Attention Winnebago System Sturgeon Spearing
Enthusiasts:
Opening day of the 2018 sturgeon spearing season
has come and gone and I’m sure many spearers are now wondering how todays
harvest went. For the most part, things went as we would have anticipated with
less than ideal water clarity conditions. Lake Winnebago was on the slower side
with an opening day harvest of 83 fish. The surprise for the Lake Winnebago
fishery is where the fish were harvested from. Given the lack of gizzard shad
this season and the dirtier water on the south end, we were anticipating some
of the northern stations being busier than southern stations. The opposite was
observed today as Wendt’s paced the way (27 fish) followed by Jerry’s Bar in
Oshkosh (16 fish) and Calumet Harbor in Pipe (15 fish). There were 7 fish
harvested from Lake Winnebago today that were 100 pounds or larger with the
largest fish being Robert Redman’s 137.5 pound, 74.6” sturgeon that he
registered at Wendt’s.
Coming into the season, the Upriver Lakes had better
water clarity conditions than Lake Winnebago. Thus, we were anticipating a more
successful opening day harvest. Between the three registration stations on the
Upriver Lakes, 136 fish were registered including 42 adult females. Today’s
harvest reached 44% of the adult female harvest cap so the season should go on
for at least another few days. The biggest fish of the day was registered by
Benjamin Berger at Critter’s, weighing 155.6 pounds and measuring 75.6 inches.
I have included a photo of Ben and his fish, which is the heaviest fish
harvested from the Winnebago System since the 2014 spearing season!
A more detailed breakdown of today’s harvest can
be viewed in the attached document. I also have included a table below
comparing today’s opening day harvest on Lake Winnebago to the opening day
harvest from other spearing seasons dating back to the 2002 season when the
shortened spearing day regulation was implemented.
|
Year
|
LW Harvest
|
Water Clarity (ft)
|
LW Shanty Count
|
|
2018
|
83
|
6.5
|
4448
|
|
2017
|
198
|
9.5
|
5074
|
|
2016
|
84
|
9
|
3831
|
|
2015
|
468
|
12
|
4436
|
|
2014
|
636
|
15
|
4046
|
|
2013
|
41
|
8
|
2724
|
|
2012
|
39
|
10
|
2197
|
|
2011
|
283
|
13
|
4321
|
|
2010
|
515
|
16
|
4033
|
|
2009
|
389
|
14
|
5958
|
|
2008
|
635
|
18
|
3171
|
|
2007
|
195
|
10
|
4411
|
|
2006
|
39
|
6
|
3434
|
|
2005
|
215
|
16
|
2604
|
|
2004
|
1310
|
15
|
4751
|
|
2003
|
248
|
7.5
|
4150
|
|
2002
|
228
|
7.5
|
4368
|
I
also included a table comparing today's opening day harvest on the Upriver
Lakes to spearing seasons dating back to when the lottery fishery was
implemented in 2007.
|
Year
|
URL Harvest
|
|
2018
|
136
|
|
2017
|
123
|
|
2016
|
151
|
|
2015
|
126
|
|
2014
|
242
|
|
2013
|
140
|
|
2012
|
171
|
|
2011
|
159
|
|
2010
|
141
|
|
2009
|
117
|
|
2008
|
169
|
|
2007
|
168
|
We were fortunate to have good opening
day conditions for flying and were able to estimate shanty
counts on the Winnebago System. Below is the shanty counts for Lake Winnebago
and the Upriver Lakes.
Area 1 (NW): 1,049
Area 2 (NE): 643
Area 3 (W): 545
Area 4 (E): 684
Area 5 (SW): 822
Area 6 (SE): 705
Total: 4,448
Butte des Morts: 83
Winneconne: 63
Poygan: 409
Total: 555
System Total: 5,003
So as I stated earlier, the first day of the 2018
spearing season is now behind us. As it stands now, we are bracing for a full
16-day season on Lake Winnebago and likely a shortened season on the Upriver
Lakes. We should be able to better predict season length on the Upriver Lakes
after we see what tomorrow’s harvest brings. Good luck on day 2!
We are committed to service excellence.
Ryan Koenigs
Senior Fisheries Biologist / Winnebago
System Sturgeon Biologist
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
625 E County Rd. Y, Suite 700
Oshkosh, WI 54901
Phone: (920)303-5450
Fax: (920)424-4404
- Benjamin+Berger_155.6+pound_75.6+inch_2-10-2018%282%29.pdf
- Harvest+report+%28Day+1-+February+10%2C+2018%29.pdf
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