Sturgeon festival

The week we were visiting, there was a big Sturgeon festival.  What is a sturgeon?

A sturgeon is a huge bottom feeder fish that can get to 100 years old and up to 8 feet in length weighing up to 800 pounds!  They can be eaten pickled, grilled or smoked.

The shops downtown had various painted sturgeon in their windows.

We decided to drive around to see what we could see.

We've never heard of this before.  

We saw all these fishing shacks out on the lake.  It is an ice shanty village.

Jill did not in any way want to go out on the lake.

But we convinced her.  Look how frightened she looks!

She had her daddy drive.

On top of water!  Are we crazy?

 Leftover Christmas evergreens mark where the road is.  

When there is a crack in the ice, you ride over these green "bridges".

crack in the ice

 But look, Jill, all those pickups are fine.

 Ice hole where they check to see how deep the ice is.  It was almost 2 feet deep we were told.  Even semi trucks can drive across the lakes here in Wisconsin!

We got out to talk to the local sturgeon fishermen.

"Come inside our fishing shack!  We are going for a record of  18 people inside!"

This is where the hole is.  They have to close it up at 1:00.  

The rules for this festival.

Evidently, they spear sturgeon through the hole in the ice.  I found a picture of a spear on-line.

The guys told us that 3 of them had seen one and speared it but all 3 missed.

They were all very friendly.  What an experience with the locals!

We drove back to shore.  We made it without falling through the ice into the frozen water and dying!

We had been told where to go see the catch so far. 

Hannah was brave enough to touch one.

Next we drove downtown to see the snow and ice sculpture competition.

 

Jill says that next year she might hold a Spurgeon festival at church instead.  Much safer.