John Jurgenson
People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish
People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin’s Love Affair with an Ancient Fish showcases 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 University of Wisconsin-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.
The collection was compiled by the University of Wisconsin-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, Wisconsin.
National Capital Contracting
On May 29, 2007, Dick Koerner interviewed John Jurgenson for the People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish oral history project. Born on June 27, 1930, in Neenah, Wisconsin, Jurgenson grew up in a family involved in sturgeon spearing, a tradition passed down by his father. Jurgenson discusses the evolution of regulations, noting that while fishermen were once allowed to spear up to five sturgeons, current regulations limit them to one. He also touches on the increase in the number of fishermen and the impact of these changes on the experience of spearing. Jurgenson shares his method for spearing, a technique taught by his father. The interview further explores Jurgenson's personal experiences, including memorable catches, such as a 99-pound sturgeon, and his thoughts on the best times of day for spearing. He also reminisces about the camaraderie among his fellow fishermen and the sport's traditions, such as using cupolas on shanties and crafting spears from old pitchforks. Jurgenson also reflects on the changes in ice conditions and the equipment used over the years, emphasizing how bad weather and thin ice once limited the number of fishermen on the lake. He recounts his father's ingenuity in navigating these challenges with homemade equipment, such as ramps for crossing cracks in the ice.
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