Non resident spearing Bill?

[Dan L]

I read that there was a bill in the legislature that would allow non residents to spear in Minnesota. Has anyone heard about this bill? Does it include the spearing of pike? It seems to me that there is enough pressure on big pike right now when you consider summer and winter fishing.

[merkman]

I read that there was a bill in the legislature that would allow non residents to spear in Minnesota. Has anyone heard about this bill? Does it include the spearing of pike? It seems to me that there is enough pressure on big pike right now when you consider summer and winter fishing.

Non residents can currently tip-up fish so I don't see what it would matter.

Given the sheer volume of people who tip up fish vs spear the total pike taken by spearing vs tip up fishing (willingly or unintentionally killing with catch and release) is a small amount.

I only spear northerns in the winter and catch and release sturgeon in the spring that is all I fish. Eventhough I have been out every weekend, this year I have taken 2 fish. Education, not legislation is the answer to increased fishing pressure.

I personally have family in AZ that have never been on a frozen lake. When they come to visit I would love to show them what spearing is all about, I would also love to see my little nephew from AZ spear a fish. But I can't.

I am sure that memory would be with him forever. I know it would be for me. But it isn't.

I have good friends who have moved out of state and are now residents of other states that don’t have ice. I would love to go spearing with them again. But I can't

I would love to take a trip to ND and go spearing. But since MN doesn’t allow ND residents to spear I can’t.

I would also love for out of state residents to pay for a MN license to spear. It would be a great source of revenue for the DNR not to mention more revenue to local businesses who need it. But it isn't.

Why do we as sportsmen want to restrict ourselves so much? I guess in the end if we want to be so restrictive set an upper slot for non-residents, say no northerns larger than 30 inches then at least let them spear.

Lets band together as sportsmen and make things happen that expand the love of our sport, instead of jumping on bandwagons to restrict ourselves more and more.

Our enemies love this kind of thing. They don’t have to do anything but sit back, laugh, and watch us take more and more rights away from each other.

I hope you will support the legalization of out of state spearing much like many spearers have supported laws that protect your rights to hunt and fish even though those same spearers may or may not hunt or fish themselves.

My 2 sense.

[BOUNCED]

The problem lies with states who won't allow us to spear in there state. If there is reciprocity between states then all is good with me. If North Dakota and Wisconsin aren't going to allow us to spear there than they shouldn't get the privilege to spear here.

[triggertrav]

ND gives us the opportunity if we give the non-residents the chance in our state. I don't see why we should restrict those who are non-residents and limit our opptions as a sportsman to other states.

[merkman]

If North Dakota and Wisconsin aren't going to allow us to spear there than they shouldn't get the privilege to spear here.

[merkman]

Originally Posted By: Spearhead

If North Dakota and Wisconsin aren't going to allow us to spear there than they shouldn't get the privilege to spear here.

Isn't Wisconsin open to MN Spearers?

I hear of people going to spear sturgeon there all the time?

[Jameson]

I found the following article while doing a little research for a possible ND spearing trip. It was written in 2002 and I do not know if things have changed since then. Thought an interesting difference between spearing in ND and MN was that ND only has opened up approximately 30 lakes to spearing. Where as MN has closed approximately 30 lakes to spearing. Maybe if we allow the North Dakotans to spear we should only allow them to spear on 30 lakes?

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Page 1

On December 1, 2001 a new outdoor activity, darkhouse spear

fishing, was allowed on approximately 30 lakes scattered across

North Dakota. Darkhouse spear fishing has been legal for a long

time in a number of northern states.

2

ND Outdoors

November 2002

DARKHOUSE SPEAR FISHING:

ONE YEAR LATER

By Greg Power

Darkhouse spear fishing often involves much watching and waiting. When a pike comes calling (inset),

however, the excitement level elevates. Seeing a fish approach the bait – in this case a decoy – is a bonus not

usually available with hook-and-line ice fishing.

