spear -vs- angle

[drakerebel]

i've been curious for some time what the numbers look like for number of liscenced spearers compared to liscenced anglers in Minnesota?

any help would be appreciated, thanks.

[merkman]

Licenced spearers make up around 1% of licenced anglers.

Darkhouse spearers over 65 do not need to buy a darkhouse spearing licence though. They still need an angling licence.

The numbers are somewhere around 17 thousand darkhouse spearers to 1.4 million anglers.

[Laska]

Merkman can I start calling you Einstein? You know more things about regs n stats than anyone I know... You sure know ur stuff thats for sure...

You sure about the 65 n older thing, I wanted to take my grandfather this year, he's never done it before...

[terrible_fisherman]

He is right about the 65 thing. It specifically says it in the regs.

[Laska]

sweet he can go for FREE!!!

[lawnbuilder]

they also changed the law after july 1 this year to allow out-of-state spearers. You need to also purchase a $40.50 license thou.

[drakerebel]

Licenced spearers make up around 1% of licenced anglers.

Darkhouse spearers over 65 do not need to buy a darkhouse spearing licence though. They still need an angling licence.

The numbers are somewhere around 17 thousand darkhouse spearers to 1.4 million anglers.

thanks merk,

i get a kick out of how people make a stink about how spearers affect the harvest and how it's not fair and regarded as "cheating".

i bet these same people who are critisizing spearing are also the ones that are hunting deer with slugs rather than a bow (perhaps not, but i like the analogy)

[bassNspear]

ya, spearing licence in MN is not high at all, and i think its becuase the mid generation is never got into it. Glad to have this link on FM so we can get more and more people involed

[Gordie]

ya, spearing licence in MN is not high at all, and i think its becuase the mid generation is never got into it. Glad to have this link on FM so we can get more and more people involed

Yea what he said

[bassNspear]

its awesome that we have it here. Went form nothign to bomb shell right gordie?

[deerhunter]

Hey bass n spear i sent you a email

[bassNspear]

sent back

[Gordie]

aint that the truth! yea its a good thing but I seldom fish and spear at the same time I found that spearing is so addictive that I lost intrest in ice fishing yea right

[bassNspear]

i have never had a fishing rod in my hosue at the same time, dont need to......well i take that back, unless deitz is in there [PoorWordUsage] around~

[Gordie]

Ya I was gona remind you of that if you didnt remember

and you know I woulda for Deitz's sake

[bassNspear]

ya i know, hes a crazy man ya know! but dude, i love the guy like a brother, and its hard for me to yell at him

[Gordie]

Ya what do you do? gotta love the guy and I only met him once and he sure is fun to be around I would like to spend some time in a boat with you 2 guys someday. Now that would be fun

[gardn184]

I personally like having the jiggle rod in the spearhouse with me, last year we got to sight fish a lot of walleyes, was a blast seeing them come in, then jiggle them up with a lindy rattling flyer, like watching them on a Large Screen AQUA-VIEW! Apparently big walleyes have a thing for massive suckers, as do bluegills? Either way just nice to have in the house, never know when a 30 inch walleye might take a liking to your sucker. Fun to catch and release. Although nothing can beat seeing a 40 inch plus pike circling the hole, I gotta stop now or I'll be braving the three inches of ice around here

[bassNspear]

Ya what do you do? gotta love the guy and I only met him once and he sure is fun to be around I would like to spend some time in a boat with you 2 guys someday. Now that would be fun

Ya, we love to have alot of hun! Just dont bring them brownies with nutz.

gard, you been out at all?

[merkman]

thanks merk,

i get a kick out of how people make a stink about how spearers affect the harvest and how it's not fair and regarded as "cheating".

The fact is that most of these people do not spear, and quite a few of them have never darkhouse speared.

The truth of the matter is that the sportsman determines to harvest the pike or not. He does this via catch and release or look and release.

Spears or hooks do not kill northern pike anymore than guns kill people. The person chooses to kill the pike not the spear or hook.

So whenever you hear "I used to darkhouse spear but gave it up because it was too easy"... it is just a crock. No one forces anyone to harvest a northern pike. No one forces anyone to throw the spear, just as no one forces anyone to keep a fish that is caught via angling.

Practice catch and release if angling and look and release if darkhouse spearing.

And if you want to take a northern pike take one. Let the big ones go and take the smaller ones, only take what you need, and use everything you take.

At the end of the day it is ok to eat northern pike. If we as sportsmen say it isn't ok to eat fish then we are in fact saying we only fish (and in some people’s eyes, harm the fish) for the fun of it. That line of thought will only bring us closer to eliminating all fishing.

Think of all the ways that a fish can die before it is eaten. When you really look at it; a well placed kill shot though the spine with a darkhouse spear results in a death just as humane as the many other methods that fish are killed by to be eaten.

No mater what; we all need to work together to make sure no ones legal method of enjoying the sport is taken away.

[bassNspear]

Thar right, we are all part of the fishing world, and if we cant all get along, then we need to sit and talk about it. Spearing is for 4 months out of th eyear if were lucky with ice, adn were not the type of people that are going to go out and spear everything that we can see. Its all about getting out there and seeing fish, and what they do in the water. Its a crazy thing to see them do what they do.

I personally would rather go out and not spear anything, knowing that i have to clean it, but the best thing is seeing the fish. Its awesome to see what they do

[merkman]

Glad to have this link on FM so we can get more and more people involed

Zactly!!!

[merkman]

He is right about the 65 thing. It specifically says it in the regs.

[Gordie]

As Red Green would say "Were all in this together" and"Don't forget your stick on the ice"

Ive only done some ice checking had to finish a job up and now its spear time Tomarrow I will be out and I think thursday,friday,saturday,sunday and well the rest of the season here we go

[bassNspear]

lol, i wish i had it that easy, but my time is coming around the corner. Dec 26th through Jan 10th. Wont be off the lake one day!