Features and behaviors of American Sturgeon

American Sturgeon Fishing Factors are valued for their flesh, eggs, and swim bladder. Their flesh is sold fresh, pickled, or smoked. Caviar consists of the eggs, which are stripped from ripe females who are subsequently released. The inner membrane of the sturgeon’s swim bladder is used to make isinglass, a very pure form of gelatin used for various industrial purposes.

Sturgeons can be 20+ feet long and weigh 200+ pounds. These fish can live 100 or more years. They are long, heavy fish with five rows of robust scutes. As these fish mature, the scutes smooth out, possibly being absorbed into their bodies. Their gill covers are small, bone-like plates. They have four mustache-like barbels hanging from their protruding, sucker-like mouths. All things considered they have small, bone-like plates blanketing their heads. The large body and little eyes appear a bit mismatched. The top of the sturgeons its tail is much longer than the bottom.

American Sturgeon Identifier

Sturgeons have bony plates (scutes) covering the head and five longitudinal rows of similar plates along the body. The tail fin is heterocercal, the upper lobe being longer than the lower. The toothless mouth, on the underside of the snout, is preceded by four sensitive tactile barbels that the fish drags over the bottom in search of invertebrates, small fishes, and other food.

Diet:

Sturgeon are bottom-feeders that prey on snails, crayfish, shrimp, worms and aquatic insects.

Habitat:

Ledges, small channels, sand flats and other rocky points are recommended when you fish for Sturgeon. Sturgeon move with the tides as they search for food. If the tide is out, look for deeper water. If the tide has come in, fishing in small beds of 4 to 6 feet may produce a good catch.

Angling:

Get the right tackle equipment.

• A sturgeon fishing rod should be 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 m) in length and made of a single piece (rather than a rod that is assembled).
• The reel should be outfitted with line that can hold at least 80 pounds and have enough line to run 250 yards (228.6 m).

Add the right bait to your hook. The adage “fresh is best” applies to sturgeon fishing.

• Types of recommended bait include crawfish, fresh water clams, salmon eggs or carcasses, shad and other small fish.
• If fresh bait isn’t available, adding scents to the bait will catch the attention of the sturgeon. Shrimp oil, shad oil and sardine oil are just a few of the many fish oils on the market.

Identify the sturgeon’s bite on your line, which can vary according to the outdoor temperature.

• During colder weather, the bites are slow and repetitive. The repetitive action will help you differentiate between a bite and the tide moving your line.
• During warmer weather, the bite tends to be more aggressive. This occurs because the fish are getting close to spawning season (typically in July and August) and are more active. Look for the rod tip to dip and line movements.

The Importance of American Sturgeon

Few foods embody luxury and opulence quite like caviar. For centuries, the salted roe of sturgeon is a delicacy sought after by royalty and high society alike. Today, gourmet aficionados continue to regard caviar as one of life’s greatest culinary pleasures.

Sturgeon are “ecosystem engineers” because they create spaces for other aquatic creatures to thrive. For example, they dig depressions in riverbeds that act as spawning grounds for smaller fish. Sturgeon also eat invasive species that would otherwise disrupt the natural food chain. Without sturgeon, aquatic ecosystems can become imbalanced, and other species could suffer.