(DNR) – We are only 3 days away from the end of the Winnebago spearing season, and there are some spearers who have not given up. Twenty-seven lake sturgeon were harvested throughout the system today (4 juvenile females, 12 adult females and 11 males).
The biggest was a 109.7-pound, 75.5-inch, F1 female speared by Patrick Nolan.
We still did not hit the 90% harvest trigger on the Upriver Lakes today. With 1 juvenile female, 1 adult female and 3 males being harvested today, we continue to sit just a few fish below the 90% trigger for the male harvest cap. But, for now, the Upriver season continues to stay open.
View the full details in today’s harvest report.
While we have seen some really big fish this year, it is always interesting to remember that these 100+ pound fish started from much smaller origins. When little, some think these fish barely resemble their older selves.
Ten-inch-long sturgeon with sharp scutes and almost dalmatian-like spots can look drastically different from their 100-pound selves.
To start, little sturgeon have modeled speckling along their bodies to help them camouflage with the surrounding environment. They also have sharp scutes that help protect them from predators. You can even see some of these features on the smaller individuals speared during the season, particularly those less than 40 inches in length. But why wouldn’t the older individuals still need these protections? Because in Lake Winnebago and other locations where lake sturgeon reside, once they get bigger, they have no natural predators. This means they can lose their camouflage, and their scutes wear down and become smooth without adverse effects on their safety. But did you know that there are some species of sturgeon that keep their sharp scutes their whole life? Pretty neat.
