Recently while doing one of my daily wanderings online fishing forums I came across a post about a new Sturgeon Group”St. Clair-Detroit River Sturgeon for Tomorrow “. Now being that I have gone up and sampled this very fishery and really enjoyed my nights out on the water I had to learn more.

I got in touch with Jim Felgenauer the current president of this new group. I asked him to tell me more about the group and how it came about? Jim did such a great job explain everything and you can really feel the passion he has for this fish, it is best if I just let you read his very words……

“We always knew we had something special here but the point was really driven home when Dr. Zeb Hogan and National Geographic came here to fish with us in 2009 as part of their Monster Fish series. The show aired in July of 2010. Due in part to our participation on this forum, interest in sturgeon fishing has been increasing. We felt it was time to create a conservation organization to promote legal and ethical fishing and to educate people about what is here, how special it is and why it needs to be protected.

Several years ago I asked Brenda Archambo of the Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow about starting a southeastern Michigan chapter. Her advice was to find others with a shared passion and the required management skills. A look around last fall provided that I was surrounded by just such a group.

I can only speak for myself about the challenges. The first was to do an honest assessment of my own abilities and willingness to take on what I expected to be a very long term, if not a lifetime commitment. The second was to develop the courage to take on an unfamiliar task. Normally I do not jump into something without knowing what I am doing first. It helps to be surrounded by such an amazing group of people as our co-founders, and by people such as Brenda who have gone before us and provide a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Also our ties to the fisheries management community have been invaluable. Jim Boase of USFW was instrumental in our choosing a name that would not preclude participation from our neighbors across the border.”

“Because of our passion and enthusiasm, one of the biggest challenges we face is to maintain a long term perspective. This means that we must have patience, knowing that the process will take some time. As anxious as we are, it means we must be careful not to try to do too much at one time. It means that it is important that our focus is on getting it right rather than getting it now. We do want this organization to endure long after we are gone. This will be the legacy we leave for our grandchildren.

Because of the amount of work involved we could easily forget to make it fun. We need to keep it fun for everyone involved. We plan to invite more people to join us in our appreciation of these great beasts. One of the best ways is to take them out and catch a few. We can hardly wait for the season to start. Personally I have been responsible for over 15 people losing their sturginity. I look forward to the next 15.

Our challenges have been few and small as a result of following Brenda’s original advice to find the right people. Yes it is about the fish, but it is also about a group of people with a shared passion to protect the things they appreciate the most. It is about the future and leaving the world in a little better shape than when we got here. It is about giving back to the things that we take from.”

It is always so refreshing to hear about groups like this in today’s world. Everyone seems to want things now and never want to work for things or give back. Support of sturgeon national has been a tough sell due to the slow growth rate of this beautiful gray beast. The return on investment for fishery management is one of long-term. But with more grassroots groups like St. Clair-Detroit River Sturgeon for Tomorrow spreading the word and introducing people to this great sportfish. Management for these fish is starting to gain traction, not just here in Michigan but throughout the country. If you haven’t ever tried fishing for them here in Michigan get in touch with Jim and his group. I am sure they help you get started. If you are on facbook stop by their groups page. If you don’t spend your time on there, head on over to Michigan-sportsman.com. Jim and many other are active members on there. This fish is a loads of fun and more people need to try it out.

For more information on sturgeon fishing regulation visit the Michigan DNRE website. A free tag is required to target them no matter if you are just going to release them. Starting in 2011 you will need to hold an all species fishing license has well.