Updated: Feb 20, 2022 / 12:48 PM CST. Rebecca and Korey weren't the only ones with stories to tell. Sturgeon, a large fish found in rivers and lakes across the. One entrepreneur sold unique signs at the Stockbridge registration station outside Harbor Bar. 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. Harvest caps for the 2021 Winnebago system spearing season are set at 430 juvenile females, 950 adult females and 1,200 males. This years registration stations have returned to their pre-pandemic locations. Both years reported very low water clarity, with visual depths recorded at six and eight feet into the water, respectively. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. 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. 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. Village Clerk/Treasurer Lisa Averkamp said theres nothing like the camaraderie of sturgeon spearing. The southeast corner of Lake Winnebago saw the highest harvest for the season. If records were based on length rather than weight, Thern's fish would have beaten over half of the top 11 "Heavy Hitters" of the season. As the snow passes and the sun comes out, spearers are starting to take to the ice again. Check with local fishing clubs and conservation groups for local ice condition information as the DNR does not monitor ice conditions. For the season, 1,405 fish were harvested on the entire Winnebago system (155 juvenile females, 599 adult females and 651 males). F6 females are fish that spawned last season (spring of 2022). James Gishkowsky speared a massive 177.3-pound, 79.9-inch female sturgeon from Lake Winnebago. There were no 100 lb. The second heaviest was only 188 pounds, snagged in 2004. This fish was speared by Michael Meetz and registered at the Pipe registration shack. System-wide harvest caps for the 2021 Winnebago system sturgeon spearing season are 430 juvenile females, 950 adult females and 1,200 males. In most cases, items are attached to a string or can be "hooked" for removal. This year, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) predicts that harvest caps will be met prior to the 16-day season limit. These limitationsand careful guarding against poachers allow for the long-lived tradition of sturgeon spearing to continue without fear of depleting their numbers. There are still 2 adult females left until the 90% trigger is activated or 10 more adult females until the 100% cap is reached on the Upriver lakes. Carcass tags must be validated immediately upon harvest by removing the validation stub. Its a memory Schrader now shares with his 11-year-old son, who was in the shack with him. Licenses are issued through a drawing where priority is granted to applicants with the most preference points. Only 11 fish were harvested today between Lake Winnebago and the Upriver lakes. Spearer after . The Pipe registration station continues to see the highest harvest of the season, with a daily total of 59 fish. 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. You could see a line of trailers along Merritt Avenue in Oshkosh that people used to get their four-wheelers out onto the ice. Gishkowsky, who lives on the lake, said hes having the sturgeons roe processed into caviar, and hell be smoking the meat. fishing . We look forward to what well learn from the years of tracking individual fish in the Lake Winnebago System. 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. She lived in the Winnebago System from roughly 1939 to 2022, thriving for about 83 years. When you register your fish, DNR staff not only identifies the sex of the sturgeon as female (F) or male (M), but they also identify where they are in their reproductive cycle. The equipment needed to participate in sturgeon spearing is relatively specialized. If you're interested in making a tax-deductible donation please. This is about half the fish that were registered yesterday. 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. Sturgeon in the Upriver Lakes average even smaller, at 36.5 pounds and 53.6 inches. Congrats to everyone who successfully speared a fish. Copyright 2023 WBAY. The other fishery takes place on the Upriver Lakes (Butte des Morts, Winneconne, and Poygan). If you plan on registering your fish there, please head to the next closest registration station. Fifty-four fish were harvested from Lake Winnebago (5 juvenile females, 28 adult females, 21 males) and 7 from the Upriver Lakes (0 juvenile females, 3 adult females, 4 males). Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | Site requirements | Accessibility | Legal | Privacy | Employee resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Both fish were among 21 sturgeon weighing more than 100 pounds speared on Saturday, and 26. at the Poygan registration station. F2 female from Lake Winnebago. Despite the slow day, a record-setting fish was caught! Male stages are similar, with M1 males not ready to spawn, while M2 males were ready to spawn in spring 2023. Generally, the spears are constructed with long handles, 6-8' in length, and have detachable spearheads. It was great seeing everyone back at the regular registration stations; we enjoyed being able to celebrate with you and hear your spearing stories. More:Mild weather adds to celebrations on opening day of sturgeon spearing season. Today, another large female was speared just off