Folk art and doityourself outfitting are a big part of the local sturgeonspearing culture. Participating anglers must register for the season, and anglers age 17 or older must have a. Cheryl teichmiller loves sturgeon season, especially as a time to be with her loved ones. Spearing fish through the ice is something fishermen have been doing in cold climates for generations. Most of the equipment is also homemade with handcarved wooden decoys that are used to attract sturgeon, handmade spears and a gaff. Most years, more than 5,000 ice shanties dot lake winnebago, turning it into a veritable shanty town for sturgeon spearing license holders. Species like pike and musky are the most sought after by fishermen, but in michigan, sturgeon are also speared. Calumet harbor pipe paced the way with 7 fish while stockbridge harbor and. Ive been chomping at the bit to get down there all season but im currently limited to driving the truck, just wondering if you have an ice report that would be awesome.
Many folks consider spearfishing to be more hunting than fishing. Sturgeon spearing tales live on wisconsin sea grant. Yes, it is legal on many waters in many northern states, including minnesota, to spear a fish through a big hole in the ice. Another wisconsin sturgeon spearing season in the books. Lonny to book a shanty or to get more information on their guided sturgeon spearing trips. Great job on the video and some really stellar fish. Mar 21, 2015 the sturgeon spearfishing season at lake winnebago, the largest lake in wisconsin, attracts ice fishermen to the lake and relatives and neighbors to the checkins. Houtman for two years now, ive spent a weekend in february staring down an ice hole the size of a bigscreen television seeking to spear a sturgeon. Wisconsins 2017 sturgeon spearing season will begin at 7 a. Lake sturgeon are the only sturgeon species endemic to the great lakes basin and are the largest freshwater fish indigenous to that system. About a mile off the stockbridge shoreline, scott broehm guided his handmade saw through the lake winnebago ice. A spearer, a taxidermist and a biologist weigh in on what happens. That sport continues today and the flavor and spirit of that cold endeavor is well chronicled in this book.
Spearing giants through the ice union sportsmens alliance. Shad on the surface near open water, dead shad on the bottom of the river using a marcum lx9 and its camera feature, even shad coming up through the holes in the ice we are fishing. The covering of large ice holes spearing holes with shanties is prohibited during periods other than 48 hours before and continuing through the open spearing season. Schmidts decoys come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. There were 24 sturgeon harvested from lake winnebago today bringing the season total to 253. Sturgeon spearing on lake winnebago photography by studio l.
Dream outdoors, llc unique products for the demanding outdoorsman. Sturgeon spearing season hobbled by deteriorating ice. Wisconsin kicked off its annual sturgeon spearing season last saturday, offering,000 or so people the chance to stick fish that can live for more than a. Spearers registered 789 lake sturgeon through the first seven days of the annual season on the lake winnebago system, according to the dnr. Love, tradition, memory pull sturgeon spearer onto the ice. Calumet harbor pipe paced the way with 7 fish while stockbridge harbor and jerrys bar oshkosh each registered 4. Ice cutting ahead of sturgeon spearing season wluk. Savannah kleinhans, 9, died when her fathers truck broke through the ice during sturgeon spearing season in 2009. Lake sturgeon can be considered a nearshore, warmwater species with water temperature and depth preferences of low 50s to mid60s farenheit and 1530 feet, respectively. Feb 12, 2018 love, tradition, memory pull sturgeon spearer onto the ice. Guided sturgeon spearing and shack rentals on lake winnebago. After sturgeon spearing tragedy, a mothers loss inspires. Sturgeon spearing season on lake winnebago would not be complete without this sturgeon spearfishing hoodie.
