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Spearing, Understanding Why?


MSRiverdog

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Not to go against you merkman but some people freeze fish cause you cant take eyes or pike during certain parts of the year and some ppl love there fish. I guess i dont have a problem if the person has maybe 10-15 pike frozen pike in the freezer ready to be eaten during the off season of fishing. If they eat them thats good, but if like you said they toss them out, then thats not cool.

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"Question 2, How many folks go out and spear every day and have more than their limit in their freezer? "

I do not how spearing got the reputation of being so easy that you can go out everyday and spear your limit. With spearing is alot harder to set up, move, and cover more than 1 area than it is for tip up fisherman or somebody that doesnt even put a line down just looks with a vex and moves on. I think every one who has a poor attitude towards spearing should be made to cut a hole through 2 feet of ice and sit there and watch all day. The experience would change a lot of minds. I dont know how bad attitudes or assumptions can made with out knowledge.

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It is kind of hard to grasp the addiction if you haven't been in a darkhouse. It's a rush to entice fish in and draw them into to range to spear. I practice very selective harvest and try to get out 2-3 times per week. The lake I spear on is full of stunted pike and I do my best to select the snakers and take them out. I give the free pass to anything in the 28-40" range. Being an avid muskie fisherman, this is the closet thing to a follow that I can get in the winter and it hold me over till open water. These bigger fish are just too valuable to cull out of the lakes. Pike in the freezer=0. If I do happen to get them I either clean and fry them that night, or give them to an buddy that flat out loves fresh fish. It's a great sport that many like to bash or critize without fully knowning what it's about.

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I think most posters have hit the nail on the head. To sum it up, spearers "TAKE" what they intend to harvest. They "WATCH" what they do not intend to harvest. If they do reach their daily limit, they quit for the day. At that point, total fish handled... 3.

I've seen tip-up fisherman have 10 fish days apiece. Total fish handled 10...(per angler) total survivng even if all are released... no one will ever know. I've seen my share of bleeding pike released back in the lake after 3 minutes of pictures and being dropped once or twice as it is handed from angler to angler to pose with it, in well below freezing temps and during the dog days of summer.... They feel they are the better sportsman... why? Because the fish is back in the water? Even with that said, I truley believe in catch and release when angling. I also believe in selective harvest when angling and spearing. One thing I do not participate in is fishing for the sake of fishing. How many times do you hear of guys going to Red Lake or Mille Lacs to catch 100 fish in a day just to say they caught that many fish. They brag how they were all released... but how were they handled and how many actually survived. They are no easier on the resource than a spearer choosing to harvest a few pike and letting the rest swim unmolested. And something that has already been aluded to... it ain't a gimme. It takes a lot more work and trial and error to become proficient at spearing than to set a tip-up or to chuck a plug...

MSriverdog,

why don't you tag along with one of the fellow spearers here on the forum and see what it is all about and form a true opinion? I know opinions passed down through a family or usually pretty solidified, but You may find that you enjoy it and come to understand why we are passionate about our sport!

Good Luck!

Ken

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 Originally Posted By: mrklean
Not to go against you merkman but some people freeze fish cause you cant take eyes or pike during certain parts of the year and some ppl love there fish. I guess i dont have a problem if the person has maybe 10-15 pike frozen pike in the freezer ready to be eaten during the off season of fishing. If they eat them thats good, but if like you said they toss them out, then thats not cool.

You may not have a problem with this, but it is illegal to have 10-15 pike in the freezer unless you have 4 to 5 people in the household with fishing licenses.

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I live in Illinois and was invited along on a spearing trip or two. It is a gas! A person can sit and watch a bobber wiggle all day, or wait for a flag to pop up, but watching what happens down there thru that big hole is pretty cool. Sure I can't spear, but every now and then I got a chance to drop a minnow down there (never got a hit). Two big whitefish came by, but never came into range and the other guys each got a northern about 24". On the other trip I was angling by myself in a spear-house, caught a few perch and saw some walleyes come past, one of which was pretty darn big. They didn't care about my minnows...but it was fun to see. I could have been spearing walleyes, northerns, perch, a crayfish, maybe even those big whitefish, but there is a law against that. I agree with "fisherking". I didn't understand spearing, but I figured the Dnr wouldn't allow it if it was too much pressure on the fish. Turns out that just because you have that giant hole and a spear doesn't mean that you get a chance at a million fish. We were about to go home a couple of times before the guys got their fish. When those big whitefish came by it renewed interest, that crayfish was something to look at in between stories, and b.s. I could have been watching nascar, or basketball but the big-screen in the floor was pretty cool. Glad I had a chance to go.

