Whats to come???

S
stonesworth
I was checking out some guide sites looking in on the bite and how people have been doing and ran into this bit on some changes that "might" be comming soon to the sturgeon regs....News flash - I am hearing through the grapevine that the Willamette river keeper sturgeon season in 2010 will be greatly restricted from years past. I am also hearing that it (the Willamette only) most likely will close by the end of March if it even makes it that long. I am also hearing that a spawning sanctuary will be established from the 205 bridge to the falls during the May to Aug time frame. The changes which will be announced Feb 18 will involve as much as a 55% reduction in fish available for harvest on both the Columbia and Willamette. The season will remain on a three day a week harvest format thurs - sat of each week until the Feb meeting, after that it may drop to a two day a week deal with the Willamette going 100% catch and release mid to late March. Other changes could include annual limit reductions and some area closures for all sturgeon fishing. Based on the source of this info I believe it will happen this way. I should also clarify that you most likely will be able to keep sturgeon in the Columbia after the cap is reached on the Willamette. Which is great since all the fish are in the Willamette anyway. ..............LOOKS to be some changes comming anyone know if any of this true ?????
 
J
juggernaut506
It's nice that the DFW increases tag prices then allows us to fish less.
 
B
BlackTalon
Sturgeon Regs

Sturgeon Regs

I know there is supposed to be a meeting on February 18th. I have seen some of the comments you noted as possible outcomes but have not seen anything that definitive. I guess you have to consider the source and any possible motivational factors that individual may have.

Wait and see, but enjoy fishing as much as possible until then.

Evan
 
B
beaverfan
Well it's time they need to do something. The dwindling numbers of Sturgeon is obviously being caused by major over fishing for years and years. From what I gather they only stock Sturgeon above Willamette falls. No native fishery can handle that kind of pressure and sustain itself. It sucks and it's all ODFW's fault for allowing the over fishing to happen in the first place. At least they're stepping up to the plate to do something about it now. I like to catch Sturgeon as much as the next guy but the Sturgeon population can't handle the current fishing pressure.
 
S
stonesworth
I dont think the low numbers are any result of sport fishing at all but other factors to many to list ....But ya we have to do something and if it means not fishing for them so be it......
 
H
halibuthitman
a lot of things kill sturgeon, like putting them on the beach for your avatar picture, sea lions, crazy gillnetters, it should be solely catch and release off the columbia anyway. but hey... they can't shut down the wall, so the obvious solution is to shut down all of us... you know, that old chestnut:rolleyes:
 
B
beaverfan
Ya there are other things that have had an impact too, but I think the impact by fisherman is higher than you think. Whether it's by poaching or by legal methods.
 
J
juggernaut506
Too bad they don't have a hybrid sturgeon to tide over fisherman until the wild fish stocks are healthy again.
 
S
stonesworth
halibuthitman said:
a lot of things kill sturgeon, like putting them on the beach for your avatar picture, sea lions, crazy gillnetters, it should be solely catch and release off the columbia anyway. but hey... they can't shut down the wall, so the obvious solution is to shut down all of us... you know, that old chestnut:rolleyes:

I would like to see how pulling an almost legal sized fish out of the water on small round rocks hurts a fish .Sturgeon if banked on flat ground and if they are supported have little issue or ill effect if put back into the water in a timely manner.....Have you ever seen the ofw catch tag and do research on sturgeon or any other fish for that matter.The fish in my pic was let go unharmed like 99% of the fish I catch the rest get bonked for friends and fam since I dont eat the fish I catch salmon or other.....And another thing with the exception on a few other rivers in the world the columbia is one of the biggest producers of caviar in the world I think that and the politics that go with it have more to do with the over fishing or lack of fish along with the nets and sealions..I think sport fishing has very little to do with it.. .DISCLAIMER... This is all in my opinion......;) I know how people can get all uptight about things they are passionate about..
 
