Sturgeon

Caught a 41″ Sturgeon today around noon on the St. Croix right out in front of the Kinne. Took about 20-25 minutes to get it up and in the boat. Caught on a crawler harness with 6# mono. I hope someone could tell me what this weighed approximately. Released to fight again. My first sturgeon. I think the biggest fish I have ever caught. No walleye or sauger though. A couple nice guys took a couple photos and are emailing them to me. Maybe I will post when I get them. [image]http://by22fd.bay22.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/getmsg?curmbox=F176336629&a=7ec6878a5f82438910741ff91f0f2054&msg=MSG1098723403.28&start=366224&len=190500&mimepart=9&vscan=scan[/image]

nice work, with that big tail and pectoral fins they sure can pull hard eh? @ 41″, your looking about 15lbs maybe. They really start to pack on weight when they hit the 50 plus mark, any shorter and they tend to be on the slender side. my biggest was 55″ through the ice and a 53″ in open water a few years ago. Get a sturgeon tag and you can keep one, but I’m not sure what the size limit is this season, 50″? They are EXCEPTIONAL smoked, besides being fun to catch.

They are too cool and too old to kill (IMHO). To each his/her own though.

Thanks for the info Mike. But it sure felt more like 50# while trying to persuade it the surface! I thought it was awaterlogged branch at first cuz it was just sitting on the bottom and would come up a little and then back down. Once it moved to deeper water though, it really started peeling off the line. What a blast! 55″ through the ice? That must have been somehting to witness! Was that the fish I read about in Prescott last winter? Thanks again.

Ya, no question letting these beast’s go is the best for the fish and fishery. The numbers in the river are enough to support a put and take fishery but I’m guessing very few are kept on a yearly basis. I’ve never killed one but have had them smoked from Winnebago and they are damn fine table fare when prepared right. My 55″ came 7-8 years ago, off of highline point in mid winter, on a shiner jigged off the bottom, we had a hard time turning it’s head up an 8″ hole. this time of year we always get a few in afton vertical jigging raps. The biggest I’ve seen was my buddy fritzy’s 60 plus from the kinni last spring i think, it was all of 50lbs. crazy fish.