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Spearing in the most exciting sport to me...over duck hunting, deer hunting, bass fishing, etc.

We can be selective, or take any fish. But, so can anglers. But, as a spearer we have the choice to NOT injure the fish in anyway. An angler does not. Many catch and release fish do not make it...especially this last summer.

Also, I love pickled northern and so does family/friends. It is eaten fast and I do take a big fish once in a while to pickle. I would whether I angled or speared. 3 smaller northerns do not make much pickled fish, so I take one larger one to avoid not going over the limit.

Catch and release is great...but it should be a choice. It they take that choice away, what is next? No taking any big bucks...only small ones? I know, bad example...but you know what I mean.

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I dont care if its illegal or not i think that if ou plan to eat the fish its fine, if you dont let them go to waste it should be fine. Whats the difference with catching 3 pike for 5 days and eating them everyday then cathing 2 then eating one putting one in the freezer throughout the season till you have a few saved up for the months when you cant fish??? Its not like your taking 200 fish out and putting them all in your freezer. I will abid by daily limits till the day i die, [Note from admin: Edited. Please read forum Policy before posting again. Thank you.] people who really like fish, having 6 wont last you for the how many days you cant fish for pike. Thats my opinion if people dont like thats thats fine.

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Wow, hopefully the day hasn't come where we get to choose which laws we follow and which ones we don't just because we don't agree with them. I can understand your point. But when do those boundaries getting stretched become too much? Is 10 fish in possession ok but not 11? Where's the line? Just like daily limits, the possession law is well defined with no room for interpretation. The laws are there for a very good reason.

Aaron

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I'm gonna jump in here and make a comment for AWH about a guy I worked with about 15 years ago, loved to ice fish, went every day. In the summer had a fish fry for 10 or 15 people, with the Sunnies and Crappies he caught in the winter, and saved up in his freezer. Also complained a lot when he didn't catch fish. I know it happens in the summer to, lots of folks get caught every year over limit. This is the impression a lot of folks get of spearing guys but as this thread is showing that's not the way it happens most of the time. Myself, I don't keep many fish, Walleye and Cats up to about 2.5#'s and a Northern if someone I really like wants a meal, never over 5#'er but then 95% of the time I fish the Miss.

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You must keep to the laws on limit and possession (in my opinion).

If you don't, you risk getting caught. And, I hope you do someday.

It is like speeding. Many people do it, but you do it at the risk of getting caught. When you do get caught, don't whine about it...just pay your fine. Don't blame the law or the officer, you knew you were doing wrong...no matter what the excuse.

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 Originally Posted By: MSRiverdog
This is the impression a lot of folks get of spearing guys but as this thread is showing that's not the way it happens most of the time.

[Note from admin: Please read forum policy before posting again. Thank you.]

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  • we are 'the leading edge' HSO Creators

Let's keep this on topic. It's a about spearing and helping those who do not understand spearing to gain a better understanding.

This thread is not about over-limits & possession laws. So take that topic to the Outdoor Discussion forum if you like. Not in this thread.

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a few posts back someone commented about fish getting off the spear and dying. well ive speared and trolled a lot of lakes where i have caught nords with remanints of spear marks in them. not everyone dies. they are a rezilant species.the one thing that i have noticed here all the fmers have not taken a shot at muskie people and im proud of that. spearing and muskie people tend to eritaite each other. personally i dont care for them, muskies that is, but i will not deny them of there fun.its what makes the world go around. different stokes for different folks.

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 Originally Posted By: glenn57
the one thing that i have noticed here all the fmers have not taken a shot at muskie people and im proud of that. spearing and muskie people tend to eritaite each other.

I agree completely. These two groups tend to take shots at each other as if one detracts from the other's experience. And overall, this is simply not true. What I find funny about that whole scenario is that I came across a survey of MN anglers recently. This survey showed that a greater percentage of musky anglers spend time spearing than do those anglers that do NOT fish for muskies. What does this tell us? Seems as though we have a common interest and we should be working together rather than against each other.

Aaron

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Its funny that you say that about muskie fisherman. I have had alot of guys comment to me about getting out and seeing what its all about.

Chris(cjac) wanted to get out with me to understand it more about the sport, but he was unable to becuase something came up. You can learn so much more about the lake, and about the way the fish move, just by watching them in the lake.

I understand that there is alot of different opions about the sport, but i truly believe that if you get out there and see what its all about.

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Hey B'n'S,

I was looking forward to making it out, however my back had other ideas. I wanted to see how it is done, the work and skill and equipment, and the interest behind it. In other words, I was looking to answer the question of this post for myself!

I am a "muskie" guy, but I understand and appreciate the balance in the fishing community and the environment. The classification of "muskie" or "spear" or "pike" or "bass" guys can be re-sorted as "good" and "bad" guys. Most of the people in any of the groups are on the up and up, but in all circles there will be bad apples. We hear stories of people doing all kinds of things that are illegal, unethical, etc.

Point is, those people do not make up the FM audience and those that post here. To echo a prior post, the common interest, understanding, and above all management of the resources are the common goal of all "groups".

Chris

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Thanks Chris.

I know that you wanted to get, but things happen. Hopefully if your free, you can make it to the get to gator and sit with me during the day.

You bring up alot of good points when your talking about the way that people judge others. Everyone has there own thoughts about who is what and so on, and to make it clear, a person is always changing from winter to fall or whatever it maybe.

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As a youngster I speared quite often. Unfortunately, I haven't been spearing in a great many years.

I don't understand the confusion, really. There is no truer form of selective harvest. If you don't want to harvest the pike you are looking at, then don't. If you want to harvest that pike, then spear it. I relate it, somewhat, to hunting. If you don't want that smaller buck, then don't shoot it. If you want the buck, then shoot it.

Catch and release is very important to the preservation of our resource. I don't release every fish I catch. I believe in selective harvest. I keep the fish my family is going to eat. I don't understand how spearing is any different.

Why do we deer hunt with muzzleloader? Some do it for the different season. Some do it because it's more primative. I look at spearing in the same regards.

I've sat in spear houses and just watched what I call "Fish TV." It is soooooooooooo cool to just sit there, and watch the fish through the hole.

I'm not a musky guy. I have nothing against musky guys. My hope is that they have nothing against me for targeting perch, crappie, and walleye. As outdoorsmen/women, we really need to accept each others passions even if we don't share them. The PETA type groups sit in their easy chairs and use our disagreements as fuel for their fire.

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I've spent a lot of time reading the various threads on the spearing/angling debate.

I, and others, have suggested that people go and look at pictures on FM as proof that spearers target big fish. The hole in that logic? How many people post pictures of the little fish they caught? I don't think that's the way it works in any forum on any subject. Show me the medal, the rack, the length, the report card. You don't advertise failure or mediocrity.

In a class I took - maybe advanced hunter ed - there was a section about the four stages of being a hunter. It was something like 1 shooting anything that flies 2. seeing how many you can get 3. getting into the ID, habits, habitat etc. 4 sitting back and watching most of the time and not pulling the trigger very often. The point that was stressed was that every hunter goes into at least one or more of these phases. Some stay in one their whole life, some move to others. But most importantly to those who enjoy the outdoors is the need to realize that there is nothing good nor bad about any one phase. A 4 is not 'better' than a 3.

Perhaps this needs to be applied to the issue of spearing vs. angling. Can it be thought of in terms of who is superior the rifle hunter, the person who uses a black powder, a person with compund bow, or someone with a recurve? The answer is no one is superior. It is how you chose to do it.

I urge all of you to go to the study and read it and learn what you can. It is at

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/fisheries/muskie_pike/muskiepike_2020.pdf

It is an interesting read, and gives us all something to think about.

Thanks for your time.

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I’m just seeing this post now, but I’ll throw in my two cents.. I’m still pretty new to the sport, but I’m pretty addicted now. It’s a good question to ask – Why do we like it?

I think the thing I like best is the camaraderie and friendships I’ve formed around the sport…

My friend Tom and I were pulling our stuff out on to a lake through the fresh powdery snow earlier this year and he commented that he likes everything about the sport. I was struggling with the load and I found it hard to embrace at that moment, but I realized that he is right. Even though it’s a lot more work and struggle than conventional fishing – I even like the extra efforts.

I like choosing a new lake and trying to find a new spot that will attract a pike. I like dragging my stuff out when I have to, and I like putting down a big hole in the ice to “watch the show on the big screen”.

