These efforts have helped strengthen and grow sturgeon populations nationwide, including in Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky. We look forward to what well learn from the years of tracking individual fish in the Lake Winnebago System. These scutes will then wear down, and either fall off or, as the lake sturgeon gets larger, the skin will envelop the scute. Sturgeon Spearing: Fishing for the Living Dinosaurs of the Midwest We hope every spearer had a great season. 2022 Sturgeon spearing season wraps up in big way | WFRV - WEAREGREENBAY The largest fish harvested today was an 81.1-pound male which was 64.5 inches long. 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. In her 40s, she started to see the technological advancements ice fishing anglers were using in the lake. RELATED:Sturgeon spearing 2021 second weekend brings in 256 catches; Upriver Lakes season closes with record harvest, RELATED:Fog, flurries bless frigid opening day of 2021 sturgeon spearing season on Lake Winnebago, Upriver Lakes. This reproductive stage is called F6. WINNEBAGO SYSTEM STURGEON SPEARING - Wisconsin DNR This makes a total of 1,027 Lake Sturgeon harvested for Lake Winnebago. This balance between a good number of big fish and fish on the smaller end of the spectrum is another indication of a healthy sturgeon population in the Winnebago system. The questions below are some of the more frequently asked by spearers. Colder weather is on its way into the area tonight so we may see an increase in spearing activity tomorrow. This season was one for the books, with a variety of weather patterns packed into a short 16 days: warm weather, rain and a winter storm. Decoy types are unlimited if they don't involve any artificial lights (glow sticks are illegal) or hooks. 2023 sturgeon spearing season photos on Lake Winnebago, Upriver Lakes The Lake Michigan basin contains the Lake Winnebago system where Gishkowsky speared his monster sturgeon earlier this week. The last day continued to prove to be exciting on Lake Winnebago with cold weather and sunshine. Andy Schumacher of Oshkosh, Sandys son (right), was staring into the depths in another shack when he got a cell phone call to help his mother with a big fish. Wherever theres a crowd, theres someone trying to figure out an angle on how to make a buck. The winds have blown away hazard markers indicating cracks and shoves. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Many who took to the ice Saturday found success, with 522 sturgeon harvested. The heaviest sturgeon speared on record in the Lake Winnebago system weighed 212.2 pounds, caught by Ronald Grishaber in 2010. shy of the system record (record is 212 . The minimum spearing age is 12 years old. Im wondering if it got stuck on something. Wisconsin sturgeon spearing season an event for family from Van Dyne For many, the season is defined by the time spent with loved ones, not the harvesting of a fish. With so many big fish registered this year, many might have noticed that these larger individuals look slightly different from younger Lake Sturgeon in the population. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | Site requirements | Accessibility | Legal | Privacy | Employee resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In the end, though, it revolves around the opportunity to tag one of the largest fish in North America. She even lived long enough to see the first commercial space flight in 2004. Gishkowskys fish was a lake sturgeona prehistoric, bottom-dwelling species that first appeared on earth around the time the dinosaurs went extinct. We will continue to keep you posted on what stations are opened or closed. | On Wisconsin Outdoors with Dick Ellis We wish you good luck and clear water. View the full details in today's full harvest report. 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. With better water clarity this year, we should see a good harvest, though the warm weather could deteriorate ice conditions which may reduce spearing success. Spearer after . Before spawning, a females belly becomes stretched out to accommodate all the eggs inside her. Korey Krupp scored the biggest fish on Lake Winnebago, a 135.5 lbs, 76.1 inch, F4 female. 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. 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. Click here to view the full Day 13 Harvest Report. Yet both spearers and biologists report good numbers of shad within sturgeon stomachs, particularly in the southern portion of the lake. Fair to good water clarity is considered to be 12to 15 feet deep, though several years have reported up to 18 feet. 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. Tags Sturgeon Sturgeon Spearing Sturgeon Spearing Season Lake Winnebago Spearers can be in a shanty after hours, but they cannot be in one with a spear after hours. 