Outdoor News

[bassNspear]

Has Anyone read the artical in the outdoor news in the Letter to the Editor part?

[B420]

Yes,

Whoever selects the letters to the editors should looks for some factual info in the letters before publishing. Telling lies and infering that people (spearers) are taking fish illegaly is [PoorWordUsage]. As a muskie fisherman too, the negative letters are usually nothing more than half-truths and lies. Way to go Outdoor News! If I didn't get the subscription for a gift I wouldn't read it.

[spearman]

yea all it takes is one picture of a big fish speared and they think thats all we do is spear the big ones. If it was only that easy i've been spearing for over 20 years and never took one over 11 pounds. People like that should come with me once to see how it is done and how we spear before they open there mouths. That one really got my blood boiling!

[Mike89]

I'm thinking it's an item to bring on more bad news or just start something.

[shamalex72]

I feel the same way spearman. I have been spearing over ten years and the biggest I have taken is about 7-8 pounds. I could have speared one this year that would have been 15 or better, but I chose not to. Just watched it slowly glide in to check out my homemade sunfish decoy, then slowly swim away. Awesome.

[bassNspear]

someone must send a letter to that editor, or i will do it as well.

[Neighbor_guy]

I read it last night. I felt like the guy who wrote it came across as an ignorant Bleep. Asking people to write in and justify the sport they love is rediculous. If this guy wrote in on a forum like this it would be seen as trolling for touble. Just looked like someone trying to cause trouble to me.

[bassNspear]

I think im going to write back.

[Scott M]

BnS, if you have to follow your convictions, then by all means go ahead. There are certain debates in the outdoors that just go on and on like a merry go round. That's politics. Same thing happens here at FM. Ever been to the Outdoor Discussions board? That board and letters to the editor in O.N. are at their best a medium for informed discussion and at their worst a shouting contest that goes in circles and where reason and logic go out the window. Too often the latter is the result. Does a week go by that O.N. doesn't get a Mille Lacs anti-tribal letter? My suggestion, take it or leave it, is to not fight back harder but to fight back smarter. Pick the right battles. Many times people write letters to the editor that are tantamount to lighting a stick of dynamite. They want the response. Sometimes its better to let that person make a donkey out of themselves.

~ It is better to remain quiet and thought a fool than to open mouth and remove all doubt. - Mark Twain ~

When I say pick your battles and fight smarter, think about assisting your darkhouse association with its educational campaigns or by continuing to post here. Is a never ending war of words in print going to help? Maybe, maybe not. A voice of dissent is useful in the right situation. Just my $.0.02

[bassNspear]

I see what your saying bro.

There is no reason for me to write a nasty letter back to the paper when im talking with a person that knows nothing about the sport, or anything.

Fact is, people just dont understand the sport and the history behind it, and if you never get out and do it, and see what its all about, then you should keep your lips tight, and dont say weird things that is going to get people wound up.

I have no problem with people and there ideas about spearing. You right, it comes up all the time in here over and over agian durning the year, but dont go out to all the public, and say stuff that makes no since. I understand there are people out there that dont like the sport or spearing, but they have to have someone talk to them about it, so they understand it.

[merkman]

da_chise31 is right

The best thing to do to a troll is to ignore.

The more you ignore the more boisterous they get and the quicker they loose credibility.

If you respond, you are (in their eyes) validating their misunderstood view of spearing.

This forum is sooo nice since there have been attempts to get us bickering amongst ourselves, and so far they have been extinguished before they become a problem.

For those that really want to learn what spearing is about we have the Get-to-Gators, and they are all welcome there.

Keep it positive and focus on winning the war, not every battle.

[Early Riser]

My first response upon reading the last two anti-spearing letters to O.N. was frustration that there are still so called "sportsmen" that will attack another person's passion in the outdoors. I am disappointed that O.N. would contribute to conflict by publishing letters containing such misinformed positions. I am more inclined to write to the editor than to respond to the two letters.

I agree with the da cheese and merkman that we should focus on staying positive, supporting our local organizations, and most importantly, continue to indroduce people to dark house spearing. Bass n Spear has the right idea by organizing some spearing trips that will teach people the right way to go about the sport.

[Neighbor_guy]

I predict a letter blasting bowfishing in just shy of a month. Some ill informed fella will roll up on his favorite bank fishing location and there will be a guy with a few carp or dog fosh on the bank and he will freak out. Happens every year in this paper.

[spearchucker]

The Outdoor news has been against spearing from the day they started. This is nothing new for them.

[bassNspear]

and thats ok, everyone has there own thougths about the sport. Fact is, you cant dis the sport until you get out and see what its all about.

Ask Huey, the guy never done it before in his life, and after he did it the first time, ask him how many more times he went! Its all about the history of the sport, and once you do it, you will fall in love with it.

[glenn57]

use the outdoor newspaper to clean fish on!

[Early Riser]

I actually like the O.N. especially regular features like the lake of the week, conservation officer reports and the local fishing information, that now includes spearing reports from Winni and other areas. If any of you can recall there was an era of O.N. when they were actively anti-spearing. They would black out the spearer's picture and list spearing photographs on a page they called a "wall of shame." Since the new editor took over there has been some positive information about spearing published. Some of the letters they choose to print are what stirs up acrimony among sportsmen and women. The range of contentious letters lately have included tournament fishing and scopes on muzzleloading rifles - and now spearing. That is not the type of publicity needed, nor is it a good way to sell newspapers.

[spearchucker]

 Originally Posted By: glenn57

use the outdoor newspaper to clean fish on!

They probably hope you do. They still get the money!

[glenn57]

the only time i get/read that newspaper is when they give it to me at sports shows.

[candiru]

Harpooning was the word they used for spearing.

[Scott M]

 Originally Posted By: spearchucker

The Outdoor news has been against spearing from the day they started. This is nothing new for them.

Hey guys, sportsmen land on all sides of the coin when it comes to outdoor issues. The thing is, O.N. has to publish what is sent to the editors. I can tell you Joe Albert and Rob Drieslein don't agree with 3/4 of what comes in, but this is the land of the free and land of the free press (constitutionally guaranteed). Just read their editorials...they'll tell you why they feel a certain way about an issue and write a sound argument. Outdoor News isn't for or against treaty rights, spearing, baiting, food plots, two lines, special regulations, etc. etc. etc. They just report the news, have writers that give their $0.02 and publish what they get from their readers. And the letters to the editor drama keeps subscribers coming back (and writing back).

[bassNspear]

I have nothing agains O.N. I believe its a awesome thing to have around the area, there is no doubt about it. Everyone has there opinion, dont get me wrong, but dont act when oyu dont knwo anything about the sport.

[harvey lee]

I do believe that many think that the people spearing are taking many of the larger pike and its not good for the angler. Not my stance but it is what I hear from many whether true or not.

[bassNspear]

It could be true, there is no doubt about it. But its not all about spearing the most fish, or getting the biggest fish, its all about seeing fish. Not only pike, but everything else that is coming through the hole.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Something to keep in mind, like da_chise pointed out, is that the letters to the editor are what they are. It says in bold print right above them that the opinions don't represent the staff at ODN. I believe that all the letters sent in are printed, for the most part, and will represent all sides of the issues. There is always a few weeks of all anti-this, then the next few weeks it's all pro-that.

I wouldn't get too upset over it. Remember there are 2 things people have in common, opinions and A-holes! It's up to the readers to form their own opinions on the topic.

I love ODN, and from what I can tell, I believe Rob Dresline is a stand-up guy. I used to work a lot of early mornings on Saturdays and loved to listen to him, especially when he'd go off on a rant.

I think the best thing to do in situations like this is ignore it, or write your own letter to the editor that is educational and factual and support your cause.