J
juggernaut506
stonesworth said:
I would like to see how pulling an almost legal sized fish out of the water on small round rocks hurts a fish .Sturgeon if banked on flat ground and if they are supported have little issue or ill effect if put back into the water in a timely manner.....Have you ever seen the ofw catch tag and do research on sturgeon or any other fish for that matter.The fish in my pic was let go unharmed like 99% of the fish I catch the rest get bonked for friends and fam since I dont eat the fish I catch salmon or other.....And another thing with the exception on a few other rivers in the world the columbia is one of the biggest producers of caviar in the world I think that and the politics that go with it have more to do with the over fishing or lack of fish along with the nets and sealions..I think sport fishing has very little to do with it.. .DISCLAIMER... This is all in my opinion......;) I know how people can get all uptight about things they are passionate about..

I agree. I think they're a lot tougher then any catfish or other fish I ever caught. If I can cut open a sturgeon, remove the eggs, sew it up and the fish survives they can survive a lot more then being pulled up onto the gravel. The one I caught last weekend got gill cut, tied to the back of a boat to bleed for 5 hours then took an hour and a half trip back to my home in the back of a truck. When I got back home that fish would still flap it's tail when I touched it's eye and every couple minutes would gasp for water.
 
H
halibuthitman
I have seen tagging, ive done it, over 1200 days on nmf, iphc, and alaska dept of fish and game research vessels, tagged halibut sablefish gray cod sharks.. in an average day we would tag 100 halibut, hoping to produce 10 fish that would survive to give data, you probably didn't hurt that fish at all, I agree... but you are taking a great big p*ss right in the boots of odfw that says clearly in the regs.... do not remove oversized from the water for any reason. You cannot justify that photo away. I have sat and watched bank poachers in the birdhouse hole on sauvie island poach undersize, too many, fillet on site, or let leashed sturgeon go after hours becouse of a bigger fish. we need more enforcement..... period. heck even a guide up at st.johns got popped 3 weeks ago for a 37" fish... he knows better. I hate to have to say it again, but... it is not odfw responsibility to provide us with a better fishing expirence, or fishing at all.. but hey.. lets blame them anyway, its easier to swallow. in an undercover boat I could bust 10 poachers on any keeper day in the willy or channel. probably a lot more.... I would love to see a sting operation take place.... heck i,d even donate my boat and $1500 bucks for some officers salaries to do it.
 
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J
juggernaut506
halibuthitman said:
I have seen tagging, ive done it, over 1200 days on nmf, iphc, and alaska dept of fish and game research vessels, tagged halibut sablefish gray cod sharks.. in an average day we would tag 100 halibut, hoping to produce 10 fish that would survive to give data, you probably didn't hurt that fish at all, I agree... but you are taking a great big p*ss right in the boots of odfw that says clearly in the regs.... do not remove oversized from the water for any reason. You cannot justify that photo away. I have sat and watched bank poachers in the birdhouse hole on sauvie island poach undersize, too many, fillet on site, or let leashed sturgeon go after hours becouse of a bigger fish. we need more enforcement..... period. heck even a guide up at st.johns got popped 3 weeks ago for a 28" fish... he knows better. I hate to have to say it again, but... it is not odfw responsibility to provide us with a better fishing expirence, or fishing at all.. but hey.. lets blame them anyway, its easier to swallow. in an undercover boat I could bust 10 poachers on any keeper day in the willy or channel. probably a lot more.... I would love to see a sting operation take place.... heck i,d even donate my boat and $1500 bucks for some officers salaries to do it.

3 weeks ago when I was at St. John's the ODFW guy said that he just ticketed a guy with a 37" sturgeon.
 
