Darkhouse Pictures 2007-2008 Season!!!!!

[Hammer Handle]

If the fish is not straight down in your hole, but you just see his nose and he looks like he is not coming in...do you spear?

My father is a "pro" at it. I do pretty well too, but mainly to my right and I can go way under my chair. The front of the hole is a good place to hit too...but to the left...I don't even try....

As a kid, my dad would like the house lined up so the best spot for fish to come in was from the left...being he was left-handed. I used to hate that!

[bassNspear]

 Originally Posted By: Hammer Handle

If the fish is not straight down in your hole, but you just see his nose and he looks like he is not coming in...do you spear?!

I dont, and the reason that i dont is becuase the % that you are going to get a nice throw and hit on the fish is slim to none. You have to remember that the spear will float up and away when you throw it. So you have to make sure that when you throw it, that you are throwing it straight.

[merkman]

I don't since I would rather see them swim away then be wounded.

I only take shots that I know I have a very high probability of hitting.

I haven't wounded one yet (knock on wood)... but I have totally missed them all together several times.

I suppose if there were a way to practice those shots on something other than live fish I would be interested, after I knew I could hit them, but until then I will pass.

The way I see it is; that fish may not come in today; but one day he will.

I have also noticed that sometimes the fish travel in groups. If I pass on that questionable shot, sometimes his buddy comes right in and decoys up.

In the end it is personal preference. If you feel comfortable taking those shots and you are sure you will not wound the fish then go for it. If you question any throw for any reason don’t throw.

Just my two sense.

[Hammer Handle]

I use a heavy antique spear.

I spear under the ice and so does my father. We average about 1 miss out of 30 northerns.

I don't spear as much anymore...so I may not be that good anymore...but was at one time.

It is extremely rare to wound one and have them get away.

But, you have to have a hole that is totally cleared. We always open our hole with a chisel so that it is nice a square with no edges. I would think that even spearing straight down, the spear could hit this ice and cause you to miss a fish.

My dad is MUCH better than me. I remember sitting in the house as a kid and he was showing me how to spear. A northern is there, but won't come in the hole. Finally, my dad leans way over, almost to the floor...and throws the spear under the ice. He pulls out the spear and the fish is hit right in the neck. "Don't try that" he said "unitl you have speared as much as I have. It is hard for you have to know how your spear 'glides'."

He also spears most of his fish right behind the head or even through the head (for small ones). "I waste no meat that way", he says.

[shamalex72]

I guess I have never tried that, pretty much throw straight down.

[shamalex72]

 Originally Posted By: merkman

I suppose if there were a way to practice those shots on something other than live fish I would be interested, after I knew I could hit them, but until then I will pass.

Next year you could set up a practice house at the get to gator. We could get somebody with a wetsuit and have them hold a fake fish on a stick. Then we could take turns throwing at it.

[bassNspear]

wet suit and fake fish, dude, you feeling ok?

[merkman]

Cucumbers, Zucchini, or Watermelons maybe, but not people in wetsuits.

[Hammer Handle]

Another dumb question....

When you spear, do you let the spear "go" and hit the bottom.

Sometimes I do, but it I see a good "hit", I grab the rope and stop the spear and pull the fish out. That way I don't get the hole all dirty.

As soon as you see the white of the northerns mouth as the spear hits...you can stop the spear.

I am just curious as I went fishing the other day and we were talking about spearing...and the person I was with was surprised on a few techniques that I used (learned from my father).

[bassNspear]

good questions.

It all depends on the situation, so there is some times where i let it hit the bottom, but if i dont have to i dont like it to, being that the whole will get so dirty.

[shamalex72]

I try to stop it before it hits bottom, but it doesn't always work that way.

[Central Bassman]

Nice!!!

[Gordie]

well I finally got my pike that I speared in December of 06. I made the spear for the mount and its a close replica of the spear that I use. This mount is very close to how I seen it happen except for the driftwood and the spear is accually in the same holes that I stuck it in the first place.

