Tribes extend sturgeon setline season in The Dalles pool

THE DALLES — Tribal setline fishing for sturgeon in The Dalles pool of the Columbia River will reopen on Wednesday.

The four tribes with treaty fishing rights opened a sturgeon setline season on Oct. 10 in all three mid-Columbia pools. The fishery was scheduled to continue through Oct. 31.

The tribes closed fishing in the Bonneville pool on Oct. 26 because their total harvest for the year was 2,098, which exceeded the guideline for the pool by 98 fish.

The guideline for The Dalles pool is 1,000. The tribes have caught only 448 in that pool. Setlines in the pool must have hooks size 9/0 or larger and no more than 100 hooks per setline.

The fishery will be from 6 a.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Dec. 3. Only sturgeon between 43 and 54 inches fork length can be sold.

John Day pool will not reopen. The catch is only 39 sturgeon short of the guideline of 1,000.

Sturgeon retention for sportsmen in all the pools is closed until Jan. 1, 2012. Catch guideline were filled earlier this year.