Winnebago System Sturgeon Spearing

We are now through the first full week of the 2019 sturgeon spearing season on the Winnebago System and harvest picked up slightly today.  A total of 31 fish were registered today with Lake Winnebago contributing 17 fish and the Upriver Lakes 14 fish.  Through the first 7 days there has been a harvest of 224 fish from Lake Winnebago and 246 fish from the Upriver Lakes.  Today’s harvest on the Upriver Lakes included the harvest of 5 adult females, which means we are now 14 adult females away from the 90% trigger for the Upriver Lakes fishery.  A detailed breakdown of today’s harvest can be viewed through the following link:

Day 7 – Harvest Report.pdf

There were two 100+ pound sturgeon registered today, one from the Upriver Lakes and one from Lake Winnebago.  Michael Matysik of Rosholt registered his 115.3 pound (77.4”) fish at Indian Point, while Kate Stuck of Menasha registered her 112.1pound (74.0”) sturgeon at Waverly Beach.  Photos of Michael and Kate with their fish can be viewed through the following links:

Michael Matysik_115.3 pounds_77.4 inches_Indian Point_2-15-2019.jpg

Kate Stuck_112.1 pounds_74.0 inches_Waverly Beach_2-15-2019.jpg

Good luck to all spearers during the remainder of the season!

Today’s Vignette: “The Tail of the First Timers”

The sport of sturgeon spearing is not for the faint of heart.  Spearers often go long periods of time without seeing a sturgeon and then everything happens very fast once a fish is viewed through the hole and spearerd.  Bottom line…it takes patience and perseverance to be successful.  Today’s vignette chronicles some of the spearers that have broken through during the first 7 days of the 2019 sturgeon spearing season and have harvested their first fish.  Congratulations to these spearers for finding success this season, some of which have been spearing for multiple decades and others that this is their first season!

The Tail of the First Timers_2019.pdf