interesting

[merkman]

I would lean toward exploring other regulations besides just slots, that as Merkman pointed out have the potential to be more limiting to spearers than anglers.

Or we could just leave the slots to heck alone... I think things are fumbled up enough already.... Let this sit and see where it ends up in a few years.

I am pretty sure that is where it is at right now.... and while I am not 100% happy with that solution..... it seems like an Ok compromise to me.

To bad others can't be content with what they have.

.

.

[MJ1657]

No that's just foolish we preach know before you throw and when a story like that gets published it makes us a look bad

+1

Stories like that really upset me.

We all need to take it upon ourselves to educate others about Know Before You Throw.

[merkman]

We preach know before you throw....

I have no issue with know the species with 100% certainty before you throw.....

Know the length with 100% certainty is a whole nother story.....

Tell me just how do you perform this procedure on a live pike swimming 4 to 12 feet bellow you with 100% certainty. .. get it wrong and you get yourself an arrest record.... (not a good career move for most of us who work for a living) one over slots.... not a problem... pike under 22 or 24 inches.... not much buffer there.

[Yooperguy]

Now that you guys went all cross eyed lets get to the problem. The point is to start taking these small pike. Some lakes (and more to come I hope) allow you to take up to 9 pike under 22 inches I believe. Sand and Bowstring are 2 that come to mind. Those lakes in a couple years have went from an average size of 15 inches to 18 for pike. I truly think darkhouse spearers could help with this problem as they know how to prepare these small pike by pickling or y bone removal methods. You also could do more to educate people on look and release. Hate to say it but everyone can't kill their trophys or there will be none left. Mille lacs is in trouble because of hammer handle pike. I also know of studys that say if you use optimal tactics fishing wise pike and muskie are near 100% successfully released so please stop using that hogwash as an excuse.

[mrklean]

Seriously merk do you find a need to complain about every post? As someone who has a passion for spearing when you read a story like above she tossed the spear at the flicker since it was low light do you not understand how that makes us look bad.

[BOUNCED]

. Mille lacs is in trouble because of hammer handle pike.

[Yooperguy]

I ment isn't in trouble because of hammer handles my bad.

how am I stirring the pot? I could of course, but that's not my intention on this post.

[tca12]

Using the tag system, I get my one 30 incher for the year on Jan.1, get my tag for it or put my tag with the animal, and eat it. Is there some magic that doesn't allow me to take another 30 incher on Jan.2, put my tag with it and drop it in the freezer? Repeat process after eating.

Since we're supposed to eat the little ones, why are there crappie lakes where you can't keep one UNDER 10 inches?

We have bass lakes that are catch and release only. The reason people started fishing was to get something to eat. Now we have evolved to just torturing fish by dragging them out of the water after hooking them by the mouth and pat ourselves on the back at how we have matured. Really?

[rockman]

I find it 'interesting' that there are at least 3 different threads, including this one, on this message board/forum, that are stemming from this article. An article coming from a news outlet that has been commonly called the 'Red Star', and for good reason. This 'newspaper' article, is good for nothing but being at the bottom of a bird cage. Some in this thread have already called it right that this is nothing more than a politically motivated shot towards one group of the MN fishing community, by another fishing group, on the other side of said 'issues'. A couple of other forum members here have used signature lines that read, 'educate,not regulate', in threads on deer hunting issues. That would certainly apply here, as some others have replied. 'Know before you throw', is sound ethics, but how do you folks intend on teaching it? I am not inferring any one person here cannot, or is not already doing this, but how are the brand new folks to darkhouse spearing going to learn this with having hands on experience by spearing different sizes of fish to learn size disparity, and with having a stricter regulation hanging over his/her shoulder? 1/8 of an inch difference can make an angler a law violator once the stricter regulation is enacted, especially on a broad scale across the state. Is this the way to gain retention of new people in the sport? It's something to think about. Yeah, I get it everyone is entitled to an opinion on fisheries management, deer management, political topics, so on, so on, and so on. As someone who has a renewed interest in the sport of darkhouse spearing, and at the same time somewhat new to it, I find it 'interesting' some of replies here, and am more aware of some of the animosity showing up elsewhere, based on one news article. Just sayin'.

