The 1978 Sturgeon Spearing Season:
Today we highlight the season of 40 years ago
(1978). For starters, the 1978 season only included a fishery on Lake
Winnebago. Water clarity coming into the season was good (average 14’ of
clarity) and ice conditions allowed for safe travel. Thus, spearers were
anxiously awaiting the season getting started. However, the largest snow storm
of the winter hit just prior to the season making lake travel away from plowed
roads difficult. Despite tough travel, spearers were able to harvest
1,246 fish during the 19 day season. This represents the largest harvest
since the 1972 season (1,251 fish harvested) and the 3rd largest
harvest since the 1956 season. The largest fish of the season was Arno
Lau’s 120 pound, 77” sturgeon that was speared on February 16, 1978. I
have included four documents that provide more detail about the 1978 season:
- 1978 season synopsis including some of the basic
regulations, license sales, shanty couns, harvest, water clarity, and
average fish size
- Pre-season news release that was drafted by Dan
Folz, Sturgeon Biologist at the time (I am only the 3rd
different biologist since Dan’s tenure began in the 1970s).
- Opening day shanty counts
- Post-Crescent news article (Jim Harp author)
published just prior to the 1978
season
For those spearers that took part in the 1978
season, I hope these documents allow you to relive that season. For those
spearers not yet born in 1978 (or to young to remember), I hope you enjoyed
getting a taste of history from a successful past season!
We are committed to service
excellence.
Visit our survey at http://dnr.wi.gov/customersurvey
to evaluate how I did.
Ryan Koenigs
Senior Fisheries Biologist / Winnebago
System Sturgeon Biologist
Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources
625 E County Rd. Y, Suite 700
Oshkosh, WI 54901
Phone: (920)303-5450 F
ax: (920)424-4404
- Sturgeon+spearing+starts_Post+Crescent+News+Article.pdf
- Pre-season+news+release_1978+spearing+season.pdf
- 1978+season+synopsis.pdf
- shanty+counts+on+Feb+14%2C+1978.pdf
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