Good luck to anyone hitting the ice after the prehistoric
monsters this weekend. Stay safe.
General Discussion
sturgeon spearing
Displaying 1 to 14 of 14 posts
Today's Vignette: "Lake Sturgeon Otolith Microchemistry Project"
One of the vignettes from last week discussed a collaborative research project between the Wisconsin DNR and the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. One of the project objectives was to evaluate different methodologies for estimating age and growth of lake sturgeon. To do this, we asked spearers to donate their sturgeon’s head. An additional research project benefited from those donations by using information gathered from sturgeon otoliths (small bones located in the head of the fish). Jasmine Johnson is a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and she describes her research project and the use of otolith microchemistry in today's vignette. Once again, we would like to thank all of the spearers who donated their sturgeon heads to these research projects over the past three seasons! This important research would not have been possible without your support!
Today's Vignette: "The 2020 Perseverance Awards"
It's no secret that the last few spearing seasons on Lake Winnebago have been a bit slower. The last "clear" water year on Lake Winnebago was 2015 and each of the last 5 seasons have now gone full length. Despite the slower season, there are still hundreds of spearers that are going out each day hoping that day will be "the day." We highlight these dedicated spearers that have persevered this season despite the less than ideal conditions in today's vignette. As you will read, most of these folks have spent a lot of time on the ice this season. These spearers for the most part have also beaten the odds and harvested fish more often than the "average" spearer. The main reason for the increased success is their dedication and time spent looking down a hole. Congratulations to all 29 spearers who tagged out today and good luck to those persevering for tomorrow to be their day!
Today's Vignette: "2019 Chironomid (Lake Fly) Assessment Report"
Sturgeon spearing requires a lot of patience, and usually a bit of luck mixed in. Every year I share stories of spearers who have tried for decades without spearing a fish. Conversely, there are spearers that defy the odds and get a fish more often than not. A lot of what makes these spearers successful is the time they spend out on the ice, both before and during the season. Scouting plays a big role when it comes to increasing the odds of getting a sturgeon. One of the most common scouting methods is to go "worming." This practice involves using a can or some other device to collect lake sediment. The sediments are then spread out on the ice or run through a sieve to see how many Chironomid lake fly larvae (redworms) are present in the sample. Chironomid larvae are an important food source for lake sturgeon, particularly in non-shad seasons like this one. Our DNR fisheries crew conducts an annual assessment of the Chironomid population on both Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes. Our assessment is similar to that of spearers, but on a much larger scale. More information about the sampling methods and results from the 2019 assessment is presented in the 2019 Chironomid (Lake Fly) Relative Abundance Assessment Report (link below):
"Just my opinion. To me, it's no different than spearing vulnerable game fish in spring."..
Rich- With all due respect you need to get a much better understanding of the whole Winnebago sturgeon fishery and all the work that has gone into it.. Really one of the better conservation stories in the state ( even our country).. I watched my father do it and know several friends who are really into the sport. Not my cup of tea but I appreciate all the work involved. Sport is heavily regulated/monitored to assure not too many fish are taken in a given year.. In spring many of these same folks work with the DNR to monitor and protect the sturgeon who are spawning in rivers when they are the most vulnerable.
BTW- I have had smoked sturgeon on a few occasions and it is really good..
to each their own... family traditions get respect from me... I don't spear, and I don't deer hunt, but I respect those that do
and as mentioned, this resource is managed at the highest degree to 1) protect the resource and 2) to allow traditions to continue
I know several that are part of the tradition, and they work every bit as hard for this as any other "hunt", building and maintaining shacks, scouting, and bringing in youngsters
I also found this how to fillet a sturgeon video... it's a little annoying with those dang flying rats squawking in the background, but it is interesting, I thought, and would make a difference in the quality of the meat you take
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8trej9vPgQ&feature=youtu.be
ooops... I try to be alert... the world needs more lerts after all... I completely wiffed on seeing your link Manni... I will delete that duplicate
now, for something completely different...
from Ryan Koenigs, Senior Fisheries Biologist / Winnebago System Sturgeon Biologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
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Today's Vignette: What does the "average" spearer look like?
Most sturgeon spearing aficionados are aware that sturgeon spearing is a local tradition that is passed down from generation to generation. For today's vignette, we ask the question of what does the average spearer look like? To answer this question I've looked into various demographics of our sturgeon spearing license holders including: gender, age distribution, mean age, and residence (both state and county). I've also compared demographic characteristics from the 2020 license holders to seasons 5, 10 and 15 years ago to see if any trends have developed through those years. Overall, the demographics of our license holders has changed very little over this time period. Some general observations include:
- Sturgeon spearing license holders are primarily male (86% in 2020), but female license holders are on the rise!
- Non-residents make up less than 3% of license holders. Michigan and Minnesota residents purchase the most non-resident spearing licenses.
- Sturgeon spearers are primarily residents from counties around the Winnebago System. 69% of spearing licenses are sold to residents of Calumet, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, or Winnebago Counties.
- The average age of sturgeon spearers has increased through time from 43.7 years in 2005 to 48.1 years in 2020.
Figures displaying how spearer demographics from the 2020 sturgeon spearing license holders compare to 5, 10 and 15 years ago can be viewed through the following link:"
Displaying 1 to 14 of 14 posts