Would you support the spearing of panfish through the ice. Tommy and andie embark on their second trip out spearing at lake sakakawea. Red has been sturgeon spearing since he was a boy in the 1950s. A valid fishing license will not be required to purchase a sturgeon spearing license in 2003 for the 2004 spearing season. The sturgeon spearfishing season at lake winnebago, the largest lake in wisconsin, attracts ice fishermen to the lake and relatives and neighbors to the checkins. Sturgeon spearing season opens february 10th, 2018. And, practically speaking, the technique hasnt changed a whole lot since then. Status of the current 199197 winnebago system lake sturgeon population and fishery. Learn about closetohome sturgeon through people of the sturgeon.
The spearing shanty is designed to be as dark as possible inside and is placed over relatively shallow water, allowing the light to come up through the hole in the ice. Wisconsins love affair with an ancient fish, a book. He hasnt missed a single year on the ice of lake winnebago since then. Some of the earliest french explorers to wisconsin wrote about their encounters with the menominee tribe, noting their skill at spearing sturgeon through the ice. The odds of spearing this prehistoric fish are slim, but that doesnt deter him. Jan 29, 2016 yes, it is legal on many waters in many northern states, including minnesota, to spear a fish through a big hole in the ice. A sturgeon spearing license is required for both residents and nonresidents and allows spearing of lake sturgeon in wisconsin. Regulated by the department of natural resources and protected by the nonprofit organization sturgeon for tomorrow, a twoweek sturgeonspearing season occurs through the frozen surface of a frozen lake winnebago in northeastern wisconsin. Feb 16, 2018 sturgeon spearing has been a strong tradition in many families around lake winnebago for close to a century. Replacing buffalo hides with propaneheated ice shanties and modern conveniences, the thrill of the hunt is the same. The 2020 sturgeon spearing season kicks off at 7 a. Sturgeon spearing continues to be a popular sport in wisconsin.
A small window for a big opportunity wisconsin natural resources magazine, february 2011. Archaeological evidence suggests that indigenous tribes of north america began spearing fish through the ice more than 2,000 years agolong predating european contact as well as hookandline ice fishing. The wisconsin dnr sold 12,962 licenses for the 2017 season. Watch as we spear a pair of twenty pounders as well as several other fish. They liken the feelings inspired by a big northern pike or lake sturgeon to buck. Spearing sturgeon on wisconsins lake winnebago the new. Wisconsins love affair with an ancient fish wisconsin historical society press, 2009, a hardcover book whose paperback. After years of frustrated efforts to ban the harvest, the state of wisconsin began to allow closely regulated spearing of sturgeon through the ice in 1931. Sturgeon spearing has its roots in the customs of many of the native americans who lived in the great lakes region long before europeans arrived in north america. Sturgeon spearing has its roots in the customs of many of the native americans who. Licenses are dealt through a lottery system and caps are usually met. The friendly caller chatted with the djs for a while and we learned she had all the necessities needed for a morning on the lake. Sturgeon fishing hoodie for the fisherman who would rather spear through the ice than use a fishing pole.
Feb 28, 2012 folk art and doityourself outfitting are a big part of the local sturgeon spearing culture. Sturgeon spearing tales live on as wisconsins 20 lake sturgeon spearing season kicks off on saturday, feb. A spearer, a taxidermist and a biologist weigh in on what happens to that big catch after its been hauled off the ice. Many refer to the sport as dark house spearing because it is done from a dark shanty that is often painted black. I had the opportunity to pull a sturgeon through the ice here in idaho on an ice fishing rod the idaho statesman posted an article on january 9th 2017 of a man in parma idaho who has a private pond stocked full of sturgeon and other fish. Poor and inconsistent ice conditions didnt stop spearers from heading out across the lake winnebago system. The season will run until protective harvest caps are reached or feb. Eat it, mount it, wash it what is the fate of the fish.
Sturgeon spearing has been a strong tradition in many families around lake winnebago for close to a century. Saturday, shanties as far as the eye can see covering holes that were meticulously cut in the ice the previous two days. The ice fishing season for lake sturgeon is more about getting together and fishing together than harvesting a lunker. Email lonny to book a shanty or to get more information on their guided sturgeon spearing trips. At guided sturgeon fishing bc canada, our guides landed over 4000 sturgeon.
