I just learned a girl here is going sturgeon fishing on Lake Winnebago in Wisc. She said her dads largest was 72 inches! Sounds like some fun. Through our conversation I learned the way they set up the seasons is so that the fish don’t have any roe in them, because I jokingly asked if they make caviar from the eggs. You learn something new every day. 
I work with a guy who’s friends do a lot of sturgeon spearing on Winnebago. I believe he said one of his friends holds the record–188 pounds.
Hmmm?
Why doen’t it bother me when people spear northerns, but when the topic of sturgeon spearing comes up…I get a little queezy in the tummy?
I’m sorry Brian, I’ll try and be more sensitive next time. 
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Hmmm?
Why doen’t it bother me when people spear northerns, but when the topic of sturgeon spearing comes up…I get a little queezy in the tummy?
I can’t say that I like it, either, but it is legal in WI and it is quite heavily managed, so to each his own, I guess 
Probably bugs you Brian for the same reason spearing bugs me… It is really hard to let them go after you put holes in them!!!!!
Good point Dan…it does seem anti productive to practice catch and release on everything big…then be proud of the 10+ lb pike I just shishkabobed.
The more I think about it…the stranger the mind set is. Personally I’ve release many larger fish…but when it comes to spearing…the bigger the better. Figure that one out! 
Thanks pug.
The thought of spearing them makes my stomach churn too. I dont know the status of that fishery, I know its regulated, but how many years is any fishery going to sustain a population of 50+ year old fish?
I remember seeing a thing on the news last year on the sturgeon spearing and there were a ton of huge sturgeon being harvested. It sounds like the spearing is a tradition in that area.
Could anyone imagine how exciting it would be to sight fish those fish out of a spear house?!? My luck I would set the hook and it would try to jump and knock me in the water right with it and take me for a ride under the ice 
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I work with a guy who’s friends do a lot of sturgeon spearing on Winnebago. I believe he said one of his friends holds the record–188 pounds.
To me it looks like they do regulate it about as well as you could expect.
2 week max season with a 1 fish limit per tag holder they stop the season once the quota is reached which is around a 1,000 Fish, the Lakes holds around 30,000 Sturgeon.
What a Fishery.
Here is your buddys friend you have to click on the Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing Season link it won’t directly link to the PDA.
Thanks for digging that up Gary. 
There’s some interesting facts about the WI fishery there!
Wow, that thing is massive! The girth is unreal.
I really don’t like the thought of spearing them either, but good they have the regulations they do! The girth on that thing is absolutely nuts! It doesn’t look like the picture does the length justice though! Does anyone know the size of the record sturgeon caught in MN?
MN State Record Fish
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/staterecords.html
94 pounds seems doable! ‘Course so does the 70 pound flathead!
Here’s a record to be broken by an IDAer!
Burbot 19-3 36 1/4 / 22 3/4 Lake of the Woods 02/17/2001
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‘Course so does the 70 pound flathead!
I’d be happy with a 10lb flathead!
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‘Course so does the 70 pound flathead!
That record is going to fall! I wouldnt be surprised if its this year.
I’m pretty sure that Sturgeon record has been broken quite a few times, mostly during out of harvest season, so back in the drink they go 
I don’t know Dtr, who besides a cat guy and even many of them would be using tackle big enough to handle 90+ pounds of sturgeon?
I had a sturgeon this last year…if the hook wouldn’t have come out, I was ready to pull anchor. The cinched down drag on the 7000 just wouldn’t stop it and I was at the point of worrying about going into the 30 lb mono backing.
The one that got away! I would have loved to see her!
Heck, just this year the record was broken Record Sturgeon. There are some real hogs up there……I can’t wait 
Start polishing up your king kat rod and salt striker reel DTRO. Oh baby Im gonna have me some fun!! Im gonna have me some fun!!
Only 1776 hours to go!
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Only 1776 hours to go!
I’ll get the big ones and save the small ones for you, Audemp
I really want to get my Dad on a hogger 
The look on his face would be better then if I caught it
Here is some recent news from the spear fest on winnebago WI
I really dont like that sport. 
