CTFishTalk.com: CT River Sturgeon!!! - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

billy62694 · Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 31

Took an hour and a half to go fishing at the Ferry docks in Rocky Hill. I was using night crawlers fishing off the bottom. Started off with some small channel cats, 2 of them around 12 inches each. Then i had a nice hit and set the hook, i thought it was going to be a medium sized cat fish but it ended up being a large sturgeon! I was talking to some guy yesterday when i went and he said that they are very rare to catch out of the CT river. It was a couple pounds and was exactly 2 feet long. The man next to me, who didn't speak English, wanted to keep it. I told him that it was illegal to keep it, (or so the guy i talked to yesterday says) but he made sure i didn't throw it back. He basically took it from me, haha. If someone knows anything about sturgeon's, weather they are illegal to keep or how rare they are, feel free to post up what you know, if i can get the picture i have of it up ill post it.

billy62694 · Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 31

Just found out that it is illegal to keep a sturgeon, found that in the 2011 ct fish guide, o well, the man probably would have went ballistic if i threw it back Very Happy

alibaba · Joined: 06 Jan 2011 Posts: 42 Location: plainville

that is so sad to hear thay are ilegal to keep very ilegal and rare to catch he should have ben put back right away that man is an idiot and i cant beleive you let him punk you like that you should have told him no and let it go it was just a baby thay can live upwards of 80 years so sad Sad

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The old admonition to "think like the fish" is merely an incentive to learn the whys and reasons of a fish's normal behavior in order to be more successful in catching them" William K. Johnke"

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Thanks for the report, billy62694. When the bite died on the river in the morning yesterday, I wondered whether there are any sturgeon in there. Now I know.

I gotta go with alibaba on this one. Are you really only almost 17? You should have stood up to the guy who took the fish and released it instead. Your gut told you what the right thing to do was. Lesson learned, I hope.

Damn, now I'm always going to wonder whether there's a sturgeon nearby when I fish the river. Confused

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madkey · Joined: 13 Jun 2011 Posts: 75 Location: Torrington,CT

Went to the Thames yesterday afternoon and fished into the night.
The tide was right for the afternoon but I was running late. Found a few on the shallows and had some hit and misses with the poppers.Also had one of the biggest strippers I've seen follow my lure right to the boat and then turn away.
my heart was pounding! Hung out a little longer trying to get another chance but got nothing.headed up to the harbor around dark and couldn't find and bunker.
So we let much earlier than I wanted.

Rich
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I"ve got to be smarter than a fish!

DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

That is bad news that the dude kept that fish...what a shame. It's assholes like him that kill our fisheries.

billy62694 · Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 31

Yea, i turn 17 in a week, but anyways yea afterward i kinda felt like i should have done something about it. Once i took it off the hook he just took it and killed it, lesson learned i guess. I don't keep the fish i catch so it in a way it went against what i normally do, hopefully their will be a next time

TT · Joined: 14 Dec 2010 Posts: 34

Shud have called the TIP line!

hoppy · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 393 Location: congamuck

you caught the fish it was your responsability to get the fish released. id beat a guy for "ripping" a fish out my hands simply becuase he wanted to keep it knowing that it was an illegal fish to keep. I dont care if he spoke english, spanish, chinese, russian, or was a mute. That fish would not have been kept under my presence. next time stand up for yourself and these idiots that will take anything illegal or not they see come to shore. if your safety is an issue fish with buddys or go somewhere else or carry a something legal to defend yourself. you know the little clubs they sell for fishing to "knock" fish out? Have the litte rope on the end to keep attached to hand so it wont fall in water? Something tells me that little fish bat would be equally productive on a crazy non-english speeking irrate sturgeon stealer! Laughing

Keeping sturgeon or being any part of one being kept is not acceptable. Tight lines!

billy62694 · Joined: 11 Jul 2010 Posts: 31

Phish · Joined: 22 Aug 2008 Posts: 454 Location: West Hartford

Mature response, Billy. Lesson learned. Violence is never a good idea. You may have a bat, he may have a gun. Just keep an angler guide in your pocket and know the laws and you can pull it out and show the next moron that hassles you that he is breaking the law (not that he will care).

BTW, a couple of pounds is a small sturgeon, not a large one. Check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuCwhPCYuSA&feature=related

MarkO · Joined: 12 Nov 2007 Posts: 330

Good job kid...you did the best you could at that moment. Sturgeon, although protected, are not as rare as you might think in the CTR.

hoppy · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 393 Location: congamuck

Did he put a gun to your head? Or are you the type that jumps of the bridge because your told to? I cant think of any reason other then a gun to my head that would make me feel like the fish was better off kept. Im not saying just beat the guy because he wants the fish. you tell him no as many times as you need to. If he gets aggresive and starts trying to grab the fish or put you in harmes way.......well then its time to defend yourself. I dont tell anyone to go around beating anyone for anything but there is a differance when it comes to protecting yourself. How about just cutting your line next time you catch one?
that would make it pretty easy. This isnt a hassle kid this is called tough love.
Did you expect a pat on the back and a "atta boy"?

catch&release · Joined: 02 May 2011 Posts: 62 Location: West Hartford

Dude your outta line, it was a mistake. He didn't know now he does it's not the last sturgeon on earth. How about the subject gets dropped

atkins · Joined: 13 Apr 2010 Posts: 220 Location: Manchester

They are federally endangered if you or the other guy were caught you talking about more then a fishing violation as a consequence. Its a shame if was pressuring you. Though if I caught one Id be super pumped too, always glad to hear the old sturgeon are around.

And dont listen to Hoppy, this site is for sharing and reporting our experiences on the water, not too belittle others.