[bassNspear]

DUDE, THAT AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NICE WORK

[shamalex72]

Awesome is right, you don't see a mount like that everyday.

[bassNspear]

thats what i mean. Im sure it wasnt cheap

[Gordie]

It wasnt that bad of a dent in the wallet it but it is worth every penny. Now I'm saving up for the deer that is being done and no I did'nt spear the deer that story is for another time and forum.

[Early Riser]

Let us hear the story behind the pike in your mount. I don't think we have heard it yet. Very unique and interesting display. Thanks for sharing the photos.

[Gordie]

Well this pike starts with a palne ticket to New Mexico so that my younger brother and myself could pack up my parents house and load it all into a U-haul and move them back to Minnesota well we drove the U-haul back it took 22 hours and we arived back to my house on sunday morning about 11:45am when my bro dropped me off. I thought that if I go to bed now I'l wake up at midnight and will be useless at work the next day. so I decided to hit the spear shack hoping not to fall asleep. I was out there for about an hour and a half when I looked down and right between my legs was this pike staring at my decoy minnow and the decoy was getting nervous. you know when the fins and tail start to do that eradic movement. I didn't think this pike was as big as it is and thought to myself this is only about an 8lber and was going to pass on it, until the pike flared open its gills and mouth, then was just about to smack the decoy with the thrust of a missle thats when it hit me this is the biggest pike that I had ever seen spearing and grabbed the spear and stuck it with out letting go of the spear as it was only 2 foot under the ice in 10 fow. man did it thrash about and then pulled it up the hole and it was like it did't stop comming out the water. I kicked the door open and tossed it out then a bunch of guys came running over to check it out. There was about thirty guys fihing on the ice that day.A friend was out there and had a scale and he took some pics on a despossable camera and I still havent seen those. I had no camera and got pics at home but didnt want to post those as they weren't in the enviroment that I had got it so its been a long wait to show off this beauty to you guys.

The Pike went 18 pounds 14 oz and measureded in at 40 1/8 inches the tail was pretty beat up but it gives it character.

needless to say I still didnt get much sleep that night and all I could think about was getting back out in the spear shack much like now!

[bassNspear]

elwood,

how big was the fish.

[Early Riser]

Spearing is one of those activities where a lot can happen in a short time, or nothing can happen over a long period of time - its kind of like deer hunting that way and is one the things I most love about spearing. Some days you sit and sit for hours without seeing as much as a minnow and other times you see fish coming in from every direction in every size!

[mrklean]

That is probably the coolest mount i have ever seen, makes me want to go spearing now

[bassNspear]

i was thinking the same things. Its different, and thats what i love about it

[demonjigger]

great idea for a mount, nothing like i have seen before. how big was the fish?

[Gordie]

my pike is 40 1/8 inches long at wieghed 18lbs 14ozs.

yea I love the solitude of the spear shack then bam you glance down and theres pike eyeballin your decoy or when you jig your decoy and it goes out of site and on its return theres teeth wrapped around it. man its along wait until December 1st. I'm going to have to start getting ready for next season sooner than I thought

[bassNspear]

ya dude, thats a awesome fish. I would have to say that is by far the best mount i have seen in a long time. Awesome work and congrads.

[merkman]

 Originally Posted By: elwood

I was out there for about an hour and a half when I looked down and right between my legs was this pike staring at my decoy minnow and the decoy was getting nervous.

Now you are going to have to get a decoy minnow mounted to make it totally realistic!!!

Great idea and a beautiful mount elwood!!!

Thanks for sharing!!!

[Gordie]

merkman thats what my taxidermist was supposed to do but he didnt read his own foot note on the invoice that he wrote up for the fish so I will have to wait until I can afford it or get a sucker decoy made.

[merkman]

I never thought of a realistic decoy.

Something like this would look nice.

Even if it stays just like it is; it is a wonderful mount!!!

[mrklean]

Now thats a decoy, where was that at?