Smelt Spearing???????

[Higgins]

First I will start off by saying that I felt the same way you are probably feeling right now and that is why spear smelt they are already a small fish and with holes in them they wont be much of a meal but I plan on using real skinny spearing tines so it wont be a problame.I want to try spearing some smelt this year on Higgins lake but there are a few laws that concern me. The law of spearing states that you cant spear in any designated trout lakes so that would mean that Higgins is out for spearing, but I know of a few guys that spear pike on Higgins. So any one know how this law works cause I my self spear on a designated trout lake (Muskegon lake in Muskegon county) and know of at least 10 other guys that spear on this lake and have seen allot of other spearing shanty's on other designated trout lakes. Any one have any input on this topic .O yeah and feel free to read the Michigan fishing guide and tell me what you think on the section on spearing cause maybe I'm missing something. 

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/bow-spear-fishing_151596_7.pdf

[mbrooks]

Higgins, Are you being serious? Why spear them when its so much fun to fish them with hook and line? I think you have a bad case of cabin fever

[IcingSomeSlabs]

I read what I could and haven't seen anything to help you out.  I just wanna know, how many smelt you plan on getting per throw?  I've only gotten smelt by netting, and it seems to be either a netful at a time, or nothing.

[Higgins]

I read what I could and haven't seen anything to help you out.  I just wanna know, how many smelt you plan on getting per throw?  I've only gotten smelt by netting, and it seems to be either a netful at a time, or nothing.

I forgot to say that it will be through the ice that I'm going to spear them and  I imagine just one at a time but with hundreds under the shanty I don't think it will be hard to fill a bucket. And Mbrooks why wait for them to turn on and start biting when I can just bit them, with a spear that is  . I want to try it because I am a avid spear chucker and it sounds kinda fun, Why not give it a try .

[Rumrunner]

You should check Note 8.  It only showsMona as a restriction for spearing. 

[Higgins]

You should check Note 8.  It only showsMona as a restriction for spearing. 

I realize this but in the Michigan rule book for trout streams and Inland trout lakes, Muskegon lake along with White lake are considered Inland trout lakes and as we both know there are plenty of people who spear on both of those lakes. So you can see my confusion .

[walleyesteve]

Is it legal to use a dipnet for'm through the ice? That would be a way to get a bunch! I've had fresh ones and they'r awesome. Restaurant- you'd be real lucky to find any worth eat'n. Good luck!

[wartfroggy]

Is it legal to use a dipnet for'm through the ice? That would be a way to get a bunch! I've had fresh ones and they'r awesome. Restaurant- you'd be real lucky to find any worth eat'n. Good luck!

You can use dip nets for smelt April 1 - May 31 on all non-trout streams in the Lower Pen for smelt, suckers, bowfin, carp and gar.

[pikemaster789]

I thought your only allowed to spear gar, carp, bowfin, 

and then pike during their season?

[Rumrunner]

I thought your only allowed to spear gar, carp, bowfin, 

and then pike during their season?

Again...confusing...so rt of.  The biggest Northern I've ever seen was speared outta Muskegon lake. 

[ketchemall]

well if spearing on them lakes wasnt allowed i think that the dnr would be out there giving tickets  i think their main concern is streams and rivers because of the non trout and the designated trout streams but it doesnt really give an answer to the smelt question you can shoot them with a bow and a light in non trout strams but nothing about lakes or spears i have when i was a kid speared smelt thru the ice with a frog spear lots of fun but like i said i was a kid and wasnt thinking is this legal or not

[sightfisher]

I saw a short video clip of smelt spearing on Youtube.com.

[ketchemall]

well if spearing them on  the lakes wasnt allowed i think that the dnr would be out there giving tickets  i think their main concern is streams and rivers because of the non trout and the designated trout streams but it doesnt really give an answer to the smelt question you can shoot them with a bow and a light in non trout strams but nothing about lakes or spears i have when i was a kid speared smelt thru the ice with a frog spear lots of fun but like i said i was a kid and wasnt thinking is this legal or not

oops the first part was ment for pike

[wartfroggy]

best way to find out would be to email or call a CO.  You can go the the DNR website and get contact info.

[wartfroggy]

Higgins is not technically a "Designated Trout Lake". Nor is Muskegon Lake, PM Lake, ect.  A designated trout lake is....any lake designated by the state where trout are the predominent gamefish.  All type "A", all type "D", and some type "B" lakes are considered designated trout lakes. Most of these des trout lakes have seasons similar to trout streams.  Higgins is a type "E" lake.  FO-200 lists all designated trout lakes and streams and is available upon request or it is available on the MDNR webpage.  I am still looking for it though!

[wartfroggy]

Here is FO-200 for 2006. 

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/FO-200-06_181949_7.pdf

[Higgins]

Higgins is not technically a "Designated Trout Lake". Nor is Muskegon Lake, PM Lake, ect.  A designated trout lake is....any lake designated by the state where trout are the predominent gamefish.  All type "A", all type "D", and some type "B" lakes are considered designated trout lakes. Most of these des trout lakes have seasons similar to trout streams.  Higgins is a type "E" lake.  FO-200 lists all designated trout lakes and streams and is available upon request or it is available on the MDNR webpage.  I am still looking for it though!

