Lakes You Can't Spear

[glenn57]

hey big shooter, DONT group all spearers in the same mold. i personally am not a muskie fan either but its a game fish that people have a right to pursue and I DO respect that. yeah i am not happy you cant spear some lake with musky in them so i go to a different lake, no big deal. and for your spear and release i dont think its as bad as you make it sound. personnally i have never fished with anyone that does it.

[dcmusky]

Being muskies are usually cought 3 or more times in thier life the cost per catch is acually lower than pike or walleye. Any new lakes WILL NOT HAVE SPEARING BANS ON THEM!!!! The lakes that do are there for a reason. We need a top of the line preditor fish in our lakes to stop the stunting problem in this state. Take Ceder lake in atkin county, huge hammerhandle problem until they stocked muskies in there. French has probably the best game fish population in S MN. Take Sheilds lake for an example: I got this from MN DNR lake finder {and yes SC it was wrote by waterville dnr} shields as of the last servey was dominated by perch & bluegills but since then the balance has shifted to BULLHEADS & SHEEPHEADS. Why one may ask? becouse pike over the age of 5yrs are scarice due to high angler exploytation. So being you guys still want to kill all of the big pike we NEED muskies to return the balance. The slow growth rates on many lake are not genetic but are simply bottlenecks. Dan Crooms

[merkman]

Here we go again.

By attacking our selves we are bringing all of our sport down.

Lets work together, and refrain from throwing barbs at each other. Let PETA do the attacking of our sport, we don't need to help them.

[glenn57]

SORRY! but you are correct sir. i take offense to be grouped into illegal activities.

[merkman]

So being you guys still want to kill all of the big pike we NEED muskies to return the balance.

Please refer to the DNR's long range plan.

Look at the NUMBER not the percent of large fish taken by anglers vs. spearers. (Combine the winter anglers and Summer anglers {they are broken down there in the chart so add both the winter and the summer together to get a true representation})

If you do this it becomes clear that the NUMBER of pike taken by spearers is much smaller than the NUMBER of pike taken by anglers.

[merkman]

SORRY! but you are correct sir. i take offense to be grouped into illegal activities.

As do I.

Education, understanding, and respect of both sides of the coin are the key to getting this figured out.

As for ANY illegal activity it should be reported to TIP. Plain and simple. All SPORTSMEN understand that and I believe all sportsmen do self regulate their sport.

.

[dcmusky]

Well when I hear "the great cost to the fishery becouse they stocked muskies in the lake" it erks me. Brown trout are not native to any of our waters as are phesants, but those are inroductions that I wouldn't turn back. Comparing me to PETA is a little bit of a streach. I don't want to get the DNR out of the picture as other groups would like done, so who's more peta like? and I never said spearing harvest, just harvest in general.

[merkman]

Comparing me to PETA is a little bit of a streach. I don't want to get the DNR out of the picture as other groups would like done, so who's more peta like?

Infighting is one of the ways that organizations go after each other.

We need to understand as SPORTSMEN there are many out there that don't want us to do any of this killing of "their animals"

It may not seem like it at the time but an attack on another form of hunting fishing or killing their animals is indeed an attack on the entire sport of hunting, fishing, trapping etc.

Organized, respectful discussions are acceptable but it is not acceptable to attack another sportsman’s method of enjoying the outdoors. It can and will be used against hunting and fishing in general.

[merkman]

Can someone please provide REAL numbers of citations issued for spearing of muskies over the last few years.

I have an e-mail into the DNR but there has been no response yet.

I am interested in seeing real data before I determine if spearing of muskies is indeed a problem.

[dcmusky]

Never said I want any method baned just want some more waters, but my opposition keeps coming from the same direction. Name all the best walleye & pike waters in the state and guess what, 90% or more are muskie lakes. All I'm asking is for people to come out of thier caves and see the truth. Stop bashing Ron Payer, & the DNR. The muskie community has tryed to extend the olive branch only to have sneaky politics played on us. I want a quallity fishery for my kids & I believe muskie could do that and you could still harvest pike. Hows that for a comprimise. Oh sounds like the longrange plan the MDAA is fighting tooth & nail again.

[merkman]

Stop bashing Ron Payer, & the DNR.

[merkman]

Never said I want any method baned just want some more waters

These are public waters; if we don't want to see all methods banned we need to work together in the direction of expanding responsible fishing on all waters; not working in the opposite direction of increased restrictions.