Page 2

Darkhouse spear fishing is an activity

that you tend to either love or hate and

patience is a must. A stereotypical snap-

shot of a “spearer” would portray an indi-

vidual sitting in a small, dark fish house

(the “darkhouse” is necessary to block

out light so fish can be seen) on the ice,

spear in hand, and fish decoy in the

water. Long periods of time, sometimes

hours, go by without action. Suddenly, a

northern pike slowly comes within range

and with a quick stab, the spearer will

gauge his or her success.

Because darkhouse spear fishing is new

to North Dakota, all spearers are required

to register on the North Dakota Game and

Fish Department’s web site, or they can

contact local Game and Fish offices.

Registration allows the Department to

monitor success and gather information

that will help determine which lakes can

sustain and handle additional pike har-

vest.

Current darkhouse spearing lakes were

selected based on their ability to support

increased pike harvest. In general, except

in southwestern North Dakota, the 30

lakes were spaced so people would have

opportunities to darkhouse spear fish

without driving hundreds of miles.

Some Statistics

Of 1,255 individuals who registered last

winter, just over 900 actually participated

and spent 3,861 days spear fishing.

Spearers were generally successful, aver-

aging slightly more than 1 1/2 pike per

day, with an estimated 6,025 pike taken.

The average weight of a speared pike

was seven pounds and we estimate that

perhaps 10-15 pike of greater than 20

pounds were taken. The largest pike

speared was a 25 pounder from Lake

Sakakawea.

Eleven lakes accounted for 98 percent

of the pike harvest, as many other lakes

had water clarity problems that limited

participation and harvest. The top five

lakes for spearing success were:

Spiritwood (Stutsman County) 1,756;

Buffalo (Sargent County) 1,257; Rice

(Emmons County) 580; Sakakawea, 454;

and Devils Lake, 352. Few spearers tar-

geted nongame fish such as carp or buffa-

lo, which along with pike, are the only

legal species that can be harvested.

Ninety-eight percent of those who par-

ticipated in darkhouse spear fishing were

North Dakotans. Darkhouse spear fishing

is allowed for nonresidents if their state

provides the same privileges for residents

of North Dakota. One-third of all spearers

lived in Bismarck, Fargo, Jamestown,

Minot or Devils Lake.

Silver Lake in Benson County has been added to the list of open lakes

for this upcoming darkhouse spear fishing season.

In addition, even though 90 percent of the spearers reported they had

marked their holes this past winter, beginning this upcoming winter it will

be mandatory. Marking of holes is required for safety reasons and natural

objects such as tree branches or a bundle of tumbleweeds (frozen into the

ice) must be used (not cement blocks, tires, etc).

November 2002

ND Outdoors

3

Ralph Rudolph, Wimbledon, speared this seven-pound pike at Spiritwood Lake last January.

Page 3

Q: Is there a size restriction for a hole

while spear fishing from a darkhouse?

A: There are no size restrictions for the

hole in the ice.

Q: What are the season dates for dark-

house spear fishing?

A: Darkhouse spear fishing is legal from

December 1 through February 28 of each

fishing year.

Q: Are all fish species legal for dark-

house spear fishing?

A: No. The only legal species are north-

ern pike and nongame species, such as

bullhead, buffalo and carp.

Q: While spear fishing from a dark-

house, does my spear count as one of

my four poles?

A: Yes.

Q: While I am spear fishing from a

darkhouse, can I fish with hook-and-

line in the same hole?

A: No. In order to use hook and line the

hole must be smaller than 12 inches in

diameter.

Q: Does the fish I catch while spear

fishing from a darkhouse count toward

my daily limit with fish caught by hook

and line, or are the limits separate?

A: The daily limit combines fish you

spear with fish caught by hook and line.

Q: I am making my own spear. Is there

a size restriction?

A: No.

Q: Are there size restrictions on a fish

house?

A: Yes. Fish houses or darkhouses shall

not cover an area of more than 144

square feet.

Q: Do all people, even those under age

16, have to register before going dark-

house spear fishing?

A: Yes. The Department is going to

develop an address base for a survey to

determine use and harvest.

Q: Where do I register for darkhouse

spear fishing?

