On Feb. 4, the Menominee Reservation opened the 2006 lake sturgeon fishery on Legend Lake and the season runs until April 30.  Last year, which was the very first year, the tribe held a split season from February 5-20 and April 9-24.  Unfortunately, no fish were harvested. 

Sturgeon fishing, either spear or hook and line, requires special equipment and skill that so far has proven to be a disincentive for participation in the fishery.  In 2005, only three parties were observed to be actively fishing for sturgeon at any one time.  More often, no one was fishing sturgeon. Historically, Menominee people did spear fish through the ice, but lake sturgeon were not the species sought, and the equipment used was much lighter than what is needed to spear sturgeon.  Menominee people traditionally harvested lake sturgeon by spearing them during their spring spawning runs in the river, but until implementation of the Menominee Reservation Lake Sturgeon Management Plan, sturgeon had been extirpated from the reservation since the 1950s. 

Poor results of the 2005 season prompted the inter-agency Menominee Reservation Lake Sturgeon Management Committee to discuss ways to improve participation and success.  On January 28, Menominee Department of Conservation, along with Wisconsin DNR and Sturgeon for Tomorrow, held a spearing clinic to educate tribal members on equipment and techniques in spearing lake sturgeon through the ice.  At the clinic, participants learned that a sturgeon spear could be purchased for $175.  Spearing also requires the use of a shack or tent to reduce light so spearers can more easily observe fish through the spear hole. 

Unfortunately, no sturgeon tags (which participants most possess while fishing) have been purchased from Menominee Conservation for the 2006 fishery.  However, ice and weather conditions have been poor this year.   In addition, the lengthy season has probably caused a more relaxed approach to the fishery, rather than a fast, big bang opening day start.  Regardless, the inter-agency management team has begun discussion on how further to enable and increase participation in the fishery for the rest of 2006 and 2007.