An Outdoorsman’s Journal

By: Mark Walters

The Hunt for a Sturgeon

Hello friends: This week I was over in Calumet County, near Stockbridge, hunting sturgeon with a bunch of my friends on Lake Winnebago. As you may be aware, I suck at actually harvesting a sturgeon with a spear, but as you are about to read, my friends and I are very good at having a lot of fun in our attempt.

Friday, February 10 High 34, low 27 A lot of people in the great white/brown north are concerned about driving their trucks on the ice this winter. Sometimes I am, today I was not. I had both the pups, Ruby and Red along. We got on the ice at Calumet County Park. We had a convoy of 11 people and our plan was to cut holes, place shacks and have fun.

Two of my very good friends in this group are Dean Bornemann and his 25-year-old daughter Hailey. Dean and Hailey are addicted to golden retrievers and have two of Ruby’s pups. Finley is going on 4 and Rudy is Red’s sister, so you could say it was a family reunion. I might add that at 10-months, Rudy is the most impressive looking golden I have ever seen.

Today, Kevin Bornemann who is Dean’s brother had a sled saw along and he cut 4 holes about as smoothly as it could be done. I had a chainsaw and cut my own. After we were done, I neglected the majority of my responsibilities and participated in a social experience with the gang. When they left, I casually began my work, which was outfitting my 13x8 Eskimo Shack to both live in and spear. I finished my work about 2 hours after dark and realized I had forgot most of my food at home. I “dined” on a tube of Ritz and a Pabst Blue Ribbon.

So I am sitting in my shack, and around 7:30 an earthquake started on Lake Winnebago the likes of nothing I have ever seen. In my shack, the spearing hole is the size of a bathtub, the whole shack is moving for 2 solid hours and my spearing hole has major waves and eruptions, the dogs did not enjoy this show.

Saturday, February 11 High 42, low 29 Even though I know I do not need a spear because I will not see a sturgeon to throw my spear at, I am up long before daylight. I put a 20x40 foot tarp over my shack, and what would be a major wind began. I have harvested one sturgeon in about 15-years of trying, and forgot to buy a tag at least 3 times (purchase must be made by October 31st if they change the law to January 1st, more tags will be sold and the money goes to good use).

So in our shacks are husband and wife couples, families and Bob Javenkoski. These folks are from the Kaukauna area except for Leon and Alicia Duffrin who are from up by Winter. When 1:00 came, it was time to quit looking down a dark hole that is over 17-feet of water and start cooking really good food, and perhaps even participate in some tasty beverages. We had bacon wrapped venison, bear steak and shish kabobs. Not a whole lot of veggies in our diet but a dam fine feast.

Dean Bornemann is 59, the most athletic adult that I have ever met and about as much fun as you can find in one person. Dean is swimming to Alcatraz this summer and doing all kinds of nationally recognized biathlon stuff that normal people avoid.

We had as much fun as about fifteen or so people can have on the ice today.

Sunday, February 12 High 48, low 30 My spear does not need sharpening. Red loves looking down the hole. Though we had a couple of neighbors on the ice harvest a sturgeon our group did not see one. Our highlight in my shack for Dean, Hailey and myself was seeing two minnows. Apparently Dean caught some rare virus or something of the sort because as Hailey and I observed him, it appeared he was either going to fall in the hole or have a stroke. We put him in a chair for a long nap and he saw the same amount of sturgeon that the rest of the group saw.

About all I can say about that is, it’s a good thing he wasn’t doing a biathlon today or the next day for that matter.

We pegged out the fun meter once again! Sunset

Our spearing group living large on Lake Winnebago near Stockbridge.

This sled saw is powered by a 13 hp motor and cuts with a 42 chainsaw bar.

Red was fascinated with searching for sturgeon.