[Gordie]

Now that you guys went all cross eyed lets get to the problem. The point is to start taking these small pike. Some lakes (and more to come I hope) allow you to take up to 9 pike under 22 inches I believe. Sand and Bowstring are 2 that come to mind. Those lakes in a couple years have went from an average size of 15 inches to 18 for pike. I truly think darkhouse spearers could help with this problem as they know how to prepare these small pike by pickling or y bone removal methods. You also could do more to educate people on look and release. Hate to say it but everyone can't kill their trophys or there will be none left. Mille lacs is in trouble because of hammer handle pike. I also know of studys that say if you use optimal tactics fishing wise pike and muskie are near 100% successfully released so please stop using that hogwash as an excuse.

I was hoping to actually sleep through this ,but.... the problem is certain groups think that a eco system can only survive with all big fish in it and if you kill off all the little ones it will be fine and that is just hogwash too. I also saw a big muskie that was mounted on a Mille Lacs resort wall that was a victim of release mortality so that 100% is also HOGWASH.

Just because a spear hole is opened up on a body of water everyone that doesn't spear seems to think that somehow magically all the big pike are pulled through those holes.. well that just isn't happening and I have yet to find a certain group of fishermen that can actually tell me what a big pike is and I have asked in the past and get no answer.

Bowstring and Sand are great bodies of water and hold healthy populations of panfish and yes there are some small pike in those lakes, but there are also big pike in those lakes along with some great walleyes too. Mille lacs problem is not the pike it is trying to make it a all big fish lake that I believe is hurting it. This year a lot that I have talked with have said tons of tiny perch, which means in a few to 5 years some really great perch fishing will be had along with some outstanding eye fishing its called a lakes cycle and it does happen I have seen this tiny perch explosion twice before and what followed was pretty much what I wrote earlier.

I do like early risers idea of not restricting spearfisher people to certain bodys of water. I was raised as we are all created equal and this is far from it.

I would also like to see a tag implemented for a Muskie to be speared as well I truly believe that would help the pike population grow as well. This does happen in other states and it seems to work there so why could it not work here.

As it has been said this is nothing more than a attempt to push a group of people out so another can enjoy what they think it should be!

[MJ1657]

Great post Gordie.

[smurfy]

gordie...........I have to disagree with ya a bit here. my family has a cabin 15 minutes from both lakes. yea there is some nice perch and crappies in sand and bowstring. to say there great "panfish" I would say is a stretch.

I think your missing yooperguys point. the way I read his posts is all he is saying in these lakes like sand and bowstring and lakes like it more needs to be done to takes some of these snakes out of the system. ask some of the locals up there......I have!

[B420]

Gordie,

Spearing muskies would help the pike population how? By eliminating more apex predators? Sounds good to me just keep the hammer handle factory rolling!

[Yooperguy]

Glad Gordie the true end finally came out. The MDAA wants to spear muskies. That's just wonderful!

The small pike problem was a big topic of discussion at the DNR round table. Once again this isn't a push by anyone to limit, or stop spearing in anyway. It is an attempt to try to get something done about a real problem and one that has had one tool taken away from the DNR by the MDAA. If your leadership wants it this way, come up with a solution then! I don't see much recruitment of anglers or spearers coming from lakes teaming with 15 inch pike and little else. So is that the best answer you guys can come up with is to solve the hammer handle problem is spearing muskies. Wow, disappointing.

[Yooperguy]

Also I don't agree with some of the comments about it was the spearers that caused this problem. It's what anglers in general want size wise to harvest. Method doesn't matter. My only gripe is the MDAA leaderships choice to cap the slots to 100 but have no solution to how to correct this problem.

[bowhunt]

I have been thinking about some of the proposed regulation changes above and tried to think of a compromise that I could live with. I would like to get your thoughts on these, I am stealing some of the ideas from previous posts. First I would open up all the lakes to spearing, just to even the playing field. Second, I could live with a 1 fish over 34" regulation, and you would get a tag for that fish when you buy your license and have to register it. Next I would change it to a 1 fish over 26" per day, with a daily limit of 5 fish. Oh and probably the item that bugs me the most currently, make the possession limit twice the daily bag limit.

