Sturgeon - kersplat!

blacktail · 03-13-2004, 04:15 PM

Fished the Willamette for springers by OC this morning for a couple hours. Didn't see any salmon caught, nor did I even have a bump.

However, I did witness another upsetting display of what goes on by some of the bankies fishing from the wall for sturgeon.

A guy hooks a nice sized fish. They get the rope lasso thing around it and pull it up the rock ledge, then scrape it over the metal railing and presumably onto the sidewalk. Quite a few minutes pass and here comes two guys carrying the fish onto the upper rock ledge. The fish which must have been a little oversized, now gets the old heave-ho for about a 25 foot free fall into the river. Kersplat!! Nice belly flop.

I know that sturgeon are tough, but I really wonder if the fish can survive this kind of treatment? I'm not an expert, but it sure didn't look like a good thing to me.

Mike

gottafish · 03-13-2004, 04:20 PM

Why do they not shut it down. Its just wrong. How come the city doesn't just stop it. put a sign up no fishing Or build a fishing ledge just off the water. its not rocket sience

[ 03-13-2004, 05:21 PM: Message edited by: gottafish ]

Born to be Wild · 03-13-2004, 04:21 PM

Doesn't sound like a good thing to me either.
Maybe they should lower it down with the same lasso?

I used to do the same thing years ago only with shakers and didn't like the idea of that or the belly flop sound when they hit.

STG would probably have some educated info on that.

Dano

weekend warrior · 03-13-2004, 04:23 PM

You know BT, I went by there every so often when I was younger going to Larry's and I always wondered how they released fish

.
They are as tough as nails but it makes you wonder, they aren't indestructible but some think they are so they could care less.
There feelings probably are that if they don't see it float up everythings fine, it doesn't really matter to them

. Kinda sad. There an awesome fish to survive this long.

Just my .02

Tacklebuster · 03-13-2004, 04:47 PM

This flat ****es me off

Next week I am going to take a couple of days off and arm the Tacklebuster with a video camara. I hope like heck I don't witness something like this but if I do, you bet your bottom dollar I will push the video to the fullest. I am tired of these disrespectful pukes who kill our fish in senseless acts like this.

You know who you are and before to long so will I.

JCJ · 03-13-2004, 06:16 PM

Good luck getting anything done by this idiotic fishery there.I was fishing the catwalk last year for sturgeon and this new female gammie came down to check license.Struck up a conversation with her and she said she was new to the area,so I told her to watch the catch and release techniques of the peole fishing the Wall.A few minutes later here it comes a 50 foot belly flop into the river.She was amazed there had not been tickets issued for that kind of behavior.Said she would take care of it but guess what they are still there and doing the same kind of garbage every day.So what does it take to get that closed down.Can anybody exert any pressure on this?

Bonneville Dan · 03-13-2004, 07:10 PM

One small sturgeon we released today in the river after a short fight surprisingly floated belly up downstream. Before releasing it we had it upright and swimming, but unlike the rest of them, it didn't likely make it. No blood, gill damage, or deep hooking. We have no idea what happened to that one. Can't imagine that sturgeon cranked up "the wall" could have a very good survival rate.

Born to be Wild · 03-13-2004, 07:37 PM

Yea, well that's why I don't practice C&R.

Dano

FROGGY · 03-13-2004, 08:25 PM

Too bad you can't throw these idiots in the water, throw a lasso around them, drag them up the wall, and release them back down.
I dont see how a person could do this without feeling just a little sorry for the fish.

FreetoFish · 03-13-2004, 11:00 PM

Send the video tape to the Oregonian and say fish cruelty. :depressed:

Try calling the sports department. Good luck

letsfish · 03-13-2004, 11:45 PM

If it is good fottage I bet Grant McCombie at KATU would love to see it and possibly do a piece using it.
I think enough "outraged anglers" calls to the local gamie office will at least have them checking the books on how they can ticket these folks and educate them. Providing a more accessible spot to fish that hole is a nice idea but kind of impracticle. If you don't think so draw up some plans and submit them to the right folks -it would be great to change that ridiculous method of releasing fish so they can live. It is akin to breaking a trouts neck when removing the hook and then tossing it in the water half believing it will swim away unaffected.

gottafish · 03-14-2004, 06:20 AM

Yes Grant would be the guy to spear head this. something needs to be done.

cotalot · 03-14-2004, 06:39 AM

I've never been a fan of the bureaucracies and "tree-huggers & ACLU's, etc.", of the world, and this happens right out in front of the Clackamas County Courthouse, no less!

What about sending a video to the animal rights agencies, such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, E-mail: www.aspca.org and other similar organizations?

This certainly seems to be a legit complaint and would fall into animal abuse.

cotalot · 03-14-2004, 07:03 AM

ODFW ruled (and rightfully so) that it's illegal to even remove a native fish from the water (eg., for photo's, etc.) and must remove the hook whilst still in the water. How much more heinous is the "belly-flop technique", after dragging it up a cliff and over the rail and on the sidewalk?

They must jump on this.

Amahnee · 03-14-2004, 08:14 AM

I am e-mailing this page to both the ODFW & State Police.

West Linn Wader · 03-15-2004, 06:55 AM

I normally don't bring my video camera fishing...just the digital still but I will make it a habit when we start hitting the Willie regularly this spring. Perhaps other iFishers can do the same thing and one of us can get some good footage for KATU and whomever else will watch.

GS/WLW