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I finally decided to join this very interesting forum. I thought I was a fanatic fisherman, however, this was before to learn about Fish-Hawk.
There seem to be a lot of interest for sturgeon. As this speices is one of my favorite, here are a few pics of some of the big girls I've been lucky to catch and release.
Hope this works and that you will be able to see the pics.
Oakborne, I saw your pic. Nice fish. They stay very sharp when they are young. Contrary to the white sturgeon from BC, our lake sturgeons become smoother and easier to handel when they grow older.
Randsome, Big-O, CB, some fish were caught in Alberta, in the North Saskatchewan river (the three fish caught on the same spot), others in the St-Lawrence river, in the Montreal area.
As for the stories, Bobber, they all have interesting ones. All the big sturgeons are hard fighter, they will almost always jump clear out of the water, shortly after hook set, and I have yet to see an injured sturgeon (I probably caught and released over 200 sturgeons and all but one were caught on the lips).
For example, we were ready to head back home, when a fish was caught on the last rod left in the water. It took us, my girlfriend and myself, 1h30 to land that fish. At a point I was sure we had hooked a 100+lbs sturgeon. However, it turned out the 55 pounder was fool hooked, just above the caudal fin!
I had to follow the 57 pounder down river, with my boat, as he took the current and the line left in my reel was disapearing at a fast rate. This fish was also hooked minutes before I had decided to leave, before the approaching thunder storm would hit us. It was an interesting experience beeing in an aluminum boat, in the middle of a large river, with a 12ft long rod in my hands and lightenings everywhere in the sky.
I never felt the 70 pounder bite. It was just time to check the bait when I felt some resistance. 20 minutes later my tired arms were holding my heaviest fresh water fish to date.
The 44 pounder was a very old fish that was caught and sampled 10 years before I could catch it myself. During this time it only grew 6 cm in length.
Sturgeons are perfect sport fishes. If handled properly mortality due to fishing is 0%. However, these fish grow very very slowly. They don't spawn before 12-15 years old (~100cm long). Even then, they will only spawn once every 4-6 years. Sturgeons can live up to 100 years. Kill a 50 pounders and it will take 50 years or more to replace that fish.
Seaweed, I love to eat fresh fish, however, I would never harvest such a precious one. (Plus I once bought a piece of smoked sturgeon and it tasted like tire!...).
