If you have never seen or fished for sturgeon before you really should give it a try. These fish can live for over a 100 years. This is the only fish that 4 to 5 generation of a family could catch the same fish in the span of it’s life.Groups like the varies Sturgeon for Tomorrow groups are doing a great job protecting and showing the public just how neat this fossil fish are.

90lb Lake Sturgeon Caught on Film

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Me holding my 62 1/4 inch 90lb lake Sturgeon, the camera on the right has Jenny Olsen behind it.

A few weeks back I wrote about a Sturgeon Fishing trip with a new conservation group here in Michigan. On the boat I was on we also had Jenny Olsen from Michigan Out-of-Doors TV. Well she caught the who fight and how our boat got the rod that was hooked into this beast. The Video can be seen on their website right now the link is below. Also if you would like to read about that trip out on the St. Clair River with the St. Clair- Detroit River Sturgeon For Tomorrow you can read about it on my blog:

New Group Supporting Michigan’s River Monsters

If you would like the to see the segment of the show that highlighted this group and me catching my new personal best freshwater fish you can see it here:

Michigan Out of Doors TV (episode 1142) which aired 10-20-11

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Since then, commercial fishing for sturgeon in the great lakes has ended and in recent years groups like the St. Clair-Detroit River Sturgeon for Tomorrow which will soon be celebrating their one year anniversary on October 20th. This group has already started to make a great impact in the area. They held a fishing seminar at Lakeside Fishing Shop in St. Clair Shores to teach people just how to catch and handle these fish. A fishing outing this past September 17th was held and I took part in. I was able to land my biggest freshwater fish and best my personal best sturgeon with a 62 and ¼ inch fish that was estimated to be between 80 and 90lbs. The fight took right around 40 mins and will air on an episode of Michigan Out of Doors TV.

The mission of the group is to perpetuate Lake Sturgeon through the support of science and public education by promoting, preserving, and protecting ethical and sustainable fishing; by assisting management agencies and their partners in their efforts to improve sturgeon populations and habitats; by promoting conservation through community outreach and education; and by engaging in other charitable activities deemed proper and necessary to accomplish the foregoing objectives within the Huron-Erie corridor.

One way they are doing this is by taking people fishing. “The best way for people to learn that these fish are here and to appreciate them is to see one. The best way to see one is to go fishing. All good conservation organizations from Ducks Unlimited to the Michigan Ontario Musky Club are started by sportsmen. There was a niche here that needed to be filled. We as sportsman filled it. We are trying to be the example by promoting catch and release or at least very limited harvest of these fish. ” JimFelgenauer the president of St. Clair-Detroit River Sturgeon for Tomorrow.

The group is also working with Mike Thomas at the DNR office in Mount Clemens to design and implement a program whereby those reporting a tagged sturgeon will receive a sturgeon cooperator patch, in the hopes that it will encourage reporting of tagged fish in the Huron-Erie corridor. Their hope is that this could start within the next month. Reporting of the tag numbers is extremely important, it helps the DNR manage and protect these fish.”The St. Clair system is unique in that it has the highest concentration of LakeSturgeon of any location in the Great Lakes. The population is estimated at over 15,000 fish and is completely self sustaining. ” Michael Thomas Fisheries Research Biologist with the Michigan DNR. The tagging program has tagged roughly 2,200 fish roughly 14%, to date since tagging began in 1996. Recently, fisherman down in Huron, Ohio caught a tagged fish that was tagged in the St. Clair River.

My largest Sturgeon to date 90lbs

If you would like to join or support the protection of this great fish and fishery or want to learn more visit St. Clair-Detroit River Sturgeon for Tomorrow at www.stclairsturgeon.org. They are currently looking for new members. To join only costs $20 for an individual membership per year. They also offer family, student, senior and business yearly and life memberships. The group has plans to have booths at outdoor shows and events in the future as well. So keep an eye out for them and stop in and chat with these guys they will make you want to tangle with one of the these ancient river monsters. There is nothing like it on the face of the earth. It’s a fish you must add to your bucket list.

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Leaving the Dock for a night of fishing.

