Americans rush to hunt prehistoric monsters

In the cold winter, many families from Wisconsin (USA) have a tradition of gathering on a lake in the hope of catching one of the giant fish beneath the ice.

Every February, for about 16 days, a team of hunters called the Frozen Chosen, armed with 2-meter-long handcrafted spears, layers of clothing, and an indomitable spirit of optimism, descend into the frozen giant Lake Winnebago. giant in the state of Wisconsin. Their goal is the same, which is to catch a prehistoric fish weighing nearly 140kg. Lake Winnebago is home to the largest and oldest fish population in the Americas, and the giant lake sturgeon here haven't changed much since the age of the dinosaurs.

Fishermen on the lake.

These fishermen are so resilient, they go down to the frozen lake and build small metal huts on the ice, where they live in the freezing cold for six hours a day. The temperature here is low enough to freeze a can of beer in minutes.

The fishermen saw off the 90cm-thick ice, creating an opening about the size of a flat-screen TV. Then they sat and waited, spears ready to stab the fish that swam past. Of course, it is a process that requires a lot of patience, because the fish hide very deeply. Many families have been coming to Lake Winnebago for decades but have never seen a giant sturgeon.

Giant sturgeon.

About this unique group of hunters, said Steven Boettcher, director of the documentary program The Frozen Chosen: Extreme Ice Fishing. 'This is the only place in the world where you can hunt sturgeon and the people here have a lot of passion for it. These people have been waiting all year for this 16-day festival.

Fisherman Kevin Schumacher said the tradition of sturgeon hunting dates back to his grandfather's time and now more than 50 people, from four different generations in the family, gather on the lake every winter. Mr. Schumacher considers it a wonderful occasion for the whole family to get together. When asked about the first sturgeon he caught last year, Mr Schumacher couldn't hide his excitement. 'I got my fish. It's the happiness of a lifetime, the best thing ever."

The history of the sturgeon in Lake Winnebago is also a remarkable story. Sturgeon here can be 2m long and weigh up to 140kg, they are the size of a torpedo. Sturgeon species have been here since dinosaurs walked the Earth, and some of the surviving ones are believed to be more than 100 years old.

In the mid-1800s, however, their future was greatly threatened. Sturgeon eggs became a popular food, and millions were killed. By 1915, they were on the verge of extinction, until the state of Wisconsin passed a law banning their fishing. That law was only relaxed when fish became a staple food during the Great Depression.

Now, this giant lake sturgeon has benefited from one of the most successful conservation programs in the world, and 20,000 fish come to spawn in the rivers near Lake Winnebago each spring. Local authorities in Wisconsin have imposed a strict limit on the amount of sturgeon that can be caught. Each member of Frozen Chosen is only allowed to fish one fish per season, when in fact 90% of them go home empty-handed.

The hunters also didn't waste the results they caught. Mr Schumacher said the 61kg sturgeon he caught last year fed his family for 12 months.

The story of Frozen Chosen resonates everywhere, because it is about a very specific community, everyone can relate to these people. 'This is a great event. It revolves around family tradition and we can all understand that," said Mr Boettcher.

Mr. Steven Boettcher added: 'The Schumacher family is a great example. Four generations walk on ice together. You see kids, two or three years old, playing together. They will understand the family tradition, and then carry on it. The fishermen simply love this lake. It's their home'.