Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing Report - Monday February 11, 2013
The rain over the last 24-30 hours made for wetter conditions throughout Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes, but spearers were still able to get out in search of the elusive, prehistoric sturgeon. Spearers harvested 21 fish from the Upriver Lakes and 9 fish from Lake Winnebago today, with the biggest fish (67.1”, 92.2 pounds) being taken by Mandi Rahmer registered at Stockbridge Harbor.
Spearing on Lake Winnebago continues to be slow due to poor water clarity. Due to very low registration numbers at stations along the North shore of Lake Winnebago, we have closed our Harrison Town Hall and Payne’s Point registration stations until further notice. Harvested fish in these areas can be registered at Stockbridge Harbor, Waverly Beach, or Jerry’s Bar (Oshkosh).
Today’s harvest on the Upriver Lakes tripped the 90% trigger for the adult female harvest cap, meaning that spearers will have one more day to fish the Upriver Lakes before the season closes at 12:30 PM on Tuesday February 12. As expected, the 2013 spear fishery on the Upriver Lakes has been very successful, with 235 fish being harvested in the first 3 days of the season (9 of which have been in excess of 100 pounds).
Tomorrow’s report will include a vignette about the history of the spear fishery on the Upriver Lakes and what trends we have observed since the lottery fishery was implemented in 2007. Stay tuned!