Spearers who could get out onto the ice safely experienced a warm, sunny day and good water clarity. Then in her 50s, the lake began rumbling as the first fuel-injected snowmobile took to the ice in 1991. There is a big difference, Don Herman of Sunk? Indian Point registered the most fish Upriver with 73 fish. If youd planned on registering your fish there, please head to the next closest registration station. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. The 2023seasonruns a maximum of 16 days or until the pre-determined harvest caps are met. In 2004, the DNR partnered with multiple conservation groups to create a network of acoustic telemetry receivers to track the movements of sturgeon within the rivers, lakes and tributaries of the Winnebago System. The largest fish harvested was an M2 male that weighed 130.8 pounds and measured 79.5 inches long from the Stockbridge registration shack. 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. According to the WDNR, Winnebago is home to one of North Americas largest lake sturgeon populations, and its one of the few places in the world with a wintertime spearfishing season for sturgeon. The heat index ranged from 120-128F during the summer, some of Wisconsins highest temperatures recorded. Be safe if you are headed back out onto the ice. By comparison, the average weight and length from the 2020 harvest in Lake Winnebago was 51.1 pounds and 58.5 inches. Updated: Feb 27, 2022 / 06:14 PM CST. 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. Spearers are also reminded that no ice is 100% safe. reach out to Angie Gade at 920-517-6749. Only 3,100 shacks were counted during Saturday's aerial counts, down significantly from the almost 6,000 shacks last year. Continue to be safe if you are headed back out tomorrow. There were no 100 lb. and measured 76.1 inches long. The equipment needed to get started with sturgeon spearing may seem intimidating. Wisconsin Official Traded Sturgeon Research Eggs for Caviar, Prosecutors Say Ryan Koenigs, a biologist who oversees the state's sturgeon spearing season in Lake Winnebago, is accused of. The 2023 sturgeon spearing season has begun. We look forward to what well learn from the years of tracking individual fish in the Lake Winnebago System. Then I turned around to adjust my stove, and when I turned back and this giant fish is in my hole. During her first few years, she grew and thrived while World War II was waging in Europe. Fish and Wildlife Service have positively impacted lake sturgeon recovery efforts across North America. Spearing season runs for a maximum of 16 days or until harvest caps are met. The staff managed to recapture one sturgeon from 2004 in 2012, and though the fish aren't weighed in the spring, its pre-spawn weight was estimated to grow to240 pounds. Sturgeon spearing returns, but ice conditions could limit travel on People are also reading OUR VIEW: 6 big reasons to vote today Locations can be found in the sturgeon spearing regulation packet or on the DNR's sturgeon spearing webpage. Village Clerk/Treasurer Lisa Averkamp said theres nothing like the camaraderie of sturgeon spearing. 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. Lake Winnebago's largest catch of 2020 was a 142-pound,80-inch sturgeon speared byWilliam Thern of Fond du Lac. In 1953, sturgeon enthusiasts were quick to find previous catches that had already broken Schroeder'srecord, citing Arthur Haferman and Michael Goyke's 187.5-pound catch on a set-line in Oshkosh from 1913 and Glen Marsh's 211-pound sturgeon from 1911 in Northwest Wisconsin, caught by a pike pole spear. Father and son duo Paul and Eli Muche both speared big fish during this snowy Thursday. With 285 fish harvested Upriver this spearing season, there was just over a 50% success rate for spearers with Upriver tags. 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 this fish might not be the heaviest of the year, at 80.5 inches, this is a long fish. By the time itwas speared byJonathan Eiden in 2019, its weight had reached only 171 pounds, though this still-impressive catch demonstrated the potential for the lake system's fish. Travis Hall Sturgeon spearing in Wisconsin is a sport rich in tradition. The biggest fish harvested was an F4 female weighing 136.5 lbs. Approximately 12,200 sturgeon spearing licenses were sold for the 2021 season. But so far, harvest Upriver has been slow, and the season will continue to be open tomorrow. Last year, the Ziemer family tradition continued when Wyatt (center) harvested this 107.9 lbs, 73.8 inch long lake sturgeon. Pipe continues to put up big registration numbers, with more fish registered today (18 fish) than the other shacks combined. 7.2K views 1 year ago On this weeks semi live we join Aaron Skrzypczak on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin as him and his whole group try and spear the elusive lake sturgeon. (WFRV) - Day eight of sturgeon spearing season proved to be a bit more fruitful for spearers out on Lake Winnebago. There were 3 fish harvested today over 100 pounds. Once again, congratulations to all our successful spearers. Yet both spearers and biologists report good numbers of shad within sturgeon stomachs, particularly in the southern portion of the lake. Spearers in the Upriver Lakes harvest 320 sturgeon. Most decoys are carved into the shape of a fish, but spearers are also superstitious by nature and have been known to deploy just about anything as a decoy, including copper jello molds, CDs, and white coffee cups. This fish was speared by Michael Meetz and registered at the Pipe registration shack. Many spearers took to the ice to enjoy the last two days of the season. If you're interested in making a tax-deductible donation please. Contact Daphne Lemke at 920-907-7968 or dlemke@gannett.com. The view from the dark shanty. If you are returning to the ice tomorrow, we wish you the best of luck and, as always, please be safe. Most spearers fish in groups comprised of family and friends. The Pipe registration station saw the highest number of harvested fish for Lake Winnebago, with 124 lake 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. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources published their opening day report. Its a family atmosphere. 22-Year-Old Spears Giant Sturgeon on Lake Winnebago - Outdoor Life For up-to-date harvest information, visit our sturgeon spearing webpage. At almost 70 years old, she knew how to weather that storm. For those unfamiliar with sturgeon spearing, it is "a sport rich in tradition" in the Winnebago system, as stated on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website.. For the season, 1,405 fish were harvested on the entire Winnebago system (155 juvenile females, 599 adult females and 651 males). 2020 WI DNR Post-Season Sturgeon Report - Summary In 2020, the biggest fish snagged from the Upriver Lakes was140pounds and 75 inches, speared byVincent Catania of North Fond du Lac, but 2021 beat that catch by over 10 pounds with Steven Lenz's 154.5-pound,78.2-inch sturgeon from Lake Poygan. The 2021 sturgeon spearing season is scheduled to open Feb. 13 and run a maximum of 16 days or until predetermined harvest caps are met. The Lake Michigan basin contains the Lake Winnebago system where Gishkowsky speared his monster sturgeon earlier this week. Copyright 2023 WBAY. For up-to-date details and numbers throughout the season, visitdnr.wisconsin.gov. The DNR said Ice conditions likely prevented many from participating this year. Still, there are guide services available that range from cutting a hole to providing a fully furnished shack. On Lake Winnebago, 211 fish were registered (31 juvenile females, 83 adult females and 97 males). Two surveys were conducted in 2013 and 2018 to evaluate spearers opinions on technology. Call 1-888-936-7463 (TTY Access via relay - 711) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. 2023 Winnebago System Sturgeon Spearing Regulations, Lake Winnebago Water Clarity Report, 2023, View the full details in todays harvest report, Click here to view the full Day 13 Harvest Report, Click here to view the full Day 12 Harvest Report, View the full details in today's harvest report, Young of year Gizzard Shad abundances in Lake Winnebago during the Lake Winnebago trawl assessment, View the full details in today's full harvest report, Click here to view the full Day 8 Harvest Report, Check out the Heavy Hitters Club, the largest fish speared over 170 pounds on the Lake Winnebago system since 1941, Sign up for Winnebago System sturgeon spearing updates, Explaining the Increasing Trend in Support for Underwater Cameras for Sturgeon Spearing on the Lake Winnebago System, What you need to know about tagging your sturgeon, Winnebago System sturgeon spearing successful spearer list 2023, Winnebago System sturgeon spearing season summary, 2022, Winnebago System sturgeon spearing season summary, 2021, Winnebago System sturgeon stock assessment report, 2022, Winnebago System chironomid assessment report, 2022. There is an average of 13.0 feet of water clarity around Lake Winnebago with generally clearer water on the eastern shores as well as farther from shores along the west side of the lake. The snow and winter weather likely caused the slow spearing day. In a press release, the WDNR called Gishkowsys sturgeon an F4 fish, meaning it was full of up to 30 pounds of eggs and would have spawned in the spring. Those caps are 1,200 male sturgeon, 875 adult females, and 400 juvenile females. Gerald Petersons 154.9-pound, 83.4-inch female sturgeon speared on the third day of the 2017 season was about five inchers longer but only two-tenths of a pound heavier than Schumachers opening day trophy. Sturgeon spearing season kicks off on Wisconsin's Lake Winnebago 1969 and 1973 are tied for smallest harvest years, yielding eight sturgeon each. All rights reserved. Today, spearers reached between 90-99% of the harvest cap on the Upriver Lakes. Published Feb 16, 2023 3:37 PM EST. Ninety-three fish were harvested from Lake Winnebago (11 juvenile females, 49 adult females, and 33 males). If youve visited a registration station, you may have seen big sturgeon with flat, or even bowl-shaped bellies. As neither of these fish were speared through the ice, however, Schroeder kept his record until 2004. In 2020, the biggest fish snagged from the Upriver Lakes was 140 pounds and 75 inches, speared by Vincent Catania of North Fond du Lac, but 2021 beat that catch by over 10 pounds with Steven Lenz's. Wisconsin's top sturgeon expert charged with lying about caviar scheme Meanwhile, in downtown Oshkosh, Croix, JJ, and Remi Holz helped their dad, Josh Holz, measure his 30.3 lbs., 52.9-inch sturgeon. Generally, the spears are constructed with long handles, 6-8' in length, and have detachable spearheads. Any sturgeon harvested from Lake Winnebago must be registered at one of the registration stations on Lake Winnebago. While only 5 fish harvested today were over 100 pounds, Samuel OConnell speared a gigantic 162.6 lbs., 76.1 inches, F4 female on Lake Poygan. If 100% is reached, then the season will close that afternoon. