Not that many years ago, it was relatively common practice for anglers fishing sturgeon on Lake of the Woods and Rainy River to hoist big fish up by the gill plates and hold them vertically for photos.
However well intentioned those anglers might have been, chances are many sturgeon died after being handled that way, even if the fish were released. Fish aren't made to be held out of the water vertically, especially large fish, because the weight of their bodies tears the connective tissue holding their internal organs in place.
The consequences of that simple law of gravity can be fatal.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't do the same thing before I realized the danger. My intentions were good, I simply didn't know any better.
Much better _ and this applies to all species _ is to hold fish horizontally for photos supporting their bellies. That can be difficult with large sturgeon, but sitting down and holding the fish across your lap results in great photo memories. On this I speak from experience.
Educational campaigns by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and others have helped reduce the frequency of those vertical death grips, and most of the sturgeon photos I encounter these days show fish being held horizontally.
That's good to see.