Some of my reasoning: personally I like to fry fish, fish under 23" are tough to get the y bones out, and a 26" fish isn't that big. Also if you can take a couple extra fish I think people would be willing to take some smaller ones. If I spear one over 34" in a year I would be more then happy with that, and would enjoy filming any others that came through the hole.

Bowhunt

[hawkeye43]

Glad Gordie the true end finally came out. The MDAA wants to spear muskies. That's just wonderful!

Gordie said NOTHING about MDAA wanting to spear muskies. Those were his thoughts. Man you really have thorn in your side and can sure change words around to stir things up.

[rockman]

My only gripe is the MDAA leaderships choice to cap the slots to 100 but have no solution to how to correct this problem.

You need to get your facts straight. It was the MN Legislature that passed legislation, that capped the lakes at 100, not any one specific organization. If your gonna pot stir, or troll, at least try to come up with something better than that. Just sayin'.

[Yooperguy]

You know what, right now I don't care. Could site examples but if we want to bash eachother lets start a new thread.

There is a problem in this state, particularly centeral Mn and northern Mn. ONCE AGAIN NOT SAYING ANY ONE GROUP CAUSED THIS!!!!! But your group could be very instrumental in changing this. You guys know how to prepare small pike and you have influence with legislators. So then working with the DNR find lakes that could use libralised pike limits and educate the average Joe fisherman the importance of keeping these small pike and let them know how to consume them. No where am I or anyone else asking you to give up anything. And one more time my ONLY gripe is the cap on slot lakes with no other solution by the MDAA.

[Yooperguy]

So you really think that the Mn legislature just woke up one day and said, "hey I got an idea, lets cap pike slot lakes at 100"? Really?

[MJ1657]

Guys just let this thread pass.

It will go nowhere and nothing will be solved. It just disrupts the last couple months of sharing of good times and ideas.

This site is supposed to be about having fun. Judging by the talk here for the last couple days its anything but that.

[mrklean]

This site is supposed to be about having fun. Judging by the talk here for the last couple days its anything but that.

I think the cold is getting to everyone

[Yooperguy]

Guys just let this thread pass.

It will go nowhere and nothing will be solved. It just disrupts the last couple months of sharing of good times and ideas.

This site is supposed to be about having fun. Judging by the talk here for the last couple days its anything but that.

Yes, why did I think you would help with this problem. And in the process maybe gain new blood into your sport. Sorry for waisting your time. Continue on.

[hillbilly...]

So you really think that the Mn legislature just woke up one day and said, "hey I got an idea, lets cap pike slot lakes at 100"? Really?

Well were did they come up with a season on bowfishing??

[merkman]

for those of you new to the forums you should know that are there certain people that post items to this thread for no other purpose than to cause trouble.

I have acknowledged yooperguy by wishing him a happy new year and that's the only post and or acknowledgement he gets from me this year.

I recommend everyone else here does the same.... but in the end you are all grown men and women and can choose to post what you wish.

The article was a feeble attempt by a fellow sportsman to pit sportsman vs sportsman. Yooperguy posting the link in this thread was an extension of that same intent.

How we choose to react to those who wish to tear us apart from the inside out really defines us as sportsmen; and as people in general

Any of the jack wagons out there that cling on to the incorrect perception that I or any of you are somehow a lesser sportsman because we choose to hold a darkhouse spear 3.5 of the 12 months of the year; does not in anyway change the facts that we are indeed responsible sportsmen who have the right/privilege to enjoy Minnesota public resources in a responsible and law abiding way.

And for those who haven't figured it out yet.... yes the MDAA will fight to protect your rights/privileges to lawfully fish for and responsibly harvest (if you choose) northern pike by the legal method of your choice..... it is no different than the NRA fighting to maintain our second ammendment rights/privileges.

I do not see that as a bad thing, and I make no apologies to PETA or fellow sportsmen who wish to take those rights/privileges from me.

All i can say is this; you choose how to react to to the "poking"

I choose to state the facts then ignore.

I hope others will do the same.

.