sturgeon spearing | The HuntFishTravel Show

Blog , Fishing

A History of the Wisconsin Lake Sturgeon

Many moons ago when Wisconsin was first settled, the settlers that took up residence around Lake Winnebago, were either farmers or fishermen.

The fishermen took advantage of the bounty that still, to this day, resides in Lake Winnebago.

In the early 19^th century, fishermen became dismayed when they realized their nets were being destroyed by an ancient fish native to the Great Lakes region. The torpedo shaped fish had five rows of bony plates that would easily cut the nets; they were deemed “garbage fish” much like carp is today. The fishermen began to slaughter the bony fish that would get caught and tear the nets by the thousands in an attempt to eradicate these pests. Read More

Blog , Fishing

Deadline Oct 31, 2018 Join Me For the 2019 Sturgeon Spearing weekend

Group Sturgeon Weekend is February 9-10

Full season is February 9 – 24, 2019, deadline for tags is October 31, 2018.

The group will participate in “cutting in” on Friday, Feb 8. We will spear and attend an evening bonfire on the lake Saturday, Feb 9, and spear Sunday, Feb 10.

Sturgeon Spearing Info:

WI DNR Info
Find the 2019 Regulations here.
You must be 12 years or older to spear sturgeon and the deadline for putting in your application is October 31st.
Spearing hours are 7:00am – 1:00pm. (You can always go ice fishing afterwards!)
Minimum length is 36”
It is helpful to have a truck/SUV to get you to your shanty but it is not imperative, as there’s always someone to hitch a ride with.
Fond du Lac is 1 hour, 15 minutes north of General Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee.

2019 Cost details:

Oshkosh/Fond du Lac Hotel: $50-$100/night.

Shanty rentals per day:

$200 per spearing hole per day. Single hole and double hole shanties available. Total weekend Saturday and Sunday shanty rental cost: $400 for a single shanty/$800 for double shanty.
Generally 1 person per hole, but 2 people per hole if you want to trade off and fight over who gets to spear the sturgeon when it shows up!
All spearing equipment is provided with the shanty rental, shanty/1 spear hole/decoy/heat.
Contact Tyler Jackson 920-602-2322 to reserve your shanty (don’t wait – shanty rentals are in high demand!)

License Fees:

Resident Sturgeon Spearing License: $20.00*
Non-Resident Sturgeon Spearing License: $65.00*

*These are in addition to the fishing license you must purchase (Non-resident 4 day is $24.00/Resident annual is $20.00 NOT to be confused with sturgeon fishing which is different than spearing).

Drop me a line via the contact form if you’re interested and I can pass along the details!

These creatures fascinate me. Their history is rife with drama and science fiction; you can read how Wisconsin can justifiably claim them as the state’s most successful conservation effort here:

#HuntFishTravel 182 – Fangirling over Sturgeon Spearing

I doubt you’ll find two women more excited to stare down a hole and cut huge ice cubes out of a frozen lake with a chainsaw than Trisha Steffen and I.

If you want the step by step in depth equipment and technique information, please listen to Episode 130.

While we do go through some of the equipment needed and some of the regulations for sturgeon spearing, Trisha and I really go into detail on the culture and the event’s atmosphere. From Bloody Mary’s delivered to your shanty to bonfires on the lake to beer tents to Labrador Retrievers swimming beneath the ice from one shanty to the other…we’ve got it all. Read More

Blog , Fishing

Dinosaur Hunting on Lake Winnebago

Wisconsin. A state steeped in outdoors heritage and tradition. Generations of hunters and fishermen have taken to the woods and the waters of this great state for many generations, but you would be hard pressed to find a tradition in the outdoors older than the Sturgeon spearing season on the Lake Winnebago chain.

Lake Winnebago is home to the largest self reproducing population of lake sturgeon in the world. These giants of the lake live for well over 100 years and reach sizes of over 200 pounds! Read More

Blog , Fishing

Join Me For A Weekend of Sturgeon Spearing in 2017

February 10-12, 2017

Photos, a video and information on the 2017 HuntFishTravel Sturgeon Spearing outing you’re invited to, as well as the highlights from 2016.

The quest is for dinosaurs older than my grandparents on Lake Winnebago….the hunt for prehistoric behemoths that prowl the waters less than fifty miles from my home.