SD Darkhouse Pike Spearing

Not trying to hone in on someone's honey hole but if any of you have any information you'd like to share regarding a lake or two that a guy could try for some darkhouse spearing I'd appreciate it. Of course clear water and some pike are the two main factors.

I/m looking at a short day or two trip to the Eastern portion of SD later in the season/early spring, this year, or maybe next. Our ridiculous season closes here the end of February and the restrictions are nuts (typical MN regs...don't get me started).

Of course PM/s are welcome. I get it.

Thanks in advance....and hoping all the darkhouse guys on here are having a good year.

Calvin

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I grew up with a couple old timers that speared pike most weekends. We always went to Missouri River typically in the Akaska area. Stayed in about 15 foot or less so they could see the bottom. Always seemed to get at least a couple pike, sometimes a bunch.

Nice pics MJM! Those are GIANT...and pretty much non existent around here.

I always enjoyed your spearing vids in the past. Maybe I'm a looking at the wrong state

Same here! I have often thought about the picture you posted with 3 or 4 in the hole at once. I would like to try that just once!

I had a spot I could see 40-60 pike 3-5 lbs, in three-four hours. A few bigger ones mixed in. I would go and spear one fish a week, 6-15 lbs and just watch the rest of the time. I went 4-5 days a week just to watch. But it is pretty much fished out now. The last couple times I was there I would only see two to three fish in four hours and they were small. I have been lucky with the spearing I have had. The first year they opened spearing in ND my buddy and I got 13 pike with a 17lb average. We passed a lot of fish 15-18lbs for fear of dropping our average. It was the first year he ever speared. You have to set where the pike are.

nice fish mjm thanks for sharing

It called " retirement bucket list "

It looks like fun

Water Wolf
Cool pictures

Wow, that is really neat! Like your Jagd Terrior getting into the action.

Hey Mark ! NICE FISH !
What is the one sniffy is on ?
Looks more like a sucker .... or white fish ?
Thanks for the post !

The dog is sniffing on what we call north of the 49th.... a Mennonite Trout

Can't find that reference anywhere.
What is it AKA ?
Thanks

Looks like a white sucker to me. We get to spear lake sturgeon in Wisconsin, but the musky guys have stopped every effort to get a pike spearing season.

It is a sucker, and we can spear them and other ruff fish. So if they cruse through, I try to stick them. I had a beaver come through the hole a couple times down on the bottom. That might have been a fight if a guy would have speared him. A Game Warden showed up about an hour or two later the last time I saw him, I was kind of glad I let him swim. I am not sure you can spear beaver in ND. I do not eat the suckers or carp, I add them to the bait pile. The sniffer did not like fishing much, he was a hunter. But he saw a fair number of fish. Some before I did.

ive had muskrats come up through hole a few times ... one time i came to thr shavk. heater was on so the holes were open from the day before as perch bite was good... looked like someone was chewin tobbaco and spitting around the holes... mink had come in crapped every where ate 2 buckets of minnows,,, had to go to town 2 get bait an clean up mink poo..he got even with a trapper...lol
never tried spearing but this thread sure got my interest up

Man you’re killing me tossing out those tasty things! Some drawn butter and boiled in 7 up, they are one of my favorite fish. Makes a great change up from fried fish.. I’m sure they work well in the pile though I guess!!

Just a question but do you always let them go to the bottom? I always poked them and tried to take advantage of the 2 seconds where they are just froze to get them out the door. I always had a "back up spear" too for a bad hit or a big one. Big ones usually got poked a second time even though I have never had one come off.

I'll second that on the 7 up boil,..good stuff. Have you thought about winnie Cajvin?

I always let them go to the bottom. It is how I was taught. I have never speared a fish that was on a spear again and only ever lost oe I had on a spear. It was a bad hit on a fish I should not have thrown at. It was out under the ice. When I pull them up I come up slow and if it is a big fish fighting it will go in a circles and I just keep coming up slow. The fish will be on it side because the spear and handle is too heavy for them to keep upright. Around and around with them on their side and the handle end at their height the swim up and I get ahold of the handle and lift then out like lifting hay on a fork. I have see plenty of guys stop the spear right after they hit a fish and to me it is a good way to knock a fish off a spear.

Interesting. I do it like I do because that is the way I was taught too. Apparently both ways work. Someday I will do it again. I rebuilt the Kouba spear house again 4 years ago and it hasn't left the yard.

