Call or Email Gov Dayton

[JJJ]

If you look at the new finance legislation (see below) there is a Section on page 125 of 126 page bill legalizing Spearing on Cass. Everyone take the time to call or email Gov Dayton letting him know your opionion on this topic that would ruin a trophy Muskie fishery. Thanks

11-3661 - 87th Legislative Session (2011-2012) [11-3661]

125.9 Sec. 68. RULEMAKING; SPEARING ON CASS LAKE.

125.10 The commissioner of natural resources shall amend Minnesota Rules, part

125.11 6264.0400, subpart 69, to allow a person to take fish by spearing on Cass Lake. The

125.12 commissioner may use the good cause exemption under Minnesota Statutes, section

125.13 14.388, to adopt rules under this section, and Minnesota Statutes, section 14.386, does not

125.14 apply except as provided under Minnesota Statutes, section 14.388. Until July 1, 2016, the

125.15 commissioner shall not adopt restrictions on spearing northern pike on Cass Lake under

125.16 Minnesota Statutes, section 97C.001 or 97C.005.

[Shoot2Kill]

This is like a bad STD that won't go away.

[OnAFly]

It's good to see they are really setting aside their agenda's a getting down to fixing this budget once and for all

[SandPoint]

Sorry, but I don't see how lifting a spearing ban on pike could somehow " ruin a trophy muskie fishery". Can't spear muskies regardless. Just my thoughts.

[mrklean]

Sorry, but I don't see how lifting a spearing ban on pike could somehow " ruin a trophy muskie fishery". Can't spear muskies regardless. Just my thoughts.

Thought the same thing but decided not to say anything, we can wait till the winter and have that conversation again for the millionth time

[thatoneguy]

Sorry, but I don't see how lifting a spearing ban on pike could somehow " ruin a trophy muskie fishery". Can't spear muskies regardless. Just my thoughts.

Some muskie folks like to imagine that if the spearing ban on Cass is lifted, the local yokels will fork muskies out of the lake by the truckload. Not terribly likely, IMO, but who knows. I do know that if the ban is lifted, I will spear once or twice a winter on Cass. If it's not, I will spear once or twice a year on Pike Bay. Not a big deal to me either way. Probably a much bigger deal to local resorts/folks who would be able to rent out darkhouses, and to local stores who would love some extra winter traffic.

And yes, yes, we all know that there are plenty of other places to spear. We get that.

[Shoot2Kill]

Sorry, but I don't see how lifting a spearing ban on pike could somehow " ruin a trophy muskie fishery". Can't spear muskies regardless. Just my thoughts.

You're a brave one aren't you.

[SandPoint]

I thought about biting my tongue.

[Muskiefool]

Ask them to vote no and to remove the policy portion of the Environment finance bill and get our government back to work

http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?APP=GAC&AID=1356&IssueID=25821&SiteID=-1

[Huey]

Sorry, but I don't see how lifting a spearing ban on pike could somehow " ruin a trophy muskie fishery". Can't spear muskies regardless. Just my thoughts.

+1

[RumRiverRat]

Sorry, but I don't see how lifting a spearing ban on pike could somehow " ruin a trophy muskie fishery". Can't spear muskies regardless. Just my thoughts.

The Musky guys think that the Locals will spear every musky they see and decimate the population.

Musky guys are anti spearing for the most part.

I desperately want them to allow spearing on Cass Lake, no good reason not to allow people that spear access to a superb Pike lake like Cass.

[cbrooks]

The Musky guys think that the Locals will spear every musky they see and decimate the population.

Musky guys are anti spearing for the most part.

-1

[50inchpig]

the selfishness and total lack of political scruple just astound me, i don't know how can you not be anti spearing after dealing with this [PoorWordUsage] constantly.

[mrklean]

the selfishness and total lack of political scruple just astound me, i don't know how can you not be anti spearing after dealing with this [PoorWordUsage] constantly.

the group that pushes this every time does not represent the average spearer, i have said it before being a person who loves to spear i am not happy about the way the represent us some of the things they say and push for are ridicules, but with the people out there pushing for spearing to be banned because we ruin fishery's and spear nothing but trophy pike we need someone to stick up for us. Personally i see it and a lose lose situation.

[Muskie456]

I do not spear and used to muskie fish a lot more than I do now but, I really have no problem with it. People have been able to spear in Leech for years and there seem to be a couple muskies left in there. Cass would be an awesome lake to spear it is a gin bottles. Hopefully it would knock the pike population down a little bit. They can be hard on the bait population

[cjac]

The Musky guys think that the Locals will spear every musky they see and decimate the population.

Musky guys are anti spearing for the most part.

