Is sturgeon season here already? I think it might open tonight. Anyone plan on chasing them around this year?
I got into then pretty good last monday up by rock island. Pulled in 8 in about a hour. All shovel nose. I did have one good one on earlyer that would of been between 3 and 4′. This is the biggest I have ever had on.
Anyone know for sure about the season?
Mike – The 2003 MN Fishing Regulations show the Lake Sturgeon season on the St Croix from 6 September thru October 15 from Taylor Falls Dam downstream to the mouth at Prescott, WI. The possession limit is one per season and the minimum size limit is 50 inches. The season is closed on all other waters except those along the Ontario – Minnesota border.
We caught quite a few sturgeon last winter icefishing in the Bayport area. We were using fathead minnows just laying on the bottom in about 30′ of water. I was amazed at how many sturgeon there were in the area. I was just looking at my fishing journal – I got 4 sturgeon the afternoon of 12 December. My log shows a total of 8 sturgeon during the ice fishing season. I use an underwater camera when I ice fish and I watched one come through and take my hook last winter, it was really cool. I watched him hook up and then he tangled me all up in the camera cable – I still got him in but what a mess.
Mike – I forgot to add that the 2003 MN Fishing regulations shows that Shovelnose Sturgeon fishing is legal downstream from the Red Wing Dam only. On inland waters both Lake Sturgeon and Shovelnose Sturgeon are Closed. So if you were getting shovelnose sturgeon they wouldn’t be legal.
What type of sturgeon are you seeing? I am sure the bigger one I had on was a lake.
My late night sturgeon trip pettered out tonight about 8.30. I was sitting by my self and the wife called and said the steak would be done at 9.30. She finaly figured out getting mad at me does not get me home any earlyer. Might have to try it again later this week.
Mike – What are you using for bait? When we were ice fishing we just put on a fathead on a small hook and let it set on the bottom. This is a picture of one I got down by the Kinni last fall on a nightcrawler.
That is the same fish I caught up by rock island last weekend. Caught him 6 times in a row. What a small river. He was eating crawlers left and right that day. 
The first sturgeon I ever caught hit a minnow on a jig as I was reeling it in. Even had one on the croix that sucked down a small 4″ sucker minnow.
Maybe I will try to get back out tonight and chase a big one up.
Hey Guy’s, Where’s rock island…by NSP???
Here’s a pic of a shovelnose we got in Redwing this spring. Remember the MN state record shovelnose is only 5.5 lbs I bet that record has been broken many times! You can get a Master angler award for released fish through http://www.minnesotafishinghalloffame.com/ the release limit is only 22″.
Both of my Croix sturgee’s were lake variety 1 caught on a jig/minnow, 1 crawler/Lindy. The last one I got had a lamprey on it who got the needle nose treatment if you know what I mean 
A few years ago there were some pics in Brothers Bait with about a 5 footer pulled through the ice. I wonder how big the hole was?
Later,
Ferny.
Rock island is about 3 miles south of taylors falls. There is a little gravel landing just down stream of it at fronconia. Very shallow water there right now but lots of fish bitting. No big cruisers either.
you launching at franconia or interstate park?
and yeah.. ought to be a lot of fish in there right now with the river low… and the water depth over 60′ in that hole…..
Putting in at Fronconia.
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