Just look…this year they speared a dozen sturgeon over 100 lbs!!
Its a pity the spearing is happening..
But if the fish are being harvested, it really doesnt make a difference if they are caught hook and line, wrestled, shot, electricuted.. If they are caught, they are kept and consumed.
I realize there is a high number of fish in that waterway, but I really hope harvest practices allowed today dont turn these fish into nothing but photos and memories from today 20 years from now when the big fish are non-existant from todays practices.
I really question if any body of water can sustain a population of 25-50 year old fish with pressure? I have no doubt the average size is eventually going to drop, where people might not stick a fork in anything under 50″ now, the same people might be forced to take 40’s” in another 10 years. 100 pound fish might turn into a one every few years thing vs many every year.
My personal preference would be to have them drop the spearing and make these people catch them on hook and line at the least.
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I really dont like that sport.
I’m sure Peta is on it, I would assume they are actively trying to shut down the lengthy season which runs between 2 days and 14 Days annually “365 days in a year” in a Fishery that holds in excess of 30,000 Sturgeon.
I don’t spear fish either. 
She showed me some pictures and it was crazy. An interesting fact is that there is a waiting list for volunteers a couple of years long. The waiting list is not for a sturgeon tag or license, but for people to camp along the river in the spring. They aren’t their to harvest but to protect the fish from poachers and anyone who might try disturbing the breeding sturgeons. 
I don’t know what the big deal is about spearing. This year was my first year dark house spearing and it was an absolute blast. I would hope that the DNR people know what they are doing when it comes to managing our fisheries. I am for big fish as much as all of you are but it’s not like these fish live forever. Frankly, I would love to try sturgeon spearing on Winnebago once and I would stick one of those big pigs if one came by.
There are a lot of places where sturgeon swim. If WI allows spearing on one of it’s waters and it is as closely monitered as it is, I think they know what they are doing. For many people over there it is as traditional as deer hunting is. Let them have their sport and quit your complaining. When was the last time you were fishing on Winnebago anyway?
Spearing is also a big tradition here in MN. Let these people enjoy their sport. Maybe some of you would fit right in well with PETA. Spearing doesn’t make me queezy at all. And by the way, I practice catch and release quite often when angling. 
C&B, I can’t speak for everyone…but I’m not against spearing…I’m not against spearing sturgeon. It sure looks like the WI DNR has there finger on the pulse of their tradition over there.
Maybe even better than MN does…(Don’t know that for a fact)
However, because of their size, time it takes for them to start breeding, mysteriousness, time for them to get that large…it does give me a queezy feeling in the tummy.
I can’t condem anyone spearing…or harvesting a large sturgeon legally…for two reasons.
First it’s legal.
Secondly, each fishery is differant. The Lake Sturgeon on LOTW/Rainy, St Croix and the Winnabago systems (I would guess) are all differant, it forage base…basicly the eco system.
I’m glad the MN DNR offices are taking an interest in finding out what our rivers can handle by their tagging work. Hopefully we’ll all understand this critter better in a few years.
To your point, I agree with you…but still have this queezy feeling.
castandblast.. I am not against spearing either. I have no problem with people spearing pike and rough fish. I used to spear rough fish all the time as a youngster, and bowfished for some time. I never got into spearing pike through the ice, butI have nothing against it… I just dont do it?
I think Brian said it pretty well.. I still get queezy myself over sturgeon being speared.
I guess as a lake sturgeon angler, I know how hard it is to come across a fish that big on hook and line.. close to impossible on the waters Minnesota has to fish, and I assume its just as difficult on WI waters. It takes a long time for fish to get that big, and I like to think that I, or someone in my boat might have the opportunity to hook into a fish like that some day.
No, I dont fish Winnebago, and I dont fish Upper Red either.. that doesnt mean that I am happy that my license dollars helped restock the lake.
BTW.. Trust me, PETA would have no place in their organization for me
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