The Frozen Chosen on netflix

Michael C. Winther wrote:

And the Winnebago system is not all that dissimilar from “an iconic lake in central Minnesota.” Yet somehow it’s avoided the same degrees of boom and bust by multiple species experienced there.

A bust was recognized ahead of time, and not prevented, though it was reduced from being a complete bust with reactive measures. A walleye, even the oldest that ever lived, if it was a Sturgeon of that age speared… It wouldn’t be worth bringing to the scales

Michael C. Winther wrote:

The idea that you have to study an animal for multiple generations to understand and manage it has face validity, but not necessarily actual validity. They closely monitor the population, the age structure of that population, reproduction, and recruitment. Fish are registered like big game, and the limits that trigger a closure are different based on gender, etc. I

I severely hope they’re monitoring the younger fish much closer.

Knowing that the age of the sturgeon harvested are multitudes more than the age of walleyes harvested on mille lacs.

..

I’d truly like to know what the DNR plan is for Sturgeon.

Is it to grow sustainable harvest? And a bigger harvest? More local and state revenue.

Is it to build age and size and find the Sturgeon species potential it once was prior to caviar exportation, ban on harvest and reopen due to local pressure amongst the depression era?

Are we simply patting ourselves on the back that the populations are what they are despite overwhelming odds 20-40-60 years ago. And the plan is to simple ‘keep it up’?

I want my grandchildren and your grandchildren to see the sturgeon potential. I know I won’t live long enough. What’s the DNR want?

Well, any harvest at all is going to reduce the likelihood of a fish reaching it’s ultimate size / trophy potential. This is why muskie fishing has largely shifted to catch-and-release: the majority of anglers want trophy fish and because of the attrition of large fish in a population, the only way that happens is if every fish gets released.

So it’s clear that the WDNR is managing the Winnebago system sturgeon to allow for a sustainable level of harvest so that a historic, cultural event can continue. The registration monitoring by gender and age categories is all about population management. At the same time, the largest sturgeon ever taken in Wisconsin (212 lbs, by spear) happened quite recently in 2010. Looks like the biggest so far this year is 155 lbs. The only WI game-fish records anywhere near that recent were both stocked fish in Lake Michigan (Hybrid Pinook and German Brown Trout).

Michael, really appreciate the calmness of your responses!!

I do agree it appears (from my prospective anyway) that wdnr is trying to increase harvest.

Which doesn’t necessarily support my ideal state…. But then again, I’m only 1 Andy and what I want does not represent the masses apparently.

So be it

Michael Winther, your clip of the spawn doesn’t do it justice! Going to watch the fish spawn at the height of the run was one of the coolest things I saw while living out in Fond du Lac. Anyone who is into sturgeon fishing needs to see this. The numbers of HUGE fish in the system is absolutely crazy!

I will say I would rather see them take to catch and release fishing, or at the very least allow it.

Muskie anglers have been talking about these types of issues for a long time now. As a result, the sport’s culture has changed and the fishery has changed/improved with it. Maybe the same things will happen with other top line predators like sturgeon and flatheads!

One could only hope.

Yes it’ll take some time but I hope all the c&r sturgeon and flathead fishermen contribute to conservation much like the musky crowd has done to somewhat change the culture, and definitely impacted the regs.

the shift in mindset for muskie fishing was hard and took 25 years of education and advocacy…but imho, still a lot easier than the one you’re proposing. for it to occur on the Winnebago system it would take two things:
– sacrificing numbers for size (muskie culture did this)
– giving up spearing as a technique altogether (unlikely!)

the cultural experience elements of spearing around Winnebago are very ingrained, the money generated in February is huge, and people seem satisfied with a shot at a 60″ sturgeon even if it means giving up a shot at an 80″ fish.

Dark House pike spearing in Minnesota is comparable as a cultural experience that goes beyond just being a way to catch fish…the science is unequivocal that selective harvest of large pike (which spearing does much moreso than angling) contributes to population problems with lakes full of hammer-handles. are any of the folks involved in pike spearing or the MnDHA going to give it up in favor catch-and-release on big pike? no, way. instead they actively pushed legislation to lift spearing bans on lakes like Mille Lacs and Cass so that they could expand and practice their sport in places where there are still big pike left. the odds that my 5-year-old son will ever catch a 40″ pike in his lifetime are way better near home on Lake Mendota in southern Wisconsin than they are “up north” in MN at our cabin in Park Rapids.

of course, the same risks exist with spearing sturgeon – take the big fish and end up with a bunch of small young fish…but the WI DNR mitigates these by strictly controlling the take of large females, and managing the percent allowed to be harvested from any age/gender group so that one class isn’t decimated. this is quite a bit more progressive than what MN does with pike spearing.

also consider that license sales for both sturgeon spearing in WI and pike spearing in MN have increased over the last few years.

and more short-term: what’s the best way for me to catch (and release) a trophy-class sturgeon???

Everyone has a different view on what a trophy class sturgeon is. What’s yours?

good question…maybe something in the top 25th percentile of what’s available in the upper midwest?

I watched the Frozen Chosen last night. Certainly reinforced some WI stereotypes, but didn’t think it was too over the top from a PETA angle. I thought it was interesting that even with a harvest, the size record continues to be beat. Seems like their management is working well imho.

Season summary by Ryan Koenigs, WI-DNR biologist:

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Fishing/Sturgeon/SturgeonLakeWinnebago.html

Opening day shanty counts (>5,000 shacks) indicate that many license holders were able to take part in the early part of the season. Thus another season provided opportunities to renew traditions and create memories.

Large fish in the harvest. We had 9 fish harvested that were 140 pounds or larger. In comparison there were only 12 fish of this size harvested within the last 4 seasons combined (3 in 2013; 8 in 2014; 0 in 2015; 1 in 2016).

We can’t control Mother Nature and climate, but 2017 was another safe season as spearers were able to take part in the sport safely.

847 license holders were able to fill their tag. This is down from averages over the last decade, but still the largest recreational spear harvest for sturgeon in the world and an increase over last season (703 fish).

Lake Winnebago:

Harvest of 552 fish from Lake Winnebago ranks 45th highest out of 77 seasons dating back to 1941.
46 fish 100 pounds or larger harvested, including 9 fish 140 pounds or larger
8.3% of harvest fish 100 pounds or larger. This is the 2nd highest value on record dating back to 1955, behind only 2013 (9.5% of harvest). Stark increase from 2015 and 2016 seasons that each had 2.0% of the Lake Winnebago harvest be fish 100+ pounds.
5,074 shanties on opening day was the 2nd highest shanty count on record behind only 2009 (5,958 shanties).
5th full 16-day season within the last 7 years; only 2014 and 2015 seasons ended early.

Upriver Lakes:

Harvest of 295 fish 7th largest harvest since lottery fishery implemented in 2007 (11 seasons; average harvest 297.2 sturgeon/season).
First full 16-day season since lottery fishery implemented, largely because of increased harvest caps over recent seasons.
8 fish 100 pounds or larger harvested (2.7%) down slightly from last season (3.6% of harvest).

Although MN has slot limits, those numbers of harvested fish seem to be pretty close to MN angling season over the last few years.

Sturgeon Guard shifts start April 7th!
http://dnr.wi.gov/sgsignup

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Kinda wish that the St.croix was completely catch and release.

Michael C. Winther wrote:

Sturgeon Guard shifts start April 7th!

I tried signing up for 3yrs….My time was always to early or too late….

Maybe I try again this year…