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | Site requirements | Accessibility | Legal | Privacy | Employee resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Korey Krupp scored the biggest fish on Lake Winnebago, a 135.5 lbs, 76.1 inch, F4 female. Wisconsin, a state that prides itself on outdoor traditions such as hunting and fishing, holds a sturgeon spearing season every February on the Lake Winnebago system near Oshkosh, about 90 miles northwest of Milwaukee. 2022 Sturgeon Spearing Season Opens Feb. 12 | Wisconsin DNR Spearers interested in fishing the Upriver Lakes must apply for a permit or purchase a preference point before an Aug. 1 deadline. Locals report some decent Gizzard Shad values in this southeastern section of Lake Winnebago which is likely drawing spearers to this area. Wisconsin Fisherman Spears Record-Sized Sturgeon | Outdoor Life Happy opening day of the 2023 Winnebago Sturgeon spearing season! 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). 2023 sturgeon spearing season photos on Lake Winnebago, Upriver Lakes Spearers with tags for Lake Winnebago may continue to harvest sturgeon on Lake Winnebago until harvest caps are reached or until the Lake Winnebago System harvest caps are reached. The tradition draws thousands of participants and spectators out. The fishing clubs use caution. Today he harvested 80.8 lbs. Only 7 fish were harvested from Lake Winnebago today, with 1 juvenile female, 3 adult females and 3 males. I called him up, and I said, Sean I need some help over here.'. These limitationsand careful guarding against poachers allow for the long-lived tradition of sturgeon spearing to continue without fear of depleting their numbers. 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. Despite the impending winter storm, a few anglers made it out on the ice Wednesday. For many, the season is defined by the time spent with loved ones, not the harvesting of a fish. 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. Although this female sturgeon was about 36, well within spawning age and spawning every four to five years, she was never handled or pit tagged by the DNR during the annual spawn surveys. The effort pays off for individual spearers as well: existing sturgeon now have a better opportunity to grow older and older and bigger and bigger. All it would take is a multi-yearabundance of gizzard shad fish, the sturgeon's fattiest food source, to "shake up" the record books,Ryan Koenigs wrote in the 2019 season summary from the DNR. This year, 9,474 people applied for a tag or purchased a preference point for the Upriver Lakes. Locations can be found in the sturgeon season regulation packet or on the DNR sturgeon spearing webpage. 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. 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). Ice conditions were excellent opening day. Wisconsin DNR Gerald Peterson's 154.9-pound, 83.4-inch female sturgeon speared on the third day of the 2017 season was about five inchers longer but only two-tenths of a pound heavier than Schumacher's opening day trophy. To everyone headed back out tomorrow, remember to be safe. Please check the2023 sturgeon spearing regulationsfor specifics. At the start of the new millennium, at about 60 years old and roughly 74 inches long, she started to feel vibrations from the music playing around the lake after the convenience of the iPod was invented by Apple in 2001. DNR staff have conducted an annual spring spawn survey since 1975. Following the drawing, there is no deadline for those who are successful to purchase a license on the Upriver Lakes. The last day continued to prove to be exciting on Lake Winnebago with cold weather and sunshine. In the Upriver Lakes, the largest harvest was in 2000, and saw2,169 sturgeon speared. A Wisconsin tradition: Thousands kick off 2022 sturgeon spearing season We will continue to post updates on what stations are open or closed. They both stayed outside the hole. Check with local fishing clubs and conservation groups for local ice condition information as the DNR does not monitor ice conditions. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. LAKE WINNEBAGO, Wis. - Anglers in Wisconsin are camping out on the ice this weekend, spear in hand, with the hopes of snagging a freshwater giant. Sturgeon spearing: Harvest totals increase | WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay Congratulations to all successful spearers. With more snow coming, we will see what weather conditions have in store for the Winnebago spearers. As an F2, this female is preparing to spawn, but probably would not have spawned until the spring of 2024. Track the rest of the season online here. Its a memory Schrader now shares with his 11-year-old son, who was in the shack with him. Many families came out just to see some of the big fish. This is why many of the largest fish registered are indicated as F4s. This array expanded from 22 receivers in just the Wolf River in 2004 to more than 60 as of 2022 throughout the entire Winnebago system, including Lake Winnebago and the upper and parts of the lower Fox River. Congrats James! Ice Fisherman Spears Massive 177-Pound Sturgeon | Field & Stream LAKE WINNEBAGO, Wis. (WBAY) - Sturgeon spearing season is officially