A: Registration is available at the Game

and Fish HSOforum, discovernd.com/gnf, or

any North Dakota Game and Fish

Department office.

Q: Where should I write the registra-

tion number for my child who is under

16 years old?

A: Write your child’s registration number

on your fishing license.

Q: How close can my fish house be to

another one?

A: Fish houses must be at least 50 feet

away from each other.

4

ND Outdoors

November 2002

Darkhouse spearing is allowed only in the

following water bodies:

Devils Lake, Benson/Ramsey counties;

Silver Lake, Benson County; Powers Lake, Burke County; Rice Lake, Emmons

County; Juanita Lake, Foster County; Lake Etta/Alkaline Lake complex,

Horsehead Lake, and Round Lake, Kidder County; Flood Lake, LaMoure

County; Beaver Lake and West Napoleon Lake, Logan County; Buffalo Lodge

Lake, McHenry County; Coldwater Lake and Dry/Goose Lake, McIntosh

County; Cavanaugh Lake, Morrison Lake, and Sweetwater Lake, Ramsey

County; Grass Lake, Richland/Sargent County; Carpenter Lake and School

Section Lake, Rolette County; Buffalo Lake, Sargent County; Coal Mine Lake,

Sheridan County; Mallard Marsh and Spiritwood Lake, Stutsman County; Lake

Laretta, Nelson County; Cottonwood Lake, Williams County; Lake Sakakawea

from Garrison Dam to Highway 85 bridge at Williston; and Lake Oahe from

South Dakota border to Maclean Bottoms boat ramp.

For detailed regulations please consult the North Dakota Fishing Guide.

SPEAR FISHING

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

SPEARFISHING IN

DEVILS LAKE, 1885

From the pen of O.T. Tofsrud in his

book entitled “A Story of Pierce

County” published in 1936 comes this

excerpt about fishing in Devils Lake:

This is a true story of what happened

on the ice of Devils Lake in the winter

of 1885, a few years after the first set-

tlers had taken up abode around the

beautiful sheet of water called

Minnewaukon, or Devils Lake. The

Great Northern Railroad had entered

the community two years earlier, in

1883. Until this time the pioneers had

paid little attention to such a trifling

thing as fishing and probably most of

them did not know that such immense

numbers of the finny tribe were hiding

in the rather salty water of this fine

lake. They knew that fish were there,

and usually caught them in one of four

ways, by baited hook, traps, nets, or

spears. But it was not until some

genius advanced the scheme of spear-

ing the fish inside a building that real

fishing commenced. Shanties were

built all over the ice on the lake, and

sheeted with tar paper. A lantern and a

box provided the necessary apparatus,

a spear was the most important appara-

tus, the box was used for a seat. A hole

was cut through the ice, and as soon as

an opening was prepared and the fish

seen the light, all that was necessary to

do was to sit there and spear them by

the hundreds through the opening of

the ice. It is said there were more than

fourteen hundred fishing shacks on the

lake at one time in the winter of 1885

and the frozen fish were shipped out in

box cars….

The excerpt was from O.T. Tofsrud’s

first book on Pierce County and is

quoted along with other material in a

document entitled DEVILS LAKE that

was submitted to the Game and Fish

Department by Fred F. Fleck of Rugby

in February 1980. O.T. Tofsrud wrote a

second book about Pierce County enti-

tled “Fifty Years in Pierce County.”

GREG POWER is the fisheries management-research section supervisor. He is

stationed in Bismarck.

[merkman]

30 Lakes in ND.

That must be about 95% of all the lakes in ND?

Alright... I apologize... I just had to.

I hear that spearing over there is pretty good.

[Fish Toys]

Merk go over to the ND forum and ask. The first year a lot of people were all hyped up about it. That year Devils Lake was so murky they couldn’t see very good. Out by Williston a few big ones were taken. The 2nd year there was a lot fewer people out. Now I don’t know. On KFGO they talk about it a lot but I’m busy so I only get bit & pieces. I think they should let out of state people spear here if we could go there.