OK Wartfroggy from what I'm gathering from you your saying that it is OK to spear smelt on Higgins than, because I read the link that you posted and It doesn't say any thing about smelt being illegal to spear.

[wartfroggy]

from those links, it is ok to spear on Higgins Lake as it is not a designated trout lake.  From the spearing section of the fishing guide, you can spear Inland non-trout lakes (through the ice) from Jan-Feb for bowfin, bullheads, carp, catfish, drums, gar, herring, smelt, suckers, whitefish. So, yes, I believe you can do it.

[ketchemall]

well ill be able to tell you in a bit the co was on the other line as soon as i get the answer ill post it

[Higgins]

from those links, it is ok to spear on Higgins Lake as it is not a designated trout lake.  From the spearing section of the fishing guide, you can spear Inland non-trout lakes (through the ice) from Jan-Feb for bowfin, bullheads, carp, catfish, drums, gar, herring, smelt, suckers, whitefish. So, yes, I believe you can do it.

I'm going to give it a try and might even go to crystal and try it out. I will let every one know how it works out and if I end up with a pricey fishing trip . I did give this question to the DNR website and I hope to get a reply soon and will post it. O yeah I was thinking about it and it might not work out cause once you spear a smelt it will release blood in the water and I'm sure that wont sit well with those little fish, But maybe not.

[ketchemall]

when the smelt are high they just keep coming in after you spear one like i said i did it when i was a kid

[wartfroggy]

I really doubt the smelt will care about some blood.  You can catch them on strips of smelt, I catch alot of perch on perch eyes or belly meat.  Not sure how they will like a spear being chucked through their school, or how much good a speared smelt is to you, but I think it can be done and done legally.  

I have no interest in doing it, but it gave me something to research for a bit, I am a little bored today!

[ketchemall]

i cant wait to find out if it is legal this topic brought back a lot of memmories of good times ide like to do it again that is if its legal

[Higgins]

i cant wait to find out if it is legal this topic brought back a lot of memmories of good times ide like to do it again that is if its legal

Make sure that you tell the DNR every thing you can in this topic about the controversy. Thanks for calling the DNR and doing my dirty work.

[ketchemall]

the hand book is not very clear when it comes to spearing it says that you can bow fish for smelt but nothing about spearing how in the heck would you hit one with a bow i mean if there is a big school i could see it but the arrows are as big around as a smelt is wide their wouldnt be much to eat after that  lol

[spartaman12]

yeah ur better off just bringing a hali jig and u can catch em one afer another

[Higgins]

the hand book is not very clear when it comes to spearing it says that you can bow fish for smelt but nothing about spearing how in the heck would you hit one with a bow i mean if there is a big school i could see it but the arrows are as big around as a smelt is wide their wouldnt be much to eat after that  lol

Hey I read that too but I think it means spears are excepted in all category's because they never mention that a hand propelled spear is legal for any fish in any certain category but we all know that that isn't true.

This is what it says at the top------A hand-propelled spear may be used on the following waters. In addition, a bow, light, springpropelled
or rubber-propelled spear may be used as indicated. Size and possession limits are the
same as for General Hook and Line Regulations – Table 2 (p. 8 inland non-trout waters are those
inland waters except Designated Trout Lakes (*see FO-200) and Designated Trout Streams (see
FO-210); For exceptions to these regulations, see Note 8 - Restricted Spearing Lakes (p.10),
Michigan-Wisconsin Boundary Regulations (p.12), Sylvania Wilderness Area (p. 13), and
Exceptions to General Regulations by County (p.14-17).

[Higgins]

yeah ur better off just bringing a hali jig and u can catch em one afer another

That is one of the reasons that I want to try and spear them because some times the bite isn't on and when I go up to those smelt lakes I only have enough time and money for 1 night of smelting so I have to make it count. I would rather catch them by line but it isn't always possible.

[ketchemall]

yea i re read it and i am sure it is legal to spear smelt  on non trout lakes but why cant they just put that with the bow and light i mean come on you look for what you want to go for and it says bow and light put spear with that and it would be so much easier to tell i know that it used to be illegal to do thats why i havnt done it in so many years but ill wait for the call before i go out with a spear in hand it is so much fun i mean to catch em on hook and line is great but if you want  a little bit of a challange and  breaks up the same ole same ole

[Higgins]

yea i re read it and i am sure it is legal to spear smelt  on non trout lakes but why cant they just put that with the bow and light i mean come on you look for what you want to go for and it says bow and light put spear with that and it would be so much easier to tell i know that it used to be illegal to do thats why i havnt done it in so many years but ill wait for the call before i go out with a spear in hand it is so much fun i mean to catch em on hook and line is great but if you want  a little bit of a challange and  breaks up the same ole same ole

I know what your saying but if they maid it too clear than they would lose there jobs because they wouldn't have any phone calls to answer .