Sturgeon Update 2-10-14

Here’s the Monday update from Ryan Koenigs of Wisconsin DNR

We have now completed three days of the 2014
sturgeon spearing season on the Winnebago System and spearers are continuing to
have great success with harvesting some very nice fish. The season on the Upriver Lakes came to a close today with a total
harvest of 341 fish, 11 of which were in excess of 100 pounds (3.2%). The
highest concentration of fish were registered at our registration stations at
Critter’s and Indian Point. The attached PDF displays a more in-depth breakdown
of where fish were registered today (Note the change from yesterday where a
fish that was harvested on the Upriver Lakes was tallied in the Lake Winnebago
harvest totals; therefore the season’s totals are 1 more male on the Upriver
Lakes and 1 fewer male on Lake Winnebago).

The harvest from Lake
Winnebago today exceeded expectations, with spearers harvesting a
total of 198 fish. This brings the season total to 1,154 fish with the highest
volume of fish still being registered at our registration stations on the southern
end of Lake Winnebago. Given that the harvest
on the Upriver Lakes spear fishery exceeded the harvest
cap by 4 fish, the system-wide harvest cap will be tripped first and thus drive
the season length. We are now 111 adult females away from the 90% trigger for
the harvest caps, which very likely would be hit on Wednesday or Thursday. So
if you haven’t speared your fish yet but are looking for another opportunity,
then I recommend you get out on the ice in the next couple of days.

The two largest fish of the season were registered
today. Brian King leads the way thus far with his 155.0 pound, 76.4” sturgeon
that he registered at our Jim and Linda’s Super Club location today.

John Kurth also registered a very nice fish at
Payne’s Point (2^nd largest of the season), a fish
which tipped the scales at 152.0 pounds and measured 75.4”.