[Bigslugger]

Ok I say it should just be open for ND residents so we can go there

And heck with the other states

[GatorGetter]

I have heard Devils Lake has been excellent for spearing the past couple years.

[GatorGetter]

Does the MN Spearing Association favor non resident spearing? Where is the opposition?

[spearchucker]

I believe they are supporting it to some extent.

[merkman]

Does the MN Spearing Association favor non resident spearing?

From my understanding they are indifferent to it.

From what I understand they do not support it but they will not oppose it.

Which brings up the question, what favorable spearing laws are passed without the MDAA’s full support? I would think that it is a very small percent.

In other words... don't hold your breath.

If there are any ND law makers out there reading this, I for one would abandon a trip up north and spend my vacation dollars in ND if your law was changed to allow Minnesotans to spear in your state regardless of our laws. I think there are others here that would do that too.

[merkman]

Heck after thinking of it, since my own state don't understand the reasons to allow non-residents to spear, change the ND law and I would even bring my family from AZ to ND to spear and the same goes for my friends who used to live in MN also.

Since we would be out of state, we would all be getting hotel rooms, food, gas, etc etc. Wow what a marvelous revenue stream for ND!!!

[spearchucker]

There are some people that are worried about out of state people coming in and spearing all of our fish. In reality there will be very few people who will come here to spear. There aren't that many people that spear to begin with. I am for it because that opens us up to spear in ND. Maybe we could open it only to states that allow non-resident spearing (similar to ND's law).

[merkman]

There are some people that are worried about out of state people coming in and spearing all of our fish.

[spearchucker]

Merkman,

I'm not saying I agree with the thinking of everyone taking our big fish, I was just stating some concerns that I had heard talked about. I think that it all comes back to people claiming that spearers are taking all the trophy pike (which is a crock).

I say open it on every lake. In order to spear you need a lot of equipment that most people don't have (house, spear, chisels, ice tongs, ice saw, etc). Its not like any "Joe Blow" is going to be able to just come over and start spearing without having the proper equipment. I guess what I am saying is that you can't just go out spearing as easy as you can go angling.

There are very few spearers in comparison to anglers and there will be even fewer out of state spearers compared to the out of state anglers that we already allow to fish her.

[BOUNCED]

If you want to stay in touch with what's happening with the state of spearing in MN you need to sign up and be an MDAA member. It's 10 bucks a year and it's the only organization actively lobbying for our rights.

[merkman]

Merkman,

I'm not saying I agree with the thinking of everyone taking our big fish, I was just stating some concerns that I had heard talked about. I think that it all comes back to people claiming that spearers are taking all the trophy pike (which is a crock).

I say open it on every lake. In order to spear you need a lot of equipment that most people don't have (house, spear, chisels, ice tongs, ice saw, etc). Its not like any "Joe Blow" is going to be able to just come over and start spearing without having the proper equipment. I guess what I am saying is that you can't just go out spearing as easy as you can go angling.

There are very few spearers in comparison to anglers and there will be even fewer out of state spearers compared to the out of state anglers that we already allow to fish her.

I agree with that!!

I just haven't heard a good reason why not to allow it.

[spearchucker]

If you want to stay in touch with what's happening with the state of spearing in MN you need to sign up and be an MDAA member. It's 10 bucks a year and it's the only organization actively lobbying for our rights.

I've been a member for over 10 years.

[Gordie]

so were do I sign up for a membership. very intrested

thanks for the info.

[spearchucker]

so were do I sign up for a membership. very intrested

thanks for the info.

I don't think that we can post webpage links here without getting in trouble, so do a search for MN Darkhouse dot org. If you turn on your Private messaging I can hook you up also.

[bassNspear]

Elwood, shoot me a email, and ill help you out with it.

Its well worth to be a member of it! you get all the updates on whats going on in the spearing world, and the meetings can be alot of fun as well.

[merkman]

Elwood, shoot me a email, and ill help you out with it.

Its well worth to be a member of it! you get all the updates on whats going on in the spearing world, and the meetings can be alot of fun as well.

And I think whoever recomends you gets a free ticket for the Fish house raffle. lol