organization to help Northern Pike fishery

[jeffreyd]

Nah, you know just need to add some additional answers, could have done more but did not want to give him that hard of a time. He and i have been having a pretty good discussion about this, both of us might be a tad head strong but no ill intent. Not much he would want to do in my acct i dont think it is kind of like my bank acct not much in there. Honestly tho this have been what i think a very good discussion, sometimes a bit heated but has brought out many thoughts and serious concerns about habitat and wildlife management as a whole.

It will only get worse I think, our kids just are not into the outdoors like we were i guess.

[merkman]

C&R works.

+1

And look and release works.

And responsibly harvesting smaller pike via catch and release and look and release works.

I don't disagree one bit walleye101

[Shawn Kellett]

never mind

[Cooter]

Does anyone really need guidelines on how to fill out a DNR survey and if so why? Just skip the ones you don't like???

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...rve#Post2333055

[merkman]

Does anyone really need guidelines on how to fill out a DNR survey and if so why? Just skip the ones you don't like???

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...rve#Post2333055

Several darkhouse spearers asked me about the survey and I told them be honest and fill out the questions best you can. If you see a question you don't feel comfortable answering skip that question. Don't throw out the entire survey because you don't agree with one or more of the questions.

Sorry if that offends you Cooter.

Should we just let it go, and have people throw the whole survey in the garbage and don't turn a single question in?

Just another fine example of how anything you say or do, will be used against you.

[Cooter]

No survey would be better than one with bogus results. Pick and choose the questions you like and skip the ones you don't, just like most of your posts.

[Cooter]

merk - I don't want to come across as a complete jackarse but I'm a bit skeptical. A copy of the survey would probably help clarify things.

[merkman]

No survey would be better than one with bogus results.

[B420]

When I filled out the survey I was a confused on what exactly the "underwater tail pinch" was?. There was also another section pertaining to "sportsmen banning sportsmen" that wasn't too clear to me?

Does anybody have their Merko board handy?

[merkman]

When I filled out the survey I was a confused on what exactly the "underwater tail pinch" was?. There was also another section pertaining to "sportsmen banning sportsmen" that wasn't too clear to me?

Looks like you got the wrong version of the survey!!

Was that the one that asked you to send your answers and $100 to an undisclosed address in Nigeria?

[jeffreyd]

The question remains that Merk thinks if darkhouse is banned then the whole sport should be shut down. What would the darkhouse folks think if DNR says they cannot enforce the laws for DHS and they are going to close the season because of that? Would this still be a reason to shut down hook/line fishing? What if they decide that of the 3400 lakes that you can presently DHS in are going to be deemed management lakes and close all spearing what would you do then? Would you call your Rep, the Dnr, the CO, other organizations for help? Bet you would, so why cant you do that now with regards to the "way they cite" DHS now? Seems like an old agenda, but i can guarantee that if someone showed up at my home or work or threatened me over such a B S issue that they would never see the light of day again.

Merk if you need a history lesson again, I have dealt with the DNR in AZ several time on wildlife subjects. But the same old thing or story gets very old and most people will simply shut you out after a while.

[smnduck]

Merk, Merk, Merk. You are doing more damage to your sport by your constant crying about your perception of things. Take a breath and a couple days off.

[reinhard1]

while i dont agree with merk at times at least he is passionate on the way he sees the sport he loves. i haven't checked his facts, all i know he loves the outdoors. i dont spear any fish, maby rough fish would be fun. i think he respects pike in his own way. i just wish all of us would be that passionate of our fisheries in general, that would go a long way. good luck.

[john skarie]

Merk isn't passionate about fisheries, he's passionate about spearing fish that he wants to, when he wants to, where he wants to.

[merkman]

Stop supporting regulations that unfairly push darkhouse spearers off more and more lakes.

1) Remove the biased and redundant darkhouse spearing bans on the 26 "old muskie waters" Spearing a muskie in any water in Minnesota is already illegal no need for this redundant and biased law. Darkhouse spearers and anglers currently coexist on 100+ “new muskie waters” in Minnesota (comprised of the same type of waters as the “old waters”), there is no reason we can’t do the same on the other 26.

2) Make the small changes needed to the lower slot on northern pike slot limit lakes so most darkhouse spearers are not unjustly pushed off more and more lakes for being made a criminal for the very same "crime" of a dead slot limit northern pike that an angler walks away from. (lots of ways to get make that happen, the first step is admiting there is an issue)

Do these 2 things and you will show that you are interested in including darkhouse spearing sportsmen in the future of northern pike management on our public lakes.

Keep ignoring the issues and we will just continue to keep having the same discussions over and over again.

Or take the easy way out and push to ban anyone who doesn't fit into your way of enjoying the resource.

