MINNESOTA DARKHOUSE AND ANGLING

[iizfishin]

DID ANYONE ELSE GO TO THE MINNESOTA DARKHOUSE AND AGNLING MEETING LAST NIGHT AT THE SPICER LEGION?I DON'T USUALLY GO TO THESE THINGS BUT SINCE I STARTED UP SPEARING ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW MANY OUT THERE ACTUALLY DO SOME SPEARING.I DON'T GO OUT FOR THE TROPHEYS,BUT DO LIKE TO TAKE SOME 3-5 POUNDERS HOME EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. OUT OF 500 LETTERS SENT OUT,AROUND 45 PEOPLE SHOWED UP.THE WHOLE THING LASTED ABOUT 3 HOURS AND WAS ACTUALLY VERY INTERESTING.THEY ALSO RAFFLED OFF ABOUT 25 DECOYS AND OTHER PRIZES.CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHATS UP AT THE NEXT MEETING.

[Owen]

I wasn't aware that their was a MN Darkhouse Chapter in Spicer. Does anyone have any contact info?

Owen

[jigginjim]

iizfishin' It sounds neat that a group would form a darkhouse & angling Meeting. I had a bass tounament guy tell me tried spearing for the first time with a friend . He was amazed, how hard it really was. He thought it was fun, but also time consuming, he like the super large hole for the angling.

[iizfishin]

It was a meeting to get a chapter going in the area.You can send your 10.00 membership fee to MDAA,PO Box 1875,Burnsville,Mn.55337,or call 952-895-1774

[BLACKJACK]

I've never speared either but I've heard its kind of like deer hunting/sitting in a stand and then all of sudden you have big time action. Might have to try it sometime. Just what I need, another hobby...

[jigginjim]

You have the main idea. But it's easier to call northerns in than deer. If you use rattle baits it brings fish in like crazy.

[LEECH21]

Went spearing with a friend once. I just watched as he speared. I really don't like the idea of it. You can't really spear, photo, and release (SPR) can you!

[Early Riser]

In spearing you can watch and release the fish by deciding not to throw the spear. You never touch the fish and don't subject the poor critter to the 15% hooking mortality from "CPR." I constantly hear stories of groups of guys going out with tip-ups and catching northerns all day. I think that this type of fishing is far more damaging to pike populations than spearfishermen confined to one hole while selectively harvesting a few fish. All the spearers I talk to are faily selective about the fish they take. I know there are exceptions, but this is also true for anglers. I was out jogging with the dog on the lake early this morning. As I approaced an angler he quickly shuffled over to another hole and pulled up a sucker line. This guy was sitting over that spot all winter with a group of guys running a lot of tip ups all winter. I know they killed a ton of fish and he was still trying to catch some more! I did call tip on this. My biggest pet peave with some spearers is leaving the blocks out on the ice. I know I have had some freeze down so that they couldn't be moved, but in such cases I chop the dang thing up so some poor soul doen't damage their vehicle or hit it with a snowmobile.