Musky guys are a subset of sportsmen that are anti poaching, anti over harvesting, and against seeing the fisheries managed by the legislation and not by the DNR. Musky guys are also opposed to tying the hands of the DNR behind thier backs for 5 years. Careless legislation and careless actions by those that pushed for it in the first place.

[OnAFly]

"no good reason not to allow people that spear access to a superb Pike lake like Cass."

Is there a correlation between the two?

[BOUNCED]

Musky guys are a subset of sportsmen that are anti poaching, anti over harvesting, and against seeing the fisheries managed by the legislation and not by the DNR. Musky guys are also opposed to tying the hands of the DNR behind thier backs for 5 years. Careless legislation and careless actions by those that pushed for it in the first place.

So now spearfisherman are poachers?

We should talk about the DNR carelessly stocking Muskies in lakes they don't belong to pacify select groups. Then we can talk about the addition Walleyes that are stocked to off set predation by the newly introduced invasive species.

The holier than thou muskie attitude gets tiresome.

[bobbymalone]

I'm not for outlawing spearing, but I have been leaning towards anti-spearing in these magic lakes that they want to spear so bad for the past few years.

You can thank MDAA's full page ads with half truths and their dancing monkey on HSO for that. You guys really need to either rein them in or find better representation for the sport.

No I am not a muskie guy.

[mrklean]

You can thank MDAA's full page ads with half truths and their dancing monkey on HSO for that.

I wonder who you are referring to

[Nick Kuhn]

So now spearfisherman are poachers?

We should talk about the DNR carelessly stocking Muskies in lakes they don't belong to pacify select groups. Then we can talk about the addition Walleyes that are stocked to off set predation by the newly introduced invasive species.

The holier than thou muskie attitude gets tiresome.

By that definition walleyes are an invasive species in ~70% of this states lakes. But you are using a very poor definition. Every fish that exists in Minnesota can coexist with muskies. Walleyes in native muskie lakes are not any different than walleyes in muskie free lakes: they know how to avoid being eaten. In fact on average muskie lakes have better walleye populations than non-muskie lakes.

What is pathetic is using the legislature to tie the hands of the body that knows best how to manage this states resources and the people that use them. Repeatedly you have tried to get pike slot limits removed. Pike fishing for the most part is pretty awful in Minnesota, and you are only looking to make it worse. Is that one 26" pike you spear the table worth ruining thousands of memorable fishing moments for others for generations to come?

[john skarie]

Carelessly stocking muskies to passify select groups?? Seriously??

Every lake in MN that has had muskies stocked in it has had the walleye fishing get better. Bigger fish and more of them.Proof is in the pudding, go look up lake surveys and compare walleye tournament results from now back to the late 80's. You'll see a trend.

Stocking of walleyes has not gone up due to muskie stocking.

Tell you what, let's talk about the real issue here. Pike. There are many people in MN working to get more lakes that have the big pike like Cass does. The work has been paying off using special regs that now will be hindered because of the will of the smallest group of fishermen (spearers) in MN.

The very group that is after pike is doing everything it can to ensure our pike fishery goes into the toilet by tying the hands of the DNR.

It's the most irresponsible and ignorant behavior a group of "pike" fishermen could display.

Let's screw everyone in MN out of healthy pike fisheries on the whims of the spearers.

Tell you what, you want resorts in Cass Lake to do better? Than don't wipe out the big pike. More people will fish Cass in the summer to catch big pike and nice walleyes then will ever, ever spear there.

You screw that lake up and the resorts will die.

JS

[50inchpig]

We should talk about the DNR carelessly stocking Muskies in lakes they don't belong to pacify select groups.

We should talk about crooked politics being used to pacify select groups. What group is more select than your 1%?

We should talk about the lies and propaganda being used, not to propagate your own sport and get others interested, but to tear down ours.

We should talk about the "average" spearer, and why the tactics described above are acceptable, and if not, why they continue to let the MDAA speak for them.

Bobby Malone said it well. People like him represent the larger population of sportsmen that the MDAA is running roughshod over. See what happens to spearing in the next 10-20 years as public opinion shifts against them. Hopefully Spreck writes more editorials for the Strib, that was a gem last year.

[mrklean]

Is that one 26" pike you spear the table worth ruining thousands of memorable fishing moments for others for generations to come?

Whats the difference between that and a angler keeping a 26" for the table?

[BOUNCED]

Every lake in MN that has had muskies stocked in it has had the walleye fishing get better. Bigger fish and more of them.Proof is in the pudding, go look up lake surveys and compare walleye tournament results from now back to the late 80's. You'll see a trend.

pretty bold statement

Here's your pudding

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/nWpvY.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" />

Based on the DNR's own Knapp study there were 9 lakes where Walleye population declined after Musky stocking?

If you'd like to see how the rest of the species are doing I have those too, but I'm sure you know where to find them.