Big Musky Speared.....

[Kevin Cochran]

This is why spearing shouldn't be allowed on our BROOD lake. This is a very common problem and we have caught fish that have survived encounters like this.

Very sad and definately a problem that needs to be stopped.

Click/copy and paste the following link to view the fish:
http://www.forum.minnesotawaterfowler.com/viewtopic.php?t=12471

Contact our DNR Office and tell them that this needs to stop:

Bemidji Area Fisheries Office
2114 Bemidji Avenue
Bemidji, MN 56601
218-308-2339
bemidji.fisheries@dnr.state.mn.us

[BBushy]

Hey Kevin,
Thats unfortunate and I find that is a shocker that the DNR let peole spear on brood lakes. I know lake that I fish alot in Mantrap that the DNR
doesn't allow spearing.

[Kevin Cochran]

Thanks to all that have sent in e-mails or called our local DNR office.

Please continue to tell others about this problem and educate them as well. The more people we get to speak out against this the greater the possibility of something being done.

Tell them to take spearing out of our brood lakes.

[Scottie Thomas]

Thanks for bringing this to attention Kevin, hopefully anyone who has wet a line for muskie in the past will take a short minute or two to send an email or make a phone call.

Hope they catch who ever did it!

[Kevin Cochran]

I don't have a problem with people that spear but just those that spear fish they shouldn't.

I have also heard of two muskies speared out of Lake Bemidji this year as well.

I would love to see spearing banned on brood lakes. It doesn't make any sense. These lakes are typically stocked at 1.5 fish an acre and have more muskies in them than other stocked musky lakes.

[Kevin Cochran]

I recommend calling.

Here's the mass e-mail that we have been getting back as a response......

Thank you for your comments concerning the illegally speared muskellunge on Lake Plantagantte. Our local Conservation Officer is aware and investigating the incident. The musky was brought to our office for necropsy. It was not one of our PIT tagged muskellunge from the 2007 mark and recapture population estimate, but confirmed to be a large mature female in the 49-50 inch range.

As I am sure you are aware, northern pike spearing is a legal activity on a number of our natural and introduced muskellunge waters. When practiced responsibly it is legitimate sport providing considerable recreational opportunity.

Unfortunately irresponsible actions such as these do reflect negatively on dark house spearing in general. The fact that this mature female was removed from a brood stock lake will not have any noticeable affect on our muskellunge production program. We do collect muskellunge eggs from Plantaganette when needed but generally have no trouble collecting adequate numbers of brood fish to meet production needs. More concerning is the removal of a very large individual from a fishery where a recent population estimate confirms how scarce 50 inch muskellunge are in these populations.

Gary Barnard
Bemidji Area Fisheries Supervisor
218-308-2330
gary.barnard@dnr.state.mn.us

[cbrooks]

Did they ever catch the person or people responsible for this? What does Dnr plan to do with spearing on these brood stock lakes?

[Kevin Cochran]

They never caught the people responsible for doing it. I doubt that the DNR will stop spearing on brood lakes. I have talked to them in length about it and the Darkhouse Association has alot of pull in the grand scheme of things.