Just wondering if you got a sturgeon in the first week. I'm sure everyone would love to see some pictures of how you go after these monsters.

Brian

How's the ice and water? Ive been hearing thin ice and murky water

Oh boy, where to start? Ice conditions and clarity were variable all over the 137,000 acre lake. This ice wasnt really an issue for me since I was spearing out of a portable ice fishing shelter and simply walking out, but that did limit me to getting only a half mile from shore which may have added to my lack of success. It seemed most guys around us were set up a mile or more out, but that was too far to walk (they all had ATVs or side by sides.)

I did some scouting the weekend before season started and found some chironomid larvae aka red worms using a device I created to pull up small plugs of mud from the bottom. The spots i found worms also had ok clarity, I could see a white coffee mug down about 10.5 feet in 12 feet of water.



So that's where we set up on Friday the 7th. Most guys use a chainsaw to cut their holes in the ice, but I used my cordless drill and ice auger bit that I use for ice fishing. By the time I had cut my hole and my buddy's, I had cut more than 80 holes with the drill, very impressive. Then we got our shacks in place and ready to go for opening day.



In Wisconsin we can spear from 7am to 1pm. So for 6 hours you stare down the hole, trying to not take your eyes off it for anything, because a sturgeon can swim by at any time, and may be there and gone by the time you look back from grabbing a beer or checking your phone. Here was my view down the hole. By opening day, the water clarity had reduced some and I couldn't see the bottom 2' of the water column. Unfortunately that's where the sturgeon are most likely to be, but there's always a chance they come through higher or come up to inspect your decoys.



Because I live almost an hour and a half from where we were spearing, and I like a little adventure, I decided to camp out in my shack friday and Saturday nights. It snowed all day sunday and I was getting a little too low on propane to be able to spend a 3rd night, so I crashed at a nearby hotel.

Unfortunately, after staring down the hole for 18 hours those first three days, I still hadn't seen a sturgeon and it was time to go. My buddy saw a burbot opening morning, but no sturgeon.

It's been a slow season overall. There are caps in place to shut down the season when a certain number of fish of a particular sex/age are harvested, but right now it looks like the season will go the full 16 days. The DNR sold around 13,000 licenses, but an opening morning aerial shanty count only tallied around 2,500 shanties. The poor ice conditions kept a lot of spearers off the lake.

Hats off for trying. I would fall asleep and fall in the hole after a half hour. I simply tire out if I have to concentrate for that long. I read a book in my deer stand to break the monotony.

I hear ya corky! Most of my deer hunting sits aren't even 6 hours, and I have the whole woods to look at. Here I find I cam stare down a 20 sq ft hole for 6 hours no problem. Probably helps theres beer and bloody Mary to drink, plus a radio and snacks.

I would've loved to get out this weekend and next weekend, but I've got too much else going on, and set up is a little more involved than just popping a few holes for fishing.

Next year I'll be better prepared for ice like this with either my dad's ATV or a buddies, or maybe I'll have my own by then. The last couple years we've set up on the edge of the mud flats, and I think we need to get further out into the middle of the lake. It would likely help with better clarity to get further from shore away from the runoff. We had a day of 40 degrees and rain a week before season that didnt help.

Keep me in mind next year. I would love to come and hang out for a couple of hours.

I'll remember that. Plenty of room for a few guys in there since I upgraded to a larger shack this year. Went from 60 sq ft to 80 sq ft. Without the cot and sleeping supplies in there, theres lots of room to move around.

Do you ever see pike or pan fish in the hole?

I saw a nice gar last year and a walleye. Some guys use underwater cameras on the bottom and see all sorts of stuff.

Looks like you had fun tlguy. Where did you spear out of? I am out of Neenah if you ever need a hand. Have lots of extras if you need to borrow something...ie sled saw, pipes, etc.

On a side note, I see a lady had some success kinda of doing what you did. https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-new...turgeon-in-lake-winnebago-on-opening-day

Super cool picture

I saw the story about the teepee, I actually watched a video she posted on facebook that showed the inside of the teepee and how they had it set up. It looks small from the outside, but they had quite a bit of room to move around in there.

It was fun to be a part of something like that, though I wish I had a bit more time to get down there. Living an hour north of the lake and using a portable shack means extra time getting set up, whereas people who use permanent shacks can just clear the ice from their holes and be ready to go.

We speared out of Pipe this year, Stockbridge last year. I did a little scouting ahead of time, but would like to put in more time before season opens next year. My buddy has family in the Shebpygan area he stays with, so we spear the east side of the lake mostly, but I wouldn't mind getting over to the west shore one weekend just for a change of scenery.

The inconsistent ice this year caused a lot of people to sit out, but I will be better prepared next year with an ATV to get out away from shore further and put more miles on scouting.

It's a lot like trapping used to be before trapperman, if you don't know someone who does it, it's hard to learn about it. There is a Facebook group where I have met some people who are willing to share information, but for the most part, a lot you still need to figure out on your own. Makes sense though, I get why someone would be protective of information they've worked years to collect and skills that develop over decades.

Ive never done it...very Interesting

I tend to be a fair weather spearer tlguy. I didn't even get a license this year as I spent too much time out west this past fall. That said, I need water clarity and thick ice for me to really invest time so it was probably a good thing. One or the other and I tend to participate, but they usually go together.

If you find any spots that look promising on the west shore next year, let me know. I can drag out the shack so you have a place to go if you need a change of scenery. I can probably even give you a place to crash for a couple days if needed.

Same goes if you put in and draw one of those elusive upriver tags. I think I still have 4-6 years before I draw my next one up there.

BTW, Happy Birthday!

Thank you! It will be a while before I draw an upriver tag, but I have thought about cutting in on Poygan or finding an abandoned hole to watch for the day just to see a fish!

Can you legally fish someone else's abandoned hole for sturgeon? I don't know anything about ice fishing etiquette, but don't see how it would hurt.

Keith

Yeah, as long as they dont have a locked shanty over it. I've never done it, but I wouldn't hesitate to park over an old hole. No different than fishing in someone else's old fishing holes as far as I'm concerned.

Get out before the snow and find a hole with blood on the ice around it and you know you found a hot one!

Here is a little secret. Most shacks that harvest a fish early in the season do not get moved. IMO, it is far more likely that a second fish gets speared out of that shack. For that reason alone, I would cut in again a few feet over before I ever took over someone's old hole.

WIMarshRAT is correct. If a fish is taken out of a shack, there is no reason to move it. More likely that his buddies will move their shacks near it if a few fish are taken in that area.

That makes sense. But theres gotta be some folks that get one and then decide to pull their shack. Though with the small daily harvest numbers coming in and fresh snowfall, it could be tough finding a hot hole on a huge lake without something like a drone to do some aerial reconnaissance.

Finding an abandoned hole with just a little ice on it would sure cut down on setup time for someone like me running a big portable.