dark house spearing

[yukon]

Just bought a spear and since I am laid off and have time on my hands wondiring if anyone has any tips or advice

[Northlander]

Ya go spear the heck out if Wild Rice Lake. Way too many Northern in that lake.

[SKIPPERS KID]

I have never done spearing would like to go some time.

[Surface Tension]

Heres a few random ideas.

Tie a rope to the end of your spear. Get yourself a few sucker harnesses and a couple decoys. I like the little red and white ones shaped like a pike. I use an old level wind reel attached to the wall for my live suckers and decoys.

Making your hole, I've done it just about every way possible. Drilling holes and chiseling out in between. Chain saws(remove the bar oil first)work good but you'll need waders. I use and old bar and chain for that. Something you might want it invest in is and ice saw. We sell them here fishingmn.com/sportgood.html If I'm spearing out of a shack I slide the block of ice under the ice. Use a piece of plywood with foam insulation to cover the hole when your gone. That helps to keep it from freezing and stops Muskrats from filling your house up with weeds. Keep the cover close to the water level or else the rats will fill that space between the ice and board. If your spearing a spot just for the day then put the block back in the hole and mark it.

[sachem longrifle]

Quote:

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Ya go spear the heck out if Wild Rice Lake. Way too many Northern in that lake.

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Some of those Pike can get pretty big. This spring, while fishing for walleyes at the dam, we caught 3 solid eaters and one of the guys up there caught a 12 pounder(weighed and released). Caught plenty of walleyes but the problem with Rice is it weeds up heavily all summer, just like Grand Lake

[Northlander]

Ya there are some monster pike in there. Ya the weeds can be a pain in the summer.

[Hwood]

The big rocks can be a pian out there as well, and cement. Marking the holes is a great idea. A big hole in ice can spell danger. I know a guy whos kid fell into one 2 years ago. And the blocks of ice cut out and put up on top of the ice and can be less than pleasant if found with a sled.

[JustinG]

My advice from years of spearing is this:

Set up your house on the edge of an old weed line or flats with a descent bottom. Fish the flats on the edge of some sort of structure (point, weedline, drop). Don't be afraid to move if you aren't seeing anything. Keep in mind Northerns "run" this time of the year really good on some days and not others...Be patient.

Decoys in my honest opinion are the only way to go...sucker minnows are too unpredictable. I have speared all my big northerns on decoys exclusively. Sucker minnows tend to attact hammer handles and they tend to come in very fast and bite them and take off faster than you can be ready. Using a decoy to simulate an injured bait fish will bring the pike in much slower and give you an opportunity to make your shot count.

Have a good selection of different colored and style decoys for differing light conditions and water clarity. You can never go wrong with "old red and white".

Set your house up as soon as humanly possible. The earlier you are out there the better. Best spearing I've had was on 4"-5" of ice. I usually pull my house off at christmas time...early ice is key.

Hope this helps,

Justin

[SKIPPERS KID]

I would rather shoot them with a arrow? If I could? but I would like to go some time to see it happen .

[SFBOY]

If you like bowhunting, you probably would like spearing. There are some similarities with moving quietly and slowly. I kept trying to throw the spear once I had it in the water instead of dropping/wrist flicking it. My movement scared the fish every time. More or less its a good way to hang out with your kids or buddies and GAFTW. (get away from the wife.) see, another similarity to bowhunting.

[SKIPPERS KID]

SFBOY

I would really like to go with and see what you do I do not think I would ever do it but would like to go some time Just let me now when you have room and where and I will come and watch you have fun I would like that .