Prehistoric Monsters cruise the depths of Lake Erie

Several weeks ago, my friend Steve emailed a photo to me of his cousin on a beach on Lake Erie posing with a Sturgeon.  

Lake Sturgeon beached at Lotus Bay on Lake Erie (New York)

This specimen of an ancient species of fish had washed ashore on Lotus Bay after meeting its unknown demise.  This Sturgeon is a Lake Sturgeon. 

From Wikipedia:
“The lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a North American temperate freshwater fish, … Like other sturgeons, this species is an evolutionarily ancient bottomfeeder with a partly cartilaginous skeleton, an overall streamlined shape and skin bearing rows of bony plates on its sides and back, resembling an armored torpedo.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_sturgeon

Here’s another photo that was circulated last year on the internet labeled as a Lake Erie sturgeon. 

An impressive "Monster" - Yes - Lake Erie - NO.

This was truly a Monster – but not from Lake Erie.  I saw the same photo in In-Fisherman magazine  and it was a White Sturgeon caught on September 19, 2005 in the Fraser River near mission, B.C.  It was slightly over 11 feet long.

The Snake River in Idaho is another excellent place for Sturgeon.  They frequently use 12” – 15” Rainbow Trout for Sturgeon bait on the Snake.

Large White Sturgeon courtesy www.snakeriversturgeonfishing.com 

Here's another photo of a Snake River Sturgeon caught near Payette, Idaho in 1911.  

"Back in the day," they used teams of horses to drag massive Sturgeon onto the shore in Oregon and Idaho

It was reported that a 2,000 pound Sturgeon caught in Oregon was mounted and exhibited at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.  While I was born near Chicago - the Fair was just a bit before my time or I'd have a picture of that fish.

While it’s good to know that Sturgeon still reside in Lake Erie, it’s very sad to see one that should be in its prime of life, dead on the beach.  Lake Sturgeon were once abundant and thriving in the great lakes, so numerous they were even considered a nuisance and a trash fish that was used as fertilizer or dried and burned as fuel in the steamboats that once plied Lake Erie. 

However, once the value of sturgeon was realized, over harvesting soon decimated their numbers to a point where it is a rare occasion when one is caught or even seen washed ashore.  Currently, there is no open season for Lake Erie Sturgeon and possession is prohibited.

The story is quite different on the West Coast from Northern California to Washington and inland to Idaho via the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

When I lived near Portland, Oregon I frequently fished for White Sturgeon – one of some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_sturgeon

My daughter Kristin, a "shaker" Sturgeon she caught, and me on the Columbia River near Horse Tail Falls.

Most of my Sturgeon fishing was in the Columbia River from Bonneville Dam downstream to where the Willamette River enters the Columbia.  While my largest Sturgeon was just over 5 feet long, I have seen Sturgeon considerably larger rocket out of the water within about 10 feet of my 17’ boat.  

And, one of the Fishing Guides on the Columbia guarantees a Sturgeon of at least 10 feet long or your next trip is free.  In the 7 years I lived in Oregon, he never gave away a single trip.

Here are a few more photos of Columbia River sturgeon, fishing from my 17’ Bayliner using typical terminal tackle – no dry flies for sturgeon!

My neighbor Neil with a small Sturgeon - note the tubular mouth it uses to vacuum food from the bottom.
In the earlier photo of Kristin's fish, the mouth is closed and the tube is not visible.

Neil's son with his first Sturgeon

Slider to allow Sturgeon to take the bait without feeling the sinker

Terminal tackle - cannon ball sinker 8 oz. up to 2-1/2 lbs (shown) or larger, in fast water, 8/0 Barbless hook snelled with 120 lb Dacron line - mono was too stiff and Sturgeon have sensitive mouths, and a Quarter to call someone and tell them you caught a sturgeon - this was before three cell phones on every boat!

Here's one getting ready for the smoker!

While Lake and Atlantic Sturgeon are in trouble, the West Coast has a thriving Sturgeon fishery.

The photo below shows a few of the 60,000 plus sturgeon, some up to 14’ long that formed a huge ball below Bonneville Dam on the Columbia in 2008.

“U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Thousands of sturgeon - some 14 feet long - mass below Bonneville Dam in this video frame from a remotely operated submersible sent down to investigate what was first thought to be a pile of rubble. The "Mighty 86th Beavers" on the screen refers to the Army dive team operating the submersible, and the number 55.2 is the water depth in feet.”

More from the Army Corps of Engineers - "We call it the big sturgeon ball," Schwartz said.

“The mountain of white sturgeon contained around 60,000 fish, according to a crude estimate by Michael Parsley, a research fisheries biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Columbia River Research Laboratory in Cook, Wash. He described that estimate as "probably conservative."

It was an aquatic phenomenon nobody had ever seen at such a monstrous scale, offering a startling glimpse into the life of the Columbia's largest and most ancient fish.”  

Click this link (or copy and paste in a browser) to view the video: http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/05/_when_sonar_surveys_spotted.html

Many thanks to Steve and his cousin for sending me the photo of the Lake Erie sturgeon.  It brought back many great memories of fishing in Oregon. 

If this reminds you of a special or unusual fishing story – 

I’d love to hear it, and see the photos.

Thanks for stopping by – Good Fishing!

Dave