interesting

[Gordie]

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

WOW talk about someones feeling coming out and you try to put words in my mouth.

Yes, I said spear muskies that's my OPINION and its not influenced by anyone or any group period.

[Jameson]

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

Very, very good set of regs! It could be a very good set of regs just how they are, but IMO they just are not strict enough to get results right now.

How many fisherman harvest more than one 34" pike a year now? It just wouldn't save that many fish IMO. Now I do believe a considerable more amount of 30.5"-32" fish get caught and kept. Maybe in five years the keep one reg could be 34" and not 30", but right now I don't believe that a 34" rule would do much.

Agree with you totally that a 26" pike isn't all that big, and that it is tough to get the y bones out of a 23"er. But so? The fisherman continually getting what they want is not what regulation is about. Still, I think the 26" per day reg is perfect. No reason to go lower, and it would slow the harvest of the 26"+ fish.

At this point I'm not sure having a limit on sub 26" pike would be a good idea, at least in year 1. Couple years down the road make it 5-10 fish.

.....

And as others have said in this thread, if the species is open to angling harvest it should be open to spearing.

[AWH]

There are a lot of sensitive people on this subject here. But a lot of good thoughts being shared as well. I do find it interesting that the first few replies here started out with positive thoughts on the article. And it quickly turned to an attack on “rights” as anglers and spearers.

For those that don’t know anything about Jim Lilienthal who provided much of the data for that article, he is a very well respected and highly knowledgeable individual on fisheries related topics. He has a passion for northern pike and many other species, not only as a fisheries biologist, but as a concerned fisherman. He has done more research on this topic than likely anyone in the state. I find it insulting to any fisherman when his comments are blown off as biased or somehow attacking any one group’s rights.

I have heard Jim talk on this subject numerous times. And every time I come away extremely impressed by his vast knowledge and insight on how all fish species interact and how they influence each other. Our fisheries are extremely complex and someone with Jim’s vast knowledge should be listened to and absolutely respected.

I do not feel I am out of bounds when I speak for Jim when I say that he is extremely discouraged with how our fisheries have changed during his lifetime. He has talked extensively about his time on the Whitefish Chain north of Brainerd and how much that fishery has changed (in a negative way) in his 40+ years of fishing there. It is absolutely tied to the change in the dynamics of the northern pike size structure. And the Whitefish Chain is certainly not alone. As was referenced in the article, he has looked at data on 1,000 lakes throughout the state. And it’s not a matter of a quick glance and coming to a quick judgment. He has spent thousands of hours analyzing the information that is available on these lakes.

To discount what Jim is saying is a slap in the face to all fishermen. He is not saying that he has the answers on how to fix things and make them better. He is simply saying that SOMETHING needs to be done and is offering up ideas. Yes, he might feel strongly about what might be the best way to improve our fisheries. But he is not saying one way is the only way to go. He is offering up ideas. We need to be open to change if we want to improve our fisheries.

Aaron

[merkman]

I am glad you feel that way aaron.

There are 100 lakes to play special regulations on.

great compromise IMHO....

No one is really happy about any of it.... but that is what compromise gets you.

Can we finally put that to bed and work on stuff we all agree on?

Mr Lilienthal claims to represent anglers for habitat, if he was out supporting pike habitat or clean water I could get behind what he was pushing....

The "incremental slippage" toward a summer time only catch and release only northern pike fishery has to stop somewhere... and 100 lakes seems to be where it is going to pause for a bit.

I don't agree with what he is pushing but I will accept that he has 100 lakes to play with...

If he wants a trophy esox. ... Let him have the muskie.... for all intents and purposes it is already a summer time catch and release only species now.... go out and enjoy it....

.

.

[AWH]

What Jim is "pushing" is for more well balanced, healthy fisheries. Unfortunate that we can't all get behind an idea like that.

Aaron

[Dan L]

I like the idea of a 1 over 24" in possession and a 1 over 30" per year. As Jameson says would some of these ideas on regulations be enough to make a difference. When you look at a lake like the Whitefish Chain it just seems like a shame to not be able to help lakes like these.

[merkman]

What Jim is "pushing" is for more well balanced, healthy fisheries. Unfortunate that we can't all get behind an idea like that.

Aaron

A perfectly balanced fishery does not include fishing of any type (catch and release or otherwise)

That is what PETA is pushing.....

Opinions on what constitutes a balanced fishery that includes fishing are as numerous as the people in the world.

While everyone feels they have the best idea; and the best interests to heart..... i don't feel comfortable giving Jim the keys to every lake in Minnesota anymore than I feel comfortable giving the keys to every lake in Minnesota directly to PETA. (Even though PETAs approach to ban all fishing very well may be what is truly best for the fishery)

He has 100 lakes to play with.... that IMHO is enough.

-Merk

.

[hillbilly...]

Were can i find this list of a hundred lakes

[merkman]

It's in the reg book.

.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

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

mrklean:

That story makes that person look bad. In my experience, people that enjoy darkhouse spearing are ethical and courteous sportsmen and women that are passionate about their sport. The only thing that ever makes spearers look bad is the MDAA. It is led by egotistical knuckle draggers that look backward instead of addressing the problems that spearers and anglers face today and in the future. Look at various sportsman's groups: Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Trout Unlimited, etc. They all work to to improve animal or fish populations, preserve water quality or aid in land management. The MDAA does nothing to help northern pike or the waters where they swim.

Every time there is a discussion on this site about fisheries management, the MDAA internet mouthpiece has to show up and turn it into a circus. Same tired arguments, same tired one-liners, same tired cries of discrimination of darkhouse spearers.

I own a beautiful collection of decoys, spears, ice tongs, saws, etc. It was started by my great- grandfather and has grown is size over a period of about 85 years. Spearing is a fantastic sport, however the MDAA is so vile that my family and I don't even want to participate in darkhouse spearing until the group is gone or some of the younger generation step up and get rid of the current leadership. Start with ousting the state officers and the east central chapter officers. They are the ones that constantly stir the pot.

I like reading the posts on this form and seeing the pictures. It is just a shame that the MDAA has to constantly show up and ruin the party.

Rant over. I'm heading north for the weekend to harvest and consume some perch. I've got a good bite going. Good luck to everyone else this weekend that wants to spear (harvest or look and release) or hook and line (harvest or CPR).

[merkman]

I have to say I totally disagree with your above post mid lake rock....

especially the parts where you claim posters here speak for the MDAA and that the MDAA "does nothing to help northern pike or the waters where they swim."

I will save you and others the redundancy of why I disagree since there are hundreds of posts on this site that delve into the details.

Have a good weekend fishing... hope you get into some nice perch.

-Merk

[fish4u]

Are they saying all the small northern are eating the perch and walleye what are the large northern eating. I have fished for over 50 years and I have never cleaned a northern of any size that had a northern in it. So what do the large fish do for the system what am I missing here. thanks Fish4u

[Betterlabs]

How's this working for Mille Lacs?

Agreed!

[jasonmichalski]

Are they saying all the small northern are eating the perch and walleye what are the large northern eating. I have fished for over 50 years and I have never cleaned a northern of any size that had a northern in it. So what do the large fish do for the system what am I missing here. thanks Fish4u

ive clean many northern that had smaller pike in their belly, one had an 18"er in its belly last season.