Boise man cited after poaching a sturgeon below Swan Falls Dam

BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) — A two-foot white sturgeon was caughtbelow Swan Falls Dam on the Snake River by a Boise man who has now been cited for keeping the fish.

A Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) call triggered the investigation.

32-year-old Michael Melton caught the sturgeon on Jun 17, and placed the fish in his vehicle. Moments later, Idaho Fish and Game says another angler told Melton that sturgeon fishing on the river was catch and release only.

According to Idaho Fish and Game,Melton ignored the angler and left the area.

“Fortunately, the angler was an excellent witness,” Fish and Game conservation officer Brian Jack noted. “He called the CAP hotline and provided us with a license plate number and accurate descriptions of both the vehicle and the suspect.”

Later that same evening, Jack and fellow conservation officers Brian Flatter and Kurt Stieglitz contacted Melton who at a Meridian residence. After a short discussion, Melton admitted to catching and keeping the fish, and still had it in his possession.

Melton was cited for possession of a white sturgeon during closed season. The offense requires a court appearance, and a guilty verdict carries a mandatory fishing license suspension and civil penalties.

The young sturgeon was stocked in the Snake River in October, 2016 as part of the cooperative sturgeon sport fish program. At that time, the 19-inch fish weighed just over two pounds. When measured by officers, the fish had grown to 23 inches and weighed 3.2 pounds.

“Detecting wildlife crimes is difficult without the support and vigilance of the sporting public,” Jack said. “The CAP program is an excellent tool for sportsmen who make the call in a timely manner and provide the kind of detail we need to make a successful case.”

The CAP hotline (1-800-632-5999) is available 24 hours a day, and callers can remain anonymous. Persons with information about a suspected wildlife violation may also contact the Fish and Game Nampa office at 208-465-8465 weekdays, Idaho State Police at 208-846-7550 on weekends or their local Sheriff’s Office.

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