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#1 |
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Tuna!
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Zigzag, Oregon
Posts: 1,872
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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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All fish, are waterfish... Last edited by Waterfish; 03-18-2009 at 07:09 PM. |
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#2 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bend,OR
Posts: 138
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Man that is amazing, the tide must have ran out pretty fast to strand that many at one time.
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#3 |
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Chromer
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Woodland, WA
Posts: 689
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Ive seen something similar but not that extensive around here. Incredible.
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#4 |
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Coho
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Eastern OR
Posts: 95
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Thats incredible... I wonder how often that occurs? I would imagine that would be a rare thing to see happen. I still just can't imagine how that many ended up getting stranded together in that channel...
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#5 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 229
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This is sad to see. Bummer
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"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." -Benjamin Franklin |
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#6 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Albany
Posts: 433
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IT almost looks like one of those guys has a fishing rod in his hand.... Hope not....
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Member CCA |
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#7 |
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Tuna!
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Yamhill County, Oregon
Posts: 1,007
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that is a drag.
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![]() North River Mafia Seahawk Chapter "Stupidity can be deadly" |
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#8 |
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Sturgeon
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Toledo Wa
Posts: 3,775
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Holy Smokes!!!!!!
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#9 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Beaverton
Posts: 226
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crazy stuff..
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don't hate the playa... hate the game
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#10 |
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King Salmon
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Beaverton
Posts: 8,752
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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!
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It is better to say, "This one thing I do" than to say, "These forty things I dabble in." --- Washington Gladden The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing. ~Babylonian Proverb http://twitter.com/5CentZ |
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#11 |
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Chromer
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Tillamook
Posts: 810
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Quit a few look like there sucking air, that’s not good. Look's like there vary stressed, hope not to many die.
![]() Would hope the ones that do die, will serve a good cause, research , food bank? Would have been cool to have been there. ![]()
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FISHING IS A WAY OF LIFE! CCA Member Chinook are BAAAAAAD TO THE BONE! |
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#12 |
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Sturgeon
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Bend
Posts: 4,007
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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 |
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#13 |
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Chromer
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Gladstone, OR
Posts: 946
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I would bet that most of those fish survive that. Sturgeon can live out of water longer than most fish. Still, that can't be good for them.
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Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right. |
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#14 |
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Ifish Nate
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Aloha
Posts: 2,633
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Seems like they've got a healthy population up there.
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#15 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: West Salem
Posts: 377
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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.
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#16 |
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Fry
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 15
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PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE delete the location.
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#17 |
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Fry
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 3
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Please delete the location. There is no good that can come from this.
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#18 | |
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Tuna!
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Zigzag, Oregon
Posts: 1,872
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Quote:
Done!
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All fish, are waterfish... |
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#19 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Hillsboro
Posts: 475
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man pretty cool. So is it then legal (I realize its not ethical) to go in and grab one?
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#20 |
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Chromer
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: s.e. portland
Posts: 768
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#21 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 109
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its a good thing sturgeon are tough.
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#22 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 377
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Hmmm.. "incredible, amazing, and cool" aren't really the words that come to mind...
![]() More like horrible and awful!
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#23 |
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Tuna!
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: East PDX
Posts: 1,967
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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.
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All Hatchery fish must die...I am the 10% |
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#24 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 219
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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.
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#25 |
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Tuna!
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,584
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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.
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#26 |
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Chromer
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Toledo, Oregon
Posts: 810
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Incredible post! Thank you for sharing.
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Its not about the fish. Its about making memories that last a lifetime. Live each day like there is no tommorrow. Medics Team- Michael, Mechell, Matt, Rob Member CCA |
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#27 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Roy, wa.
Posts: 130
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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.
![]() ![]()
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Men and fish are alike. They both get into trouble when they open their mouths. |
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#28 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: San Diego/Sitka/Vantucky
Posts: 396
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Fascinating! Pictures are worth a thousand words!
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#29 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hilsboro
Posts: 387
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I bet it had to do with the timing of a new moon (where the tides are the highest and lowest)
In the lunar cycle, the moon was closest to earth last December. I bet the photos are from then. RC
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_________________________________________________ "I wasn't born in Oregon, when I got here, I started fishing, clam digging and mushroom picking as fast as I could." |
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#30 | |
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Chromer
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 697
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Quote:
I`ve heard that the indians used to build weirs in this area to direct fish into these tide pools were they could be easily harvested. Could be the new selective fisheries method? |
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#31 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Busted in Baylor County
Posts: 290
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Never expected to see something like that.......
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#32 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Camas WA.
Posts: 496
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Wow i've never seen so many live sturgeon in one spot.
It tells you something about how many are really out there on the columbia or the willamette we can't see. Thanks for the post.
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Cast and ask questions later
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#33 |
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Chromer
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Beaverton
Posts: 818
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Sad sight to see. Wouldn't want any species to get stranded like that.
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Can't stop, won't stop.... |
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#34 |
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Ifish Nate
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: wash.usa
Posts: 3,021
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Whats sad to me is the media will be all over a couple of seals traped but not one single word about this tragic incident is that because these are "game fish" ?
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#35 |
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Super Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Oregon City
Posts: 12,163
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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...
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Bill Monroe "Yet it isn't the gold that I'm wanting So much as just finding the gold." Robert Service |
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#36 |
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Chromer
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: GP area
Posts: 927
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wow what a side site.. Hope that dude with the rod wasnt fishing.