here! If you plan on registering your fish there, please head to the next closest registration station. A bar on the lake by the name of T.J.s Bar and Restaurant is going to mount it and hang it in their bar.. Warm weather, however, made things a bit less solid by the seasons second weekend. The Southwest Winnebago and Stockbridge registration stations both had the next most fish registered at just about 200 fish each. According to the Wisconsin DNR, "The Winnebago system is home to one of the largest lake sturgeon populations in North America and hosts a unique winter spear fishery" (WI DNR). Today, 29 fish were harvested on Lake Winnebago with 3 juvenile females, 15 adult females and 11 males. While she stayed off the DNRs radar during this time, in 1977, Sturgeon for Tomorrows founders were creating an organization to protect her and other Winnebago sturgeon. I took the fish to a local taxidermist, he said. The winter spearing season has been active since 1932 on Lake Winnebago and 1952 on the Upriver Lakes, with regulations adjusting over the years, according to reports from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Saturday brought a sunny and cold morning with lots of action for our spearers. An unlicensed person or person, who has already filled their tag, cannot be inside a shanty alone with a spear. 2023 Wisconsin Sturgeon Spearing | hitw The opening day aerial shanty count, conducted by the DNR, found around 3,100 shacks, nearly half the number of opening day shanties from 2022. Spearers with tags for the Upriver lakes can continue to spear until 1 p.m. tomorrow, Feb. 18, 2023. View the full details in todays harvest report. Lake Winnebago has the. Gizzard Shad are not native to Lake Winnebago and do not tolerate the freezing winters well. This years Upriver season lasted 8 days compared to 4 in 2022. This makes 5 sturgeon over 100 pounds registered at the Oshkosh registration station for the season. Sturgeon in the Upriver Lakes average even smaller, at 36.5 pounds and 53.6 inches. Its these smaller fish (generally 55 inches or smaller) that will one day replace the larger fish. There is only one more day for the 2023 sturgeon spearing season for anyone who has not yet filled their harvest tag for Lake Winnebago. The deadline to apply for an Upriver Lakes sturgeon spearing permit was Aug. 1, 2020. Call 1-888-936-7463 (TTY Access via relay - 711) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. 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. Small fish means more new fish are growing in the population. Prosecutors have charged Ryan Koenigs, a top sturgeon expert at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), with obstructing an investigation after he alleged that his workers were. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reported ice conditions likely kept some spearfishers on shore. At around 8:30 A.M., I had a fish come through, but it stayed to the outside of the hole, he recalled. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. fish harvested today. Wisconsin 2023 Sturgeon Spearing Season Opens Feb. 11 In 1980, she saw the introduction of the first flip-top portable canvas ice shanty. Only 3,100 shacks were counted during Saturdays aerial counts, down significantly from the almost 6,000 shacks last year. Only one sturgeon speared on the Lake Winnebago system has weighed in at over 200 pounds, butthe Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says that record could soon be shattered. The lake is 35 miles long. According to the Department . 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. As the snow passes and the sun comes out, spearers are starting to take to the ice again. | On Wisconsin Outdoors with Dick Ellis Hes like three miles out in the lake. With our big trucks we like to have at least 12 or more, Herman said. Do not forget to check with your local fishing club for up-to-date ice conditions. This means there is still 1 adult female left until the 90% trigger is activated or 9 more adult females until the 100% cap is reached on the Upriver Lakes. Kevin Naze Military personnel home on leave can also buy a license after Oct. 31. It won't be long before spring become summerand Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. Congrats Samuel! So if you have wind and sun at the same time, thats a bad thing, Swanson explained. Spearers with tags for Lake Winnebago may continue to harvest sturgeon on Lake Winnebago until harvest caps are reached or until the Lake Winnebago System harvest caps are reached. 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. and measuring 80.5 inches long. 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. The biggest fish harvested was an F1 female that weighed 83.3 lbs. On opening weekend, only about 3,000 ice shanties were counted. We hope every spearer had a great season. We are halfway through the season. Guelig says the sturgeon was a mature adult female that had an estimated 50 pounds of highly-prized roe, which Guelig will make into caviar. Send us your photos using this photo submission form. For females, stages F1 and F2 indicate a fish that was not ready to spawn this year or even next. Its a great experience!. Because of this, only 261 fish were harvested throughout the system (42 juvenile females, 93 adult females and 126 males). Upriver, there are still 3 adult females left until the 90% trigger is activated or 11 more adult females until the 100% cap is reached.