Some Sturgeon Caught in Saginaw Bay Said to Be Exotic Varieties
|
||||||||||
| Printer Friendly Story View |
Lake sturgeon like this one up to 5-6 feet long have been found in commercial fishing nets on Saginaw Bay.
Commercial fishermen on Saginaw Bay have reported finding sturgeon up to 5-6 feet long in their nets.
The discoveries may signal a return to the bay of the giant cartilagenous (non bony) fish, considered the elder statesmen of Michigan's fish species.
One twist to the situation is that some of the sturgeon apparently are from European waters since they are brilliant colors.
"When I saw the fish I almost couldn't believe it," said one fisherman. "The colors were green and blue, not bright but actually brilliant.
The DNR (Michigan Department of Natural Resources) didn't believe me, but I saw what I saw."
The exotic stugeon may be from the Atlantic, brought in by ocean shippers along with other exotic invaders like zebra mussels and gobi. These exotic fish are changing the fishing environment of the lakes.
Fishermen are required to report their finds to the DNR. Sturgeon may legally be taken in the Great Lakes and connecting waters (except Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River) and in all inland waters except Otsego and Black lakes from Julyu 16-Nov. 30, catch and release only, with no possession permitted.
In Lake St. Clair and the St. ClairRiver a locking harvest tag must be obtained prior to fishing; the fish must be tagged immediately and registered at a designated registration station. All fish less than 42 inces and more than 50 inches must be released immediately. Harvest is restricted to one per season.
Special restrictions are in place for sturgeon fishing in Otsego and Black lakes and the Mwenominee River and boundary waters.
Sturgeon are so unique it is difficult to confuse them with other Michigan fish. The stugeon has no scales but is covered with five rows of bony plates.
Sturgeon are long-lived, surviving up to 100 years; they can achieve 8 feet in length and up to 800 pounds. While spawning, sturgeon often are seen porpoising (jumping in the air). Michigan sturgeon spawn in the Black River, a portion of which is closed during April and May.
A citizens group called Sturgeon for Tommorow monitors illegal sturgeon fishing and reports violations to the DNR Report All Poaching hotline.
Commercial fishermen also report decreased numbers of perch, which they attribute to predation by walleye and other fish. Smelt have also virtually disappeared, also due to predation by the voracious walleye.
The number of commercial fishermen in the bay from Tawas to Harbor Beach has reportedly decreased from 366 in the mid-1950s to 9 at present. One Thumb area commercial fisherman recently reported to the news media that he was giving up and pulling his boat because of the lack of perch in the bay and Lake Huron.
Canadian perch are flooding the market at low prices, the result of a government consortium with fishing interests, local sources report. Prices of U.S. caught perch have been cut recently from $8 per pound to about $6, while Canadian perch reportedly have been sold as low as $4 per pound recently. Burbot and carp remain active in Saginaw Bay and are producing good returns for the remaining fishermen, whose season is just ending.
| Printer Friendly Story View |
|
|
Dave Rogers |
|
|
|
Printer-Friendly Story View
0200 Nd: 04-15-2024 d 4 cpr 0
12/31/2020 P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm
SPONSORED LINKS
12/31/2020 drop ads P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm