Any spearers out there?

[Guest]

It sure is slow around the north metro area. I haven't seen a pike all season. I've tried Peltier and White Bear Lake the last couple weeks and it doesn't seem like it's worth even trying it this weekend. It just doesn't seem like the pike are crusing yet.

[Guest]

I know what you mean i've only seen four fish this year and i spend quite a bit of time in the house. no one that i have talked to has gotten many fish either it's just a bad year.

[Guest]

THERE REALLY ISN'T MANY BITING THIS YEAR AND I DON'T KNOW WHY?? MAYBE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE WHEATHER OR SOMETHING WE HAD TIP-UPS OUT ON CEDAR AND NEVER GOT A FLAG DARK30 WAS FISHING THIS LAST WEEK IN THE FISH HOUSE AND HE MANAGED TO GET 1 12 INCHER BUT THAT IS IT. WEEL HOPEFULLY IT STARTS SOON!!!

KEEP UR STICK ON THE ICE!

[MnSportsman]

I don't spear, but I've been getting plenty of Notherns using tipups.From first ice up until yesterday.
I have been mainly fishing S.Minn.lakes, but I just returned from Ottertail county & had 4 in an hour just before sunset on E.Lost Lake. I guess all I can say is location,location, location.
In all seriousness tho', I'm curious...I fish pike like a mad-man every winter,and it's been a pretty good year for me,& quite a few others that I know, so I am curious to why you've not had much luck.
Are you using different types/colors of decoys? If your locations are suitable, maybe a change of decoy might help. Just a thought/question...
Regardless, Best of luck to you!

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Good Luck & Watch your bobber!
MnSportsman
Proud to be a member in good standing, of the
"Church of the Divine Wilderness"!

[LaVoi]

I agree Mnsportsman, once winter rolls around I really go looking for the pike. This winter has been all in all a very productive year as far as pike fishin is goin for me. Like you said though I think a lot of it is location. Don't get me wrong I have been to a couple lake this year wear all I pulled was a couple hammers in a full day of fishin, needless to say I never got back to those lakes once I found a couple that have had a nice consistent hot bite all winter long, and I will stick with them till they die off. My suggestion is just go to bait shops and ask around, sooner or later you'll figure out where you can get into some pike. Good fishin, LaVoi

[Guest]

I do a lot of Pike fishing with Tip-ups and have really been getting into the nice ones this year. This weekend we got one 18.2 pounds, last weekend the biggest was 17 pounds. Lots of fish in the 7-12 pound class. But, you would need a real long rope on your spear to get the fish that I am catching. My suggestion would be to put away the harpoon this and dig out the tip-ups until those big females move back into the shallow water. Plus on Tip-Ups you can release them after you get a nice picture of them.ScottS

[Guest]

I have a few comments on spearing and Im sure they wont be popular, but hear me out. Back in the day people could spear and it didnt seem to have a big impact on the fishery. Now more people do it and it can and does have serious impacts on the populations. I was at a bait shop recently and saw some spearers buying sucker minnows for decoys and wondered what the criteria they used for deciding what size fish they would take. Before I had a chance to ask they told the store mgr that they better load up because the decoys get hammered sometimes when they throw at the fish. Now Im not sure what lake they were going to but Im sure there arent that many trophies in the surrounding lakes. By the comments they were making I came away with the feeling that they took about anything that floated through the hole.
I teach my kids catch and release and feel proud when I see the bigger fish swim away knowing they will live to be caught another day. I am saddened by the thought that these fish are speared and wasted because they are too small or mutilated to mount for the wall or just too big to filet and eat.

Catch and release so we all have a chance at that 20 pounder.

[Guest]

First off mnsnowman there are not near as many people spearing as there used to be, you should check your numbers. There is only a small percentage of people who give the legal sport of spearing a bad name.

[Skeets]

Take a look around the area lakes sometime, do you think the houses 20 yards offshore are anglers? I don't think so. I saw 20-30 spear houses today alone when I was fishing. There are more spearfishermen around than you think...

[Guest]

people look at the numbers, look at how many people bought licenses 15 years ago and look at how many people buy them now. there are not near as many people spearing.

[Guest]

This topic shows up at least once every year.

What I am about to write isn't meant to be an attack anglers it is only an educated presentation of facts.

Spearfishermen make up about 2%, (**) of anglers. Spearing season lasts 2 1/2 months at the longest.(Much shorter this year.) It is true that large northerns are the preferred target for many spearfishermen. Spearfishermen are, for the most part, meat hunters and getting "one for the wall" isn't the main agenda. The law only allows for one northern over 30" per day. Many lakes have been put off limits to spearing. Not every fish, and not every big fish gets speared on sight. Fish not speared can be considered "released" completely with out harm. Seeing a spearhouse on the ice and seeing an occupied spearhouse are two very different things. If you believe spearfishing is a quick and easy way to harvest large northerns, a reexamination of your belief may be in order.

98% (**************************************************************************************************) of fishermen are anglers only. Observing the stars at the beginning of each paragraph will show how big of a difference this is. Anglers have a 9 month season. Many anglers are not catch and release only. Appoximatley 10% to 15% of released fish die after being released (hooking mortality). A fish that swims away doesn't mean it survives.

Think of it this way. 2 spearfisherman spend four days (approx. 48 hrs.) spearing throughout the season. A six hour trip is actually long. The sore back will send you home earlier. At the very most 24 northerns may be harvested only 8 of which over 30" in length. A very good and a very rare four days this would be.

In proprtion, angling season approx 3x longer than spearing...

98 anglers spend 12 days (approx. 7,050 hrs.) angling. Throughout the season. A six hour trip isn't uncommon. At the very most 3,528 northerns may be harvested of which 1,176 may be over 30" in length. A very good 12 days this would be. Even if every northern over 30" was released approx. 115 to 150 (approx. 10% to 15%) would die from the injuries and stress of being hooked, netted, handled, kept out of their environment for measurments and photos.

I understand that these are hypothetical examples and will be held suspect to scrutiny by many.

I do not condemn catch and release at all, but I do see and hear anglers who practice catch and release only often condemning spearfishing. If you were to really put this to thought you will see that wanting to put an end to the way one person chooses to harvest fish for the sake of another isn't wise.

I've probably said too much already so I will consider this my pro-spearing speech for the year.

Toad

[Guest]

Spearing for some is not only part of the culture but it's their government right. If we want to use speed boats, fish finders, cameras, radar, GPS tracking systems, and large nets to spear fish like our ancestors did... then we can.

[Guest]

ToadSpag, we missed you in the previous 2 spearing debates that took place this year, where have you been? Ok, well enough about debating spearing, the original post just asked about "seeing" pike. I personally do not believe in spearing and no longer do it. But, it is their right under the current law. Enough said! I will restate the point I made earlier. A lot of the bigger Pike have followed the forage deep right now so you may want to try the good old tip-ups over deep water, until the fish move back into the shallows.ScottS

[red bricks]

There are much fewer spearfishermen than there were 20 yrs ago. I read an article on spearfishing, (I think it was in The Outdoor News) it talked about the reduced numbers of spearers. Spearing on Winni was very popular. Back in the 50's one resort on Winni used to put out 150 spear houses to rent. Now they put out 5. Everyone knows the size potential of pike on that lake. As far as seeing 20-30 houses just off shore, if that is where the pike are and I'm fishing for pike that is where I would put my house. It is possible that some of those houses are sight fishing. You can fish in a darkhouse with a rod and reel as long as you don't have a spear in with you. It is pretty cool to watch the fish come into view and hit your lure. One point that most people won't argue is that once a fish is speared it won't be swimming away. When I am in my spear house I let the big one's go. I'm just looking for a thrill and a small meal.

[Guest]

Your right this thread was started as a question about seeing fish. Early ice was always better and we usually turned to jigging for sunnies later in the year. With the thin ice this year a few last moves to new spots isn't as big of an ordeal as usual. The slimers are lurking in the weeds somewhere.

[Guest]

I'm glad we can still spear fish in this state. I just wish my grandfather would have taught me when I was younger but I never had any interest in it back then, and he was already too old. It's definately a sport which has no information for someone new to research. There's no books, videos, magazine article, nor internet sites with any information. The only reason I ever got into it was several years back a guy my age setup a spear shack next to my house. He knocked on my door and wanted to know how deep the water was. He told me he was going to spearfish so I watched and learned. The next day I went to Fleet Farm and got a license, spear, decoy and I cut half the floor out of my portable house. I could spearfish all day and not even get the spear wet and have more fun then catching 30 perch or a few hammer handles on tipups. It is definately not an ergonomic friendly sport. I don't know how them old guys can do it. I'm only 29 and I can't imagine how it'll feel after another 29 years.

[This message has been edited by Knife2Sharp (edited 02-05-2002).]

[Perch Jerker]

I've been out only once this year on WBL and saw 1/2 doz small northern & 1 muskie (5lbs). I didn't even get my spear wet, but had fun anyway.

All last year (which was really good for spearing, 2 northerns *3lbs & 4lbs* in 9 trips out) we saw lots of fish. There were a ton of smaller northern that would slip in & out and lots of big muskie's. There wasn't one day out there that we didn't see at least one big muskie (which is easily identified as a muskie and not a pike).

We had more fun just watching the fish like they are in a big tank than actually spearing them.

If I want a pike meal, I use tip-ups because they catch 95% more fish.

[Guest]

Can't say I spear, looks fun and I am sure it is a rush. I guess I trust enough people to not be bothered by it. I just hope they are eating what they spear, but anyway I beleive the intial question was is anyone seeing anything? I can't say that I have seen many this winter, but I can definatly say I have caught a few. In fact some real nice ones this year. Anyway I haven't been out in awhile, but there were some beautys, in the 9 to 12 foot range. Good luck to all the sportsmen out there.

hsolist&MEL

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"The Big One is down there, keep at 'im"

[This message has been edited by hsolist&MEL (edited 02-05-2002).]