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. So I got on the phone with Sean Wendts. The second heaviest was only 188 pounds, snagged in 2004. Sturgeon spearing season runs for 16 days or until any of the pre-determined harvest caps are met. The longest-held record was Elroy Schroeder's 1953 catch, measuring 180 pounds and 79 inches. 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. 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.. They are full of an additional 20-30 pounds of eggs. Contact Daphne Lemke at 920-907-7968 or [email protected]. Today he harvested 80.8 lbs. 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. This can be almost 30 additional pounds. 2022 Sturgeon Spearing Season Opens Feb. 12 | Wisconsin DNR Since around the 2000s, the DNR has tagged over 20,000 fish with these PIT tags in the Winnebago system. All of the fish Upriver were registered at the Winneconne registration station. Sturgeon, a large fish found in rivers and lakes across the. Call 1-888-936-7463 (TTY Access via relay - 711) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Ryan Koenigs, DNR Winnebago sturgeon biologist. The Pipe registration shacks continue to have the highest harvest rates with a season total of 267 fish registered. At 154 pounds with only the beginning stages of eggs, we can only imagine how big this female would have weighed next year when she would have been ready to spawn. Female stages are V, 1, 2, 4 or 6, while male stages include V, 1 or 2. There are 2 more shanties in need of sponsoring. One of the nine fish was the 90.7 lbs., 77.9-inch F1 female speared by Russel Gulig. If you are headed out tomorrow good luck and, as always, be safe. What you need to know about tagging your sturgeon[PDF]. Sturgeon spearing season has begun, but the . Copyright 2023 WBAY. 2023 Wisconsin Sturgeon Spearing | hitw This fish was speared by Michael Meetz and registered at the Pipe registration shack. Both fish were among 19 sturgeon weighing over 100 pounds speared on Saturday, and 33. Wisconsin Official Traded Sturgeon Research Eggs for Caviar The first modern sturgeon fishery took place in 1932. Sixty-one fish were harvested between Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes. Today, 29 fish were harvested on Lake Winnebago with 3 juvenile females, 15 adult females and 11 males. The species is characterized by its heavy, torpedo-shaped body and thick armor arranged in five rows along its flanks and back. James Gishkowsky speared a massive 177.3-pound, 79.9-inch female sturgeon from Lake Winnebago. The two largest fish speared on the system in 2020 were just 70 lbs. The Winnebago system is home to one of North America's largest lake sturgeon populations and hosts a unique winter spear fishery. Catching sturgeon was eventually stopped in Wisconsin due to overfishing in the early 1900s. Today, only 19 fish were harvested between Lake Winnebago and the Upriver lakes. At 85.5 inches, Eiden's sturgeon could have surpassed a different record, ifrecords were determinedby length as well as weight. at the Poygan registration station. For up-to-date harvest information, visit our sturgeon spearing webpage. For example, spearers typically use decoys as attractants. But for those that found safe ice, the fish were there and seemed to be plentiful. Sturgeon Spearing Lake Winnebago - YouTube This will likely mean the ice will continue to change. 2022 sturgeon spearing opening weekend had 716 successful spearers 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. The biggest fish on the Upriver Lakes weighed in at 143.2 lbs. According to the Department . 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). Korey Krupp speared the largest sturgeon from Lake Winnebago with a 135.5-pound, 76.1-inch female. Because of intensive management efforts and countless habitat improvement projects, many of the lake sturgeon in the Winnebago system has the potential to live long lives. Because of the warm weather and the concern about ice conditions after the expected rain tonight, we are temporarily closing the Neenah registration station. This is the 7th largest fish ever speared from the Winnebago system! Hes like three miles out in the lake. I think I see a few less shacks out there. Despite conditions, some spearers struck gold. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. This winter event is rich in tradition, and 2021 will be another year for spearers to uphold or create new traditions in pursuit of the fish of a lifetime.. It allows the DNR to assess the population, implement habitat projects, conduct research projects and implement the best management for this world-renowned resource, Koenigs said.