Landing a sturgeon

Captain W

Captain W

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Jun 16, 2020
75
Hinckley Sou’wester 30 Falmouth ME
Received a call from the marina yesterday morning that a five-foot sturgeon was discovered on the deck of our boat. Apparently a neighboring mooring heard a noise and saw this fish writhing around on the deck. The marina disposed of the fish, but had to go out and clean up the murder scene. It was pretty disgusting. Counting my blessings, the damage seems to be minimal and it was discovered and removed almost as soon as it happened. I thought this was a pretty crazy, unique event, but as luck would have it I met a couple yesterday that had the same thing happen except their fish made it into their cockpit and was there for a week before discovered.

Have others experienced this?

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R

Rick486

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Oct 1, 2007
1,865
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
Aw....looks like the poor guy lept aboard then couldn't wiggle off.....
 
shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,397
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I didn't know there were that many of them around. The Hudson River used to have them - maybe still do. It would be a good thing if their stocks are growing.
 
DougM

DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
Sturgeon are still around but the population is extremely depleted. One lake in northern Michigan has a strictly limited winter fishing date. I think the limit is about 8 fish total in any year.
The local Odawa tribe has been involved in a restocking project for a few years in an effort th increase the population.
 
FDL S2

FDL S2

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Jun 29, 2014
479
S2 7.3 Fond du Lac
shemandr said:
I didn't know there were that many of them around. The Hudson River used to have them - maybe still do. It would be a good thing if their stocks are growing.
Click to expand
DougM said:
Sturgeon are still around but the population is extremely depleted. One lake in northern Michigan has a strictly limited winter fishing date. I think the limit is about 8 fish total in any year.
The local Odawa tribe has been involved in a restocking project for a few years in an effort th increase the population.
Click to expand
Lake Winnebago, where I sail, has an estimated sturgeon population of about 45,000 fish. We have a spearing season in winter with a cap of about 5% of the total population, this year about 1,800 fish were speared.

The Wisconsin DNR has done a good job of growing the population over the years after a wake up call. In the 1930’s the limit was 5 fish a day per spearer. By 1973, over spearing and high phosphorus levels reduced the take to 8 fish TOTAL on the lake over a 22 day season. Citizen involvement and increased regulation since the 70’s has grown the population a scary low to where it is now.

Head Sail said:
Someone put it there. Sturgeon are bottom feeders.
Click to expand
They do jump out of the water and being in Wisconsin and not on an ocean its cool to see a 6’ fish leap out of the water in front of your boat. I can see where this could happen in a mooring field.
 
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Will Gilmore

Will Gilmore

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Oct 19, 2017
7,835
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
I've had flying fish jump aboard; one smacked a doctor right in the center of his chest while the doctor was standing watch practicing his harmonica. Even fish are music critics.

I understand the Erie canal has a decent population of sturgeon. I've never seen one. They look like something drawn on a chart from the Ottoman Empire.

-Will
 
Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,217
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
I always thought they were strictly a freshwater fish. I didn't know they are also coastal. Learn something new every day! :)
 
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rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,548
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I had never seen a sturgeoun before the tail I found (see post above) washed ashore. It was the day after Kong vs. Godzilla premiered. Hadn't seen the movie... So... I just assumed Kong won!:biggrin:
 
kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,012
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
We have 3 or 4 different kinds of sturgeon in Lake Pontchartrain. Some natural lake water (brackish) ones and from the Mississippi River floodgates, and some from the Gulf. I have seen a few while sailing and bumped one one day. I thought I'd hit a log; it looked to be about 6 feet long as it casually swam away. Big fellas!
 
DayDreamer41

DayDreamer41

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Oct 29, 2016
1,929
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
It is said that under the Bluewater bridge (Sarnia Ontario to Port Huron Michigan) there is the largest Sturgeon population in the Great Lakes
 
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