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.

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Interviewee Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Ronald M. Bruch People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Ronald Bruch was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He spent his summers in Ashland County, Wisconsin, where he developed a keen interest in sturgeon and other fish species in the Flambeau River. Bruch attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, earning his bachelor's degree in fisheries. He earned his master's degree and worked towards a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Bruch began his professional career with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 1976.

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

Vern Gebhart and his wife, Karla, talk about their history with sturgeon spearing. He tells stories about close calls on thin ice, the amount of sturgeon fishermen increasing, and the changes in the equipment used. Vern also discusses decoy carving with the interviewers, Ronald M. Bruch and Kathleen Schmitt Kline.

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

Ronald M. Bruch interviews Dick Koerner, avid sturgeon spearer since 1955. Dick relates numerous stories of memorable fishing incidents, as well as discussing his construction of his shanties and creation of spears and decoys.

 Ronald M. Bruch Neenah, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Pete Schuh People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Pete Schuh is interviewed by Dick Koerner about his experiences spear fishing, changes in regulations over time, and superstitions.

 Dick Koerner Menasha, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Bill Buksyk People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Bill Buksyk is interviewed by Dick Koerner about his experience sturgeon fishing. They discuss his first sturgeon spearing experience with his brothers, his most memorable experience, and his worst experience, which involved taking his pregnant wife out to fish with him. Bill also explains some of his favorite ways to eat sturgeon, catching more than your allotment, favorite coaxers, and the number of sturgeon he has caught.

 Dick Koerner Unknown University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Dan Gerhardt People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Dan Gerhardt, interviewed by Dick Koerner, talks about some of his experiences with sturgeon spearing on Lake Winnebago.  He recalls learning to spear and important moments from the last fifty years.  He discusses how things have changed, what he enjoys about the sport, and recipes.

 Dick Koerner Pine River, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Elmer Kuchenbecker People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Dick Koerner interviews Elmer Kuchenbecker about his sturgeon spearing stories, including the largest fish he ever speared.

 Dick Koerner Neenah, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Al Schumacher People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Bill Casper interviews Al Schumacher of the Stockbridge area on sturgeon fishing and related experiences in Schumacher’s life. At the time of the interview, Schumacher was 88 or 89 years old, and had lived in the same farmhouse since about the age of ten.  Stories surround the use of horses for moving fishing equipment, surviving the Depression, Schumacher’s family history, local decoy makers, and local landmarks such as the Fishtail Inn and the Calumet County Park.

 Bill Casper Hilbert, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Ann Marie Wendt Ziemer People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Ann Marie Wendt Ziemer talks about her experiences with sturgeon spearing on Lake Winnebago.  She recalls experiences from her childhood and explains why she wants her children to have similar experiences.  She works at Wendt's on the Lake, and talks about some of the changes that she has seen over the years.  

 Dick Ristow Lake Winnebago, WI University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
Ben Burg People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish

Ben Burg, Don Burg, and Bob Wilson are interviewed by Ronald M. Bruch and Kathleen Schmitt Kline about their histories with sturgeon spearing. Don and Ben Burg discuss their family's history of spearing with the Stockbridge Tribe and using decoys created by Native Americans. All three men tell stories of sturgeon spearing in extreme weather conditions.

 Ronald M. Bruch, Kathleen Schmitt Kline Unknown University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Oshkosh Public Museum
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