Whats your opinion on spearing?

[Uncle Grump]

Boilerguy

Your comment about spearing a fish for the wall caught my eye. What do you plan on mounting - the head?

Its been years since I speared, like close to 30. Used my f.i.law's house and equipment to do so. I agree that seeing the fish in their natural world is a rush....

My opinion is spearing is fine, it has its place -

but "having" to spear and keep 3-5-6 - you name the number of fish that go 6+lbs a season is a major waste of breeding stock. We've all seen it. But I will also say that keeping that many caught on a rod and reel is also a waste.

Do we need a slot on large pike and/or the trophy class fish of any species - you get so many "tags" per license for the given year for given fish species?

Ie - look at the various slots we have for walleye lakes, etc.

Just my thoughts....

UG

[Eric Wettschreck]

UG, that was funny. Actually, a real good friend of mine does replicas, that is what I would get and I'd definately eat the real thing.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the DNR have slot limits for northerns on a big whoppin bunch of lakes in MN now? Isn't this the first year for the slots????

[Uncle Grump]

Boilerguy

I was actually serious about mounting the head. One of my wifes brothers had that done to a pike, and I've got a 56# flathead catfish mounted that way - I have the head mounted on a chunk of oak like you'd have a shoulder mount of a deer on. My B-I-Ls pike head gave me the idea for the cat...

W/ regard to your question on slots for pike - I don't know. My local lakes don't have them - at least the ones I fish, and unless you catch a fish on a rod & reel, its kind'a hard to measure them and release them if they are short.

UG

[The Grebe]

I accompanied my nephew on a spearing trip once and to hear him talk, he was the big kahuna of spear fishing.

"Boy, if dey come inta my hole dare dead meat, I don't miss!" He had this homemade friggen spear that looked like the devils trident, that thing must have weighed 45 pounds!

I told him it was kind of small and light and that he should melt a bowling ball to one end for added weight and balance...cheez!

Anyways, we go out on the river to the spear house, lugging this big piece of armament and all the other stuff in the sled, open up the spear hole, get some heat going and get comfy, lower the decoy and wait...and wait and wait...I was afraid he, or i would fall asleep and topple into the ice hole!

We did see some little fish, mixed bunch of this and that and I thought it was pretty cool...kinda like an Aqua view with a color, high definition plasma screen.

Mister spearmeister is poised with this mega spear, like a Gray Heron, with a really heavy neck, in shallow water! Pretty soon I think his muscles started to seize up from holding that chunk of iron and he rested it on the edge of the fish hole.

All is pretty quiet and still and all of a sudden, he jumps and rares back with that spear and knocked a shelf off the wall in the little house, loses his balance on the wet floor, stumbles and kicks his chair over in a big commotion, scared the bejeebers out of me, I thought he was attacking me for some weird reason, I thought he had went nuts!

He's thrashing about and I'm bailing for the door, before he can get the drop on me with that big spear, inside that little house!

Well, I guess he really was'nt trying to kill me, he had seen a mongo pike come to the decoy and Mr. Spearman got buck fever.

Funny thing though....we were both looking at the same decoy down the same hole and I did'nt see anything? Does dilirium ever take over during a spearing session?

I did'nt do that with him anymore! I figure that if that was what spearing was all about, going loony in a little narrow house, I would pass on that one!

And if he was a master spearmeister, a novice might wind up killing himself and everybody else in the house!

[Mike89]

To: The Grebe, excellent story!! Reminds me of the som starting out deer hunting and being attacked by a killer deer. Turned out to be a spike buck scared out out of his wits too!!!! Keep up the storys Next: Minnesota Muskie you are welcome to contact me if you want and try spearing with me any time!! This goes for you too Dan Thien, I would be glad to have you join me!! That goes for you to Ozzy!! Good to hear from you and you know you are welcome anytime!! Infact I have the first week of December off so keep that in mind. This subject run has been really great, I have been really enjoying reading all the in put from all of you (us)!!! Mike89

[Surface Tension]

The closest I've been to live otter was in a spear shack

[Mike89]

No otters in my house, but a few muskrats scared the day lights out of us!!! Sitting there and all is quiet and all at once from just under the ice, usually from under you, come the worlds biggest muskrat!! But we made it out of there alive!! Mike

[Grandpa Ray]

my 2 cents just retired & tried spearing last winter really enjoyed it but i went a little farther & made some decoys what a thrill when a pike grabs your homemade decoy

[buzbunni]

I have no problem with spear fishing. After reading this thread, I think I may give it a try this year. Personally, I too would only (try) to go for the smaller pike. Mostly, I just think it will be cool to look thru that big hole! I am also interested in attending one of those decoy shows. Great, more lures!

[PikeTipper]

2 things

Uncle Grump,

Which taxidermist did you go through to get the head mount of the catfish? I've seen some northerns done this way and they look great. Saves a lot of wall space too!

Grandpa Ray,

Can you recommend any good references that show you how to carve spearing decoys? That is something I would really like to try.

I know there are spearers that will stick any northern that swims in no matter what the size but the same thing can be said about anglers. The greatest thing about spearing is if you choose not to spear a fish then the northern doesn't even realize it was released and has a 100% survival rate!

[Grandpa Ray]

punch in fish decoys & u can get lots of info if not get back to me at Brbech @msn

[huskiesplayer15]

As far as taking big fish, more trophy northerns die of hooking mortality and being kept then spearing, you also have to remember spearing is a dying tradition, us as a group has steadily been losing numbers we are now down to just under 8,000 as of last year. That number compared to the millions of anglers who fish them from open season to the closed season. We will only be able to agree to disagree on this topic. Spearing is a dying breed and if a guy wants to take a trophy, then by god let them, but I have passed on more trophy pike in my house then that have came out of it. And in the words of the guy I listen to in the darkhouse:"And thats the rest of story, I'm Paul harvey."

Best Fishes

Chris

[Mike89]

Hey Chris, do you belong to the MDAA? If not you should look into it. Mike

[huskiesplayer15]

No i dont, is there even a metro chapter? Let me know, I would be interested in joining.

Best Fishes

Chris

[Mr.Seaguar]

Spearing must be fun. I personally dont do it. I have to agree about watching them being awesome. I started sightfishing couple years ago and man, electronics are dead compared to watching the fish coming in. To be honest, spearings drawback is that it involves pike, not my favorite fish.

[spearchucker]

Here is the HSOforum for the Minnesota Darkhouse and Angling Association.

http://www.mndarkhouse.org/

[Mike89]

Yes there is a chapter down there. check out www.mndarkhouse.org it will have the chapter close to you. Good luck and keep me informed!! Mike