We Got Him!!!! 2012 Steelheading WILL be Epic Dudes!

We got the BEAST that has been eating all your Steelies for the past few years! The "Ballz Deep" Crew can safely now ensure an EPIC 2012 steelhead season. It was full of egg-sack mesh in an assortment of colors, powerbait (blue mostly), various fly patterns and crystal meth and finally, an empty bottle of Beam which had DreamCatcher's fingerprints all over it. Folks, the mystery has finally been solved!

This Sturgeon was 70" and estimated between 75 to 90 lbs. Also between 50 to 75 years old....WOW! What a fight that certainly made our trip a definite success!

congrats on saving the steelhead industry!!
great job guys!

Great catch.  Would have loved being aboard during that battle.

does anyone know where I can get smoked Sturgeon on the east side?

great fish !!!

Pretty cool.

Were you targetting them or was it a happy accident?

Definately very cool!

Sturgeon resurgence in Lake Erie

WOW!! How long did that fight last? TREMENDOUS!! Congrats!!

awesome, paul. didn't hit one of those famed muskie lures, did he? btw, is there any large fish in north america you haven't caught yet?

Sturgeon eat steelhead?

Hey Commander here ya' go:

Paul... you do know all sturgeon fishing on St Clair on the Canadian side is illegal right? Therefore any hold is a bad hold as by law you are not supposed to bring them on board even for a minute. LOL Got ya there. You just posted your own confession. LMAO!

You can fish them (legally) on the other side in MI. waters from late July to the end of September.

Hopefully Tanya will be into the conjugal visits. ha ha

We water released the one I caught the week before (by accident lol)

My old camera died so I don't have a picture (evidence) of Toni's monster.

Are ya' goin' walleye fishin' after Chautauqua? Let's hit it!!!

So.... how did Hammers stack up against Wiley's at LSC? Did you use them exclusively or couldn't resist? I haven't heard a report. Dem looks like Wiley's peeking out of that bucket.

Interesting how Murray says they are on the endangered species list. If that were a fact they would be illegal to fish for and/or harvest everywhere in the U.S like grizzlies are and wolves have been. I believe he is wrong as not only can you fish for them in Michigan but you can also keep them. One per year with a slot limit of 42 to 50 inches.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-97325--,00.html

Interesting facts:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10366_46403_46404-122993--,00.html

Season starts in 2 days (july 16). Anyone want to go. I know some great spots where we catch them and see them jumping often. I'm thinking there must be a VERY good population if we can snag them by accident while trolling for muskies. Last year a friend caught two in one day. Paul and I both got one this year. I'd bet that if we actually fished for them we'd do good. It's just a big catfish. While we're at it we can fish muskies for a bit too. Best ski lake anywhere right now. Two best days last month were 39 fish and 47 each day. Muskies and sturgeon.... that's a big fish trip!

I'm surprised they question the spawing of sturgeon in Erie when walleye perch and other fish are successful and just upstream (and down) they are booming. I don't think there is any doubt. Once again the government is two steps behind the fishermen.

Two years ago one spooled me while three of us stood there and watched the 80 braid peel out of the reel 1 foot at a time. There's no question what you have when one is on. He didn't even go fast. Just real slow about walleye speed (1.8) but unreal power & weight. I don't think he even knew he was hooked as he headed for Detroit wth $50 worth of Tiger Braid and a smoking hot Wiley lure. It was like hooking into a Russian submarine. My knees were shaking! Caught my personal best, a 54 inch muskie, on the next pass while still crying the blues about the lost lure. I have a standard procedure now.... I yell "Everything in.... NOW!" That means all rods and even the big boards. I'm preparing to run the fish down which you can't do with boards out. I'm also hoping to save my darn fishing line! They usually hesitate until I freak out and say "Move & I mean NOW!" I can only imagine the look on my face..... they know I'm serious then. LOL It's insane. I never shark fished but that's what it must be like.

Another buddy, Wags, boated a monster 3 years ago. They had to chase it around and take turns reeling. Afterward the one guy fell on the floor and said "I'm done for the day. Beat! You can have all the fish for the rest of today" Wags got the next rip... a 49 inch ski. Crazy days up there!

I wanna fish sturgeon! Let's go Paul. You can only eat so many walleye.

ORIGINAL: CKM

Lake sturgeon are a STATE endangered species ( http://fishandboat.com/endang1.htm ).  I'm sure I explained to Ms. Weisberg, but she neglected to elaborate.  Wouldn't be the first time.

Hey ShutUpNFish,

We are currently involved in a sturgeon study with PA Sea Grant and the Regional Science Consortium at the Tom Ridge Center.  I would appreciate if you would drop me a PM, as I would like to ask you some questions regarding your catch.

Thanks,


Chuck Murray, Fisheries Biologist,
Lake Erie Reaseach Unit

It was caught in LAKE ST. CLAIR CANADIAN waters not in PA. Just to clarify any confusion.

That is amazing!!! A real life dinosaur!