Planted sturgeon - Do Size limits still apply?

[pianoman9701]

Lacamas Lake in Camas has sturgeon in it that were put there years ago by a person or persons unknown. Now, there are pretty big sturgies in there. Wouldn't they be considered invasive? There's no way for them to be in there naturally. and if so, can we keep anything we catch? Do we need to stick to limits and still record them on a catch card?

[Whitpirate]

I'd bet you'd have to have a catch card and observe length limits since they are defined harvest species. 

[boneaddict]

I doubt you could classify that as an invasive species.   


(for instance, you catch bass in a lake where there "are just trout", you still treat it as a gamefish)

[Pegasus]

Better alert the WDFW so they use rotenone to kill those suckers.

[Jake Dogfish]

Not invasive, not likely introduced either.
Catch and release only.

[boneaddict]

Better alert the WDFW so they use rotenone to kill those suckers.

  i had the same thought......  maybe i need fitted for that tinfoil hat

[Pegasus]

Maybe they can open the lake up to spear fishing or shooting to get rid of the unwanted species. 

[jackelope]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/01998/wdfw01998.pdf

Page 14. No mention made of any invasive anything. Sturgeon is catch and release during open game fish or salmon seasons statewide. Special rules apply to specific areas is the way I read it.

[pianoman9701]

Thanks for all the responses, gang. I kind of figured it to be so. The Vermont spearing and shooting video is interesting. I grew up in NH near the VT border and never heard of such a thing. Shooting at the water kind of goes against my Hunter Ed instincts but that was cool. I've certainly caught some big northerns in the CT River between NH and VT, and chain pickerel in NH and MA. Lots of fun when you hook a 3 footer.

[Pegasus]

Thanks for all the responses, gang. I kind of figured it to be so. The Vermont spearing and shooting video is interesting. I grew up in NH near the VT border and never heard of such a thing. Shooting at the water kind of goes against my Hunter Ed instincts but that was cool. I've certainly caught some big northerns in the CT River between NH and VT, and chain pickerel in NH and MA. Lots of fun when you hook a 3 footer.

Grew up on the other side of the CT river from you. I never heard about shooting pike in Vermont until many years after leaving the state. Trust me if I had heard of this in my high school days I would have gone fishing with a bunch of buddies and our 30-30's without our dads' approvals and given it a try. Prolly not a good idea...

[pianoman9701]

Thanks for all the responses, gang. I kind of figured it to be so. The Vermont spearing and shooting video is interesting. I grew up in NH near the VT border and never heard of such a thing. Shooting at the water kind of goes against my Hunter Ed instincts but that was cool. I've certainly caught some big northerns in the CT River between NH and VT, and chain pickerel in NH and MA. Lots of fun when you hook a 3 footer.

Grew up on the other side of the CT river from you. I never heard about shooting pike in Vermont until many years after leaving the state. Trust me if I had heard of this in my high school days I would have gone fishing with a bunch of buddies and our 30-30's without our dads' approvals and given it a try. Prolly not a good idea...

Where were you living there? Ever hear of the Fitzwilliam Inn south of Keene? That was my folks place from '73-2001.

[bigtex]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/01998/wdfw01998.pdf

Page 14. No mention made of any invasive anything. Sturgeon is catch and release during open game fish or salmon seasons statewide. Special rules apply to specific areas is the way I read it.

Definitely not invasive

[Pegasus]

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/01998/wdfw01998.pdf

Page 14. No mention made of any invasive anything. Sturgeon is catch and release during open game fish or salmon seasons statewide. Special rules apply to specific areas is the way I read it.

Definitely not invasive

Doubtful that those fish were left there after the last ice-age retreated. That lake had a mill on it with a fish screen finally installed in 1940  to save some of the fish from destruction in the mill usage of the water after the mill had previously been in operation for 55 years. The lake was earlier dammed in 1883 to raise the water level 12 feet for the mill usage. It wasn't much of a lake prior to the dams, more of a ditch. It is more likely some enterprising mill employee released the fish or fertilized eggs many years ago. The WDFW may not consider them as invasive since sturgeon exist naturally in other areas of the state.