(Photo: KFIZ)
Shanty towns are popping up on Lake Winnebago and the Upriver lakes, as sturgeon spearers prepare for the start of the season Saturday.
The season will run for 16 days unless quotas are reached in one of several categories. State DNR biologist Ryan Koenigs says a short season will mean that conditions are good — unlike one year ago, when spearing ran for the entire 16 days and the total harvest was only one third of the 2,100 fish taken in 2015.
Koenigs blamed poor water clarity at the time, which made it harder for spearers to see their targets.
About 13,000 people have purchased licenses for this year.
KFIZ