I was meeting up with the St. Clair-Detroit River Sturgeon for Tomorrow group for an evening of food and fishing for Michigan’s River Monster, the Lake Sturgeon. The group was having a meet and greet at Algonac State Park just north of Algonac , Michigan on the shores of St. Clair River. After a few hotdogs and hello’s Jim Felgenauer, Jeremy Guc, Steve Guc and myself hoped into our trucks to meet up with Jenny Olsen from Michigan Out of Doors TV at M&M Bait shop. M&M also donated a flat of crawlers to the group. After getting Jenny a few shots for the show’s opening  segments, a few stories and catching up it was back in the trucks to pass out the bait to the group for the night of fishing and to make sure everyone that showed up had a place on a boat.

Tonight’s outing had a great mix of people we had a few regulars all the way down to some Sturgeon Virgins. Once the boat assignments and photo ops were all done it was time to head on down to the boat launch and get fishing.

Jeremy with this nice 36 inch Lake Sturgeon

I was going to be fishing in Steve and Jeremy’s  boat that evening, and also on board was Jenny. After figuring out a little battery issue it was time to fish. The weather was perfect, no wind just a touch of a fall chill in the air and clear skies.

The night started with me landing a little rock bass. Then soon after, Jeremy handed Jenny one of the fishing poles. Within a min she got a bite from the first sturgeon of the night. She quickly handed the rod back to Jeremy and fired up the Camera. After a short fight Jeremy landed a nice 36 incher. After a few quick photos and a quick interview the fish was released back into the water and the lines all got dropped back down.

Me handling one of the Channel cats we caught this night.

For the next few hours we played with a few sheephead and some nice channel catfish. I was starting to wonder if our boat would get another sturgeon as word of other boats’ success began to cycle through the group.

At around 9:30 we hear fish on coming from Jim’s boat. Jim is the president of this Sturgeon for Tomorrow group and a real nice guy who always has a story to tell you. We pulled our lines and anchor to motor over to him because he said it was a good one. Then suddenly we hear “guys come grab this I am about to be spooled!”

Once Jeremy handed me the rod I knew I was in for one heck of a fight. This was by far the heaviest fish in freshwater I have ever felt at the end of my line. I remember saying many times “holy crap, I can’t move this thing at all.” The fight went on like this for 30 mins as we had to work our way down stream and pass a few other boats and their anchor lines. Once clear I could focus on trying to get him off the bottom and in the net. I was able to pull the fish off the bottom four times and get him half way up from 30 feet of water but just to have him make a run for the bottom again. 35 mins into the fight we started to get a bit worried because the current and the fish started to take us into some shallow water and being dark it is tough to see anything we could hit in the dark. So we knew it was “go time.” I started to really lift on the fish this time maxing out the muskie rod and reel. I had to use my thumb to add more drag so that the fish couldn’t make its way back to the bottom.

Myself locked into battle with the biggest freshwater fish I have ever fought.

This time I was able to keep the monster off the bottom and we started to see some color. The fish was a Tank! Jeremy quickly grabbed the net, and readied to net the fish. I pumped the rod a few more times and the fish finally broke the surface. I walked back a little and led the fish’s head right into the net. Jeremy like a pro nets the fish.

I was beat and I had to take a seat, while Steve and Jeremy lifted the beast into the boat. This whole time Jenny was getting some great footage for the show. Jeremy unhooked the fish and said “ok, pick the fish up.” I laughed and said “you’re going to have to give me a hand.” I took a seat on the engine cover with the sturgeon across my lap and smiled for the cameras. Then Jenny hopped in and took a quick picture with me. It came time to say goodbye to this St. Clair River monster. The fish measured out at a very fat 62 and 1/4 inches. Going by a chart the DNR has we estimated the fish to be between 80 and 90 lbs.

Jenny Olsen from Michigan Out of Doors Tv and myself with the sturgeon.

These fish are just incredible and groups like St. Clair-Detroit River Sturgeon for Tomorrow are doing a great job on getting the word out and being great stewards to this fish. They take people out all time to introduce them to these Michigan River Monsters. Please Stop by their site and support them. And if you want to give this style of fishing a try feel free to message them, they will tell you right where to go for them.

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