Where Everyone going Opening Day Spearing?

[Hooliganz]

Will probably be going out around Metro area for opener if ice. How many of you guys use portable houses for spearing??

any updates you make to them? I am going to give it a try with my Otter this year.

[bassNspear]

i always use my portable. I added carpet to the floor, closed up the small angling wholes, and closed up the windows. I have a mankato, tuff to beat it.

[MetroSteve]

Early Riser:

1: Two wrongs don't make a right. A valid arguement for your point of view is not, hey they are doing something stupid so we should too.

2: I am sure if the school offered a class on topless sunbathing it would be very popular also.

This whole spearing thing is just plain WRONG. All you do is kill fish. Saying that it's ok, because other anglers sometimes kill fish is once again a negative arguement that does nothing to further your point. Now I know you may compare it to deer hunting, but that is not a valid comparison for several reasons:1) Humans have eliminated the deer's natural predators which kept populations in balance; is that the case with pike? 2) If humans did not shoot the deer many would die horrible deaths starving. It is the bumbling ineptitude of human management of ecosystems that has lead to the neccessity of deer hunting today.

Comparing this practice to walleye harvest would be once again a mistake. Walleye are stocked by the dnr to be caught and eaten. Does the DNR stock pike to be caught and eaten?

It's time to end this senseless and wasteful practice once and for all. Put and end to Dark House Spearing. Contact your legislator and voice your concerns.

Steve

[Giant_Jackpot]

I thought I heard that for 2007 the muskie season is going to close on December 1st. If this is true won’t that eliminate most of the muskie harvest that happens during the spearing season?

[WRD]

Obviously, reading this entire post, there's people who enjoy spearing and people who don't understand why it exists. I don't believe we as sportsman want to help make it easier for the animal activist by eliminating something that others have enjoyed for years. If spearing were to no longer exist then other sporting interests will get targeted by the activists. Let's not go the direction of making their jobs any easier. I'm sure there's people who aren't ethical in the sport of spearing but in my 2 ½ years of chasing muskies, I've already seen things I didn't believe were very ethical from other muskie anglers. Point is every sport has its bad apples and we as sportsman should target the bad apples and not other sporting interest. How many times has someone told you a story of unethical behavior and didn't report it. Many of us are guilty of turning the other cheek and walking away instead of turning that individual in. My two cents into this post is to throw out the bad apples so that the activists have less evidence to take to the court system.

[Random guy]

It all boils down to ethics. Most guys that spear on regular basis harvest pike for table fair, just like a walleye angler putting fish in a bucket. Yes a big one will get stuck from time to time but that is the same as an angler keeping a big pike to mount. Guys spearing do not want the bigger fish, they do not eat well. Of course just as angling some guys will kill everything. I see no difference in a guy that spears just kill fish and an angler that keeps every big fish he catches. It does truly come down to ethics and being a steward of the resource. When I would spear the fish from 35"-45" got passed up, they are not monsters and they do not pickle or cook well at all. Now a huge fish say 45" or bigger came under you bet I may harvest it if I truly thought it would make a good trophy and I had a good shot. Spearing has been around for many many years and I do hold some respect for the guys that spear, it takes a lot of work and even more patience.

Yes we do live in a catch and release time but we have to take a step back and find a happy medium. Saying every single fish caught should be returned and spearing should be banned is a bit harsh. That would be like saying we can no longer keep a walleye and how many of you are heading to Upper Red because you can keep two fish?

Keep the waste and greed to a minimum and educate the ones that violate this ethic to the results of over harvest and non selective angling/spearing.

The musky community has lead the way in Catch Photo Release, although the musky is a fish with very a low count per acre, so the numbers are limited. Where as pike, walleye and crappie have a high count per acre allowing a little more room to move. Now when you talk about Musky getting speared from a darkhouse you are talking about a uneducated, inexperienced individual that can not tell the difference between a Pike and a Musky. Those of you that have seen a musky under a darkhouse know the difference is very noticeable. So spearing is not the problem, guys that don’t give thought to the resource or the effects of over harvesting is the problem.