of downtown Oshkosh. Track the rest of the season online here. I mean, you can pull up to anyones shack and theyre going to congratulate you. It is also one of only two places on the continent where anglers can harvest the massive, prehistoric fish with spears. harvested today. Its right on the border of 12 inches, 13 inches. This year, 9,474 people applied for a tag or purchased a preference point for the Upriver Lakes. The season on the Upriver Lakes is closed. Only 7 fish were harvested, with 0 juvenile females, 3 adult females and 4 males. Josh Ausloos speared the final "biggest fish of the day" for this season, a 106.9 pound, 75.4 inches, F1 female registered at the Pipe registration station. The Pipe registration shacks continue to have the highest harvest rates with a season total of 267 fish registered. We will continue to post updates on what stations are open or closed. News of the scandal comes as Wisconsin's annual 16-day sturgeon spearing season begins Saturday on the state's Winnebago lakes system. As an F2, this female is preparing to spawn, but probably would not have spawned until the spring of 2024. 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. If youd planned on registering your fish there, please head to the next closest registration station. The spearing season begins on the second Saturday in February and lasts for 16 days or until any of the sex-specific harvest caps for that fishery have been reached. A darkened shack or enclosure is required for better visibility. If they see any eggs that look like salt and pepper (unsuccessfully laid eggs), then they know they have an F6 female. The only station with more is the Pipe registration station, with 6 fish registered over 100 pounds. Your safety is a top priority. There are six drive-thru stations. It was another slow day with 11 fish harvested on Lake Winnebago no juvenile females, 5 adult females and 6 males. David Propson The DNR tries to tag as many Lake Sturgeon during the spring with these PIT tags as possible. Decoy types are unlimited if they don't involve any artificial lights (glow sticks are illegal) or hooks. Although regulations have changed through time, the premise of using a spear to harvest a sturgeon through the ice has remained constant. The Pipe registration station saw the highest number of harvested fish for Lake Winnebago, with 124 lake sturgeon. Get tips for staying safe on the ice from the DNRs ice safety webpage. This fish was speared by Kenneth Rach. Particularly those that are tagged during the spring sturgeon spawn. This was the first year since 2020 that registration stations were back to supper clubs and other businesses, after the COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift to drive-thru stations. The Upriver Season will continue to be open tomorrow. Since around the 2000s, the DNR has tagged over 20,000 fish with these PIT tags in the Winnebago system. In Lake Winnebago, 1995 saw the largest sturgeon harvest between 1941 and 2020, reporting 3,173 sturgeon speared during the season, before the harvest caps were implemented, according to the DNR. The last fish to be registered this size Upriver was in 2012. Their logo will be applied to the shanty they have sponsored. Sturgeon with this appearance are often females that have spawned the previous spring. In Wisconsin, lake sturgeon inhabit the Mississippi, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior Drainage basins. Kevin Naze 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. Congrats James! 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. By Clubs are constantly monitoring the situation on Lake Winnebago and upriver. Lake sturgeon can live for 100 years or more. Part of the scope statement included sending one final survey in 2021 to determine the growing interest in technology during the spearing season. 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. As a result, only one fish has been registered at the Indian Point registration station since Tuesday. The small Village of Stockbridge, Wisconsin has trademarked the name Sturgeon Center of the World and it certainly seemed like it on Februaru 11, opening day of Wisconsins 2017 Lake Winnebago system sturgeon spearing season. Locations with drive-thru options are marked in red. Thesystemwide caps this year are set at 350 juvenile females, 793adult females and 1,231 males. Two surveys were conducted in 2013 and 2018 to evaluate spearers opinions on technology. The second day of the 2023 Winnebago Sturgeon spearing season was considerably slower than yesterday. (a 66.5-inch, F2 female). Military personnel home on leave can also buy a license after Oct. 31. 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. Access points near Indian Point made it difficult to access the lake. This massive fish was an F4 female measuring 75.6 inches and speared by Rebecca Van Handel. This funding is the lifeblood of our management program. 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). Still, there are guide services available that range from cutting a hole to providing a fully furnished shack. The biggest fish on the Upriver Lakes weighed in at 143.2 lbs. Warm weather, however, made things a bit less solid by the seasons second weekend. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. 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.