No luck my 2nd time out either

For those that read my sturgeon-spearing column (Rookie spearer: No luck this time) and were interested, I also went without seeing a sturgeon on Sunday, the second day of the season.

My friend Joe came out with me on Sunday. He had been spearing with his uncle as a kid, but hadn't been out in years. We had a good time and saw a lot of fish, but they were mostly sheepshead and no sturgeon. Lonny Ziemer, the guide who provided the equipment and shack for us, put us in six feet of water and we could see to the bottom relatively easily. One guy in the group speared a sturgeon that was about 40 inches and several others missed their shots at fish, so it was a day full of activity, but we had no idea since we never left our shack for longer than a trip to the car parked 20 feet away.

There's a chance I'll try to get out again this weekend if the season is still in full swing, but it's starting to look unlikely that I'll be able to pull it off. If I can't get out, I'll have to try to do it again next year. I had a blast and am now hooked.

Here are a few photos from Saturday and Sunday:

The view down the hole Saturday

My home for the weekend

The view down the hole on Sunday

Look back soon for a post about going pheasant hunting with my dad and his dog, Sasha. It was her first time out and it was quite an experience.

Braving the cold

It is brutally cold outside, but area sturgeon spearers are loving the weather. It means ice is being made on Lake Winnebago and hopefully there will be enough for trucks by the weekend. At last check, it seemed there likely would be enough to safely take vehicles out on the ice. Thank you Mother Nature for the good timing.

Speaking of sturgeon spearing, I will be going out myself on Saturday. While I've hunted and fished my whole life, I've never tried my hand at spearing and I'm really looking forward to it. Lonny Ziemer, a captain at Rod Bender Guide Service, will be helping me out with the basics. I'll be writing a column about my experiences that will appear in The Reporter. Watch for it.

Here are a few photos from my last ice fishing expedition:

The lake was ours...

We caught a lot of these "monsters"

Joe watches over a tip-up

Nate shows off one of the best catches of the weekend