fresh water

[Angus]

Here is an interesting little tidbit. I have just moved to Utah and discovered that fresh water spearfishing is allowed in certain lakes from June through to October. The catch is limited by species, weight, and length and requires a fishing licence. There are far more severe limits on spearfishing than traditional methods. I am sure why this is but am pleased to see as there is no restriction on scuba gear. I was wondering if anyone is aware of other states, provinces, or regions that allow fresh water spear fishing? You can find out the Utah statutes by logging onto www.utahdiving.com and following the links from there.

[Jon]

In Wisconsin you can only spear "rough fish". That means things like carp. There is also a very limited sturgeon spearing season done in the winter through the ice- that would be a good test of fortitude!
Since I would only shoot what I could eat I have been talking to other divers about how to cook a carp. My grandfather says that they used to "smoke' them during the depression.
Anyone have any recipies or recomendations. It would be fun to spear them IF I could eat them.
Jon

[Bill]

How to cook a carp in 20 steps.
Step 1 Place carp on plank
Step 2 thru 19 baste, marinate, bake, poach, sauces, etc.
Step 20 Discard the carp and eat the plank

[Jon]

I was afraid of that!
This has been the same conclusion that me friends and i have drawn. They use theirs as compost for the garden. I don't really want to spear it if I can't eat it.
Jon

[andrsn]

i moved out to colorado this past summer and just recently found out that spearfishing for laketrout is legal in some lakes during seasons. i know those puppies hang out deep, but they're huge!

i've been tapping some locals for info on these guys. hopefully by spring i'll have a decent 7mil and a way of getting to them. talk about some extreme freedive spearfishing!

later,
anderson

[Angus]

Howdy neighbor,

Hey Anderson, Let's try and get together after the thraw and shoot dinner. I'd love to dive with you sometime and once the spearo season opens go hunting. There must be some good lakes between my location and yours that we could meet up at and dive together. How long does it take to drive from Salt Lake to Denver? Are there any good lakes that are good winter diving? The hunting season in Utah is June to the end of September, is Colorado's the same? Warmly, Angus

[Angus]

Hi Jon,

Are these the big sturgeon? When is the season? Do you know anybody who has hunted them? Going under the ice for big sturgeon sound massively wild. The mere thought of the high risk factors gets my juices flowing. Octo and I would love to come up for that. Certain species of sturgeon are great eating. If its not edible I won't shoot it. Do people eat these sturgeon? If they are not the a food fish it would still be cool to shoot some film at them.

[andrsn]

markus,

i've been through many regulation pamphlets out here and am seeing alot of contradictions. i think it might go lake to lake out here. i'm going to try and talk to some more locals on where's the best "fishing" and when do the lakers move up in shallow to spawn? i'm a wuss when it comes to cold water but a complete diehard when i have a gun in my hand. it's night and day for me.

what's your background in spearfishing? i think it's 8hrs to SLC from where i am. i'm still trying to find out where people go scuba diving here to at least find out which lakes have the best viz and when.

later,
anderson

[Jon]

These are the big sturgeon. The season is rather unique. You need a permit and it only takes place for about a week in the middle of the winter. The only lake that it is allowed on is Winenabago (sp?). Guys set up huge tents on the ice and cut a giagantic hole in the ice. They then sit around the hole with a beer in one hand and a spear in the other. The tent is important to block out the sun and be able to see into the lake better- it is a BIG shallow mud-hole of a lake. When someone actually gets one it is a big deal- I guess it can take more than a decade to get a single fish!
Trout and other things are not allowed to be speared. I was diving about two months ago and I got right up to some nice size brown trout out in Lake Michigan. I got close enough that I was actually petting them- this happpened 4 times that day while I was diving. The only things legal to spear are the rough fish.
Jon

[ZTH]

I moved to Pierre, SD about a year ago and discovered that you can spear on most lakes and rivers up here. I moved from California where you could only spear in salt water. The thing taht really suprised me was that you can spear Game fish (including Walleye). They're pretty fair with the seasons too. You can still spear game fish on Lake Oahe until Dec. 1, season started jan.1 with a break from march 5 to july 1(for Lake Oahe, seasons differ for different lakes/rivers).

[okamotoa]

sd? im in nebraska and spearing game fish is legal fallowing rod and reel regs from july 1- dec 31. though im really new to this
and nongame is open year round