Anyone ever catch a Sturgeon?

[BullGator]

A couple of years ago I believe I saw three very close to shore. They actually left a bit of a wake on the calm water. Has anyone caught one by accident? Pictures? They are a bottom feeder, correct?

[Chas0218]

I believe you are correct they are bottom feeders. I heard of people catching them trolling in the St. Lawrence but none in the lake. I would love to catch one and get a couple photos. I don't think you are aloud to bring them in the boat.

[traveling man]

no

[alex1young]

They are a truly incredible species. Very long lived, and armorer plated a true dinosaur! I've never caught one, and I'm jealous of all that have.

[Chas0218]

How would you pick it up? Is there any spikes like catfish? I have never seen one to know. They look harmless but I am sure there are places you don't want to put your hands.

[alex1young]

I watched a fishing show (can't remember the name of it) but they were fishing the Columbia river on the west cost. They wore thick gloves to protect themselves, but from what I understand only the ocean going species have the very sharp plating.

[rolmops]

They are a protected species in Lake Ontario and as such they should not be targeted. Over the last 10 years there has been an effort to stock them in the Genesee River with some success. A few 4 footers are swimming in our lake and river. Come to think of it,last year during a fishing derby,one of the professional teams caught one on the Niagara bar.

[carpedium]

I have, they are truly ancient looking creatures. I heard they can live up to 200 years? Its important to get them off the hook and back on their way with the least amount of stress ASAP.

[Chas0218]

Not to hi-jack the thread but I see a lot about these "Snake Head Fish" anyone caught any? I have never seen one other than pictures online. Are they in the big O?

[tcon]

Although this was not caught on a fishing line its a really neat post viewtopic.php?f=6&t=27766&hilit=sturgeon

Tom

[kjb7486]

Both my dad and I have caught them while fishing for walleye in lakes up in Quebec. Would catch them once in a while while bouncing bottom with jigs. Very neat fish for sure. The young ones have sharper spines and they get smoother with age. These ones were relatively small, < 2 ft., as the lakes are much smaller. Indians from surrounding tribes would work their way through network of rivers and lakes setting nets along banks and shallows to catch them during night when feeding. In the morning, they would pull them in their boat, strip eggs and release. We witnessed this a few times while fishing. Eggs are sold for caviar. Not sure what their regulations are?

[BullGator]

Not to hi-jack the thread but I see a lot about these "Snake Head Fish" anyone caught any? I have never seen one other than pictures online. Are they in the big O?

Yep, had a dead one wash ashore behind my house. Crazy looking thing! So must be at least a few out there.

[chinook266]

I've had a couple friends catch one in the lower niagara. Hooked a good size one last year, jumped quite a bit. The hook bent and popped out. It's become pretty regular to see them in the river.

[Tim Bromund]

Not to hi-jack the thread but I see a lot about these "Snake Head Fish" anyone caught any? I have never seen one other than pictures online. Are they in the big O?

Yep, had a dead one wash ashore behind my house. Crazy looking thing! So must be at least a few out there.

that was probably actually a bowfin.

[Tim Bromund]

I've caught several sturgeon in the Menominee River in Wisconsin. Biggest I've landed was over 5 feet long and in the 60 lb range took it on a night crawler I was drifting near the bottom in the river for walleye. Hooked some monsters that were 7+ feet and over 100 lbs, but never landed them. That river has a lot of sturgeon and they even have an open season for them there.

Tim

[dalleydouble]

I caught a 40" one in the lower river when I was fishing for bass and have had a few others on the my line but with that current they easily snapped my line. I've seen a few swimming around down there during late spring early summer. I'll show you some pics tomorrow when I see you.

[ Post made via Android ]

[muskybob]

I caught a 3 footer on a piece of pepperoni one time while on a fly-in fishing trip on the Groundhog River in Canada. Really, I did. I saw one mounted in the cabin we were stayin in and saw that mouth that looks like a sucker fish & decided it was a bottom feeder like a sucker. The first one broke my line, but I managed to land the second one. I released it immediately. Very cool looking fish that looks like a shark and fights equally as well.

I heard they have been stocked in Oneida Lake to control the zebra mussel growth & a number of them have been recorded as caught. Not legal to keep in NYS.

[schreckstoff]

Website about sturgeon in NY that has some interesting reading: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/sturgeon/new_york.htm

They are a native species and restoration efforts began in the St. Lawrence but spread quickly to Oneida Lake and other Ontario tributaries. The population in the lower Niagara is growing and I think steelhead fisherman drifting spawn catch them fairly frequently, but as rolmops said "They are a protected species in Lake Ontario and as such they should not be targeted". The Genesee river population is also doing well. One potential reason for their recent success is they do eat zebra and quagga mussels.

[Dave B]

This is a some what frequent poster with a sturgeon caught during the Olcott/Wilson Pro/Am a few years back. It was caught on a 300 copper.

It was released unharmed. I had to argue with him to let me take the photo.

Dave B

[Dirty Goose]

Capt Vince of Thrillseeker caught one last year I believe during the WHI event.

[rod hog]

/

Edited April 5, 2014 by rod hog

[Broadhorizons]

On Oneida Lake guys catch them often during the early walleye and bullhead fishing at the canal in Sylvan Beach. A buddy of mine was there one night and saw two caught that were about 4 feet long. They also have had an article about them in the Post Standard that the sturgeon in Oneida are now reaching spawning age and will be going upstream more-so and the catch rate will increase.

http://blog.syracuse.com/outdoors/2011/05/oneida_lake_sturgeon_finally_c.html

http://blog.syracuse.com/outdoors/2011/08/sunday_column_1.html

[fish-on]

Iv'e caught a few in Northern Quebec over 7ft, Like another guy said on this thread. The small ones have really sharp like body armor on their sides and the big ones are dull. We also ate a couple small ones, Believe it or not they taste better than the walleyes. Iv'e also helped my Cree Indian buddies take them out of the gill nets, Seen some real giant ones, They had to be over 150 years old. The females they let go. For some reason they have their own laws on Indian owned territories,, Like no laws! We've caught pike up there that weighed over 50 pounds , All i can say is, these fish all came from hudson bay at one time. Walleyes, you catch one every two or three minutes, like you would catch sunfish here, you throw the 10 pounders back, they're small.

[Deaf Fisherman]

I haven't caught one but wish for one.

I saw one person landed sturgeon in Sodus or I-Bay (I forget which one) from 1-2 years ago. They said they estimated it was 50 lber on 2 pound line that supposed to catch perch - ice jigging. They couldn't pull out of ice hole. so they was unhook it and released. It was insane sight that fish face stuck on ice hole!

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

We were the ones that caught that Sturgeon last May trolling the day before the WHI. 49inches long caught 5 feet off bottom on a mag DW spoon, at the Niagara bar.

The creature had incredible stamina, I saw the length down deep behind the boat, and thought we had a monster laker. I turned my back to grab the net and heard a crash. My mate Nick looked like he saw a ghost, and said when it jumped 6ft out of the water it looked like a Muskie. It wasn't until right at the point of landing it did we know it was a Sturgeon, and yes it was hooked smack in the tentacles by the "hoover" mouth.

Several get incidently hooked every fall during the Niagara Salmon run, usually they are smaller but they have been caught up to 70+inches. The Feds have documented natural reproduction in the river, but some year classes are better than others.