1/3/2024 0 Comments Idaho fish and game sturgeon![]() ![]() Getting in the river with an 80-year-old animal (sturgeon are catch-and-release only and must be kept in the water) and feeling it swim away with a sweep of its huge, powerful tail is an experience you’ll never forget. Skyler and I landed four 7-footers that day, and each one took 30 to 40 minutes of physical, arm-burning work. As long as you maintain tension on the line, you’ll land most hookups - but be prepared for a knockdown, drag-out battle. When the fish stops, apply constant pressure with the rod and winch line back onto the reel. The fish will make long, line-peeling runs, during which the angler is powerless to slow it down. Once that’s done, it’s game on!įighting a sturgeon is a tug-of-war. Rather than a traditional hookset, point the rod down until the line tightens, and then reel as fast as you can to set the circle hook in the corner of the fish’s mouth. Hopefully, these ancient fish will continue to bend rods and exhaust anglers willing to tangle with a real river monster.Ĭheck out these articles for more info on Idaho’s sturgeon and efforts to conserve and manage them.The pivotal moment comes when a sturgeon picks up your bait and starts swimming off with it. However, Idaho Power and Fish and Game have active conservation programs helping to boost sturgeon populations throughout the Snake River. In Idaho, sturgeon fishing has been catch-and-release only since 1971. Populations have significantly declined from historic levels as a result of overharvest, hydroelectric dams, pollution and other issues. ![]() The slow growth, long lifespans and infrequent reproduction means these river giants are very susceptible to overfishing, meaning populations can take decades to rebuild. ![]() Strike Reservoir can take 10-15 years to reach sexual maturity, while those in Hells Canyon take even longer. Downstream in Hells Canyon, where biologists have handled more than 4,000 sturgeon during surveys over the last 30 years, only 10 fish have ever exceeded the 10-foot mark! So yes, they do exist, but these are very rare and special fish.įishing for Idaho’s white sturgeon is allowed strictly on a catch-and-release basis, and they may not be removed from the water while handling. Biologists from Idaho Power captured a 131.5-inch behemoth in 1993, as well as a 119-inch fish in 2015. Strike Reservoir, only a handful of sturgeon in this class have been seen. Out of hundreds of fish collected during surveys from the Snake River around C.J. Strike Reservoir has good numbers of sturgeon, fish over 10 feet are exceedingly rare, and usually only seen in Hells Canyon. Strike Reservoir on Aug. 5, Greg Poulsen got his chance and hooked into a big one! Greg ultimately landed the 10-foot 4-inch monster sturgeon, and set the hook on a new state record in the process.Īt 124 inches in length, this rare fish swam past the previous record of 119.5 inches, set in 2019 by Rusty Peterson and friends. While the Snake River around C.J. Greg and Angie Poulsen of Eagle Mountain, Utah traveled to Idaho, hoping to tangle with North America’s largest freshwater fish, the white sturgeon. Well, it’s happened again! C.J. Strike Reservoir in southwestern Idaho – typically known for abundant crappie and smallmouth bass – has once again produced an eye-popping state record fish. The following is a press release by Martin Koenig, Natural Resource Program Manager via Idaho Fish and Game dated August 12, 2022. ![]()
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