[Guest]

I wonder if the shadow from the shack is spooking the pike becuase of there not being a lot of snow on the lakes. I was out Saturday and I caught 3 northerns on a tipup and a rod, and I wasn't using a fish house. I also missed several too. My rod was in about 8 feet of water and I was getting more bites at that depth then at 12 feet where my tipup was. I went back to the same spot Sunday to spear and didn't see nothing except for one perch. I even put a hammer-handle size shiner in the harness and that didn't attract nothing either.

[Guest]

My brother-in-law has a spear house up in Alexandria on Lake Ida. Everytime I go up there we go out to his spear house to angle out of it. The first time I ever fished out of a spear house it was one of the coolest times I ever had Ice Fishing, watching those pike or walleyes come through that hole is a rush. My brother-in-law in the last 5 years might of speared out of his house 3 to 5 times. I guess might point is not every spear house is spearing and its a rush fishing out of a spear house. Sorry for rambling. Art

[Guest]

I spear small lakes with no maintained public accesses in northern MN near Virginia. This year I have seen about 2 fish per hour average. havnt speared anything over 6 pounds. mostly like to watch them chew up my decoys nothing more exciting than that.

[RipJigger]

Spearing to me is a low tech aqua view. I am content just to sit and watch the fish and their different behavior.I spent almost every day so far this winter in my spearhouse and did not even spear a single fish,but I did have one heck of a time watching those hog walleyes come in at dusk.The northern action was pretty slow this year, saw one that I figured to be about 16-17 lbs too big to eat too small to put on the wall.

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RipJigger

[Fish Toys]

Hey guys looks like you are having all the fun! It is fun and a big rush when the big ones come through the hole! Well even watching a school of panfish breaks up the monotony? One thing is how does an enormous pike come in at 110 MPH and stop so fast inches away from the decoy? That’s a rush! The earlier reports were good around here (Polk County) and now things have slowed up considerably. Normal tho as winter progresses. Somebody was also saying the oxygen level was low for this time of the year. Some aerators are being placed in some area lakes. If in the area you should watch for the warning signs on these lakes. I’m sure if you need info on things to do & not to do for spearing there are a lot of people on here that can give positive advice and help. This is a very sensitive subject and we should keep it friendly like some people drive Fords and others drive Chevrolets!
Have fun and remember the ones you do see and let them keep swimming will be in your hole again for your viewing enjoyment!
Wayne “FISH”
www.icesaws.com

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http://www.icesaws.com/

[This message has been edited by Fish Toys (edited 02-06-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Fish Toys (edited 02-06-2002).]

[Guest]

Jay Leitch from NDSU has written books about the RAW facts of Darkhouse Spearing and its impacts on MN Lakes. I have ordered the book, read it from cover to cover at least 3 times! The information is very accurate and valuable. If you want the facts, check out this link:

http://www.ndsu.edu/ndsu/heiraas/ndirs/Darkhouse%20Spearfishing.htm

Also, I am a serious Spearman and look forward to someday taking my childred to see the "big pike in thier under water world". I have developed a HSOforum for the Art of Darkhouse Spearing with many success stories and pictures. All of the darkhouse spearing sites combined do not have even close to the amount of trophy pikes TAKEN, not released, as www.infisherman.com. Food for thought!

If we let them take away spearing, whats next? Will they take our guns?

Visit my HSOforum:

www.wiktel.net/fishspearing

[esox]

Most pike, males and females, reach sexual maturity at two to five years (Werner, 1980). The female pike is the larger of the 2 sexes and can have up to 20,000 eggs per pound of their body weight; so large specimens may be carrying more than 500,000 eggs each spring. A 25 year old pike living at northern latitudes can stretch to 45 inches and weigh in at 24 pounds.
People face many risks from fish-eating, it is a major source of toxic pollution exposure for people in the Great Lakes Region --- much more serious than air or drinking water exposure --- because fish concentrate the toxics to millions of times the background levels. Fish contain hundreds of chemicals, many known toxics and others of unknown risks.
Once in a lake, mercury is converted to methylmercury by bacteria and other processes. Fish absorb methylmercury from their food and water. Mercury is tightly bound to proteins in all fish tissue, including muscle. There is no method of cooking or cleaning fish that will reduce the amount of mercury in a meal.
Fish absorb fat-soluble chemicals like PCBs from water, suspended sediments, and food. PCBs concentrate in the fat of fish. Cleaning and cooking a fish to remove fat will lower the amount of PCBs in a fish meal. Larger, older fish and fish which eat other fish accumulate more contaminants than smaller, younger fish which eat less contaminated prey.
Eat more panfish, younger game fish, and avoid large game fish, they are full of toxins, they are needed to control the rough fish populations, and they are fun to watch and catch. I know I want my grandkids to be able to see what it's like watching from a darkhouse. It's hard for some to let the big ones swim by, but in the long run everyone wins and the fishing just keeps getting better.