Spearfishing - Where are you now?

[mwal]

The pike I got yesterday had the frisbee effect going on. Big bluegill was in there almost still kicking.

Mwal

[Early Riser]

Yesterday morning I went out to my perm after not visiting in almost two weeks, as I was on another local lake last weekend. I found out there was well over 15" ice in the hole after all the recent cold weather.

I augured out all four corners, and the mid points, then proceeded to saw, chisel, pull out blocks, scoop, and then fine clear with the colander. After working up a good lather it felt good to sit down.

I started out by catching some decent sunfish. At mid morning I had a perfect size pike come in to round off a nice catch for our dinner later on. After I hit it, I immediately pulled on the rope, but the tie had come undone.

The pike, hit through the spine, 28 inches long, was laying just outside the hole on the bottom in 9 feet of water. I was able to spear it at an angle with my backup spear, and pull it in along with the now rope-less L. Gustas spear. Luckily it was paralyzed and couldn't kick up much silt, or shimmy out dragging my spear.

I hit the perm again this morning and passed on a 31-32" fish. I also caught a few sunfish, but it was a little slow overall both mornings.

I have learned that it is always prudent to have two spears along in case you have a fish laying down on the bottom with a marginal hit, or as in the instance of another situation, however rare, you are ready. I am also reminded to check knots, and retie spears and decoy snap swivels now and again.

[Early Riser]

I have pulled those freshly eaten sunfish out and filleted them for the pan, when fresh, as in still kicking, (or at least having clear eyes and red gills).

One time I filleted a pike that had a still alive perch in it's stomach. Sticking out of the perch's mouth was the tail of a baby sunfish.

Talk about the cycle of life: perch eats sunfish, gets eaten by pike, then immediately speared to be eaten by me!

[lungdeflator]

My house has been on lake darling out here in nd since December. I had too be my house mid January....we got it hooked up to the truck and I kicked a hole in my spearhole (only about 1" of ice) and by the time we drove away there was 6-7" standing water on the ice. We got very lucky we decided to move! Moved it up the lake and canada has been letting too much water out so it turned the water very cloudy. 2 weeks ago we moved it to a small lake just north of lake sakakawea. Sat there 5-6 times now and haven't seen a fish over 6lbs. Friday I will be moving down to sakakawea for the last 1.5months of season. Can't wait for march!

[merkman]

Friday I will be moving down to sakakawea for the last 1.5months of season. Can't wait for march!

I need a ND "guide" for the first weekend of March... i pay in beer.... are you interested?

-Merk

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[hillbilly...]

Tryed friday got truck stuck that took 2 hours to get out then 600yrd walk to cut hole pop new house up to find out it dont work and thinsulate roof to bright to spear out of

[mwal]

Hillbilly, Which lake and what hub house did you buy? I got rid of my insulated clam and switched to a Quickfish 3 plenty dark. The drips are bothersome but would rather be able to see the fish.

Mwal

[mwal]

Early Riser,

I also have 2 spears along never know if you have a marginal hit and need another hit to make sure. Have not had a rope break yet.

Mwal

[hillbilly...]

Well i origanly had the base camp And it had major flaws took it to clam and they up graded me to 6000 bigfoot with the thinsulat roof i was more then happy till i got to the lake and had more issues with the brand new one the roof is all saggy and such im going back up there Wednesday to have them look at it but the roof lets to much light threw were the older one didnt. And i was on hydes west of waconia and the lake has turnd allready so all the work was was of time.

[MJ1657]

Well i origanly had the base camp And it had major flaws took it to clam and they up graded me to 6000 bigfoot with the thinsulat roof i was more then happy till i got to the lake and had more issues with the brand new one the roof is all saggy and such im going back up there Wednesday to have them look at it but the roof lets to much light threw were the older one didnt. And i was on hydes west of waconia and the lake has turnd allready so all the work was was of time.

Any chance they will let you swap out to an Eskimo? I had a QF4 and it worked great. I upgraded to a Fatfish 949I and it works even better.

