like there are days (or nights) when most all sturgeon head for the air and then the next night they all stay down.

Of course there are the nights when one jumps and the rest don’t. But it seems as though there are days when something makes most if not all jump.

The only thing I’ve notice is if they are caught in shallower water (under 15 feet) they seem to go airborne more. I guess this makes sense.

Any clues out there?

PS I know, I know…”because they can” right?

I’ve also wondered why they jump when not even hooked. I fish a lake that at night you will see them jumping. You think they are Muskies or Northerns but they are sturgeons. What gives?

Why do people scuba dive?

Quote:

---

I’ve also wondered why they jump when not even hooked. I fish a lake that at night you will see them jumping. You think they are Muskies or Northerns but they are sturgeons. What gives?

---

Florida University received an $18,000 grant to study why sturgeon jumped. I doubt it was a Lake Sturgeon study.

They came to the conclusion…Because they can.

In refering to unhooked fish…I don’t believe they’ve come up with an answer.

Some believe it’s to rid themselves of parasites while other believe it’s to clear their gills from sucking up silt/sand/muck.

This could be in part the answer to my “hooked” fish question, but why only some nights will they jump more than others.

Come on Pug…Scuba Diving?

Just keeping it simple here

Some are jumpers some are not

Maybe so…

Quote:

---

The fish, scientists speculate, could be jumping to avoid predators or to flush out their gills. They may do it to gulp air, or perhaps just for joy.

---

I put an anchor down in Lake Monona in about 10 feet of water one time and one jumped right at boatside and broke and expensive pair of sunglasses I was wearing.

What I want to know is do they jump more often if you hook them with fresh cut sucker or with frozen sucker?

Rootski

Quote:

---

What I want to know is do they jump more often if you hook them with fresh cut sucker or with frozen sucker?

Rootski

---

You’re a hoot Root!

Kev? Didn’t you read the sign at the landing? Caution when dropping anchor….

From my experience on the Croix this fall, water depth wouldn’t register with me. St. Croixer and I caught the same number and relative size of fish one night that all jumped at least once, and then a few nights later, you and I catch the same number, same spot, same time of day, and none of them jump.

Barometer change? Clear sky, cloudy sky? Smell of stinkbait keeping them down?

Too much thinking for me!

ET

I’m thinking they wanted to get a look at the elusive St Croixer.

1. They are happy.
2. They are sad and want to be happy.
3. They were scared from the boat sized fish my cousin’s moms new sister’s friend saw below the dam when scuba diving to fix the pilings.
4. A catfish with a large red ball in it’s mouth made it giggle.
5. A huge Northern caught on pool 2/LOW/Mille Lacs with a smaller northern in its mouth tickled the poor stugeon.
6. The sturgeon’s wife just kicked him out of the house and he was running for his life before he got hit by a nine iron.
7. He had heard of the great service from Dean at Everts and wanted to share his joy with the world.
8. Life is good.
9. He was looking for the hope and change he had been hearing about in the sturgeon elections and thought it may be above water.
10. He had some horrible gas and needed to get the heck out of the room before the paint came off the walls.
11. He recently got lucky with that cute channel cat his friend introduced him to.

If it is not one of those, I have no idea

LOL, Farmboy keeping himself busy today?

Those researchers need to film them jumping in super slow-mo, because say if they flair the gills and slap the gills, one might conclude cleaning the gills of silt and/or parasites.

First they will need a bigger grant because that is going to take a lot of film. Second, they have to wait in line behind the Vikings and their new stadium.

Yep, once Cougareye posted, I knew this thread was going down hill.

I think I’ll have better luck asking the 74″ sturgeon in my basement the same question.

You don’t even want to know how long that took to type with one hand

I heard white/black rods affects jump proximity to boat and J/circle has something to do with altitude?

Could it be something in regards with where they are hooked in the mouth? Hoover vs tongue?

I have no clue why they jump but its awesome when they do

That video Grow got last spring was really neat-

Once you get away from Baudette, there is a lot of water that is not all that deep holding many sturgeon. They almost always jump when hooked in that portion of the Rainy River. I think the shallow water does effect the jumping. We once came on a bay that must have had over 100 sturgeon milling on top and jumping. It lasted all night and until noon the next day. What were they doing? Ask them. I haven’t a clue. But I sure do like it!

I might just have to make it to the Sturgeon Excursion and see this.

I would tend to think jumping is easier than burrowing in on the bottom ! Just a thought….

Answer is [drum roll] cause some feel like it and some don’t. Now get some rest BK

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I admire your dedication.

Why do sturgeon jump…

A simple google search on the web provides a simple answer… “to communicate”.

Quote:

---

Sulak says this theory makes biological sense, because several species of sturgeons are known to produce sounds to communicate during spawning season and at other times.

---

One more theory to the list…

Even if it’s another theory, his discrediting the others makes sense to me.

Not talking about hooked fish now, but there’s been many times when the fish are jumping but not biting…and I hate that when that happens!

I think it’s pretty clear that its the elephant/mouse theory. Sturgeon are running from eel pout and mudpuppies. I don’t blame them.

“The old myth of various types of fishes jumping to shed parasites is indeed a myth,” he said.
“Any self-respecting parasite, equipped with hooks and suction devices, would not detach from its host simply because the fish jumps. Parasites only jump ship when the host dies.”

I’ll have to disagree with Sulak there. Water has a lot of surface tension and would be a good way to knock things off. Ever have fish in an aquarium that are rubbing up against rocks? They are trying to scrape off parasites and/or diseases that are irritating them. I’ve had a sturgeon hooked and watched it jump 15 feet from the boat. Before the fish hit the water a lamprey flew off. And if parasites only come off a fish after a fish dies, then why do we catch sturgeon with healed and/or fresh lamprey scars? You can’t tell me it’s because anglers are picking each and every one off.
There, got my two cents off my chest without making any jokes.

Joel

Never a simple answer is there Joel.

Man good points on the parasites on both sides. I am going back and forth on that one.

When I go out with Brian he likes to get airborne jumping big waves with his boat. Any correlation?

If we’re limiting ourselves to the lampreys around here, they will come off if out of the water for very short times. They don’t like breathing air I guess.

On the other hand they are very hard to just pull off while in the water.

Pug, all though you never “flew” out of my boat, I did say I was sorry that time you were thigh deep in muck….always an adventure!