Feb 05, 2019 after sturgeon spearing tragedy, a mothers loss inspires her to help others. Sturgeon spearing on lake winnebago wisconsin sea grant. If folks cant tell the difference between a sturgeon and a muskies, it aint going to be easier between a pike and a muskie. Spearing a monster sturgeon through the ice a wisconsin ice angler spears a 69inch, 69pound sturgeon that is estimated to be 54 years old. Hours of sturgeon spear harvest registration are reduced by one hour to close at 6. Spearers registered 789 lake sturgeon through the first seven days of the annual season on the lake winnebago system, according to. Feb 04, 2016 shad on the surface near open water, dead shad on the bottom of the river using a marcum lx9 and its camera feature, even shad coming up through the holes in the ice we are fishing. Well since bk got me into sturgeon fishing many years ago this ones for you bk. It was caspers first trip to a spearing shack and helped transform the farm boy into a sturgeon fanatic and, later in life, lead him to create sturgeon for tomorrow.
Up for bid is a vintage fish decoy ice fishing antique spear fishing decoy ice fishing decoys. Wisconsins sturgeon spearing season on lake winnebago and upriver. Most years, more than 5,000 ice shanties dot lake winnebago, turning it into a veritable shanty town for sturgeonspearing license holders. After sturgeon spearing tragedy, a mothers loss inspires her to help others.
The 2018 sturgeon spearing season for lake winnebago and the upriver lakes opens on saturday, february 10th. Houtman for two years now, ive spent a weekend in february staring down an ice hole the size of a bigscreen television seeking to spear a. Luke with the wdnr counted about 4243 shacks on winnebago and 288 on the upriver lakes today. New indepth outdoors tv episodes return this fall, sundays at 8 a. Were cutting sturgeon holes today and tomorrow all day. Fishing license sales have precipitously fallen since their peak of approximately 2 million in the late 80s. Fishing wisconsin lake winnebago sturgeon spearing. Watch jake huebschman, his family and friends as they head out to try and fill a tag. The fish are meant to be enjoyed by the public, not by those dining in elite restaurants, wrote the authors of people of the sturgeon, the 2009 book on winnebago icefishing.
License is effective for the duration of the open sturgeon spearing season. Wisconsin kicked off its annual sturgeon spearing season last saturday, offering,000 or so people the chance to stick fish that can live for more than a century and can weigh up to 200 pounds met. The icefishing season for lake sturgeon is more about getting together and fishing together than harvesting a lunker. Jake says that right now, with all of the shad in the system, these sturgeon are bulking up and never going hungry. Wluk sturgeon spearers are getting ready for saturdays opener by cutting holes in the ice to claim their spot. Ice is dicey, muddying the waters for the 2020 sturgeon. With a harvest cap unmet, another sturgeon season is in the books. My own, custommade decoy is next on my sturgeonspearing preparation list. Wisconsin kicked off its annual sturgeon spearing season last saturday, offering 00 or so people the chance to stick fish that can live for. Another wisconsin sturgeon spearing season in the books, wisconsin. To taste wisconsin sturgeon, be prepared to spear a fish. Jan 25, 2017 i had the opportunity to pull a sturgeon through the ice here in idaho on an ice fishing rod the idaho statesman posted an article on january 9th 2017 of a man in parma idaho who has a private pond stocked full of sturgeon and other fish. See more ideas about ice fishing, fish and fishing shack.
After sturgeon spearing tragedy, a mothers loss inspires her. Just one question i have, just how good can one identify between a muskie and a pike through a hole in the ice i have heard about muskies getting speared on bago during the sturgeon season now. It usually requires some specialized equipment and a spearing license. The annual sturgeon spearing season opens saturday, feb. Wisconsin 2017 sturgeon spearing is in the books fishing fishing knots, ice. Jan 14, 2020 red has been sturgeon spearing since he was a boy in the 1950s.