[hillbilly...]

Didnt knw clam and eskimo were same company

[MJ1657]

Didnt knw clam and eskimo were same company

They are not the same company.

[rockman]

They're not. Eskimo is owned by Ardisdam.

[hillbilly...]

How would they let me swap out then?? I dnt have the receipt any more so there trying to work with me

[MJ1657]

How would they let me swap out then?? I dnt have the receipt any more so there trying to work with me

I was not aware you did not have a receipt. Glad they are trying to work it out with you.

[MJ1657]

I'm going to head to the shack in a little while to try and Muskrat proof it. We have a muskrat that is trying to eat its way through our hole covers to get into the houses. I'm going to put hardware cloth on the bottom of the cover to hopefully persuade it to stop. I might try a couple other tricks to rid us of it but i'll see what happens before I report.

[bowhunt]

Good Luck, MJ!

[Neighbor_guy]

If it's not one thing it's another. First 3' of snow, now rats. Ain't it grand?

[lungdeflator]

Merk come on out! I'll be on Winnipeg March 6-9 but then taking a 4 day weekend to spear the last 4 days of season. Last day of season last year we saw 33 pike in the hole, average size 5-7lbs and multiple over 10....

[merkman]

Merk come on out! I'll be on Winnipeg March 6-9 but then taking a 4 day weekend to spear the last 4 days of season. Last day of season last year we saw 33 pike in the hole, average size 5-7lbs and multiple over 10....

IM me your email address....

i might bring a couple guys with.....

or we could set up an after season get to gator here in the forums if you would like?

-Merk

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[hawkeye43]

Guys, check out channel 4 news tonight at 10, Frank & Chris came to check out what spearing is about on Madison lake. I should have split them blocks smaller.

[hillbilly...]

Hows the clarity on madison? Better then Washington

[MJ1657]

Guys, check out channel 4 news tonight at 10, Frank & Chris came to check out what spearing is about on Madison lake. I should have split them blocks smaller.

I'm in Owatonna I hope I get channel 4 in the truck.

[hillbilly...]

I was not aware you did not have a receipt. Glad they are trying to work it out with you. [/qu

Well they gave me another new house with the thermo roofand had to cut poles but i dont like it because the roof is to bright knw any body that wants to buy one..

[MJ1657]

Hillbilly,

You could throw a blanket or something similar on the roof to make it dark enough.

[mwal]

Hillbilly,

When I had my Clam Summit insulated it was to bright. I tried a blue tarp that was brown on one side it did not help. I was using anti fatigue pads on the ice to darken and make it less slippery so I bought another set at FF and put them in the poles on the inside of the roof it helped. My hubs kept breaking and was a pos so it went bye bye and I went to a eskimo quickfish 3 its plenty dark the hubs work I can set it up in 90 second by myself the only complaint is the bag is to small.

If you look online at F Farm the mats are called

Larin Anti-Fatigue Work Mat Set. They work great as a floor I may still build the floor Laska built for when lakes are drivable but early season when pulling otter sled the mats only weigh couple lbs. Check them out.

We could go out sometime if you want try the Quick fish 3 before deciding what to do with the Clam when it gets replaced.

Mwal

[Muskie03]

Headed back out to Square to chase the big girls. Water clarity has done a 180 from December. Seeing 20' is not a problem. The only problems are the lake is flooded and it's only foot traffic. Other than that... Get out there and give er'.

[mrklean]

Headed back out to Square to chase the big girls. Water clarity has done a 180 from December. Seeing 20' is not a problem. The only problems are the lake is flooded and it's only foot traffic. Other than that... Get out there and give er'.

Do you see many trout out there?

[MJ1657]

Sitting in the shack with Moll and Joe looking forward to the festivities at Spearfest this afternoon. It was a little chilly this morning.

[Neighbor_guy]

2hrs in this morning and haven't seen a fish yet... Might be one of those kinda days....