Sturgeon spearing season fast approaching

WINNEBAGO COUNTY - The start of the sturgeon spearing season is now just 2 days away and spearing enthusiast are busy preparing for the season.

This year, due to the warm temperatures, extra attention is being paid to the ice conditions and scouting.

What people are discovering is that some changes must be made to the typical routine.

For local spearer Nels Vandynhoven that means changing where he and his group set up camp.

"Usually we go on the other end of the lake and it's just rough down there. The ice isn't great, anywhere I think and you might have 4 inches in one place and a foot in the other place. I don't know it's just, it doesn't make you feel real good about it, but on a four wheeler you feel ok."

When I spoke to Marty Jansen on Wednesday, he’d just recently come off the ice and had some advice for fellow sturgeon enthusiasts.

"I wouldn't stay in but I definitely would stay closer to shore, definitely no heavy vehicles.

Ron Bruch of the DNR had this advice when heading out on the ice, "the main thing is, know what kind of ice is underneath you. Don't trust anyone else's reports. Do your own scouting, if you're going out spearing. Drill the holes so you know how much ice you have and you can get out there safely."

Hesitancy to head out on the ice on opening day will likely lead to a longer season, due to what could be low harvest numbers from the opening weekend.

"Once all the spearers go out there opening day you're going to have thousands of new ice and water quality reports that are going to be circulating around the taverns and different places and they can figure out how they're going to do it later on in the season," said Bruch.

In addition to less than ideal ice conditions, several of the spearers I spoke with, raised concerns about the clarity of the water due to algae growth spurred by our recent sunshine.

"We were out there and we were in about 15 feet of water and you could see about 10 feet was about the end. We sent a white cup down there with a black rim down and 10 feet about all you can see, said Jansen"

In spite of the hardships enthusiasts face, spearing that big fish makes it all worth while, just ask Brandon Houg.

"The first time I saw a sturgeon swim through a hole I had chills down my back for days."

A sentiment seconded by Vandynhoven.

"It's a heck of an adrenaline rush. When you even see one you get pumped up, your heart starts pumping. It's like buck fever man. You can't beat it. It's just awesome."