FOND DU LAC, Wis. — Jeff Sagmeister and his dad, Randy, drove their trucks out onto Lake Winnebago from Black Wolf Point and spent most of their weekend inside their small ice shanty. 

Their work started Friday when they cut the hole in the ice on their chosen spot on the lake. 

Since then, it’s been a lot of sitting and waiting. 

“We sat from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. yesterday, and we’ll sit again today from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.,” Sagmeister said. 

They have the essentials: homemade spears and hooks to catch the sturgeon. They also have a propane heater for the inside of the shanty, which was crucial to fight this weekend’s brutal cold. 

“Once we got that all going, then you just sit here and keep looking in the hole,” said Randy. "Keep watching, maybe have a beer, some snacks or something…”

“Yep. B-S, and hopefully watch for sturgeon to come through,” Jeff added. 

The two have been fishing for sturgeon during spearing season for the last 12 years. 

“Well, it’s supposed to be exciting if you get a fish, but you don’t get one,” Randy Sagmeister said. "Every now and then you see fish going through though, but not sturgeon.”

So, it wasn’t an exciting weekend for them, but it was for Peter Augustine. 

 “Oh heck yeah,” Augustine said. "Heck yeah, big time!”

Augustine has been sturgeon spearing for the last eight years, but Sunday was the firsts time he ever caught a sturgeon. 

“We were in about 12 feet of water, could barely see the pipes, but he came up high, about six feet below the hole, so about half way. Just coming through real slow, right away, I wasn’t sure what it was,” Augustine explained. "But, I grabbed the spear anyway and as soon as I determined what it was I orientated the spear and gave it a flung and the rest is history!”

His sturgeon came in at 57.2 inches, weighing 45.7 pounds. He already knows what he’s going to do with the big fish. 

“Getting it smoked. Maybe keep a couple steaks for eating, but getting it smoked otherwise,” Augustine said. 

The Sagmeisters aren’t giving up hope this year, and said even if they don’t catch a fish, they’re glad to spend quality time with family. 

“Kind of like a family affair, you know at least you get to do something with them off and on and now and then, so this is a good pastime for everybody,” Randy Sagmeister said. 

Sturgeon spearing season lasts for two more weeks in Wisconsin, or until any of the sex-specific limits for each fishery is reached.