It has been proven time and time again in many confrontations other than this; once organizations start working in the direction of restricting activity, sooner or later the entire activity is banned.

[merkman]

I do believe that any licenced angler can fish muskies in 100% of Minnesota inland waters. I may be wrong but I don't think so.

[merkman]

I've had people in the Bemidji people flaunt it in my face and challenge me to do something about it (in a physical way ie come and fight).

Did you call TIP?

That is harassment there are specific laws that deal with this for sportsmen, but they can't be enforced if they are not reported.

Report it, it becomes a statistic, ignore it, it becomes hearsay.

[merkman]

just want some more waters

Heck not only can you fish 100% of Minnesota Inland waters but you can go to any one of the 50 states of the union and fish there too.

Spearers however are restricted to a mere 10% or so of the states in the union.

And to top that off, with the current MN laws we are restricted from spearing our neighbor state of ND.

When it is stated that way can you see why spearers get “up in arms” about further restrictions?

[merkman]

Not to mention that we purchase an additional licence (that is the same price as a standard fishing licence) to be able to spear.

[spearchucker]

Originally Posted By: spearchucker

The problem is that uskies are being stocked into more and more lakes at a great co$t to the DNR.

and an even greater cost to the fishery they're put into

Show me the data on how their costing the fishery. The DNR has presented data that show there's NO negative effect on the fish population. Stop spreading lies.

I don't have the exact numbers. but I was told by the DNR that they were the most expensive fish that they stock. Ask them yourself.

As for spreading lies, how do I know that you aren't doing the same about all of the muskies that get speared. I don't know what lie you are talking about?

A few years back they spent a bunch of money sending divers down in Lake Bemidji to try to find all the dead muskies that were speared. They didn't find any. That is fact.

[dcmusky]

Yeah I guess your right I can fish all of the waters in the state but I'd look pretty stupid fishing the 95% of the lakes with my muskie gear and no muskies

[Jameson]

How is that different than the other 5%?

[Shawn Kellett]

Here's what I'm talking about Irv.

These are just the ones I have as digital copies.

Note, the one on the ice was found by a couple kids right next to where a dark house had recently been pulled.

I'm not here to kill spearing, but please don't try to say that this stuff doesn't happen. The sooner we can all be on the same page and stop this then the sooner we'll all get along.

[dcmusky]

The other 5% I at least don't feel stupid, just look it. One quick question, how do you tell the difference from the top?

[bassNspear]

One quick question, how do you tell the difference from the top?

When you see a muskie in the water, there so much lighter in color. You can see the back of the fish is alot more whiter then it would be for a pike. Pike look dark in the water, when you see a muskie in the water, there going to be alot lighter!

Also, your going to have spots verys lines on there back, so that will point it out as well!

[spearchucker]

The other 5% I at least don't feel stupid, just look it. One quick question, how do you tell the difference from the top?

Like Bass N Spear said, it is really easy to tell. They look really light compared to a pike. Very easy to tell the difference.

[spearchucker]

Quote:

Note, the one on the ice was found by a couple kids right next to where a dark house had recently been pulled.

I'm not here to kill spearing, but please don't try to say that this stuff doesn't happen. The sooner we can all be on the same page and stop this then the sooner we'll all get along.

Nice fish in the pictures. How big were they?

I or anyone on this forum hasn't said that this stuff doesn't happen. It is unfortunate that it happens. I hope that you called the warden. There are idiots everywhere, but this certainly isn't a widespread thing across the state or an organized effort by the MDAA like you have mentioned. If this really is an organized effort then the wardens should be watching the area closely. It wouldn't be that hard to catch them especially if they are brazen enough to just leave a fish lay on the ice as you said.

I think you should refer to the people that did this as criminals or poachers, not spearers

[Gordie]

Its realy to bad that a select few people(as it was put Idoits) give the rest of the responsible spearers a bad name and as you can see it does happen but a responsible spearer can tell the differnce like was mentioned. and yes I would call them poachers and TIP is there for a reason and if a muskey is found on the ice that had been speared it should be reported to the DNR they may know who was in the area and can research it. I know that it would be hard to prosicute anyone unless they were caught in the act or there was a witness. but at least it would be reported and the DNR could keep tabs so to speak on the area.

I'm not A muskey guy but have respect for those who chose to case them and would hope they have the same respect for the sport, tradition that a bunch of us love.