I will not be spearing this year but I will be sharing my spots with SPORTSMEN that do spear, and I am glad to be next to them. Now put a guy next to me that is gut hooking fish or keeping every fish that trips a flag you bet I will walk over and exspress my thoughts on the issue just as I would a guy spearing countless amounts qaulity spawnable fish, he will get an earful also.

All said, good luck to the SPORTMEN holding the spears opening day.

[muskiemachinery]

I think Muskie anglers should be aware that the Dark House Assoc. and the new and improved "No More Muskies" (now called "Sportsmen for Responsible Musky Management") are making a big political push and misinformation campaign aimed at reducing if not stopping the current Muskie program in Mn. (see muskytrouble.com)

I believe their agenda is to eliminate the few remaining designated Muskie lakes(no spearing), radically reduce moneys spent on Muskie stocking and stop implication of new Muskie water in the state. To accomplish this it seems that the plan is to totally circumvent the DNR and use misinformation and political power to attain these goals.

The first salvo in this campaign was French Lake in So. Mn. French was a designated Muskie lake and one of the few stocked Muskie lakes in So. Mn. Originally stocked with Muskies because of a very low Pike population (repeated test nettings verify this continuing fact)French has lost it's designation because of political pressure from these groups and can now be speared. Why would these groups bother to eliminate designation on a low Pike population Muskie lake? I believe it was a test. They won. Is Cass Lake next? Mille Lacs perhaps?

I think these groups have decided that to take the focus off their outdated and destructive 'sport' an aggresive offensive is their best defense.

I think that the reality being missed by this campaign is that these groups indeed do have something to lose. Responsible spearers who enjoy their sport, don't go out to systematically eliminate all trophy class Pike and resist spearing other species, need to rein in your perceived leadership. In a day and age where EVERY facet of the fishing industry (fresh and saltwater)is moving to the importance of conservation, your 'sport' may well be at risk of being outlawed.

Uniting the Muskie community to defend a Muskie fishery that took 30 years of hard work by scores of advocates to realize could well force a showdown in which someone will surely lose. You need to ask yourselves if your willing to risk your sport in a misguided effort to dismantle a successful program of another sport. It may well come down to that reality.

[MetroSteve]

WRD, the reference to Animal Rights Activists is nothing but a smokescreen. They have nothing to do with this debate or issue. It's scare tactics like this that will only serve in the long run to undermine your position. We don't need fear based desicion making, just an objective reality check.

Jon, with all due respect, once again comparing walleye harvet to spearing is in my view a misleading analogy at best. pike are not stocked for harvet, walleye are. The DNR spends more to stock walleye for target harvest than they do on any other fresh water species in the state.

Bottom line is; change is hard to accept. If "sportsman" are truely concerned about preserving a sustainable fishery, spearing has to go the way of the whale hunting.

Finally, I don't mean any disrespect to those of different views. These views are only my own, and are not meant to brand spear fisherman as "bad" people.

Steve

[Pikeslayer]

Someone on this page reminds me of the bass fishermen we encounterd while fishing crappies down on kentucky-Lake!!They thought bass fishing was the only sport and we had no right to be on the lake! Trust me it took no time at all to decide not to renew my Bass magazine subscription when I got home.Maybe I was wrong, I dont know!I think as sportsmen we all have a right to enjoy or chosen sport and for me its spearing!!

[muskiemachinery]

The question is who's attacking who. Do you know of a webpage authored by Muskie anglers to eliminate spearing? Well?

[WRD]

I'm certainly not trying to put up any type of smokescreen. But to think what we have today will be there tomorrow when it comes to different types of sporting opportunities is naive or almost tunnel vision like. And as far as my position goes, I want my kids to have the same opportunities or choices as I'm having now without someone else taking that away.

[MetroSteve]

I would never say that Musky fishing is the ONLY sport. Not even imply it. If that is what you are taking from my comments then reread them. I think there are many legitimate sports out there. Attacking my opinion won't change it.

