A quick reminder, the St Croix river is closed for catch and release sturgeon fishing.
Same with pool 3.
Same with pool 4.
Kind of immature to internally Target them out of season folks.
Have at her again mid-June.
Did it just close on the Croix? I think there were a couple boats on Saturday that were anchored and fishing for Sturgeon or Cats down by the Kinni.
Yeah it just closed March 1…..
It closed March 1st and will open again June 16th For the border waters of the St Croix, Pool 3 and Pool 4.
Let’s let them spawn and have at it again in June. 
A quick reminder, the St Croix river is closed for catch and release sturgeon fishing.
Same with pool 3.
Same with pool 4.Kind of immature to internally Target them out of season folks.
Have at her again mid-June.
This may seem like a dumb question to some of you but not me since I don’t know. If I were in a boat targeting flatheads, would I look any different or be doing anything different than if I was illegally targeting sturgeon?
Most of the time you would stand out like a sore thumb.
Flats and Lake Sturgeon “generally” do not inhabit the same areas this time of year and MOST people would use live bait for flats.
With channel cats, I wouldn’t be looking for them in the same area as sturgeon this time of year either although I’m sure some could be caught there.
On Pool 4 the shovelnose sturgeon season is open all year. It would be hard to prove a person was targeting Lake or Shovels. Same area, bait and rigs.
Same area, bait and rigs.
One fish is 3# another 30+#
You’d use same gear?
I use walleye gear for shovels and sturgeon gear for lake.
I also use different gear for channels and different for flats and different for Lakers… But that is me. I also run different tactics and spot time limits for each. So the difference is very noticable in my fishing tactics…
My post is to remind those intentionally targeting sturgeon that the season to do that is closed.
There are several intentionally targeting lake Sturgeon every day. I only confronted 5 this weekend.
I run a lot of miles of river and talk to a lot of people. I have no issue with people unintentionally catching a sturgeon.
Personally I’d love to see the dnr start handing out tickets for this. Might be a tough day in court to prove they were targeting, but at least a missed day at work to attend court will sting a bit.
On Saturday (May 6) there were 2 boats anchored right where the Kinni flows into the Croix. One was a big tuna boat. It looked like both of them were fishing with huge globs of crawlers as bait. I’ve seen sturgeon caught this time of year in that area. I don’t recall catching any cats there. I don’t target either cats or sturgeon. What do you think they would have been targeting?
Sheephead?
You’d use same gear?
FBRM yes, I use the same gear. Both are fun on my rods and I wouldn’t want to take the chance of hooking into a good flat or tiring out a good size sturgeon (even) if it was unintentional.
That’s just me.
On Saturday (May 6) there were 2 boats anchored right where the Kinni flows into the Croix. One was a big tuna boat. It looked like both of them were fishing with huge globs of crawlers as bait. I’ve seen sturgeon caught this time of year in that area. I don’t recall catching any cats there. I don’t target either cats or sturgeon. What do you think they would have been targeting?
I have my opinion, and I do know which boats you speak of… But my opinion is not important.
Honestly I don’t care to question what they were targeting. I care if they are knowingly targeting something out of season.
You can check out beanies dock too.
So so many people who fish the same fish in different ways that guessing is pointless.
I just wanted to point out the law to those ignorant of it. The rest will be up to their own moral code.
Simple as that.
Each body of water changes rapidly and so do locations… One cannot label a location with “sturgeon spot” or “walleye spot” etc.. that’s ignorant at best and just shows a true lack of knowledge about that spot.
All add this, if you anchor in a spot and haven’t caught a channel cat in 2-30 minutes, waiting longer isn’t going to help….I need might sit for Sturgeon for 1 hr to 12 hr. You’ll never see me sit for more than 30 minutes for cats, and any day you see me sit more than 20 you can expect that the water temp is in a cooling trend. A warning trend I’ll spend no more than 15-20 minutes in a spot.
My post is to remind those intentionally targeting sturgeon that the season to do that is closed.
There are several intentionally targeting lake Sturgeon every day. I only confronted 5 this weekend.
I think it certainly is good that you do that. I was just picturing myself out there maybe trying to hookup a big flathead. While I would certainly do some research, I could still see myself anchored up in some random spot with a big pole and line in the water. I might not know I’m in a lake sturgeon spot instead of a flathead spot and there might be some one accusing me of targeting sturgeon out of season. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but that’s just me. 
I could still see myself anchored up in some random spot with a big pole and line in the water.
Yup, sounds like fishing, and learning. I do it all the time.
I might not know I’m in a lake sturgeon spot instead of a flathead spot
nothing wrong with that. You might be lucky enough to soon figure out what is down there!
and there might be some one accusing me of targeting sturgeon out of season.
All that matters is if you are targeting something out of season.
You’d use same gear?
Not a chance. I do much better using rippin raps and a jig/minnow.
It would still be nice if there were a spring catch and release season on the croix.
Honestly I don’t care to question what they were targeting. I care if they are knowingly targeting something out of season.
You can check out beanies dock too.
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Some big flatties have been caught off that dock…
Honestly I don’t care to question what they were targeting. I care if they are knowingly targeting something out of season.
You can check out beanies dock too.
Some big flatties have been caught off that dock…
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Yes Charlie, they have.
When someone admits they are targeting sturgeon… That is what they are doing.
It would still be nice if there were a spring catch and release season on the croix.
It sure would be nice to have it extended to at least match the season on pool 4
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