Business sales up and down during sturgeon spearing

OSHKOSH - The Sturgeon spearing season is a big money maker for businesses south of Oshkosh, injecting millions of dollars into the economy each year.

But with record low sturgeon numbers for the start of the season, how are businesses that rely on the season, doing?

Lake Winnebago.
 
What's normally a lake filled with ice shanties at this time of year, isn't.

The Sturgeon pole outside of Wendt's on the Lake, a restaurant and bar along the Winnebago lakeshore is empty, too.

But inside, it’s packed to the gills, which has manager Shawn Wendt pleasantly surprised.

"It's been very good.  Like I said, I can't complain at all it's been a good weekend," said Wendt.
 
Wendt says the spearing season is a big money maker for the restaurant, located just off of US 45 in Van Dyne.
 
"Definitely is, it's a nice bonus, it helps."
 
He says he knows he can't look forward to record numbers of fish to come in each year or record sales at the restaurant.
 
But he is surprised by the number of people that have come out, despite the slow start to the season.
 
"People are interested to see what everyone's doing and see if people are getting fish and stuff like that, and come and look at them,” said Wendt, though spearers had brought any fish in for the day.
 
Just north on Highway 45 is Parnell's Place, another well-known hangout during sturgeon spearing season.
 
Manager Jennifer Gabriel says business has been down over the last two days, but not too far down.

"I think it's down from years past,” said Gabriel. “But (spearers) get done at 1 o'clock and people are coming out and having a good time."
 
Good times - with lots of drinks and food - means money in the cash register, regardless of fish.
 
"I'm hoping that it will pick up,” said Gabriel, referring to the expected business throughout the roughly two week season.

While some businesses are seeing a boon, despite the slow start to sturgeon spearing season, others aren't so lucky.
 
At Fox River Bait & Tackle in Oshkosh, there are still some sales.
 
But not many.
 
"The fishing goes on a standstill until the sturgeon spearing season's over.  And that's pretty much the bottom line," said Dan Kehoe, who holds down the fort at the small bait and tackle shop on Sundays.
 
Dan Kehoe says business at the shop - just a stone's throw away from Lake Butte des Morts - comes to a near standstill during the spearing season.
 
"Seventy percent of our clientele are Sturgeon spearers," said Kehoe.
 
Kehoe says before the spearing season started, bait and tackle sales were up because of the mild weather.

So as most of the customers take to the ice, looking for a sturgeon, he says he’d rather be out there too.
 
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources estimates that more than $3.5 million is brought in to the community each sturgeon spearing season.