FishWisher wrote:

So now the law abiding fishermen cannot take a fish larger than 56
inches.

Only people who would complain are MEATHOGS who want to keep fish
between 56 inches and the old limit.

Many of the larger fish are now reserved for the poacher,
courtesy of the State of California. They will not enforce the regs, so
only the law abiding fishermen will observe the new slot limit. Nothing

I agree not nearly enough is done to pursue and convict poachers.
Isn't there a number where you can give tips on the poachers: their
vehicles, boat IDs, etc?

It's disgusting when poachers are given tiny slaps on the wrist on the
rare occasions they're caught. Poachers should have ALL their assets
confiscated: boats, vehicles, houses (won't need a house if they're put
in jail where they belong!), retirement accounts, etc.

new there. The next step is they'll make the reduced slot permanent,
introduce sturgeon tags and punch cards and then add taxes to the mix
and define them as "fees". Same old bureaucratic response.

The worst is if they factor in the cost of sturgeon and salmon into
regular fishing license fees. I don't like it when states punish the
people who fish for temperate freshwater fish by charging them for the
keeping of salmonids and sal****er species. It would be better to have
a sturgeon tag. Why should the people who only fish for Bass in the
San Diego lakes have to subsidize the rich people who can afford to
live in the Bay Area who anchor their expensive boats in areas that are
Sturgeon? Same with salmonoids; make the trout and salmon anglers pay
for their fish.

[snip red-herring straw man arguments by the apparent MEATHOG,
including a dead-wrong PETA reference - PETA is AGAINST
catch-and-release fishing, wanting to force all anglers to kill every
fish they catch, therefore PETA is opposed to the new regulation
because PETA is anti-C&R].

Anyone who does business with any store that sells caviar is part of
the problem. If you don't like sturgeon poaching, don't enable the
poachers. Boycott caviar. Don't go to any restaurant that serves it.
Don't shop at any grocery that sells it. Am proud to say I don't
consume caviar. Who but a snob would eat that crap anyway? If you
keep a sturgeon and it's a female with eggs, it would be a waste not to
eat the eggs, but responsible anglers would release the fish unharmed
immediately.

I'm east of the Rockies, where it's usually illegal to keep Lake or
Pallid Sturgeon. Poachers murder large numbers of Sturgeon and
Paddlefish, often not getting caught. Would guess the poachers discard
all the male fish and all portions of the female fish other than the
eggs.

The only people I don't mind keeping Sturgeon are the Indians, who use
every portion of the fish, not letting any go to waste, and who don't
overharvest.

I would also think anglers should use the heaviest tackle they can get
away with so the fight can end ASAP, giving the fish the highest chance
of survival when released. A good idea for just about every species.

Regarding the water shortage issue, hasn't California gotten a good
amount of rain in recent months? Is any of it helping water flows in
the rivers (which would obviously help the fish), or is all the water
being stolen by irrigation and refilling reservoirs that are still way
below their proper levels? I know paleface farmers and ranchers steal
nearly 100% of the water from the Klamath and other streams.