New London, Wis. – Wolf River walleye had to wait a while this spring.
In mid-April, Doug Peterman and Doug Schramm drove two hours from their homes in Sheboygan County to take advantage of the opportunity to fish for walleye in the Wolf River. They found an open dock on the river a few miles west of New London and settled in for a few hours, fishing.
It didn’t take long as several lake sturgeon – some over 6 feet long – swam under the pier. Peterman and Schramm put down their fishing rods and peered into the river as sturgeon swam upstream for their annual spawning season.
“It’s nothing new to me,” said Peterman, who grew up in Shawano and remembers watching fish gather below the dam.
“You would go downstairs and there would be 100 people standing there,” he said. “When we were kids, we would go down to the overpass in Shawano and wade in the water. We stood there and they swam between your legs. We grabbed their tail and they dragged us around the river. We went swimming with sturgeons.
“We came here to fish for walleye, but it’s nice to watch,” Schramm said. “I imagine (the walleyes) are here, but I’m fixated at the moment. This is the first time I stand on the shore and watch them. It’s been happening non-stop since we’ve been here. I fish (Lake) Winnebago a lot and see a lot of them there. We kind of thought they would be here, but I never thought there would be so many of them. If you don’t come and see it, you won’t be able to explain it.
Sturgeon began arriving in the New London area on April 14 and eventually headed upstream to Shiocton and Shawano.
“I may have eaten sturgeon as a kid, but I don’t remember it,” Peterman said. “I really don’t know how good they are, but they’re fun to watch.”
“The four-foot ones are the males, and then a seven-foot one comes in and takes 10 of these little guys,” Schramm said. “If you caught it with a pole, it would be a monster fish.”
While Peterman and Schramm were fishing near New London, Glen Mattern of Menasha was walking along the river at Bamboo Bend, a popular sturgeon viewing spot on the west side of Shiocton.
Mattern volunteered with the Sturgeon Watch, volunteers stationed along the river to keep an eye on fish susceptible to illegal fishing.
RELATED STORY: Menasha is renewing sturgeon patrol to protect against poaching in Wisconsin waters
Another Menasha man, Don Mielke, helped revive the program, which the state Department of Natural Resources decided last year to eliminate until further notice.
“Don came to me and said, ‘What do you think about starting the Sturgeon Guard?’” Mattern said. “I said, ‘Don, I remember when this started. People broke the rules and many years ago you never got £100. After about 25 years of service with the Sturgeon Guard, you started catching big fish. He should be here again,” I said. “He said, ‘I’ll start over.’ I got a call this morning. The fish weren’t here yesterday, but they are here today. I had other things to do, but here I am. I was born and raised a sturgeon swordfisher. It’s part of my culture and it’s a great thing. I’m giving back now.”
Mattern said the program is essential for the sturgeon fishery in the Winnebago system.
“People will ask, ‘What are you doing?’ and I’ll say, ‘Oh, I’ll keep an eye on the sturgeon,'” he said. “They’ll go, ‘What are you talking about? Are you keeping an eye on the sturgeon? They need our assist. Some people don’t think so, but that’s why I’m here. We’re not catching anyone out, we’re here to be mindful and let people know we’re here.
Mattern credited the DNR with its successful sturgeon control program.
“They started catching sturgeon,” he said. “They guard them until the quota (spear harvest) is established. There are years when in a year with tidy (water) they get 2,500, 3,000 sturgeons. It would be impossible to sustain such a harvest year after year, but Mother Nature takes care of herself. Pour some sullied water and you won’t see anything.
Mattern was the only Sturgeon Guard volunteer assigned to Bamboo Bend, one of the popular scenic spots, on April 14.
“There aren’t many people here yet,” he said. “Tomorrow you won’t be able to stand without being run over.”
According to Mattern, there is a good reason why people are fascinated with lake sturgeon.
“They were here when the dinosaurs were here. The dinosaurs didn’t survive, but these fish did,” Mattern said.
“I love watching kids come and look at these things. There are other places in the United States where sturgeon are present, but not to this extent. It’s unbelievable.”
