With one of the largest lake sturgeon populations in North America, the Winnebago System supports an annual spearing season that will run for a maximum of 16 days (Feb. 26) or until any of the predetermined harvest caps have been met. This small, oily forage fish has a drastic boom and bust population cycle in Lake Winnebago. Generally, the spears are constructed with long handles, 6-8' in length, and have detachable spearheads. This massive fish was an F4 female measuring 75.6 inches and speared by Rebecca Van Handel. The 2023 sturgeon spearing season will open on Feb. 11 at 7 a.m. Spearers can fish from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. each day the fishery is open and is required to register their fish at a DNR-operated registration station by 2 p.m. of the same day the fish is harvested. Still, there are guide services available that range from cutting a hole to providing a fully furnished shack. The sale of sturgeon spearing licenses funds a variety of sturgeon management activities on the Winnebago system, such as successfully restoring lake sturgeon to the upper Wolf River in partnership with the the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. This makes a total of 1,027 Lake Sturgeon harvested for Lake Winnebago. Please include a brief description for use in future outreach efforts. Tomorrow, the Quinney registration station on Lake Winnebago and the Poygan registration station on the Upriver Lakes will be closed. People took a lot more precautions from going out, not going out, Mark Swanson said. Rebecca and Korey weren't the only ones with stories to tell. There are enough resources for the fish to grow to over 100 lbs. Sturgeon with this appearance are often females that have spawned the previous spring. What you need to know about tagging your sturgeon[PDF]. In 2013, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was asked about using cameras in the sturgeon hole during the sturgeon spearing season. Whats bad for ice is the wind and sun. and measured 76.1 inches long. The largest fish this season was a 177.3 pound, 79.9 inches, F4 female that was speared on Lake Winnebago and registered at the Southwest Winnebago registration station. At 85.5 inches, Eiden's sturgeon could have surpassed a different record, ifrecords were determinedby length as well as weight. Licenses for the Lake Winnebago spear fishery must be purchased before Oct. 31, 2020, except for military personnel home on leave during the spearing season and youth turning 12 years old between Nov. 1, 2020 and the last day of the 2021 spearing season. I threw the spear out, and I held onto the rope andby GodI hit it., Related: Angler Catches Massive 16-Pound Walleye While Ice Fishing on Lake Ontario. Published Feb 16, 2023 3:37 PM EST. This year, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) predicts that harvest caps will be met prior to the 16-day season limit. The Pipe station on Lake Winnebago processed the most fish of the day, with 124 sturgeon passing through. A minimum of 8 points were necessary to be drawn for a tag. Clubs are constantly monitoring the situation on Lake Winnebago and upriver. This weekend, many spearers were seen pulling their shacks on both Lake Winnebago and the Upriver lakes before the forecasted warm weather and rain set for tomorrow. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | Site requirements | Accessibility | Legal | Privacy | Employee resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Congratulations to all successful spearers. These limitationsand careful guarding against poachers allow for the long-lived tradition of sturgeon spearing to continue without fear of depleting their numbers. As neither of these fish were speared through the ice, however, Schroeder kept his record until 2004. The largest fish harvested was an F2 female that weighed 123.6 lbs. LAKE WINNEBAGO, Wis. (WBAY) - Sturgeon spearing season is officially here! (a 66.5-inch, F2 female). Todays largest fish was a 154.0 lbs., 79.5 inches, F2 female speared on Lake Winnebago by Michael Eggers. Particularly those that are tagged during the spring sturgeon spawn. These efforts have helped strengthen and grow sturgeon populations nationwide, including in Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky. Licenses for both fisheries are $20 for Wisconsin residents and $65 for nonresidents and can be purchased through the GoWild system or at any license sales location. Guide to Wisconsin Spearing, Netting, and BaitHarvest Regulations2020-2021 Effective April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021 