My Sturgeon Trip, and PCB's

[Cool Texan]

So I won that sturgeon trip, and will hopefully be taking my younger brother (9) on it with me to catch some keepers and cook 'em up. But now I am somewhat concerned about eating them. I like the taste of the meat, but I dont want to grow a giant orange afro afterwards. And if my younger brother is with me and catches a 4 footer, there is no way I will be able to talk him into throwing it back.

So seriously, whats the scoop here??

[Tacklebuster]

Cool Texan,
I have wanted to shoot you an e-mail for some time but have not gotten around to it. Seems like we are both from the South so I'll give you my two cents worth. I sturgeon fish 3 times a week and sturgeon is a big part of my diet. As long as you be selective about the fish you take, you won't have to worry about shaving that orange afro. A lot of the keepers in the system are ocean fish following the smelt run.

Bright fish with very sharp scupes are ocean fish that usually hang in the ocean and come into the estuary and mill around. Those fish are now making their way up river and are safe to eat. If you catch a darker fish with dull scupes, throw it back. Those are the resident river fish that have spent a majority of their life feeding on the crayfish and clams in the river. The dull scupes are from them scraping the rocks and hard bottom on the river. If the fish have legions, missing fins, or sores, put them back.

The beauty about this time of year is the river is flooded with fresh fat ocean fish that are well fed and healthy. If you would like, we can also hook up one day and go slam a few. It would be a nice change to conversate with a fellow southerner about jug fishin for cats and setting trot lines. Don't get me wrong, I like the Salmon/Steelhead frenzy the Pacific Northwest has to offer but I do desperately miss pulling up a combination of cats, gars, and turtles in the middle of a hot humid night :cool:

[invader]

hey TB i have ate and caught many sturgies.from bonneville on down to the mouth, and have taken home some fish that had the softer sides on them and i am still here.i understand the pcb fish they were talking about were up stream form bonneville!!.... maybe we can hook up sometime too!!...john

[ 03-04-2002, 06:30 PM: Message edited by: invader ]

[Tacklebuster]

John,
I'm not as gun shy as most as far as eating fish out of the Columbia. I like the idea on the trip, lets plan something :wink:

[Capin' Dan]

Cool Texan and Tackle Buster, Nice to hear from some fellow Southerners. I myself was born and raised in central Texas Farm and Ranch country. I have put out more than a few jugs. I love placing about a eight inch perch under them a couple of feet and watching the whole mess of them drift in the bays of the lakes. I used to also Limb line cats on the Colorado river close to San Angelo and Coleman area. This is a blast as you are running your boat down river and watching the limbs dipping up and down. I love those big ol Yellow Cats (Flatheads). Guys shoot me a line and we will hook up for a Texas type reunion of sorts and catch a fish or two.

Dan! :grin: :grin:

[Rubber Robin]

Congrats on winning the sturgeon trip! :smile: I too read the article on fish and PCB's. Don't eat the skin and avoid the fat and you miss 98% of the problem.

If you haven't tried smoked sturgeon then I would recommend that you take it to Otto's Sausage Kitchen over on Woodstock in Portland. A friend of mine told me that he has tried several places in the past and Otto's did the best job!

I just tried it! :grin: :grin: It is the best that I have had. I had them sprinkle it with pepper on the outside and it was fantastic. They charge about $1.35/lb and it took about 3 days.

It makes a great snack while you are out chasing other fish! Happy hunting!

[Cool Texan]

Wow....sho ahr a lot vus Suthunuhs round these thar parts.

TB, I have caught my share of turtles, though usually not on purpose. The cats are always fun, and great eating, but what a pain to clean if you dont have the tools (try it with old pliers....yeah, that is a LONG job). As for trot lines, well...you are on your own on that one. Lets just let that one drop before things get ugly (I am VERY much against them). :wink:

I am just now getting into the mix of things up here. I have a steelhead, sturgeon (thanks slutgoddess!), silver salmon and countless trout, koakanee and white fish under my belt. Now it is time for a springer!!!

I like the idea of a fishing outing. Keep in mind I am pretty much still a rookie with limited gear though. But I dont take up much space, dont eat much and wont pass gas upwind. Keep me posted on a Suthunuh outing. I am Georgia born, lived in all the non-backwardass states (GA, FL, VA, NC, SC, TX)...spent 21 years in Texas before I finally got smart and came to Oregon.

Lets fish!

[moman]

I had to weigh in on the sourthern connection, I was raised near Tallahassee, FL, 'bout 20 miles or so from the GA/AL/FL border. I've lost the accent for the most part ('cept when I talk to mama on the phone, she's in GA), but I still have an affinity for catfish, hushpuppies, sweet tea, and yellow grits (which I have to buy from the natural foods section at Fred Meyer under the name Polenta). Keep me in mind for any Dixie reunions, I even have an extra sturgeon rig for the Texan. S