NSR Sturgeon

[ThisGuyCatchesFish15]

55" long, but forgot to get the girth. Took around 40 minutes to fight the beast. Good job to my buddy Raymond for pulling it in.

[waterninja]

Congrats to Raymond. I was just fishing near him the other day and was asking him whatever happened to Andre. See you down there next nice afternoon.

[ThisGuyCatchesFish15]

Yeah I'll see you soon Ernest.

[Talking moose]

Gratz young fella!

[Bigwoodsman]

Good job fellows. Nice fish

BW

[neekrivers]

40 mins??? huh

[Rage.0]

Originally Posted by neekrivers

40 mins??? huh

4lb test...lol

[neekrivers]

Originally Posted by Rage.0

4lb test...lol

ahh makes sense

[ThisGuyCatchesFish15]

He was just targeting walleye and he didn't expect it so yeah.

[Fishfinder]

Nice! Smile says it all.
Congrats

[Kurt505]

That's awesome!

[Rage.0]

Originally Posted by neekrivers

ahh makes sense

I was joking

[neekrivers]

Originally Posted by Rage.0

I was joking

sorry couldn't find the sarcasm button

so here's a question - they say you shouldn't use regular pickerel rigs for targeting sturgeon as per the my wild Alberta, well the guy that caught this one said he was fishing for walleye and got this a by catch - lets say worst case scenario he played that fish out so much and it never survived, it that fisherman now liable to be fined and charged for harming fish, even though he never had any intention of catching a sturgeon?

[CK Angler]

Originally Posted by neekrivers

sorry couldn't find the sarcasm button

so here's a question - they say you shouldn't use regular pickerel rigs for targeting sturgeon as per the my wild Alberta, well the guy that caught this one said he was fishing for walleye and got this a by catch - lets say worst case scenario he played that fish out so much and it never survived, it that fisherman now liable to be fined and charged for harming fish, even though he never had any intention of catching a sturgeon?

Interesting question, and I don't know the legal answer, I would imagine as long as he released the fish then I would think no, there are no legal grounds to be charged.

Curious to what others opinions are.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by neekrivers

sorry couldn't find the sarcasm button

so here's a question - they say you shouldn't use regular pickerel rigs for targeting sturgeon as per the my wild Alberta, well the guy that caught this one said he was fishing for walleye and got this a by catch - lets say worst case scenario he played that fish out so much and it never survived, it that fisherman now liable to be fined and charged for harming fish, even though he never had any intention of catching a sturgeon?

No

[Fishslayer99]

No x2

[WayneChristie]

yes, fish is still endangered whether he was targetting it or not.

[CK Angler]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

yes, fish is still endangered whether he was targetting it or not.

So what would you do in this situation then ?

[SKSniper]

Originally Posted by CK Angler

So what would you do in this situation then ?

Don't use p-rigs in a stretch of river that you know holds Sturgeon. I saw some guys last week rigging up p-rigs, when I walked by they told me they were going for an early sturgeon

[bigbfidaddy]

No charges unless they prove he knew he had a sturgeon on and chose to fight it that long and stress or wear it out I would think. Not easy to prove what someone knows or doesn't.

[CK Angler]

Originally Posted by SKSniper

Don't use p-rigs in a stretch of river that you know holds Sturgeon. I saw some guys last week rigging up p-rigs, when I walked by they told me they were going for an early sturgeon

I agree 100% don't use p rigs for Sturg.

But my question is, if your not intentionally targeting them and you hook onto one with this method, what do you do then? cut the line and leave all that junk hanging ? I wouldn't want to do that. So what do you do?

And question for Wayne, how can you be charged if this does unintentionally happen?

Can't always control what fish bites your hook.

Only Sturg I've ever caught was in the Winnipeg River and it happened well jigging for walleye @ pine falls, making my point, you can't always control what fish bites your hook.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

yes, fish is still endangered whether he was targetting it or not.

So Wayne, if I'm fishing and I hook a fish, (let's use pike for an example where there is a 0 limit. Like Wabamum) and its hooked deep and rips into the gills, you release it but 5 min later it's now belly up on the surface.....I can be charged for this?

[buckbrushoutdoors]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

So Wayne, if I'm fishing and I hook a fish, (let's use pike for an example where there is a 0 limit. Like Wabamum) and its hooked deep and rips into the gills, you release it but 5 min later it's now belly up on the surface.....I can be charged for this?

pike aren't endangered. pike don't take 25 years to reach a reproductive age

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by buckbrushoutdoors

pike aren't endangered.

Whatever... Let's say same thing happened in NSR and I was targeting walleye and a Sturg grabs the bait.

[buckbrushoutdoors]

yes in short answer you could be charged.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by buckbrushoutdoors

yes in short answer you could be charged.

With?

[Talking moose]

It's the same thing as going up the NSR on a prop boat when all of a sudden there's a thump, you look back and a Sturg is floating behind you, you then phone fins and feathers and say what happened....the boater will be charged with killing an endangered specie? Same thing....(you were doing 2 things which were perfectly legal)

[slipbobber]

Seeing that there is no place in Alberta where you can even keep a Sturgeon any more should you be aloud to fish for them? you can not 100% tell what your going to catch out of any body of water but there are people on this form who target sturgeon. Kind of like hunting where there is no season.

[Talking moose]

Btw, you could be 100% correct, but if you are, then the system is flawed. I don't know, just putting out scenarios.

[WayneChristie]

if you have a big fish on that takes that long to land there is no other fish it could be. cut the line and let it lose the gear number 1. number 2 quit using piece of crap pickeral rigs for any type of fish they are deathtraps since by the time you feel a bite the fish is deep hooked and if you break the rig off the fish will die, I get tired of dragging them out of the river with dead fish attached. there are many better ways to rig up for any fish you dont need to use those things.
the sturgeon arent illegal to fish for they are illegal to keep or kill. only way to stop incidental or intentional sturgeon catches would be to ban all use of bait in the rivers they are in: not possible to enforce