Slow sturgeon start on Lake Winnebago

STOCKBRIDGE - While opening day of the 2012 sturgeon spearing season was busy on the Upriver Lakes, it was a different story on Lake Winnebago. After spearing 283 sturgeon on opening day a year ago, this time spearers brought in only 39.

“Clarity is only maybe 7 feet deep, we're fishing about 14 feet of water, so that's not very good at all,” said Johnson Creek’s Ryan Pernat, who spent the day spearing near Stockbridge.

The Stockbridge registration station, normally busy with activity, saw just three fish.

“This year between the ice and the poor water clarity, it's making for a slower start, but that could improve,” said DNR sturgeon biologist Ron Bruch. “It's going to be a long season, I'm guessing we'll have a full 16 days, probably for the first time ever in the history of the fishery, the second weekend might be bigger than the first weekend.”

Plenty of people stood around waiting to see a fish; when a 70-pounder finally showed up, it drew a huge crowd.

“I didn't think the fish would be so famous," said Green Leaf’s Andy Schneider.

Ice conditions kept plenty of spearers away. Family bonds and tradition, however, was more than enough to bring out the die hard spearers.

“I trust dad,” said Stockbridge’s Molly VanHoorn, who went spearing with her father. “He says it's safe, if he says it's safe I guess I trust him.”

The slow start on Lake Winnebago was sharply contrasted by the success on the Upriver Lakes. Spearers harvested 66 adult female sturgeon, leaving them just 17 adult females from hitting the harvest cap for the Upriver Lakes. Spearing season on the Upriver Lakes would end the day the harvest cap is reached, or the day after 90% of the cap is reached.