Includes regulations on: Rough Fish Spearing Dipnetting Rough Fish Bowfishing and Underwater Spear Fishing Harvesting Turtles, Frogs, Crayfish and Minnows Catfish Bow and Hand Fishing Like many of us, lake sturgeon are looking for warmer spring weather. All applicants that are not awarded a permit accumulate a preference point for use in future drawings. Joe Sheilds speared a 125.6 lbs., 73.4 inches, F4 female. The first modern sturgeon spearing season kicked off back in 1932, and the tradition has remained strong ever since. The season on the Upriver Lakes is closed. WINNEBAGO SYSTEM STURGEON SPEARING - Wisconsin DNR MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is preparing for the sturgeon spearing season opener on Feb. 11, giving spearers a chance to harvest Wisconsin's largest and oldest fish species. The season on Lake Winnebago has lasted the full 16 days since 2016, but the years 2000, 2001 and 2004 are tied for the shortest season at two days. | On Wisconsin Outdoors with Dick Ellis Continued warm weather today likely caused spearers to leave the ice early. Military personnel home on leave can also buy a license after Oct. 31. Reminder: Get Your Sturgeon License By Oct. 31 | Wisconsin DNR Every February, people migrate to the Winnebago System to take part in the annual lake sturgeon spear fishery, said Ryan Koenigs, DNR Winnebago sturgeon biologist. Locations can be found in the sturgeon season regulation packet or on the DNR sturgeon spearing webpage. The 2023seasonruns a maximum of 16 days or until the pre-determined harvest caps are met. Unlike Lake Sturgeon, these species have to contend with large predators such as sharks even after they grow too big sizes. House in the Woods shanties with the proper equipment necessary. Part of the scope statement included sending one final survey in 2021 to determine the growing interest in technology during the spearing season. Sturgeon spearers are allowed to harvest fish from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and must register their catches by 2 p.m. each day at a DNR-operated registration station. 'Sturgeon general': Wisconsin state biologist charged with caviar scam Spearers who wish to participate in Lake Winnebago must purchase a license for Lake Winnebago before the Oct. 31 deadline. Published Feb 18, 2017 2:30 AM EST. The DNR biologists report that many lake sturgeon stomachs are full of Gizzard Shad. The southeast corner of Lake Winnebago saw the highest harvest for the season. However, the most licenses sold was 13,190 in 2016, a year that only saw3,831 shanties on opening day. The Pipe registration station continues to see the highest harvest of the season, with a daily total of 59 fish. Red worm abundance was up on the Upriver Lakes this year, but the harvest was more affected by ice conditions than anything else. Only 7 fish were harvested, with 0 juvenile females, 3 adult females and 4 males. Wisconsin sturgeon spearing season on Winnebago System: Basic facts If 100% is reached, then the season will close that afternoon. I had another come through at 9 oclock and another at 9:30. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | Site requirements | Accessibility | Legal | Privacy | Employee resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. By comparison, the average weight and length from the 2020 harvest in Lake Winnebago was 51.1 pounds and 58.5 inches. Today, another large female was speared just off of downtown Oshkosh. There were 169 lake sturgeon harvested Upriver (20 juvenile females, 46 adult females and 103 males) and 353 harvested on Lake Winnebago (35 juvenile females, 171 adult females and 147 males). There were plenty of big fish to see this season, with 46 fish over 100 pounds for the season (9 fish from the Upriver Lakes and 37 fish from Lake Winnebago). With warmer temperatures continuing to prevail today, only 72 fish were harvested throughout the system, with 58 from Lake Winnebago (5 juvenile females, 27 adult females, 26 males) and 14 from the Upriver lakes (0 juvenile females, 3 adult females, 11 males). At almost 70 years old, she knew how to weather that storm. In 1980, she saw the introduction of the first flip-top portable canvas ice shanty. If you asked some of the nearly 13,000 people on the icy surface of Wisconsins Lake Winnebago system on opening day of the 2017 lake sturgeon spearing season, youd get a wide variety of answers. With the sun shining and mild temperatures with a high in the 40s, excitement was in the air across the Lake Winnebago System for opening day of the 2023 sturgeon spearing season. For up-to-date details and numbers throughout the season, visitdnr.wisconsin.gov. Overharvesting was a main problem that affected the Lake Winnebago system sturgeon population in the past, which is why each spearing season since 1999 has hadpre-set harvest caps based on estimated population on top of the 16-day season limit. