4/15/21 St. Croix River Commercial Fishing

Lambeau

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4/15/21 - Commercial fishing with a gill net on the St. Croix River, just above the Mississippi River.
Harvest occurs in this area about 4 times/year, Spring and Fall.
Common Carp are harvested, placed in oxygenated tanks, and shipped to New York for use. I don’t know for “what”.
As far as I know, all the other fish were released back in the river.
Fish species in the net that we saw:
Common Carp
American Paddlefish
Sauger
Walleye
Asian Carp
Suckers
Perch
Musky
Northern
Catfish
Gar
White Bass
Lake Sturgeon
Buffalo
White Bass
Mooneye
Silver Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Some of the larger fish, Sturgeon, Catfish, Paddlefish had Lamprey Eel lesions/scars.
Along with the Fisherman, there were two MN DNR Officials.
They took data on most the Sturgeon and Paddlefish that were netted.

Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.15.57 AM.png


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The Sturgeon was 40 inches. I think they said it weighed about 26 pounds.

Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.16.35 AM.png


Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.17.00 AM.png


This Sturgeon was previously tagged so they gathered the info.

Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.17.21 AM.png


Here’s another Sturgeon. Their mouth is directly underneath the head.

Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.18.21 AM.png


Commercial fisherman’s flat bottom boats.

Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.19.47 AM.png


Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.20.14 AM.png
 

Lambeau

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continued:
As the net was pulled in the water looked like it was boiling.

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You can see an American Paddlefish in the lower right hand corner. They’re protected in MN and WI anyway.

Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.22.07 AM.png


Here’s an Asian (Silver) Carp. These are the invasive species of Carp that jump in the air when frightened. They only found this one while I was there.
They are in the river, but from what I’ve read, they haven't reproduced in the St. Croix River - yet.

Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.22.21 AM.png


Another smaller Sturgeon. The DNR gal said several years ago they netted a +6 foot long Sturgeon.
She said it was huge. Way too big for the net. They are very slow growing.
Males live for 50-60 years. Females live up to 150 years.

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Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.22.57 AM.png


Guy picked up this Musky. He had a helluva time - lol.

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Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.23.44 AM.png
 

Lambeau

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continued:

Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.23.57 AM.png


Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.24.31 AM.png


Nice Walleye full of eggs.

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Another large Paddlefish.

Screen Shot 2021-04-19 at 8.31.54 AM.png


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There were some huge Catfish in the net too. IDK, 50-60 pounds easily.

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Close-up of the gill plate "blueish >" on a Paddlefish.

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utlong31

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Very cool. I’d love to see something like that in person some day.


Sent from my iPhone using svtperformance.com
 

Black02GT

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4/15/21 - Commercial fishing with a gill net on the St. Croix River, just above the Mississippi River.
Harvest occurs in this area about 4 times/year, Spring and Fall.
Common Carp are harvested, placed in oxygenated tanks, and shipped to New York for use. I don’t know for “what”.
As far as I know, all the other fish were released back in the river.
Fish species in the net that we saw:
Common Carp
American Paddlefish
Sauger
Walleye
Asian Carp
Suckers
Perch
Musky
Northern
Catfish
Gar
White Bass
Lake Sturgeon
Buffalo
White Bass
Mooneye
Silver Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Some of the larger fish, Sturgeon, Catfish, Paddlefish had Lamprey Eel lesions/scars.
Along with the Fisherman, there were two MN DNR Officials.
They took data on most the Sturgeon and Paddlefish that were netted.

View attachment 1699651

View attachment 1699652

The Sturgeon was 40 inches. I think they said it weighed about 26 pounds.

View attachment 1699653

View attachment 1699654

This Sturgeon was previously tagged so they gathered the info.

View attachment 1699655

Here’s another Sturgeon. Their mouth is directly underneath the head.

View attachment 1699656

Commercial fisherman’s flat bottom boats.

View attachment 1699657

View attachment 1699658

My guess on the "for what" is to sell it to NY restaurants where they (restaurants) pass it off as salmon.
 

Lambeau

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Did they return the Asian carp to the river?

Nope. Actually, it was one of the first taken out. The DNR gal threw it up on the beach where it laid for an hour or so. Later she took it over by their measuring equipment.

My guess on the "for what" is to sell it to NY restaurants where they (restaurants) pass it off as salmon.

Funny you mention that. I did hear someone say “New York Salmon”. Seriously.
I wouldn’t eat anything out of the St. Croix. There were limit recommendations. I know people who do, but I wouldn’t. Especially bottom feeders.
 

Black02GT

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Nope. Actually, it was one of the first taken out. The DNR gal threw it up on the beach where it laid for an hour or so. Later she took it over by their measuring equipment.



Funny you mention that. I did hear someone say “New York Salmon”. Seriously.
I wouldn’t eat anything out of the St. Croix. There were limit recommendations. I know people who do, but I wouldn’t. Especially bottom feeders.

Yeah, kind of an open secret much of the fish is knock off even in some of the nicer restaurants in Manhattan. Just prey on tourists that think Hunts Point/Fulton is here it must be legit. The people that think "this tastes different must be so fresh!"
 

Double"O"

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Pretty neat!

A 40inch 28lb sturgeon is a baby...those dinos get old and damn big
 

Klaus

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I know people who do, but I wouldn’t. Especially

me and a friend filled up a pick up truck full of carp bowfishing and went to throw them in his cornfield for fertilizer. he owns the Buffalo ranch off of hiway 8 if you are familiar. the hmong come to buy Buffalo which he kills and they butcher. a bunch of them were chopping up a Buffalo and saw our carp and went apeshit. they took a bunch. surf and turf, hmong style.

nice pics, thanks for posting
 

Double"O"

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^ buffalo are tasty!

Yeah he hmong will eat anything that swims lol
 

CobraBob

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That is amazing. Must have been really cool to experience something like that.
 

Lambeau

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I lived near the river all my life and had never seen a Paddlefish or Sturgeon in the river. There are several other species that I didn't see. They may very well have been in the net, but in the deeper water so I couldn't see them:

- Sunfish
- Bluegill
- Largemouth Bass
- Bullheads

In the early Spring of the late '60s, my dad and me bowfished where a smaller tributary enters the St. Croix. He also took me down there and we shot at Gar and Carp with his .22 Colt Frontier Scout near the surface during high-water and when they were spawning. I don't think we stuck around very long.
 

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