I like having to wrestle a big piece of ice out and back into the hole... I like assessing the clarity best depth of the water to set up in. I like watching and understanding the forage base of each lake and trying to understand why one presentation might work better than another. I’ll even move during the day to learn a new spot even though it is about a 1 hour commitment before I’ll be fishing again.

I have a bad addiction to decoys too. I really like using a decoy that someone made by hand and cared enough about to put their signature on the bottom.. I love meeting these guys or having an idea of who they are and I love fishing “someone’s decoy” rather than just a decoy. They are all designed a little different, have different densities, and swim differently as a result. I swim my decoys and change them way more frequently than I probably should – just because I want to…. Not because I get more fish doing it… Just because I enjoy trying different things. But, sometimes I do learn a few things… Sometimes I learn that what I thought would be true was completely wrong.

I love watching the story unfold below my feet. I love watching panfish when I have the chance. I like watching how they react to the different decoys, the colors and the speeds etc… I also like watching them disappear in an instant and anticipating the arrival of a predator.

I think the thing we all like best is when a pike – especially a big one - shows up. It’s SUCH a rush…. And it’s always different. Each time it is a different story. Sometimes they use weeds or cover to mask their approach… sometimes they ease in out of a deep darkness… sometime they rush in out of nowhere…. Sometime they are just there and you are not sure how they got there.

Sometime a friend will join me, and he will fish tip ups…. I can’t believe how little interest I have in a tip up flag anymore. In hindsight, I can remember fishing with tip ups and releasing fish that were hooked moderately badly on the chance that they would survive… I know I wasted many more fish doing that than I do now.

I haven’t had the opportunity to take multiple (or any) big fish so I can’t claim to have passed up the opportunity. But I can’t imagine that I would feel good about taking multiple big fish at all. I can imagine taking one and sharing it with friends at an event, but I can’t imagine taking more than that. It would be like shooting multiple big bucks out of one woodlot.

I get out about 2-3 times every two weeks. Many times I don’t get anything and rarely I limit out. Usually I get one fish and when I do, I generally eat it before I ever freeze it…

Actually I should qualify that… When I clean a pike I fillet it out and take the ribs out. Then I take the pure meat off above the Y-bones – Then I take lower part of the filet right below the Y-bones. Then I take the belly meat off of the lower piece. The piece with the Y-Bones I freeze and store for making pickled fish because the bones dissolve. The two thick pieces with no bones get broiled or boiled with spices and that is usually dinner that night. Then I boil the belly meat in the same spiced water and use it (and any leftovers) for making fish cakes, which I have for lunch the next day.

The few times I have gotten two or three fish; I freeze the extra or have had friends over for dinner. I just checked and I have about two fish worth packages (4 single serving packages) in the freezer – not counting the Y-bones, which I keep until I can make a “batch”.

I guess I also really enjoy utilizing the harvested meat in a responsible way. Thanks for asking the question…. You should come out some time and watch th eshow on "The Big Screen" in the ice.

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Excellent post Stiff.

 Originally Posted By: Stiff
I swim my decoys and change them way more frequently than I probably should – just because I want to…. Not because I get more fish doing it…

I am guilty of doing the same thing.

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 Quote:
My friend Tom and I were pulling our stuff out on to a lake through the fresh powdery snow earlier this year and he commented that he likes everything about the sport. I was struggling with the load and I found it hard to embrace at that moment, but I realized that he is right. Even though it’s a lot more work and struggle than conventional fishing – I even like the extra efforts.

I remember that day just like all the good memories stored in my mind's eye. A guy should really enjoy each day he has good enough health to drag his stuff around through snow! Who needs a gym when you love spearing?! Now at this time of year cutting a hole or multiple holes is a great workout.

I think your post sums up a lot when it comes to what is so great about the sport. The opportunities for learning and vivid memories are abundant in spearing.

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Great post bud.

We even said it ourselves when we were out on little long lake a few weeks back, that we were on a new lake ourselves, and was interested to see what the lake could bring to us. We had no idea what was in the lake, but found out fast, that there was alot of different types of fish in the lake.

Spearing is like no other sport, where you cut that hole and watch something that noone else can watch unless you cut that spear hole. It reminds me alot of going to the underwater world in the MOA.

Its a great sport, and i wish that everyone would have to time to get out and understand it as well.

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