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#37 |
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King Salmon
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Out in the back forty
Posts: 5,347
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The fish are all gone now, so I don't think we need to worry about the location. I also would be willing to bet that most of them live. Sturgeon have been living in tidewater a long time. I've seen sturgeon alive in the air for 3 and 4 hours at a time, and the tide would only have been out a couple hours. It was a coolish day, too.
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We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. - Thomas Jefferson |
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#38 |
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Chromer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portland
Posts: 501
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Sturgeon are so tough some of them may have sprouted legs and walked back to the water, if they were there long enough.
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#39 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Naselle, WA
Posts: 311
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I know of a couple places that this happens frequently at. I don't know where this was at, but it does look like one of the areas I know of. a couple of the areas I see this at has a mixed bag of species caught in tide pools like this.
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Paul Proud member U.S. Coast Guard |
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#40 |
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Coho
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Battle Ground, WA
Posts: 63
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I hope most of those fish survived. That would be a terrible way to go.
Imagine spending 100 years evading predators and fisherman only to get stranded on a mudflat during low tide.
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"Good Things Come To Those Who Bait."
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#41 |
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Tuna!
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Bothell, WA
Posts: 1,041
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You would think through maybe a million years of evolution, Sturgeon getting stranded on a mud flat would be a regular occurence. Thus nature has prob adapted them to last for awhile out of water or in very shallow water. Catfish live out of water for quite some time and that species would also be exposed to being stranded.
Thats my amateur biology lesson for the day. I know where those pics were taken. Even though I was raised in PDX and fished Springers in the Willy going back into the 50's, I've never fished for Gators. I need to find someone who knows what they are doing, fire up the Seahawk and take a whack that spot.
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Websters Dictionary: boat: /bot/noun 1. a small vessel propelled by oars, paddles, sails or power; 2. acronym meaning "Bring Out Another Thousand!" |
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#42 |
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Chromer
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 620
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i've seen them left in the back of a truck overnight and they were still trying to breathe the next day. i think sturgeon are second only to catfish in the toughness department.
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#43 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SW Wash.
Posts: 282
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To bad the seattle daily paper caught wind of it, the word will be out soon(today or tommorow) SAD
being going there for years with gramps
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#44 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Tigard
Posts: 155
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So thats what "so many fish you could walk accros the river" looks like.
I would image the mass majority of those fish are just fine.
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Andrew C. |
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#45 |
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Coho
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 60
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Are those guys noodling? Ha
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#46 | |
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Super Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Oregon City
Posts: 12,163
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Quote:
That (petunias) MEDIA! ![]()
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Bill Monroe "Yet it isn't the gold that I'm wanting So much as just finding the gold." Robert Service |
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#47 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 112
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We duck hunt that area. There is a good population of sturgeon in that slough and the adjoining river system.
We have seen them swimming in the mud when there is a real low tide, but that mud will suck you in. |
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#48 |
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Tuna!
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Warren, Or.
Posts: 1,804
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Looks like a bad dream. Creepy fish in a creepy situation..yuk
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Nothin' to Prove.....Just Fishin' for Fun. |
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#49 |
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Qualified Sturgeon Hugger
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oak Grove
Posts: 29,265
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Creepy fish?
Sturgeon are the most perfect fish ever. They are so perfect, they haven't had to change in thousands of years. They are truly beautiful. Proud sturgeon hugger.
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Resident cat herder. And I have a cool crown. Ifish Member # 1426 "Team LUTEFISK" |
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#50 |
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Tuna!
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: East PDX
Posts: 1,967
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STGrule you should have been out calming the sturgeon with hugs...
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All Hatchery fish must die...I am the 10% |
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#51 |
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Qualified Sturgeon Hugger
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oak Grove
Posts: 29,265
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Sorry. I was out in the field down here hugging baby salmon. The ugly stepsister to the sturgeon.
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Resident cat herder. And I have a cool crown. Ifish Member # 1426 "Team LUTEFISK" |
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#52 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 158
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We'll have WDFW biologist Chad Jackson on the show this Saturday to talk about this sturgeon-stranding. He'll probably be on around 7:30 a.m.
JS/NWWC |
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#53 | |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: camas
Posts: 173
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Quote:
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Fishing is easy right ? All you need is dynamite and a net
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#54 |
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Tuna!
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Warren, Or.
Posts: 1,804
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I figured I could troll up STGRule on that last comment
![]() OK, ok...........they do 'taste' good! But donchagotalkinsmack about those baby salmon, now
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Nothin' to Prove.....Just Fishin' for Fun. |
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#55 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Aloha, Oregon
Posts: 237
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Amazin!!! Good to know most of them made it!
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#56 |
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Tuna!
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Zigzag, Oregon
Posts: 1,872
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What show? TV, radio..? What channel?
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All fish, are waterfish... |
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#57 |
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Ifish Nate
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Salem, OR
Posts: 3,352
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Wow, that's just amazing. I hope most of them made it.
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Board Certified Beeropathic Physician For only a small fee I can recommend the type of beer to cure what ales you. |
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#58 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 109
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thats crazy
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#59 |
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Steelhead
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Spanaway, WA
Posts: 373
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Northwest Wild Country Radio show
950KJR 6-8 am every Sat.
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Honey, I'm going fishing for a little while. ![]() '04 Arima 19SR, 90 and 15 Honda's. Pulled by Dodge 3500 Diesel. |
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#60 |
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Fry
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1
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other than the 8 or so that were found dead the others survived; the tide came in pretty fast.
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