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Sturgeon spearing season runs for 16 days or until any of the pre-determined harvest caps are met. A person who spears a sturgeon must accompany the fish to a DNR-operated sturgeon registration station by 2 p.m. on the day it was speared. We will continue to keep you posted on what stations are opened or closed. System-wide harvest caps for the 2021 Winnebago system sturgeon spearing season are 430 juvenile females, 950 adult females and 1,200 males. That warmer weather isnt the only thing that triggers them to begin their migration upriver to their spawning grounds, higher water flows in the spring from rain and winter run-off are also major triggers. This years harvest caps have been set at: If harvest caps are met early, a closure notice will be posted to the DNRsWinnebago System sturgeon spearing webpage. James Gishkowsky speared a massive 177.3-pound, 79.9-inch female sturgeon from Lake Winnebago. Good luck to those spearing tomorrow and stay safe. There are six drive-thru stations. Proving that you dont need a fancy decoy to attract a sturgeon, Chuck Wagner of Algoma lured a sturgeon close enough to spear with a homemade painted piece of PVC pipe. But he was also one of only six successful spearers to harvest a fish during the short, hour-long sturgeon spearing season on Black Lake in Michigan last weekend. Paul registered a 91.3-pound, 68.8-inch, F1 female, while his son, Eli, nabbed a bigger fish at 111.2 pounds, 74.7 inches, F1 female. Keyshia Wilz speared the largest sturgeon from the Upriver Lakes with a 138.2-pound, 76.1-inch female. In 1979, the same year ESPN launched its cable network, the first successful efforts to propagate lake sturgeon artificially occurred. Since around the 2000s, the DNR has tagged over 20,000 fish with these PIT tags in the Winnebago system. That fish is incredible! This year's season came to an end for the Upriver Lakes on Saturday, yielding the largest harvest since 2007 with 364 sturgeon. ATTENTION STURGEON SPEARERS: The sturgeon spearing season on the Upriver Lakes is now closed and Upriver Lakes spearers with unfilled tags can no longer harvest a sturgeon. Gishkowsky said he targets the fish by locating the small, red mud worms they feed on. More:Mild weather adds to celebrations on opening day of sturgeon spearing season. This can be almost 30 additional pounds. One hundred and five fish were harvested between Lake Winnebago and the Upriver lakes. When you dub yourself the Sturgeon Center of the World, you really mean it. Essential tools of the trade for sturgeon spearing on the Lake Winnebago system include strong, multi-pronged and barbed spears, strong rope, decoys and a gaff. While theres no residency requirement for spearfishing for Winnebago lake sturgeon, WDNR says that most of the participating anglers live within 60 miles of the lake. Many who took to the ice Saturday found success, with 522 sturgeon harvested. OSHKOSH, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds those interested in sturgeon spearing that they have until Oct. 31, 2022, to purchase a license for the 2023 Lake Winnebago sturgeon spearing season. Both resident and nonresident licenses can be purchased through the, More information on harvest trends and management for the Lake Winnebago sturgeon fishery can be found on the DNRs, Office of Communications connects journalists with DNR experts. Follow her on Twitter at @daphlemke. If you do choose to go out, please review our ice safety tips. Korey Krupp speared the largest sturgeon from Lake Winnebago with a 135.5-pound, 76.1-inch female. 2022 sturgeon spearing opening weekend had 716 successful spearers With 254 out of 714 adult female sturgeon speared this weekend on Lake Winnebago, the highest harvest cap for the lake is already at around 36%. Female stages are V, 1, 2, 4 or 6, while male stages include V, 1 or 2. Even with all the weird weather, it has been a successful season so far. The biggest fish harvested was an F1 female that weighed 83.3 lbs. At 30 years old, she was most likely enjoying the warmth and searching for some tasty chironomids below the waters surface in 1969, the same time Neil Armstrong was looking down on earth, becoming the first man to walk on the moon. With more snow coming, we will see what weather conditions have in store for the Winnebago spearers. The annual sturgeon spearing season kicks off at 7 a.m. on Saturday and runs for 16 days or until set harvest caps are reached. 