Spearing destinations for up coming season.

[spear foot 1]

 Some lakes I want to try this year for spearing are minnewaska and devils lake

[glenn57]

 i've speared minnewaska several times. a couple pointers. first ya gotta set up out where there fishing the sunfish, 16 ft of water, shallower no nords. and last year i used live dekes and you could watch them come in on the bottom then they'd dart up grab the live deke and head straight back to the bottom before ya could get your spear in the water. drove me nuts. all them nords did that. i have 2 holes in my house 1 for live dekes and the other i put a artifical down , they didnt want much to do with the fake one.

[spear foot 1]

I have tip up fished for northerns on minnewaska for a couple years no and pulled up some dandys. Like you said stay around the pan fish.  I like to go out  on outer borders of the pan fish guys becuzit gets way to nuts in the middle of the groups. Last year I had a guy drive over my tip up with his snowmobile, I had a 5 gallon bucket sitting right next to it so nobody would drive it over. He starts his sled and takes off almost runs over a black 5 gallon bucket in broad day light runs over my tip up then stops and looksat me then takes off again. You would think that a bucket sitting 5 feet away from a clam would hint at maybe I should may be not drive right by te bucket, and I know it happens I have almost driven over a couple my self ,but at least I would stop and tell the guy sorry or someting. Any way I want go there during the week when its a little quieter and get a room and spend the night so a guy can fish early morning and night. One thing for sure though is the bigger the bait the bigger the fish. I like to use the biggest suckers I can find.  Usually find them in a bar after a couple No but  I have been using big suckers 12" -15"  And they really do bring in some bruisers.

[glenn57]

odd you say that about tippups! whenever i've been there, keep in mind weekends only, the panfish fishermen had better luck with nords then the tipup fishermen have!

[lentz]

i got a great lake for nord fishing both tip up and rod ( pan fishing)

me and my buddys will go out all day catch probly 6-12 a day
with a few over 30 and every once in a while a 35+
smallest we have pulled out is a 22 inch.( me)

you get to know how to play the big ones on tip ups expecialy using only a 8 inch hole.

what depth do you recemend spearing at?

we put our tip ups in 12-18 ft

[spear foot 1]

That depends greatly on water clarity, the better the visability the deeper you can go . But usually I hang around the 10'-12'  for spearing. I have been deeper but never seem to do as good .  Find a inside curve on a lake by a drop off is what I prefer in 10' feet of water and let er buck. I have a black canvas spear house 5' w x6' h x8' L  my spear hole is  7' feet long by 18" wide.  With such a long hole I can set up one end of the house in 10'  and if the drop off is steep enough I can some times be in 12'- 14' on the other side of the hole .  Two people can sit comfortable sie by side and spear or one guy in the middle. Not Ideal size house for one guy weight wise but I built it for comfort and usually some one else tags with.

[glenn57]

also depends on the time of year to. early i like to set up in 5-8 ft of water and right in weeds. its fun to watch them sneek thru the weeds. i have heard from some older spear gus that late season they like to set up in 15-20 ft of water off weed beds and breaks and only put there dekes down 3-4 ft. they claim the bigger nords are swimming that high looking for fish not healthy!

[corny13]

If you like spearing you ought to make a trip to middle Lake Oahe in SD  clear water, big pike PLUS u can spear Walleyes!

[glenn57]

that is on my TO DO list at some point!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[spear foot 1]

Hmmmm  road trip

[spear foot 1]

Another lake I want to try is watab between avon and cold spring.Suppose to be really clear and some nice pike in there. I think its still open to spearing?

[glenn57]

not sure if its open to spearing. problem with that lake is enough ice! usually takes a lot longer for safe ice out there.

[corny13]

A buddy of mine went north of Pierre two winters ago and had a great walleye spearing trip!  not many know its legal there!   Here is a link to a article ..http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/sports/recreation/outdoors/article_5e096847-ba93-578b-a6a9-dc7dc4fc9e6d.html

[spear foot 1]

Thanks corny 13 thats some awesome info.  I'm heading to western south dakota muzzle loading late december early january so  if theres good ice I can pull in and rent a spear house for a day. That would make a good trip even better, thanks again.

[glenn57]

hey spearfoot, your title here have anything to do with hitting yourself in the foot with your sprear????? J/K.

DO YOU BELONG TO THE DARKHOUSE ASSOCIATION?

[spear foot 1]

Well it wasnt my foot   And yes I do belong to the drk house association.

[glenn57]

yea me to. out of the spicer area. may switsh it though!

[spear foot 1]

I'm with the heartland chapter. melrose, freeport area

[spear foot 1]

Theres a little lake I discovered up towards the cushing area that I also want to try and spear this year. I know there are some nice perch and walleye in this lake too and its shallow only gets to around 14 ft. While angling jumbos up there last year we tangled with a couple nords.

[glenn57]

DID YOU GO TO that 25 th ann thing of the darkhouse assoc in freeport back in sept?? i bought a ticket....didnt win anything. i also spear with a few guys from a different site, there a blast. got banned from there so............ twice!

[spear foot 1]

No didnt make it to that one, was busy with work, yeah I use to be on that site a bunch to but not any more. I reconized your name from there.  Seems to be a couple guys that bailed ship and came to this site.

[spear foot 1]

What are some of the lakes the rest of you are gonna spear on or hope to this year?

[walkingstick3]

Ive got the spear and a house, I just need to get out spearing for the first time!

[FireRanger]

Don't spear yet, but I know there are small lakes around me that are popular spearing lakes (Zimmerman/Elk River area)

[spear foot 1]

Cass lake is now open for spearing  might head that direction

[glenn57]

i am going to try rice lake in stearns county also, yea cass will be a target as well as andrusia near by cass.

[MTCOMMER]

I have also speared Minnewaska, it was quite a few years ago - but we didnt pretty well.  We had the house right off the ballroom landing, pretty much in the pack of houses that are always there (Mixture of spear houses and people fishing for panfish).  I think we were in about 10-12FOW, but I might be mistaken and used mostly artificial decoys - that way if gave me something to do if the fish werent around.
I am hoping to get out there again this year - but its not looking good.

I will be going to Lake Winnebego (WI) for the sturgeon spearing spectacular, more for the  than for the spearing, but atleast one guy I know will have a spear in hand.