S
stonesworth
Ya Its sad when it comes to the lack of enforcement on the water for sure!! I have called on a group of guys bank fishing because we seen them keep undersized fish to many to count when we called they said they would try to get someone out but after a few hours of us fishing they still had not shown up.. When it comes to tagging the death rate is not from the catch and tag that is only 10% or a bit more due to float bladder issues on deep water fish the rest is from preditors and so on they would not tag if it was 90% death rate just from tagging...And the ofw rules of fish out of the water are broken by EVERY one that fishes even you im sure!! I mean come on how many pics of nates are there on here and who has ever took a measurement under the water or walked waist deep to unhook a sturgeon when fishing from bank...To make a comment about my pic to make your point then say that I did not prob hurt it then state the ofw regs about fish out of the water when you do it as well im sure is funny to me........People should go more out of the way to give some input on the posts made then to go out of the way to call out someone on a pic or whatever else......
 
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H
halibuthitman
actually I have stared at your avatar in amazement, several times, you know how many of us have caught a very large fish and properly released it, then there you are, balls out doin what you want and making comments like we all do it just to make yourself feel better?? well on any other site you would have been thrashed loooong ago, most people here are cool and friendly.... im not... your picture sucks... and you can drag me into the mud when you are holding a picture of me, breaking the rules with any fish. You mock every guy who walks the line with that photo.
 
B
beaverfan
halibuthitman said:
actually I have stared at your avatar in amazement, several times, you know how many of us have caught a very large fish and properly released it, then there you are, balls out doin what you want and making comments like we all do it just to make yourself feel better?? well on any other site you would have been thrashed loooong ago, most people here are cool and friendly.... im not... your picture sucks... and you can drag me into the mud when you are holding a picture of me, breaking the rules with any fish. You mock every guy who walks the line with that photo.

:clap::clap::clap::clap:
 
S
stonesworth
halibuthitman said:
actually I have stared at your avatar in amazement, several times, you know how many of us have caught a very large fish and properly released it, then there you are, balls out doin what you want and making comments like we all do it just to make yourself feel better?? well on any other site you would have been thrashed loooong ago, most people here are cool and friendly.... im not... your picture sucks... and you can drag me into the mud when you are holding a picture of me, breaking the rules with any fish. You mock every guy who walks the line with that photo.

Thats funny stuff man!! Ya that 60 or so inch fish on the shore is to mock you all. :clap: just like all the nates that people have all up in the air for the good pic and the guides and their oversized pics with 7 guys holding them up for the pic ya just to mock you..WOW grow up dude... We could hate on people and their pics all day it just takes away from the site and brings unwanted drama as far as im concerned..As far as the book goes Im in the wrong like most of us when it comes to walking the line "but not you" but all my fish are released unharmed like most of us, as was that one in my pic that I did not know was over till we put a tape on it.......Sounds like you just want to fight with someone to me but whatever floats your boat..As for me im done ..
 
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B
beaverfan
Nope he's not trying to pick a fight with anyone. He just knows his stuff. A large Sturgeon like that doesn't do well after being on land. They have all kinds of problems with they're air bladders and it can take days sometimes for them to die. That is why it's illegal to pull them out of the water. As far as native fish go. I haven't looked recently but I don't remember it saying flat out that they can't be taken out of the water at all. I may be entirely wrong. I haven't looked lately because I don't take native fish out of the water so it doesn't matter. There is a massive difference between carefully craddeling a fish for a few seconds for a pic and dragging a massive fish being drug up on shore. You have no idea if that fish lived or not. How do you know that it didn't have internal injuries from its weight. I would have said something in my first post but honestly I don't pay much attention to avatars so I didn't notice.
 
S
stonesworth
beaverfan said:
Nope he's not trying to pick a fight with anyone. He just knows his stuff. A large Sturgeon like that doesn't do well after being on land. They have all kinds of problems with they're air bladders and it can take days sometimes for them to die. That is why it's illegal to pull them out of the water. As far as native fish go. I haven't looked recently but I don't remember it saying flat out that they can't be taken out of the water at all. I may be entirely wrong. I haven't looked lately because I don't take native fish out of the water so it doesn't matter. There is a massive difference between carefully craddeling a fish for a few seconds for a pic and dragging a massive fish being drug up on shore. You have no idea if that fish lived or not. How do you know that it didn't have internal injuries from its weight. I would have said something in my first post but honestly I don't pay much attention to avatars so I didn't notice.

