Pokegama Spearing

[bmc]

Me and two buddies hit Pokey today for some gators. We had 2 houses and ended up with 7 gators, all 3-6 lbs. We saw a total of 17 between noon and 3:30. We were on a drop off that ran from shore out into deep water and both houses were right on the drop off, 12 feet about. Every gator was full of smelt.....imagine that!! Spear a slimer.....save a walleye...LOL

bmc

[DinnerPail]

BMC, was out there sat. and sun. was a little slower then. Did get a nice 11 1/2 pounder on sat. morning and had another one about the same size come through and grab the decoy so fast I didn't have a chance. Will be back on thurs. for the long weekend. I drive a F350 extended cab with a artic cat four wheeler in the back and go out off the mishawaka road, say hi and compare some notes if your around.

[bmc]

We were back out on our spot again today. This time we were set up at first light and had to wait till it got light enough to see. Action was alot slower today, but I got a 3 and 5 lber, while my buddy's got 5 between 3-5 lbs. They saw 10 white fish today and got a couple. We stuck it out till 2:00 pm. We saw probably a total of 10 northerns. They also saw a good one, 10-15lbs, but it stole their sucker minnow and was gone before they could figure out what happened.

bmc

[This message has been edited by bmc (edited 12-22-2003).]

[gkl]

I myself am not a spearer, at least not yet. I have a place on Pok and have been told that the lake used to be good for a decent chance at a trophy, but spearing has eliminated all the trophies since obviously there's no release option with spearing. I don't know if this is true or not, just wandering what some spearers think.

[bmc]

I've heard horror stories like that gkl, but hope that spear fisherman would have the common sense to let those 10-20 lb fish swim. I can honestly say I've never speared a fish over 10, granted I've had few opportunities. I'd much rather take the one's like I've been getting. I'd love to get a trophy over 15lbs with a spear, for the wall. I feel that spearing is a very effective way to "thin out the snakes", which I think most people would agree, we have plenty of in most MN lakes.
I believe the current northern length limits have greatly helped out and saved some mid sized fish, so they can grow and replace the "trophies" that do get speared and caught w/ hook and line. Spear fisherman get a bad rap from alot of people, no doubt, but spearing is a very selective method of harvesting fish as well. I'm an avid bowhunter and compare it to bowhunting. In my 17 years of bowhunting, I've got one trophy buck on the wall. In my 15 years of spearing, I've only seen 2 or 3 fish that I would consider a trophy, and they're still swimming, no worse for the wear. Just cause they swim in the hole, doesn't mean you get to put a spear in them. There's that little thing called human error!!! I don't know that many people that specifically target trophy sized northerns with a hook and line. I think if people did, they'd be suprised at the number of "trophy" gators that us spear fisherman don't get. With the smelt population in Pokey, I feel it's the best place in Itasca County to get a trophy gator other than, Winnie. All of the fish we've got have been full of smelt, these are chunky gators we've been getting.

bmc

[This message has been edited by bmc (edited 12-22-2003).]

[gkl]

Thanks for the reply bmc. I can see where spearing would be a lot of fun. I hope your right that many that spear would allow the big gators to swim away. I certainly would understand somebody taking a trophy for the wall, but taking them just to eat seem like a waste, especially when the little ones taste better anyways. I caught my trophy walleye for the wall on Pok last summer. I'm hoping to add a trophy gator someday!