DNR: More trophy sturgeon being speared in Wisconsin

I love fishing, but it seems kind of wrong to harvest a fish that's been around more than 80 years. A 172 lb sturgeon? That had to be huge!

Spearing sturgeon is not sporting; give these venerable fish a chance to be a truly fuller size, use hook-&-line and be sporting about it!

Just think of the size records then.

gtVoyageur wrote:

Spearing sturgeon is not sporting; give these venerable fish a chance to be a truly fuller size, use hook-&-line and be sporting about it!
Just think of the size records then.

I agree with you, gtV. Spearfishing doesn't seem very sporting to me, either. To me, it's akin to game farms where customers are guaranteed a kill despite a lack of hunting skill. In all fairness, I've never tried to spear a fish; it may well be more difficult than it looks.

ZenBirdist wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree with you, gtV. Spearfishing doesn't seem very sporting to me, either. To me, it's akin to game farms where customers are guaranteed a kill despite a lack of hunting skill. In all fairness, I've never tried to spear a fish; it may well be more difficult than it looks.

Before you worry about the spearfishing of sturgeon, worry about the mass over-harvest each year by the native Americans of walleye in MN and WI using spears...

As to the rod-n-reel comment, far more fish are injured by hooks (hooked and escape, or hooked and are not keeper size) than with spearing. If you spear it, it had better be keeper sized, because it isn't going to live. Don't you think spearing is MORE humane and better for the environment (no lead tackle, less fish injuries, less waterfowl injuries)?

Incredible70 wrote:

<quoted text>
Before you worry about the spearfishing of sturgeon, worry about the mass over-harvest each year by the native Americans of walleye in MN and WI using spears...
As to the rod-n-reel comment, far more fish are injured by hooks (hooked and escape, or hooked and are not keeper size) than with spearing. If you spear it, it had better be keeper sized, because it isn't going to live. Don't you think spearing is MORE humane and better for the environment (no lead tackle, less fish injuries, less waterfowl injuries)?

Interesting and valid points, I admit. The whole lead sinker thing is big. Why are they still in use?

Pardon me for my curiosity, but have any of you tried to spear a sturgeon?
It is a lot harder to do then sit with a fishing rod and pole. you have to aim allowing for the water refracting the light. you have to wait for a fish to swim under your hole. that you spent all day cutting in the ice.
While praying they don't call the season early. It is as sporting as you can get in my opinion.

besides which we have to harvest wild animals because we have messed up the habitat to the point that nature can not regulate its self. Unless you want animals to over populate their habitat and starve to death.

local parent wrote:

Pardon me for my curiosity, but have any of you tried to spear a sturgeon?
It is a lot harder to do then sit with a fishing rod and pole. you have to aim allowing for the water refracting the light. you have to wait for a fish to swim under your hole. that you spent all day cutting in the ice.
While praying they don't call the season early. It is as sporting as you can get in my opinion.
besides which we have to harvest wild animals because we have messed up the habitat to the point that nature can not regulate its self. Unless you want animals to over populate their habitat and starve to death.

Thank you for your insight; I appreciate your perspective. Consider me schooled on spearing today. Zen

Accidentally latched into one of these fishing in a culvert in Glenwood, MN. When I got the thing to the surface it looked like I hooked a 60 inch Dinosaur! Then it took out all of my line & *SNAP*! Good thing I didn't land it, illegal to keep Sturgeon out of inland waters.

Oh boy! what spotsmanship that must be, like shooting fish in a barrel or netting. As long as the DNR gets it's money, they don't care. Can't wait intil Mille Lacs/Oshkosh are depleted of walleye/ sturgeon. I told you so.

Let see here:

$20 x 10,000 spearpersons =$200,000 WOW !!!!

Sturgeon wrote:

Accidentally latched into one of these fishing in a culvert in Glenwood, MN. When I got the thing to the surface it looked like I hooked a 60 inch Dinosaur! Then it took out all of my line & *SNAP*! Good thing I didn't land it, illegal to keep Sturgeon out of inland waters.

So you mean IF you land this thing you MAY have kept it illegally?

I/We don't get what you are saying dude!

Incredible70 wrote:

<quoted text>
Before you worry about the spearfishing of sturgeon, worry about the mass over-harvest each year by the native Americans of walleye in MN and WI using spears...
As to the rod-n-reel comment, far more fish are injured by hooks (hooked and escape, or hooked and are not keeper size) than with spearing. If you spear it, it had better be keeper sized, because it isn't going to live. Don't you think spearing is MORE humane and better for the environment (no lead tackle, less fish injuries, less waterfowl injuries)?

Another Native BASHER..........dude get educated about the people before you let
lose anger and frustration like this. It is total lies and distortion.

Do you even know that they have to abide by stricter rules & regulation then the
regular fishing person?

GOOGLE IT or talk with your local DNR!

Do you even know they work side by side with the DNR to replenish what they take
and do research on fish within the lakes for future fisher persons?

Well, I don't think you care but to spew hate and lies is called HATE.

White Man Lies wrote:

<quoted text>
Another Native BASHER..........dude get educated about the people before you let
lose anger and frustration like this. It is total lies and distortion.
Do you even know that they have to abide by stricter rules & regulation then the
regular fishing person?
GOOGLE IT or talk with your local DNR!
Do you even know they work side by side with the DNR to replenish what they take
and do research on fish within the lakes for future fisher persons?
Well, I don't think you care but to spew hate and lies is called HATE.

Stricter regulations? Like was done on Red Lake?

Oh boy! what sportsmanship that must be, like shooting fish in a barrel or netting. As long as the DNR gets it's money, they don't care. Can't wait until Mille Lacs/Oshkosh are depleted of walleye/ sturgeon. I told you so.

this is one big barrel and your are very lucky if your hole is any where near where th fish are. its more like trying to grab a greased pig while standing perfectly still in the middle of the pen.

and hey if you want taxes to go up because the sports man no longer foot the bill for wildlife preservation and land managment...go ahead. as for me and mine we will thank them every chance we get. for all the hard work the hunters and fishermen do and the moneys raised by the conservation clubs that building buy new habitats and fisheries. so you tree huggers have something to hug.

did you ever notice that the speices we hunt and fish non comerically are the most vital of area wildlife? Or that when poplulations grow out of control we have desease out breaks? wonder Why. Must me the sportsmens fault.

I think the sport is great, but to eat a smoked sturgeon is...yuk! If a person is lucky enough to get one big enough to hang on the wall, there is no waste.

The record sturgeon is stuffed and hanging in a bar/restaurant just west of Berlin, WI's Walmart
on Cty F. The taxi guy didn't do that great of a job. He was a friend of the local DNR guy up in Sturgeon Bay. Didn't know the first thing about how to paint the thing. All the DNR guy wanted was for the owner to allow him 'in' on the guts so by securing his friend his research material was provided. The record fish was found to not be over a hundred years old at all!