Section 20.10. Special sturgeon spearing restrictions.

  No person may do any of the following:

(1)  Take, capture, kill or attempt to take, capture or kill sturgeon on Lake Winnebago system waters by any means other than spearing with a spear thrown by hand from inside a fishing shelter placed on the ice during the open season specified in s. NR 20.20 (73) (e) .

(1m)  Take, capture, kill or attempt to take, capture or kill sturgeon on Lake Winnebago unless the person possesses a current non-validated sturgeon carcass tag for Lake Winnebago.

(1r)  Take, capture, kill or attempt to take, capture or kill sturgeon on the upriver lakes unless the person possesses a current non-validated sturgeon spearing license and carcass tag for the upriver lakes issued by the department.

(2)  Fish with or possess a fishing pole, hook and line or other similar devices that might be used for the purpose of catching fish within any fishing shelter containing an ice hole larger than 12 inches in diameter or square during the open season for spearing sturgeon on waters specified in s. NR 20.20 (73) (e) .

(3)  Cover ice holes cut, used or maintained for sturgeon spearing pursuant to s. NR 20.11 (2) with a fishing shelter except during the period from 48 hours before and continuing through the open season for sturgeon spearing.

(3m)  Use or possess any artificial light in order to illuminate any waters open to sturgeon spearing during the period beginning 48 hours before and continuing through the open season for sturgeon spearing.

(3s)  Cut, use or maintain ice holes larger than 48 square feet for sturgeon spearing pursuant to s. NR 20.11 (2) .

(4)  Possess a validated sturgeon carcass tag unless it is attached to a legally killed sturgeon.

(5)  Possess a speared sturgeon unless immediately validating the sturgeon carcass tag by slitting the marks designating the month, day, time and location of kill and immediately attaching the validated tag to the sturgeon carcass. Failure to completely validate the sturgeon carcass tag and immediately attach the tag to the sturgeon carcass renders the possession of the sturgeon illegal and the sturgeon carcass tag invalid. A sturgeon carcass tag shall be issued with each sturgeon spearing license and shall remain intact until the spearer spears a sturgeon.

(6)  Transport a sturgeon in any manner from the time the sturgeon is taken to the time it is lawfully registered pursuant to sub. (10) unless the sturgeon is carried openly exposed and in a manner so that the sturgeon carcass tag attached to the sturgeon cannot be handled or manipulated.

(7)  Possess a speared sturgeon unless the person who spears and tags the sturgeon accompanies the sturgeon carcass during transport until the sturgeon has been registered pursuant to sub. (10) .

(8)  Possess a sturgeon speared from lake Butte des Morts, Poygan or Winneconne under s. NR 20.20 (73) (e) 2. b. outside the following area unless the sturgeon has been registered pursuant to sub. (10) : from the intersection of highways 45 and 21 in Oshkosh west on highway 21 to highway 116; north on highway 116 to county highway B; west on county highway B to county highway D; west on county highway D to highway 49; north on highway 49 to county highway H; east on county highway H to highway 110; east on highway 110 to county highway II; south on county highway II to county highway M; south on county highway M to highway 116; east on highway 116 to highway 45; south on highway 45 to highway 21.

(9)  P ossess a sturgeon speared from Lake Winnebago under s. NR 20.20 (73) (e) 2. b. outside the following area unless the sturgeon has been registered pursuant to sub. (10) : from the intersection of highways 10 and 114 in Menasha, east on highway 114 to highway 55; south on highway 55 to U.S. highway 151; south on U.S. highway 151 to Winnebago drive in Fond du Lac; west on Winnebago drive to Scott street; west on Scott street to highway 45; north on highway 45 to Main street in Oshkosh; north on Main street to Waugoo avenue; east on Waugoo avenue to Bowen street; north on Bowen street to county highway A; north on county highway A to highway 114 in Neenah; east on highway 114 to the intersection of highways 10 and 114 in Menasha.

(10)  Possess a sturgeon unless each person who has speared a sturgeon during the open season for spearing sturgeon exhibits the sturgeon, with the person's sturgeon carcass tag attached as required by s. 29.237 , Stats., to a warden or other authorized department personnel at an official sturgeon registration station. Sturgeon shall be intact and registered at a station on Lake Winnebago if speared in Lake Winnebago. Sturgeon shall be intact and registered at a station on Lake Butte des Morts, Winneconne or Poygan if speared in Lake Butte des Morts, Winneconne or Poygan. Sturgeon shall be exhibited at a sturgeon registration station not later than 2:00 p.m. on the day speared. The registration tag shall remain attached and locked to the sturgeon until the carcass is prepared for final consumption.

(10m)  Fish for sturgeon during the open season by the method of spearing or possess or control a spear or similar device within a fishing shelter on Lake Winnebago system waters from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. of the following day.

(11)  Attempt to register a sturgeon unless the license information can be verified. The station operator shall collect biological information, lock a registration tag to the carcass immediately in front of the tail and remove the validation portion of the sturgeon carcass tag leaving the remainder of the sturgeon carcass tag attached to the sturgeon.

History: Cr. Register, May, 1999, No. 521 , eff. 6-1-99; CR 01-012 : am. (4) to (6), (10) and (11), Register November 2001 No. 551 , eff. 4-1-02; CR 01-013 : cr. (3m) and (3s), Register November 2001 No. 551 , eff. 12-1-01; CR 02-014 : am. (10), cr. (10m), Register September 2002 No. 561 , eff. 10-1-02; CR 03-014 : cr. (1m) and (1r) Register November 2003 No. 575 , eff. 4-1-04; CR 05-073 : am. (1r) and (8) Register January 2006 No. 601 , eff. 3-1-06; CR 13-019 : am. (10), (10m) Register December 2013 No. 696 , eff. 1-1-14; CR 15-014 : am. (8), (9) Register December 2015 No. 720 , eff. 1-1-16.