The air bladder issue is from the diff from deep water presure change to shallow water not pulling them out of the water...And from what I have read when they get above 200lbs or so then the issue of organ dammage can occur when takin out of the water my fish was almost keeper sized under 200 lbs and landed like any one else would have not knowing if it was to big or not. I get what he and you are saying but its all up to point of view, if I was going out of my way to do wrong I could see your point but if a 60 in fish on shore is wrong then I guess I should get my others off as well from years back when the size was above 54- 58..... I will change my pic as well just to have this not be an issue again although my other sturegon pics are of ones that are above 54 in caught before the change :shock: So I guess a salmon pic will have to do then..I dont want to cloud this forum with bs about my pic..
 
S
SNDSLGR
I am no biologist but I have read that because sturgeon have no bone structure that their own weight crushes their organs causing potentially leathal damage by either lifting them from the water or laying them on a bank.


Stonesworth, in refrence to your original post here what are you doing to make it better? Your fish handling is certainly not doing anything to help the fish or us as fisherman. You make vague unfound statements about sport-fisherman not being the problem, I dont want to argue that point with you because I dont know the answear. IMO its many things that contribute to the proven problem of our sturgeon population.

So rather than point ignorant fingers at problems you dont understand may I suggest you start doing something about it. You dont need to run for govenor or anything, mabey start by following game laws, improve your own ethics, saying something to people you see poaching, be a true sportsman and others will respect you for it and want to follow your lead. Imagine how a non-fisherperson would feel about what happened the day you drug that fish up the bank, now go ask them for finacial support or a vote for our fishery.

I am not trying to throw you under the bus, there is not a person on this site who has done everything right with every fish they have touched. I can say that if I had to potentialy harm a fish to measure it... it would get released un-measured.

We all better start taking charge of our fishery because if we dont, they will go on allowing it to be raped to a point of no return... and that will be a sad day.
 
S
stonesworth
SNDSLGR said:
I am no biologist but I have read that because sturgeon have no bone structure that their own weight crushes their organs causing potentially leathal damage by either lifting them from the water or laying them on a bank.


Stonesworth, in refrence to your original post here what are you doing to make it better? Your fish handling is certainly not doing anything to help the fish or us as fisherman. You make vague unfound statements about sport-fisherman not being the problem, I dont want to argue that point with you because I dont know the answear. IMO its many things that contribute to the proven problem of our sturgeon population.

So rather than point ignorant fingers at problems you dont understand may I suggest you start doing something about it. You dont need to run for govenor or anything, mabey start by following game laws, improve your own ethics, saying something to people you see poaching, be a true sportsman and others will respect you for it and want to follow your lead. Imagine how a non-fisherperson would feel about what happened the day you drug that fish up the bank, now go ask them for finacial support or a vote for our fishery.

I am not trying to throw you under the bus, there is not a person on this site who has done everything right with every fish they have touched. I can say that if I had to potentialy harm a fish to measure it... it would get released un-measured.

We all better start taking charge of our fishery because if we dont, they will go on allowing it to be raped to a point of no return... and that will be a sad day.

If you read my post I said I dont THINK it has to do with sport fishing but if I had to stop fishing for them to help I would. And ignorant fingers at problems I dont understand and my ethics..Wow this is funny ..And I dont care what a non fisherman feels like my tax dollors and my funds from me buying my tag every year does more for fish then they ever will not to mention the many foundations I have worked with to improve the fisheries and spawning grounds???.And again with my fish handling pulling a 60 in fish up on small round rocks is bad if it was 54 in it would be ok and I would be a good sport for letting it go 2 in or 6 in makes the diff when I did not know to start the size of the fish..I dont know why the fish numbers are low it could be because of over SPORT fishing But something tells me its something else..
 

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