Sturgeon Prosper Below American Falls

By Harry Morse, Southeast Region Conservation Educator Working with fisheries biologist David Teuscher tagging sturgeon below American Falls Dam in April helped me understand why anglers are so interested in catching them. "We have three fish on this set line and two of them weigh around 100 pounds," Teuscher said. "This planted population of sturgeon is growing better than most populations on the Snake River." This is the second year of capture and tagging below American Falls Dam on the Snake River. The study is intended to find out how many sturgeon planted below the dam have survived and in what condition. The first sturgeon were released in 1989 below the dam. The stocked fish ranged from 12 to 30 inches in length and weighed up to three pounds. The planting was the product of a joint effort by Idaho Fish and Game, The College of Southern Idaho and private fish hatcheries. "These sturgeon exhibit exceptional growth, some of the original fish planted now weigh over 100 pounds," Teuscher said. Each fish captured was tagged and a "PIT" tag injected into it. The PIT tags or Passive Intergraded Transponder will help biologists track the fish and keep accurate information on it. Some of the sturgeon planted in the early 1990s had PIT tags in them. Each fish caught was checked with a receiver wand to see if it had a tag in it. Weight and length measurements were also taken. One of the objectives of the study is to find out how many times each sturgeon is caught in any given year. Teuscher requests that anglers read the tag number on the thin red tag at the base of the dorsal fin and let Fish and Game know when and where the fish was caught. There is an incentive to report tagged sturgeon. Anglers that report tag numbers will be entered in a drawing for a $200 reward at the end of the season. The Snake River below American Falls Dam opens to fishing on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend each year. Anglers flock to the area to fish for trout. The mile below the dam is one of the most productive trout fisheries in the state the first week of the season. Last year sturgeon fishermen showed up for the opener. "Last year we noticed sturgeon anglers fishing the main holes below the dam throughout the season," Teuscher said. Sturgeon fishing is a relatively new in this part of the state. One hundred miles west along the Snake River below Shoshone Falls to Glenns Ferry, mammoth sturgeon are part legend and part historical fact. Graying photographs show giant sturgeon in the back of wagons, hung from barns and hooked up to teams of horses dragging the monstrous fish from the water. Turn of the century stories of teams of horses being dragged to their deaths while trying to haul in sturgeon still persist. Many of the fish planted below American Falls ranged from 25-55 pounds while several neared the century mark. Most were in excellent shape and looked healthy. Recently, local angler Gaylon Newbold, set several world line class records below American Falls Dam for sturgeon. Few entries exist for 2-20 pound class lines. Newbold specialized in light lines and is now mentioned in the world record books. Because sturgeon fishing is new to many anglers, they are not familiar with the rules and etiquette of sturgeon fishing. Anchoring boats in the middle of the river on the opening of trout season to fish for sturgeon creates a serious problem with hundreds of other boaters trying to float through the same area. "Some anglers in our area have never seen a sturgeon much less caught one, they get so intent on catching a big fish they forget other anglers have rights on the river also," said senior conservation officer Scott Wright. "They get so excited that they lift the fish out of the water for pictures and some want to take it home to show their friends. Sturgeon, by law, cannot be taken out of the water. All sturgeon fishing in Idaho is catch and release and barbless hooks are required. Sturgeon do not have a normal skeletal structure, like sharks they are cartilaginous and do not have bones to support their weight. The heavy weight of their bodies out of water can crush their internal organs and eggs. Getting along with other anglers in a crowded situation can cause problems. Some anglers cast over others' lines and close to boats to get out into the main current. Eight to twelve ounces of sinker can be lethal and tangled lines lead to hot tempers. Anglers new to sturgeon fishing need to watch how some of the old timers are doing it and be cautious about snagging others' lines and hurling sinkers too close to other anglers. "Most of the problems occur at the beginning of the season," Wright said. "The crowds thin out and things seem to work out a lot better as the season proceeds and the trout anglers go other places to fish as trout fishing tails off here." The outlook for sturgeon fishing is bright. The fish in the river are doing well and catch and release fishing should have a minimal impact on the population. Will the new population of sturgeon reproduce? That is the $64 million dollar question. The odds are they will try but not be successful. Irregular water flows and murky fall water conditions below the dam limit egg survival.