Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Spearfishing - Where are you now?


MJ1657

Recommended Posts

We didn't get started ice fishing much before the ice was thick enough to drive on.  The pic I posted earlier was the only spear hole I've cut this season even though I've had my gear with me most every time we've taken the big house out.

 

And we've been out just about every weekend in the last month.  Having a wheelhouse and a wife that likes camping has been taking up pretty much all of my hard water time this season.  Many plans for setting up both on a lake for the weekend haven't panned out when you decide to move the wheel house every day.

 

Its still been a good ice season though.

  • Thumbs Up 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Will be packing my gear away this weekend with the warm temps and no time to get out its packing time.  Got out a few times this year but it was a disappointment for sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMG_1340.thumb.JPG.590cd08e20c48f44e5ee62f50ff5fc9d.JPG

 

This was the second hole I cut this year - and it about gave me a heart attack!  Last weekend I went lake trout fishing and decided it might be fun to "see" what we could see with a big hole.  18 inches of an oversized block was a lot for this desk jockey.

 

The 10 inch Cisco decoy did get one trout to come around (as many as I could hope for!) for a look.  It was a good one, around the 30 inch mark.  Don't worry, I didn't have a spear with me but if it were legal, I would've had my first speared laker!  The sad thing was we were off our game for those few minutes and didn't even have a laker rod/bait ready!  It was break time I guess. 

 

After it passed through the hole, I swam the decoy and the fish turned on a dime to face it.  I swam it again and the fish titled itself up like it was going to strike but I think it saw me move and took off.  It was pretty cool and just MAYBE worth the effort!

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
1 hour ago, Wanderer said:

IMG_1340.thumb.JPG.590cd08e20c48f44e5ee62f50ff5fc9d.JPG

 

This was the second hole I cut this year - and it about gave me a heart attack!  Last weekend I went lake trout fishing and decided it might be fun to "see" what we could see with a big hole.  18 inches of an oversized block was a lot for this desk jockey.

 

The 10 inch Cisco decoy did get one trout to come around (as many as I could hope for!) for a look.  It was a good one, around the 30 inch mark.  Don't worry, I didn't have a spear with me but if it were legal, I would've had my first speared laker!  The sad thing was we were off our game for those few minutes and didn't even have a laker rod/bait ready!  It was break time I guess.

 

After it passed through the hole, I swam the decoy and the fish turned on a dime to face it.  I swam it again and the fish titled itself up like it was going to strike but I think it saw me move and took off.  It was pretty cool and just MAYBE worth the effort!

 

Wait, you did a spear size hole for Trout fishing and put a decoy down? How deep were you when he came by?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, leech~~ said:

 

Wait, you did a spear size hole for Trout fishing and put a decoy down? How deep were you when he came by?

 

You expect me to answer that without a LIKE?  :crazy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Wanderer said:

IMG_1340.thumb.JPG.590cd08e20c48f44e5ee62f50ff5fc9d.JPG

 

This was the second hole I cut this year - and it about gave me a heart attack!  Last weekend I went lake trout fishing and decided it might be fun to "see" what we could see with a big hole.  18 inches of an oversized block was a lot for this desk jockey.

 

The 10 inch Cisco decoy did get one trout to come around (as many as I could hope for!) for a look.  It was a good one, around the 30 inch mark.  Don't worry, I didn't have a spear with me but if it were legal, I would've had my first speared laker!  The sad thing was we were off our game for those few minutes and didn't even have a laker rod/bait ready!  It was break time I guess. 

 

After it passed through the hole, I swam the decoy and the fish turned on a dime to face it.  I swam it again and the fish titled itself up like it was going to strike but I think it saw me move and took off.  It was pretty cool and just MAYBE worth the effort!

I just have one question. Who the heck was running that saw??????

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, MJ1657 said:

I just have one question. Who the heck was running that saw??????

 

Not the same person as the one running the auger!  In the end it was connect the dots and be done withi it. :tired:

 

It was something like 15 square feet so shape didn't matter much.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
2 hours ago, Wanderer said:

 

You expect me to answer that without a LIKE?  :crazy:

 

Well I would have LIKED but you didn't sound to happy about all the work. So, I thought I would just ask about the results. Shees! Get a chainsaw whiner! :lol:

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, leech~~ said:

 

. Shees! Get a chainsaw whiner! :lol:

 

We talked about how much easier that woulda been. :P  But than the natural order of the whole experience woulda been messed up.

 

Plus we didn't think of it soon enough...

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The statistics from my journal for the 2016/2017 spearing season have been compiled. I had 21 sits, on 7 different bodies of water across 3 MN counties (Cook, Washington and Hennepin). Average sit was 4.4 hours. Number of pike seen averaged 1.08 per hour. Along with some old favorites, I added some new spots and 3 new lakes to the repertoire and they ended up being new favorites. 

 

I saw, and passed on many pike over 30 inches. I was fortunate enough to have great views of 4 muskies, and more than a few big bass. Interestingly I only saw one walleye, one bowfin and one carp. Those numbers are down.  