The muskie has followed that path and it is now basically a summer only, catch and release only species. (Yes the muskie is closed to winter catch and release ). I for one don't want the northern pike to follow that well beaten path..... and when you think it though..... closing the winter northern pike catch and release season is the only logical way to make the closing of the winter muskie season enforcable; since the same equipment and methods are used to target northern pike and muskies in the winter.

Lets just hope this time they tell the fish not to bite in the winter.

[AWH]

Stop supporting regulations that unfairly push darkhouse spearers off more and more lakes.

[merkman]

And the beat goes on....

The beat goes on....

[AWH]

Your simple ability to completely ignore this question every time and continute to spew the same nonsense that implies that spearers and anglers co-exist so well on every other lake sends a very strong signal. It makes it clear that you have no problem with what happened on Grace Lake and if it happens on more lakes, so be it. Safe assumption? If this is not how you feel, perhaps you would like to address this situation instead of ignoring it yet again.

And he responds in his favorite way when he wants to completely ignore a question. He throws the bunny up there.

Thanks, Merk. Now we all know that you are just fine with people spearing muskies and you have no problem if it continues to happen. Thanks for the clarification!

Aaron

[smnduck]

Merk, Merk, Merk. You read so much smarter every post. I wonder why people have such a poor view of spearers. Wa Wa Wa I don't get to kill every fish I see. Wa Wa Wa I don't get to kill every fish I see on any lake I want. Your sport may have some history but its on the way out. It's not a sound way to harvest fish that you can't release. Maybe spear some carp?

[Jameson]

...What I do want is regulation. ...

Truly, I do not believe anyone here does not want any regulation. Also, I believe that most everyone here understands that regulation without enforcement doesn't stop the bad guys. If Grace lake had it's musky's speared out of existence, and that's a big if, it is not the fault of poor regulation. Muskies are illegal to spear. It is the fault of poor enforcement.

Some will say it is impossible to enforce any laws on someone sitting in a darkhouse. If that is the case than we need to ban all fishing that is not out in the open where a CO could see your actions with a spotting scope; this might include all night fishing.

I admit it's selfish, but I don't want fishing out of an ice-house to become illegal. If we want additional regulations that effect the Pike population in the biggest best way possible, than we should look at who is having the greatest impact on the Pike populations. Anglers are having a much greater impact on Pike than the spear-fisherman. There are way more anglers than spear-fisherman, so it is easy to understand (I hope )how this is happening . If additional regulation is warranted it only makes sense to start with anglers. Spear-fisherman are already not allowed to harvest sunny, crappie, bass, muskie, trout, etc, so let's have a little compromise and not allow anglers to harvest Pike. It would be what's best for the resource.

(Yes, I spear. Yes, I harvested more pike angling than I did spearing last year, and in my lifetime.)

[walleye101]

I hear there is another pike/muskie meeting scheduled later this week. Any chance the dark house representatives will show up for some civil discussion on any of these issues?

[thatoneguy]

Muskies have been speared out of existence on Grace Lake? Since when? I've seen a couple this summer, and I've only been on Grace three times. And what alleged spearers admit to spearing muskies? I gotta call [PoorWordUsage] on that.

[merkman]

I hear there is another pike/muskie meeting scheduled later this week. Any chance the dark house representatives will show up for some civil discussion on any of these issues?

Once again I don't speak for the MDAA so don't imply in any way that I am speaking for them.

However, I personally don't see the need to waste more taxpayer dollars on more discussion when it leads exactly nowhere. Save that money and spend it where it is needed... to get more CO's out in the field, instead of buying donuts for meeting attendees.

The discussion might as well happen here or in Crazytown, at least it don't cost the taxpayers of MN any money or spend more MnDNR dollars of an already tight budget. The side bonus is that the same amount gets accomplished.

There have been years of discussion, it is time for action.

[john skarie]

Discussion that is meaningless?

Well I guess everyone has an opinion.

Someday Merk you'll realize that regs aren't about YOU, they are about the fishery which comes first.

Everyone has a chance to help decide what rules we play by. The meaningless discussions are the one that happen here, not the ones where people actually sit down and talk about real issues face to face with stats that aren't made up or misconstrued to a point of being ridiculous.

JS

[Shawn Kellett]

"Spear-fisherman are already not allowed to harvest sunny, crappie, bass, muskie, trout, etc, so let's have a little compromise and not allow anglers to harvest Pike. It would be what's best for the resource."

The only reason why pike are allowed to be speared is because a special interest group back in the early 1900's lobbied the legislature to classify pike as a rough fish and therefore able to be taken by spear. The very next year it was repealed, but the spearing of pike was grandfathered in.

Also Merk, before you beat your drum too loud about "bans" you should do your homework. Originally spearing was banned on ALL but around 20 lakes in the state. At that time they did such damage to the pike populations in those lakes that the only way the DNR could relieve the pressure was to increase the number of lakes to disperse it.

I personally think the bowfishermen should be up in arms that they aren't allowed to shoot pike. Maybe they're too smart to open up that can of worms...