It has been about a year since the surprising discovery on Iowa’s Des Moines River, when biologists with the DNR documented two federally endangered Pallid sturgeon in a stretch of river where they had never been officially recorded before. As someone who loves pulling in a good catch, I’m sure it was a moment that would stick with the Iowa DNR officers for life.
Now I have spent a lot of time fishing across this state, from small ponds to big rivers and backwaters. And I must say, I’ve never hooked a sturgeon. My only real close-up experience has been at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque. Seeing them there gives you a better sense of just how ancient and unique these fish really are. From what I’ve read, these things can grow to be the size of legends; literally…