People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Kathleen Schmitt Kline, Frederick P. Binkowski, Ronald M. Bruch
  • People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin’s Love Affair with an Ancient Fish a tale of the cultural and scientific history of an iconic Wisconsin fish, the lake sturgeon. Throughout the process of writing the book, the authors interviewed community activists, sturgeon spearing enthusiasts, spear and decoy craftsmen, and scientific researchers associated with the Lake Winnebago sturgeon population. Because of the cultural, social, economic, and scientific knowledge captured in these interviews, the UW-Madison Wisconsin Water Library preserved the audio files as a collection of oral histories. This collection, People of the Sturgeon, encapsulates perspectives on lake sturgeon as they are reflected in the book.

    The People of the Sturgeon collection includes interviews with outdoorsmen, scientists, and craftsmen associated with the Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin, lake sturgeon population.

    Collection compiled by the UW-Madison Wisconsin Water Library. Audio courtesy of the Oshkosh Public Museum. Recordings were collected as part of the research for People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish published by Wisconsin Historical Society Press, Madison, WI.

Interviewee Collection Sort ascending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Eugene Biettler People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Eugene Biettler was born in Winchester, Wisconsin, on October 13th, 1940. He grew up in a family of four children, with two brothers and two sisters. His father worked for Winnebago County, while his mother was a housekeeper. His introduction sturgeon fishing began in 1962, following his completion of a course at Reinhart School, which sparked his initial interest in the activity. Biettler was known for his involvement in the community and tradition of sturgeon spearing, often sharing stories and experiences related to this activity.

Richard Braasch Unknown University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Haze Diemel, Jr. People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Haze Diemel Jr. is interviewed by Ronald M. Bruch and Kathleen Schmitt Kline about his experiences sturgeon fishing and shares the history of the area. He tells stories about fooling the babysitters and past deputies and wardens, and explains Shadows on the Wolf. 

Ronald M. Bruch, Kathleen Schmitt Kline Shiocton, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Clarence Hopp People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Richard Braasch interviews Clarence Hopp about near misses while sturgeon spearing, tactics for attracting sturgeon with decoys, and cooking sturgeon when he is lucky enough to spear one.

Richard Braasch Berlin, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Leroy Remme People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Leroy Remme, while only sturgeon spearing for around six years, caught one of the largest fish ever recorded on Lake Winnebago in 1990. In his interview with Dominic Carmona, he talks about seeing the fish, spearing it, and the trouble it took to get the fish out of the water, out of the shanty, and into his truck. He talks about feeling bad for killing a fish that was suspected of being 100 years old. Leroy also relates some changes in the sport.

Dominic Carmona Appleton, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Howard Wruck People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Dominic C. Carmona interviews Howard Wruck about his own and his family's history with sturgeon spearing. Howard discusses cooking methods for sturgeon and spearing stories.

Dominic Carmona Oshkosh, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Frederick Binkowski, Part 1 People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Frederick Binkowski, an aquaculturist with a significant focus on sturgeon propagation, has contributed extensively to the field of fishery science through both practical and research-oriented endeavors. His career, marked by a dedication to understanding and improving the conditions for raising sturgeon in controlled environments, spans several decades. Binkowski's work has been pivotal in addressing the complexities associated with sturgeon aquaculture, including breeding, egg incubation, and larval rearing.

Kathleen Schmitt Kline Unknown University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Serge Doroshov People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Serge Doroshov is interviewed by Kathleen Schmitt Kline about the founding of the World Sturgeon Conservation Society. Serge discusses sturgeon population and spawning and his work in the United States at UC-Davis.

Kathleen Schmitt Kline Unknown University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Willard Jenkins People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Willard Jenkins is interviewed by Bill Casper about his experiences fishing sturgeon. They discuss Willard'ss first time fishing in the late 1940s, some of the more memorable people he's known, and methods of rescuing people from mishaps on the ice.

Bill Casper Malone, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Mike Remme People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Mike Remme describes his personal fishing history in and around Green Bay in an interview conducted by Dominic Carmona. Mike began fishing at around age 13 and tells of his biggest catch. Also tells of his father, Leroy Remme, catching the largest sturgeon one season, the death of a friend on the ice, and of the accidental destruction of a friend's shanty by fire

Dominic Carmona Fremont, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Frederick Binkowski, Part 2 People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Frederick Binkowski, a senior research scientist at the Water Institute, has dedicated a significant portion of his career to the study and conservation of sturgeon species. Binkowski studies sturgeon biology, including the intricacies of their feeding habits, breeding, and rearing in laboratory conditions. His work has not only advanced the scientific community's understanding of sturgeon but also contributed to practical conservation efforts, such as the rehabilitation project on the upper Fox River initiated in 2002.

Kathleen Schmitt Kline Unknown University of Wisconsin Board of Regents