Spearing

[gkl]

The 2005 DNR survey of Pokegama (just posted) labels the size structure of pike in pokie as poor noting that no fish over 30" were sampled. The report points out that the lake has all the right characteristics to grow big pike and speculates that the lack of big pike may be due to overharvest. The catch and release ethic seems to be strong with anglers but, obviously, there's no releasing a speared fish. Not being a part of the spearing community myself, is there a developing ethic amongst spearers to let the big ones swim on by?

[bmc]

I've done some spearing in the past and plan on doing some in December on Pokegama. I think the DNR info. is mis-leading because once northerns get in that 8-10+ lb range on Pokeg, I think they go deep and chase smelt and that's why they don't show up in the DNR nets. I know that I've never speared a pike bigger than 8lbs. I can honestly say I wouldn't have a problem letting a fish over the 5-8lb range swim by. The only way to get bigger pike in most of our area lakes is to start keeping the smaller one's. I think in a lake that is over run with small pike, spearing could be a very effective tool to eventually increase the big pike population. I just can't see spearing a fish in the 10-18 lb range. They keep the little guy's in check, if there's enough big guys/gals in the lake. I hope other spearer's feel the same way, but I'm skeptical.

Brian

[gkl]

I think your right that the larger pike go out into open deep water and chase smelt in the summer, but what about in the winter? Don't they roam the flats and shallow points?

I tend to believe the DNR info. I troll the deep pods of smelt alot and have caught hundreds of norhterns in the 6-8lb range but only rarley see a ten pounder and out of all of them (5 years of lots of trolling), the biggest pike I've seen out of the lake is 11 lbs. I'm not saying there aren't some big ones in there, I just don't think there are very many.