I stick by everything I said. Spearing is an archaic and out of sync pursuit, in my opinion.

In all the threads I have read I see that even the most diehard spearers admit that abuses and the intentional and accidental harvet of large fish (pike, and I am sure some muskies) takes place.

How can this be good for our fisheries.

You have your sport, for now, but both it and the tactics you use to defend it are destined to disappear.

I think, of all the points made, Jon's about ethics is probably the most solid. Unfortunately, the reason many activities get outlawed is that the ethical standards of some are so low.

I also don't see where the Musky fishing community has taken up an attack on spearing. Something I personally wish they would do. But that is JUST me.

Steve

[Pikeslayer]

When I spear a northern, yes I do kill it,thats the right thing to do before I clean it and eat it!!Therefore it is not wastefull or senseless.If a northern is not harvested does it die a happy old fish? If the DNR does not stock northerns to be harvested,then why do they do it?? O yes one more thing,when I throw my spear you can be sure that the fish does not suffer 99 per-cent of the time because I wait for the right shot!!!

[Hockey Guy]

Hey... how 'bout that local sports team?... They could go all the way this year... don't you think?

[Hooliganz]

ya the team is doing awesome.. All i have to say is most all spear fisherman practice selective harvest, "let the big ones go" There are always going to be the few bad apples that make you look bad, they are everywhere and in every sport or activity.

[bassNspear]

when i am reading most of these last few posts, i am trying to figure out what has been said by Steve. From the way that im reading it is that your a muskie fisherman and you could care less about spearing cuase you hate it. And the reason that you hate it is becuase of the fact that people are out there killing big pike.

I resently talked to a friend that is a DNR, and after talking to him for about a hr on the subject of spearing, he has told me over and over again that he never sees this SPORT going outlawed, reason for it is becuase majority of the people that are out there spearing are doing it for the fun of it and watching the fish.

When your talkinga bout how its not a sport and how its killing the population of the lakes, think again. I have been spearing all my life, from the time my dad took me out the first time, till now. All the lakes that we have been on in the state, are so populated with fish over and over again that you will see 15-20 a day. Where im going with this is that you cant sit here and say that the populations of the lakes are going to be killed becuase there a pike that is taken out of a lake. Its not even possible.

[muskiemachinery]

If it's not possible to over-harvest then we wouldn't need any regulations at all. You KNOW it is. It is going to interesting to hear your spin on the special regulation slot limit lakes rebounding so well for Pike.

Trying to sell spearing to be as harmless now as Bird Watching is not going to cut it either.

[Central Bassman]

Hey This page is about spearing if u dont like then dont read about it. It was said back by a FM Rep to watch what was said and talk about the Topic. So start talking about it and STOP CRYING!!! PERIOD!!! Your not proving anything by typing some dumn post on hear thinking you are goin to change the world. We are going to spear no matter what u have to say!!!!

[bassNspear]

BassMan does have a point. We are talking about spearing and nothing more. I understand that people are going to look at things different anyways, but the fact is is that everyone is going to say one thing or the other.

On that note, is there any ice out there on the lakes around the center part of the state?

[B420]

No ice as of yet in the brainerd area, but I am patiently waiting!

[bassNspear]

I hope the ice starts coming so we can get out to the lake and see some pike

[Central Bassman]

Yea but the weather really doesnt look like it will be letting us anytime soon.

[muskiemachinery]

I have every right to address what I consider to be misinformation on a Muskie/Pike site not matter what the thread title and will continue. Your one-sided rationale is fine for your muskytroubles site but I for one will offer my opinion when I feel it's appropriate. Your not just preaching to your own choir here ya know.

[bassNspear]

were not even talking about muskies. So why get mad about it?

[muskiemachinery]

Just because my handle is Muskiemachinery doesn't mean I don't like to fish big Pike. Actually I'm a more than a little tired of having to go to the far-wilds of Canada or Europe to catch decent Pike if you want to know the truth. It seems more than a little coincidental that both areas mentioned above consider Pike as a sportfish and practice C&R almost religiously.