Anyone here snorkel and spearfish? It's a blast!

[Stick500]

This summer I dusted off my 15 year old spearfishing equip. from when I lived in CA and went carping in a fairly clear, out-of-the-way metro lake. Got three on the first time out in July and then averaged about 5 each trip since with very few missed shots. Got a 32" and 33" inchers as my biggest of the summer. The two big ones both jumped right out of the water after I shot them- I've never seen that happen before. They can take you for a little ride too as the spear rarely kills or stuns them outright- carp are tough SOBs!

Freshwater snorkel (no SCUBA needed) spearfishing for carp is a huge thrill and great exercise and quite a challenge. Oddly enough in the summer the carp are all in the shallows and I never have to actually dive to take a shot. Their behavior is quite different whether they are cruising, resting in the shade or feeding and each takes a different shooting strategy.

As the law states I bring 'em all to shore and then I take 'em home and cook 'em up to add to my golden retrievers food every day for a few weeks. If I knew someone who likes to smoke carp would love to give them some sometime.

Does anyone here on the forums have any experience with this little-known MN sport?

I think the season is all ready over with as I went out Sept. 13 and the carp were all gone from my spot apparently from the cold snap- I figure they went to the shallower, dirtier and warmer lake next door- BTW I was wearing a spring suit for the Sept. dive!

Just in case you're wondering you can't blast gamefish (bass, walleye, pike, etc.) but you can take panfish and roughfish (no catfish though).

Would love to trade tips, techniques, and dive spots with another MN spearfisherman for next year. I've only gone to my one spot as I am a new Twin Cities resident.

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[Early Riser]

Stick500

Way to go! I posted on this topic years ago but nobody seemed to be interested.

I lived in Hawaii for several years and picked up on skin diving and spearing, which I transfered back to my homestate of MN when we moved back home. It is great sport and those carp are very good for my garden!

I have been back to HI spearing out of Molokai which was awesome as well! I hope to get back someday.

I have tried to get a few folks interested, but so far no takers.

Would you shoot me an email at tbenjr@aol to compare notes in more detail?

[mrklean]

nice job that would be a thrill for sure

[jaymevb]

you should make some trips to south dakota, they allow spearing of game fish.

[Stick500]

thanks for the tip jaymevb- would like to do that sometime- I found there's a dive shop out of Hudson, WI that organizes spearfishing trips to SD 3 or 4 times a year

I heard there's a place in Missouri you can get walleyes too

in first week of Sept. I took what I think was my last trip for the year to my little lake here - had to break out the spring westsuit and was plenty comfortable but all the carp were gone- I figured they travelled to the shallower, murkier and warmer lake next door for the winter

however, I did see some pike for the first time all year but they were all little ones- also a HUGE snapper who hated running into me underwater as much as I didn't like going face-to-face with him!