2023 www.fdlreporter.com. One fishery occurs on Lake Winnebago, where the number of licenses sold for that fishery is not restricted, and an individual spearer can only purchase one license per season. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), the fish weighed a whopping 177.3 pounds and measured 79.9 inches in length or 6.6 feet. Check with local fishing clubs and conservation groups for local ice condition information as the DNR does not monitor ice conditions. Ninety-three fish were harvested from Lake Winnebago (11 juvenile females, 49 adult females, and 33 males). Locations can be found in the sturgeon spearing regulation packet or on the DNR's sturgeon spearing webpage. A darkened shack or enclosure is required for better visibility. 2004 also nearly heldthe record for largest harvest within the caps, at 1,854 sturgeon, but 2015 beat it out with 1,870. Photos of spearers with their catch, cutting in, shanty life, scenic views observed during the season or any other captivating spearing traditions are encouraged. Continue to be safe if you are headed back out tomorrow. Many families came out just to see some of the big fish. I called him up, and I said, Sean I need some help over here.'. The spears used are also hand-made by local vendors and come in all shapes and sizes. Sixteen fish were harvested from Lake Winnebago (1 juvenile female, 6 adult females, 9 males) and 3 from the Upriver lakes (1 juvenile female, 1 adult female, 1 male). It's sturgeon spearfishing season in Wisconsin, and the shanties are inhabited by those hoping to spear a beast of a sturgeon. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Sturgeon spearing day 1: great memories, fewer shacks, Fewer sturgeon spearers due to poor ice conditions, Willie Nelson celebrating 90th birthday with 2-day concert event, Note titled hit list found at Sturgeon Bay High School, Human remains found in marshy location in Little Lake Butte des Morts in Fox Crossing, More than 48,000 people died by suicide in the US in 2021, FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Wet mix with snow and rain sticks around, CONSUMER FIRST ALERT: Check scams don't die, Public File Assistance Contact - (920) 432-3331. These Passive Integrated Transponders, or PIT tags, used by the DNR are about the size of a grain of rice and inserted just behind the fishs head. Please follow the signs and cones at each registration station to ensure a smooth registration. for a successful spearing experience. In 2019, the Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC) and Sturgeon Advisory Committee voted to move forward with banning technology, and the DNR began working on a scope statement. The system-wide harvest caps are 430 juvenile females, 950 . Spearers interested in fishing the Upriver Lakes must apply for a permit or purchase a preference point before an Aug. 1 deadline. Contact:Ryan Koenigs, DNR Winnebago sturgeon biologistRyan.Koenigs@wisconsin.gov or 920-420-7444. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | Site requirements | Accessibility | Legal | Privacy | Employee resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Wisconsin DNR official illegally exchanged sturgeon eggs for caviar Spearers in the Upriver Lakes harvest 320 sturgeon. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. The only station with more is the Pipe registration station, with 6 fish registered over 100 pounds. 431 Sturgeon harvested on day 1 of spearing season For the season, 1,405 fish were harvested on the entire Winnebago system (155 juvenile females, 599 adult females and 651 males). The deadline to apply for an Upriver Lakes sturgeon spearing permit was Aug. 1, 2020. The Gizzard Shad population during the Winnebago trawl assessment saw a small uptick in densities but nothing compared to previous boom years. The biggest fish on the Upriver Lakes weighed in at 143.2 lbs. David Propson of Kiel, a student at UW-Green Bay, got this awesome photo of a 61-inch, 51-pound lake sturgeon speared on Lake Winnebago by his father, Peter Propson of Kiel. The season is from . As she continued to grow, she swam through the Winnebago System for about 13 years, dodging the set lines on the Upper River lakes until 1952, when set lining was eliminated.
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