Spearing popularity in your area

[Neighbor_guy]

So after this past weekend and an encounter with a bait shop owner it got me thinking???

How popular is spearing in your home area???

I know if you look at the number of people in your local MDAA chapter you can see there are those that are fairly small and others that are large. You can also see it based on the number of houses you see on your local lakes. I will say I try to stop and chat with other spear shacks when I do manage to get out. Lately it's has been very few shacks. But my "local" lakes can be very busy with spear houses. And my local bait shops all have decoy suckers or larger than average pike suckers for use, not to mention the "fakes" or carved decoys.

This past weekend I was in the Ely area and was told by a bait shop owner that all the spear fishermen are dead. Very blunt and to the point. There wasn't a decoy sucker or carved decoy to be had in any of the bait shops I stopped into in the area. I also rode to several different lakes and found zero spear shacks. They mentioned basswood , but thats a destination type lake.

When we were at Winni it was obvious that the Grand Rapids area has a strong following in the sport.

But other than the limited time spent in the arrowhead. (No spearing to be seen or had) my home area of east central, very popular, and Grand Rapids( hugely popular ) Im just curious what the rest of you are seeing??? Is it truely a dying sport or just a regional thing???

[LunkerCity]

You must have talked to Maki at Great Outdoors huh? lol he's a funny guy. I live in Ely and spear, and there aren't many more. This surprises me since there are a lot of lakes with good numbers and size pike. Babes bait usually has decoy suckers but never many big ones. I'm from Grand Rapids and it amazes me how many houses are on lakes like Pokegama and Trout lake in Coleraine...

[jvm1]

I'm very new to the sport but from last year to this year I have noticed quite a few more spear holes wherever I go fishing. I do most of mine in the east Metro area.

A friend and I were just discussing this, maybe we just didn't look for spear holes markings before, but it sure looks to me like there are more now in the lakes I have gone to than ever before.

[LunkerCity]

I think there is also a rise in numbers of people spearing since they dropped the license fee down to 5$. Another 18 to spear was pretty steep since you couldn't get any more fish than you could with your regular fishing tag.

[Neighbor_guy]

You must have talked to Maki at Great Outdoors huh? lol he's a funny guy. I live in Ely and spear, and there aren't many more. This surprises me since there are a lot of lakes with good numbers and size pike. Babes bait usually has decoy suckers but never many big ones. I'm from Grand Rapids and it amazes me how many houses are on lakes like Pokegama and Trout lake in Coleraine...

[mwal]

JVM1

The increase in holes IMHO is due to the use of easy to use portable like the quickfish etc so the spear has gone mobile like the ice angler. 10 years or less it was all permanent house for angling or spearing. I use Quick fish now and go to different lakes. In the old days I picked one and that is where I stayed for season.

Mwal

[MJ1657]

JVM1

The increase in holes IMHO is due to the use of easy to use portable like the quickfish etc so the spear has gone mobile like the ice angler. 10 years or less it was all permanent house for angling or spearing. I use Quick fish now and go to different lakes. In the old days I picked one and that is where I stayed for season.

Mwal

I have portables but I still just pick one lake and park there.

I do agree with what you say though.

[merkman]

Licence sales sure have increased.

Darkhouse spearing is booming with the younger generation who sees it for what it really is rather than the preconceived notions that were drilled into the heads of the older folks.

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