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Hundreds of sturgeon stranded (pics)

28K views 67 replies 59 participants last post by  Chesapeake 
#1 · (Edited)
A friend emailed me the following report and photos. I do not know who wrote the note, and I don’t know if it is accurate. Pretty amazing whatever the actual facts are!

I spoke to the WDFW biologist referred to below and he provided the following info: These pictures were taken last Thursday from [somewhere in Washington]. He thinks most survived being trapped in the channel, with a few big ones perishing. He found 8 dead ones in an extensive survey yesterday, all in the 6-10 foot range only Columbia origin fish have been documented in [somewhere in Washington], although others, particularly Fraser fish are probably here. He thinks the Skagit and other bays may get similar utilization, but they just haven't been discovered there as much.

Greetings -This has to be the most fascinating [somewhere in Washington] sturgeon event of the decade. Our hero Brett received these pictures of dozens of sturgeon trapped in a tidal ditch near [somewhere in Washington]. When I called Brett on his cell phone to confirm the authenticity of the pictures, I caught him out on the tidal flats leaning over a dead 9 foot sturgeon. Unfortunately this was the only fish he could find and sample. If this happens again and Brett is able to access this mob of sturgeon, he could sample (measure and scan for PIT tags) a huge sample. In 3 hours two people could collect the equivalent data of 10 years of chasing anglers and the odd sport-caught sturgeon. Brett will send a quick report and advice once he gets back on dry land. If access to these fish is possible in the future, I will offer to try and organize a "scanning party" from BC (volunteers with scanners, measuring tapes, data sheets, and chest waders) if this would be of any assistance. A friend took these pics last Thursday at a mudflat [somewhere in Washington]. He estimated there were 1500 sturgeon stuck in the ditch.







 
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#10 ·
Thats pretty amazing - I am glad the email said most live... does that one guy have one up on the sand... it looks like the other guy has a rod! :whistle:
 
#12 ·
Interesting to see, but it might be smart to remove the specific location from the post to keep some idiots from going down there to grab a few sturgeon the next time it happens. Probably not the first nor last time unfortunately.

Just goes to show you how tough sturgeon are!
TF
 
#15 ·
Those fish probably came out of the Willamete and did not have enough functioning brain cells to swim out. It is a wast of good resources unfortunatley and with about a 12 hour tide turnaround I don't know how many could survive.
 
#35 ·
Deleted location:



Something to think about.
I don't know specifically where that is, although I recognize some of the mountains.

If you want to protect these fish, the more publicity the better IMO.

It may not even be necessary since tides up there have come and gone at least twice...

:twocents:
 
#23 ·
crazy sight...when I worked in the pet field we would have fish that would be out of the water on dry land for 12 hours and could still swim off and they were nowhere as tuff as sturgeon....hope they made it.
 
#24 ·
I asked a couple fishermen at Bonneville once if they'd had any luck, and they're 9 yr old soon promptly dragged a couple keepers out from beneath the van-- both fish were gilling. I asked how long it had been since they were caught, and while the kid tried to balance on the back of one fish, his dad told me one had been caught an hour ago and the other one 3 hrs ago. Hopefully these fish made it-- at least they didn't have a 9 year using them as a balancing beam.
 
#25 ·
I heard they were tough. Rather than try and keep that area a secret, you should just go to the commission, and mandate a ban on retention of sturgeon in that area. That way people who go down there to save them, can do so, and they wont have to die unnecessarily.
 
#27 ·
I have just started Sturgeon fishing the last year and finally caught a keeper. When I saw this, I almost cried. How could this have happened. Is there some enomally that could have caused this? You hear of Dolphins and Whales beaching themselves, but Sturgeon ? This needs to be researched.:pray::pray::pray:
 
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