Anyone know how the fishing is compared to Rainy Lake?

They're fairly similar. I saw some big ones come out of both sides this year. The one thing is I've found the biggest pike in some pretty deep water on kabetogama and namakan chaising tulibees a lot of the year. I think Rainy probobly has some bigger ones floating around with so much water to fish but its all big water. I think kabetogama could use a better protective slot, the big pike get speared out pretty hard in the winter.

Thanks for the reply - that is helpful!

Just to set the record straight, more big pike are killed by the millions of anglers fishing all year round than the thousands of darkhouse spearers spearing in the daylight hours of a much shorter season.

Here we go again, I'd like to see proof.

I can't say that it's fair to assume spearing harvests more large pike than rod and reel fishermen, but there is no definite evidence to prove either side. While spearfishermen are definitely capable of harvesting larger pike with greater ease (they don't have to fight the fish/worry about break-offs or getting the fish to bite) they still need the opportunity to harvest the fish and many would decide to let a large fish pass and harvest only smaller fish for the health of the fishery. North Dakota requires spearfishermen to register the fish they harvest which would allow the monitoring of average size of fish harvested by spearing, although there is currently no way to monitor the average size or amount of large pike harvested by traditional methods. I don't think arguing about spearing harvest vs traditional methods is a road any of us really want to go down...again...so let's just leave it at this: fishing (even catch and release to a limited extent) kills fish. That's why they're there, so we can enjoy the resource, not so we can argue about it.

No you're right, anglers take more pike than the spear guys. I cant argue with that but the spearing on kabetogama has changed the size sructure. Talking to my uncle who is a ranger for vnp and former kab guide he tells me that the size structure out there has been changed greatly by spearing over the years and my grandfather that guided out there for almost 40 years told me about the way spearing cleaned the big pike out in the 70's and 80's. There have been other factors like water levels and definately angling pressure as well. I'm not going to knock on spearing because I've done it too and dont want to go there either. I was just stating some info and that I would like to see a new protective slot out there like they have started to do with some other lakes that were always notable pike fisheries. Its worked on the walleyes in there and It would be nice to see the big pike come back as well. No arguing here.

I can agree that spearing has been blamed for changing the size structure. But it is actually both methods that share the blame. Darkhouse spearing plays it's part in changing the size structure. That part is a small percent of the total winter and summer take of pike (large and small).

It is not the method of taking pike that is the issue; the problem is with the sportsman. They are the ones who throw the spear or keep the caught fish. It is a simple fact that sportsmen prefer larger pike, no matter the method of taking northern pike. (most studies quantify a large northern somewhere between 20 and 24 inches)

Education can help turn these statistics around. All sportsmen should practice and promote Catch and Release and Look and Release. If you want to eat some fish, good. Take the smaller ones and let the big ones live another day. Only take what you need and respect the daily/possesion limits.

I personally am in favor of protective slots; as long as they don't effectively ban darkhouse spearing or other methods of enjoying the resource.

I hope anglers and darkhouse spearers can work together to find ways to make it work for both methods. Much like the laws for rifle, bow and arrow, shotgun, and muzzleloader work for the deer hunters. There is enough room out there for all of us to enjoy our respective sports on these great public resorces.

Right now with regards to darkhouse spearing the slot limits need some work.

I can agree with most of your post execpt this part.

I would say it is a little easier to troll around a lake than to cut and remove a 300lb plus block of ice just to sit and wait for a fish to swim by. Plus you have to be awake to darkhouse spear a fish. If I snooze when angling I can still have a good chance at catching the fish.

Here is a recap of that data you spoke of that ND has collected.
http://gf.nd.gov/multimedia/ndoutdoors/issues/2007/feb/docs/pike-spearing.pdf

Also interesting in SD where they track state records by hook and other methods, the hook and line record pike eeked a couple ounces over the darkhouse speared pike. Once again showing that neither method really has much of an advantage when harvesting large pike.

No i don't want to see a slot that restricts people from enjoyin they're sport either and the wrong slot on pike could easily do that. Unfortunately when it comes to rainy, kabetogama and the rest of the chain of lakes It sounds like spearing will get banned eventually anyway by the national park. From what I understand they have a whole laundry list of regs that they want to impose. I won't even post what some of them are because people would be absolutely outraged.

I have heard about PETA wanting to ban fishing in State Parks

http://www.animalrights.net/articles/200...in-state-parks/

but I haven't heard them reaching out like that to the National Parks too.

Scary times indeed.

Wow!!!!!!!!!! "The violent process of fishing" WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!