FIRST AND LARGEST STURGEON IN THE YAK!

I CAUGHT A STURGEON!

Congrats, on a quick start to kayak fishing.

Very nice. great first sturgeon!

That's a REALLY^ nice one! Good job! When do they open it for retention?

In WA and OR can you remove a legal-sized sturgeon from the water during a catch-and-release period?

Here is a quote from the WA regs: "Any STURGEON not to be retained must be released immediately. Oversized STURGEON cannot be removed totally or in part from the water."

In line with the lawyeristic nature of the WA regs, I would opine that any sturgeon caught during a catch-and-release period is "oversize".

Comments?

In WA and OR can you remove a legal-sized sturgeon from the water during a catch-and-release period?

Here is a quote from the WA regs: "Any STURGEON not to be retained must be released immediately. Oversized STURGEON cannot be removed totally or in part from the water."

In line with the lawyeristic nature of the WA regs, I would opine that any sturgeon caught during a catch-and-release periodd is "oversize".

Comments?

Pretty sure you can in Oregon.

In WA and OR can you remove a legal-sized sturgeon from the water during a catch-and-release period?

Here is a quote from the WA regs: "Any STURGEON not to be retained must be released immediately. Oversized STURGEON cannot be removed totally or in part from the water."

In line with the lawyeristic nature of the WA regs, I would opine that any sturgeon caught during a catch-and-release periodd is "oversize".

Comments?

Pretty sure you can in Oregon.

From the Oregon regs:  "Remove oversize sturgeon totally or in part from the water is prohibited ".    Not sure how that works with smaller fish when the season is c&r only.  I can see Dominic's logic and agree with it on some level. With no open legal length is everything technically oversized? The intent, for sure is to protect the big fish not c@r'd 40 inchers but it raises an interesting point.  The "ego" pics of big sturgeon draped over yaks are definitely  a no no for sure. 

Easy there BentRod.  I don't think envy or any other malicious intent was entering this conversation.  We tend to look out for each other here w.r.t the rules and ask a lot of questions to make sure we're clear.  Demonick did pose it as a question then stated his opinion for WA based on WA regulations.

-Allen

BenrRod I see your point, but in all fairness I don't think Pelagic is jealous. The dude can catch fish.
Since the regs don't specify that keeper size sturgeon are considered illegal to take out of the water and release unharmed during the closed season, one could make the argument either way on how ODFW would treat this. Still, going forward I know I have to be more careful to remember the oversize rule that they can't come onboard. It's easy to forget that rule when you know you're planning on releasing the fish anyway and your adrenaline is pumping .
Going forward I plan on dragging the fish to shore, snapping a pic in the water with the fish next to the kayak, and calling it good like I used to do in my powerboat. 

Wow..  Sorry, I did it again, please replace "ego pics" with " fish porn pics".  No intent to slam or degrade the orignal post, I was responding to the idea raised in demoics post and how it might be inturpeted in closed fisheries. I was referring in general to all sturgeon fishermen: powerboat, yak or otherwise, myself included, who may be tempted to get a glam pic with one of the big fish.   With sincerity, Nice fish Bentrod. 

A couple friends and I had one of those conversations you would rather not have with a F&G officer .... the kind that takes place as he is writing out a ticket.  The ticket was for my friend pulling an oversize out of the water for a kodak moment.    He picked up the 6' fish and hoisted it up all the way out of the water by the mouth for the photo.   The officer explained how this can easily damage the fishes backbone.   So of all the methods to miss handle a C & R fish, we did so in the worst way possible.   He had been watching us for over an hour and observed the 4 under sized fish pulled out for hook removal and quick photo before releasing, but had no issue with them.  The oversize is what brought him to us.   I don't know if I could consider what this particular officer felt was OK regarding the under sized fish as policy though.    Perhaps what isn't specifically addressed in the regs is left to the discretion  of the officer. 

Just as a point of information for all concerned.  Past conversations of the regulations have resulted in questions being posed and sometimes answered by the WDFW and ODFW.  We do it in the interest of avoiding fines. 

Here for example is a thread concerning the exact boundary of Marine Areas 6 & 7 in WA.

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=10489.0

Well, this is interesting. Today, I caught the first and only sturgeon I have ever caught from my kayak. Funny thing is, I wasn't fishing for sturgeon and never target them, I was fishing for smallmouth bass. It was pretty small, maybe 30" or so. I grabbed it by the tail to get the hook out and I saw there was another hook in it's mouth so I used my lippers(which have never harmed fish in the past) and pulled the hook out. The lip grabber is the only thing I have, I don't own a net.
I didn't have a clue what the size limit or anything else is on sturgeon is because, like all the other fish I catch; I take a picture and let 'em go. Especially from the Columbia. I did catch and kill a pikeminnow to feed to the local osprey. Cost me $5.

Hey all, I pretty much lurk anymore-and only chime in if I really something to add (if someone hasn't brought it up or it's been previously covered).  On the topic of oversize fish being C&R and getting a pic I thought it would be ok to bring up the law regarding removing oversize fish whole or in part from the water.  The health of the sturgeon also protects roe fish. 

A black market pays $$$ for the roe and there are disgusting elements of society who have no problem secretly cutting the belly of a female and removing the roe.  This only takes seconds to do.  The fish disappears to the bottom and a resource of future fish is gone forever. It's pretty sick to imagine because it's so disgusting.
This isn't the only reason for that regulation, it's just another one to add to a list of good reasons to have it in place.

It's not the good intentions of an angler getting a momento, it's the bad element who ruins it for everyone else.

The intent of a law is open to interpetation, and sometimes not real clear.  Law abiding individuals easily create various qualifying reasons for particular laws, most of which are all correct -and reasonable.

Everyone here (NWKA) always is striving to be the very best at protecting and safely utilizing resources.  I really couldn't imagine finding a better group of watch dogs to have on the water.   We all just want to have fun and not killed out there!
-Scott 




 

Well put Scott!