 

Here are a few of my pictures from the past season. Not the best quality, but they are from an old LG slider phone. 

 

A trio for the pan and  the days swim team (Johnson red/white and sunfish; Dennis Bertram shiner). Dave Pawlak spear. Larger pike had been attacked by a bigger fish…she was cut up and scaled ahead of the dorsal fin. 

 

0206171356-00-3.thumb.jpg.d12fe54b1121c23f36f265374e0963c1.jpg

 

Pike, some panfish and a Kraemer 9 tine spear. 

 

0130170925-00.thumb.jpg.851ed53a0f2d2f41e2db679b34ec1fb6.jpg

 

I have a few more pictures of some fish n the hole and will try to add them later when I have time. 

Edited by Early Riser
  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Muskie entering hole

 

0213171053-01-5.thumb.jpg.eba212c40e4f3a4e9dc47c5174aa271e.jpg

 

She came back a while later and was in and out for the last hour of my last sit of the season

 

0213171141-00-2.thumb.jpg.da84e588a4f7e1a77f7132f4a34a33f3.jpg

 

Pike sampling a decoy

 

1219161359-00-2.thumb.jpg.8bff610a91081994a928875a4d14853e.jpg

 

Eyeing the decoy

 

1219161357-01.thumb.jpg.bf30a479f3bc8ae875cfe0c8b8695a35.jpg

  • Thumbs Up 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • The title was changed to Spearfishing - Where is everyone?
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

That looks like a nice spear! I have been in the turkey blind try to help my nephew and friends kid to bag a turkey. Today I am fishing

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Best place to find decoys

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Yeah I like decoys this thread used have some on here. I will try to hit a show

Thank you

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Was out on a north metro lake yesterday and got my first fish ten minutes after dropping the decoy. 33 inches and 12 pounds.  Not a bad start although the water is already clouding up but at least there was six inches of ice!

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

cool. do you cut it up for pickles or bake or fry? I have never speared but I love big northerns on the grill or pieces in the fryer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is great tca12. Did you see any more fish that day?

I was spearing up the Gunflint trail weekend of the 9th on 10-12" of good ice. I saw 5 pike in a 3 hour sit on the first lake that I tried, and speared a few mid 20 inch fish for the pickle jar. 

The second day I ended up driving for miles on unplowed forest roads and then bushwhacking trying to get into a remote lake, but the trail petered out and I got beat back by all the spruce blowdown, so I turned back after a good hour of pulling my sled through the bush. 

I eventually ended up siting for two hours on another new lake. I did see a timber wolf (off hwy 61 near town), a few spruce grouse,  and a fox…but no pike in the hole that day. It was a good workout and a fun day of exploring anyways. 

I had thought about on spearing a lake north of Two Harbors on the way down on Monday, but ended up spending the morning at the cabin relaxing a bit too long for that. 

I will be starting in locally soon, getting out the perm, deploying the portables on a few new spots, and at least one more trip up north…pretty exciting time of year! 

 

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I  (meaning my wife) bake most of our fish with butter and lemon pepper but sometimes we grill a fillet.

Mike, could you expand on the Mountain Dew boiling method, it sounds good.

Early Riser, I did spear a 3 pounder, saw a smaller one, and had a 3-foot plus swim by on the bottom.  Would have liked to get a better look at the big girl but it sure got the heart pumping for awhile!  And holy smokes, I'm gassed after 200 yards of pulling my sled.  The wolves would be circling once they saw me out there wheezing...

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 Up was the original poor mans lobster boil for pike.  It’s pretty good.  I did some pike in MD before too.  It’s worth a try to see if you like it.  I didn’t care for eating chartreuse colored fish but that’s just a mental game there.  Chartreuse is for catching them!  Taste was fine.

Try it in 7 Up first.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have tried the 7up, prefer the MD..  cut your fish into 1 inch chunks so you have finger or tooth pick size bites, boil in the MD till done, you will see it that.. dip the chunks in melted butter, enjoy!!!!

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Happy New Year!

Was out Saturday and Sunday North of Brainerd, -22 and -27 in the mornings when I went out.

Slow going as I figured it would be, ended up with 2 5lbers. neither of them came to the decoy, both fish came through the very edge of the hole. No perch or panfish swimming around either.  Hopefully things will be better next weekend after this cold snap lifts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • The title was changed to Spearfishing - Where are you now?
21 minutes ago, MJ1657 said:

I'm on Winnie third river. 20" of ice. 

Dude... you really did lose my number...

If you’re up to going back next weekend 2-3 forum members are planning on being there, or at least on the lake anyway.  

Thanks for the ice report! :cool:

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Made it out a few days over the x-mas break very very slow for me, only saw 1 fish a low 20s, this lake is usually crystal clear and had a merk to it pulled the house before the weekend i think the cold snap really slowed it down.  Talked to a few others out there and they said the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.