Spearing Pike

[Gordie]

I found this as I was digging threw some of my old school stuff. It is something that I wrote for an English class that was supposed to be a sort of a how too essay. I remember getting a lot of good reviews from the other students that read it.

Spearing Northern Pike

Winter time can be a time for the blah feelings to set into one’s mind. The frigid air and cold blowing north winds make it seem unbearable outside. For those willing to venture out and brave these temps is a world full of fun and excitement and you can have as much fun at it as any summer time sport. The winter time sport that has my family’s interest is the Spearing or pike. This tradition of winter spearing of pike has been passed down for many generations that have provided a feeling of accomplishment that matches no other sport. Hard work and patience are keys to success.

To start out this winter time activity you must first decide on a lake to spear on. This can be done in many ways and I typically use the internet for research on what lakes I can spear. Once arriving on the lake you have chosen you will study the lake and the lake map for spots to spear northern pike. You look for underwater structure and weed lines that will break off into deeper water. You get a feeling of satisfaction know you have picked a spot that can hold fish After you have surveyed the lake and chosen your spot you now need to make some decisions.

You need to get all your gear on the lake. This can be done several ways and it also depends on a few things mostly ice thickness. You can pull a sled with your gear on it or pull the sled with a ATV but I think the easiest is when there is enough ice to drive on with an automobile. During early ice I walk out and pull my gear on a sled which is another feeling of accomplishment that you get once you arrive at your destination. You have got all your gear out on the frozen body of water. Now is when the work is going to begin.

You have to set up your Dark house to spear out of mine is homemade out of plywood and canvas. After the house is set up you need to mark the hole so you can cut it. I start by chiseling a hole in each corner then I have a saw that is made just for cutting ice that I will use to open up the new world that is under the ice. After the ice has been cut I will break the block into a couple of pieces then you use a ice tongs to grab hold of them and pull them from the hole. At this time I also clean the hole out of most all the ice chips. While you are doing this work you are getting the feeling of excitement for what is to come.

Your next step is to slide the Dark house over the hole and get it banked up on the sides with snow to help keep out the light and also keep in the warm air. You will then set up your house start by turning on the gas of the heater and lighting it or starting a fire in the little wood stove and this is the method I prefer as it adds to the traditional effect of it. Nothing beats the smell of a wood stove .It brings me back to a time when my grandfather and father used to take us spearing.

Now that the house is warmed up by the fire you are ready to start swimming decoys under the ice. These decoys can range from store bought ones to live sucker minnow decoys. The decoys I like to use are the hand carved decoys that I have made or others have made. These decoys are whittled out of soft wood such as cedar and weighted to sink they are also equipped with fins that help them glide thru the water to give the illusion that they are a wounded bait fish. That is what the Northern pike will take advantage of. Knowing that you have fooled a northern pike with a handmade decoy gives you a sense of pride specially when a big pike comes into view and stares down your decoy.

Decoys are in the water and now you need to ready your spear. What I mean by this is holding on to it or placing it so that when a pike comes into the hole you can use as little movement as possible to position Spears are a lot like decoys they can be made from machines that cut them out or forged by hand and I prefer the hand forged spears. Building a spear from a pile of steel parts is also a feeling that for me equals no other. Bending and shaping the tines of the spear and making sure that each one is equal in size and weight. This will make the spear a balanced tool or even a piece of art. It is a great feeling knowing that you made something that your peers would want or using for yourself.

While awaiting your quarry you get watch the world under the ice reveal itself to you. The reactions of other fish to your decoys and the occasional muskrat popping its head into the hole are things that you cannot experience on any television show or any other sport. The feeling of anticipation are at its peak when all the little fish quickly disappear from view and the world under your feet seems to come to a quiet stand still. Somehow you know that the top predator of the lake is about to make an appearance. Then in the blink of an eye a big pike slides into the view which is much like a picture framed piece of art. The pike is surveying the decoy as to figure out a plan of attack so it can fill its belly with the next meal it is about to have. The pike has a certain twitch about itself that will let you know that it is about to explode on your decoy.

You need to get your spear in hand and position it over the pike head just behind the eyes or head. You slowly slide the spear thru the water being careful not to ripple the water alarm the pike and with a quick but solid throw of the spear you have now just speared a pike and you must get it out of the hole thru the door and onto the ice.

Once the pike is out on the ice and you have removed the spear you can take a closer look at what you have just accomplished and reflect on all the hard work and patience that went into this. You know that every bit of work was worth the wait for this trophy that is now lying at your feet and know that you just provided a meal of fish for your family. That total feeling of accomplishment is now complete and with are matched by no other that you have done in the past.

[Mike89]

very good!

[mwal]

Very Nice Paper Gordie

Mwal

[Betterlabs]

Very Cool!