More:Mild weather adds to celebrations on opening day of sturgeon spearing season. Southwest Winnebago had four fish registered, the highest on the lake today. This is the first time weve seen harvest this slow since 2019 when we had a few days with only 10 fish harvested. Then I see the fish, and I thought: Oh my God, he said. There are enough resources for the fish to grow to over 100 lbs. The fishing clubs use caution. This fish was speared by Michael Meetz and registered at the Pipe registration shack. 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. Published Feb 18, 2017 2:30 AM EST. While other species of sturgeon, such as Atlantic and Gulf sturgeon, have scutes, these sturgeon will keep the scutes for their lifetime. Sturgeon Spearing in Oshkosh She lived in the Winnebago System from roughly 1939 to 2022, thriving for about 83 years. 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 With more snow coming, we will see what weather conditions have in store for the Winnebago spearers. Saturday's largest catch was Rebecca Van Handel's 143.2-pound female from the Upriver Lakes that measured 75.6 inches and was registered at the Poygan station. If you are returning to the ice tomorrow, we wish you the best of luck and, as always, please be safe. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. The DNR would love to see your highlights of the season. Since around the 2000s, the DNR has tagged over 20,000 fish with these PIT tags in the Winnebago system. 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. 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. This year, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) predicts that harvest caps will be met prior to the 16-day season limit. The second heaviest was only 188 pounds, snagged in 2004. For up-to-date harvest information, visit our sturgeon spearing webpage. The season on the Upriver Lakes is closed. The survey not only asked about on-camera opinions but also the use of the sturgeon hole and other technologies during sturgeon spearing and other recreational fishing activities. Only 3,100 shacks were counted during Saturday's aerial counts, down significantly from the almost 6,000 shacks last year. 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. David Propson Mild weather adds to celebrations on opening day of sturgeon spearing There is no residency requirement for participating in the sturgeon spearing season, but license holders are predominantly Wisconsin residents residing within 60 miles of the Winnebago system. Congratulations to all our successful spearers today! Sturgeon, a large fish found in rivers and lakes across the. 22-Year-Old Spears Giant Sturgeon on Lake Winnebago - Outdoor Life 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 female sturgeon is the seventh-largest fish ever taken with a spear in the Lake Winnebago system. Wisconsin DNR official illegally exchanged sturgeon eggs for caviar As the snow passes and the sun comes out, spearers are starting to take to the ice again. Saturday brought a sunny and cold morning with lots of action for our spearers. The tradition draws thousands of participants and spectators out. Just $1 per month . Ice conditions are worsening in the Winnebago System. We hope to see all these future spearers successfully registering fish when they are old enough. Congrats to everyone who successfully speared a fish. Cold weather finally prevailed today and spearers took to the ice. Both fish were among 21 sturgeon weighing more than 100 pounds speared on Saturday, and 26. A darkened shack or enclosure is required for better visibility. We will continue to keep you posted on what stations are opened or closed. This fish was harvested by Joshua Genske at the Pipe registration shack. The partnerships we have with the spearing community, the funding generated from sturgeon spearing and the donations from various sportsmans groups have made our movement, or telemetry, program possible. 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. This year's season came to an end for the Upriver Lakes on Saturday, yielding the largest harvest since 2007 with 364 sturgeon. Spearers are also reminded that no ice is 100% safe. Whatever is placed in the water must be removed or retrieved when requested. After a spawn, most of her eggs have been released and she is often left with a concave, empty belly. The DNR has received reports of off-highway vehicles and ice fishing shacks going through the ice. Wisconsin Official Traded Sturgeon Research Eggs for Caviar 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. 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. Because of the warm weather and the concern about ice conditions after the expected rain tonight, we are temporarily closing the Neenah registration station. Many who took to the ice today found success, with 522 sturgeon harvested. Spearers were reporting cloudy water on the Upriver lakes today, likely due to the run-off from the warm weather. Access points near Indian Point made it difficult to access the lake. Im wondering if it got stuck on something. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | Site requirements | Accessibility | Legal | Privacy | Employee resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Ice conditions, however, likely prevented many from participating this year. fish harvested today. 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.