You better take that house out or it will be time to rebuild it again before it gets used. I see some new spears now, with very aggressive barbs. I saw a guy that speared his first 20+ lb fish near cut it in half trying to get it off his spear. It looked like he had tried to cut the head off. The spear looked great, but I did not care for what it did. The fish I lost I never got back in the hole. It was on just long enough to know I hit it.
I have a friend I spear with, that threw at one out under the ice and hit it, and lost it. It was a 20+ lb fish. Three hours later it came back in to the same decoy prefect and he got it. I have a picture of one I speared with a spear mark about 3/4s the way to the tail. I had not lost any fish or missed any. I had a friend hit one out on the end of the nose. The fish and spear when to the bottom. The spear was stuck in the mud. When he pulled the spear up the fish never moved. It was not on the spear, but was laying on the bottom on it's side. When he got the spear in he threw again and got the fish and pulled it up. There was a small cut out on the end of the nose and that was the only mark I could find on the fish.
I made a single tine out of a spear gun point. It puts a hole in a fish.

I was always guilty of poking them a little too far forward. Grandpa would chew me out if I wasted any part of the fillet with tine marks.

Barb length (and also Tine diameter) is definitely worth mentioning (and looking at before buying a spear). I have one spear that has too small of barb length to keep a fish on, even when careful. I've lost fish off that spear. Some barbs are (as stated) way too big. They look cool but as pointed out, will tear the fish apart getting them off. I settled on one of those spendy Amish made spears. really well foreword balanced, glides through the water real nice without much commotion and doesn't cut the fish almost in half, yet keeps fish on. Spent way too much money on it but I figure it's a lifetime investment (justification), if I don't run it over somehow or lose it. 10 years later, I'm still VERY careful with that spear due to the price.

We get pretty protective about our spears don't we? Mine always went in the CAB of the truck or across my lap on the snow machine. It was never just thrown in the back or strapped to the side of the sled. My spear was my Great Grandfathers. I also have my Grandpa, Grandma's and Dad's spears. Ironically enough, they were all sold by Western Auto and were offered in 2 weights. Mine is the heavier of the 2 and flies straight as an arrow. The shorter, lighter ones are what my grandparents and Dad all preferred.

I can show you spears that are over $1000. I have seen them sell in an auction for over $2000. I can't see where one would do anything for me. These are new spears, not a collector. I have seen those Amish spears and they look like a good spear. Mine is a cheap factory that I got when I was in high school I would guess 1973 or 74. My first one was a five tine and I bought a used seven tine of the same make 25-30 years later. The five gets way better penetration. They are very close to 100% the same. I poured lead over the handle where it meets the spear and up about a foot. I split a piece of metal conduit, bent the bottom end shut around the top of the spear head, wired it on and wrapped it in foil. Then filled it with molten lead. After it cooled pulled the conduit off and did a little file work to clean it up. Tines are sharp on them both. I think there is more drag in the water on the seven tine.
I make my own decoys too. I have a 5 gallon bucket they ride in, and I sit on it when I spear. I tie my spear off to the handle of the bucket. They don't look like some of the real nice decoys that sell for $100 and more, but I seem to be able to attract a fish. I have had pike come in and look at a empty beer can on a string.
The bottom fish was 42" when it was tagged two years prior. It is the only tagged pike I ever speared. I did not see the tag before I speared it. I was not playing much though. I wanted to get a fish and that was the first one I saw that day.

Really good info on this thread, thanks guys.

I am not a collector and don't know a lot about spear brands. I will post the pictures and see what I can learn and pass it on. I would guess the first thing they will ask is for a picture of the handle and line tie. I guess it is a lot like having a picture of a trap where you can't see the pan. Neat old spear.

I doubt my spears are very valuable and it doesn't matter. They aren't for sale at any price anyway. I drug them out for this picture and realized that "dad's spear" is different from the rest and a little shorter. Mine (that was my great grandfathers) is on the Left.

You may be surprised at the value of those spears. Not saying to sell them, but $250-500 and more is common for old spears that are hand made.

Really? I had no idea they were worth that but then again they aren't for sale. I have one on the wall that I always figured was worth something but it has more sentimental value to me.

Nice spear pics. Thanks for sharing. Yeah, no way I'd sell them either, 160. They look real nice to me.

Never seen one of those $1,000 spears. Think I paid $260 for mine about 10 years ago and still treat it like it's brand new (and sacred). Those hand made ones have real character, however.

Talking about decoys (and the beer can), my favorite decoy (if you can call it that) is a single nickel colored #7 willow leaf spinner blade snapped onto a swivel and tied to the decoy line. Bring it up to the top and let it go. It flutters down like a big feather from side to side. on a sunny day, its throws flash out pretty good. Most days pike come to that far more than the decoy. Some days they just like the decoy....so I always have both down the hole.

I am impatient and like small, heavy decoys that swim FAST. I like whipping the decoy and then those big snakes come in they are going 80 MPH. You better have your poop in a group to keep them from hitting it while lowering the spear head into the water. Many times after I pull the decoy away a couple times and the spear ready they are only 2-3 feet down and I don't even need to let go of the handle. I love feeling that THUD vibrate through the handle.

There is a lot of spears that sell for $1000 or more. You won't see them in OK Hardware though
This hard water is for sale and the guy is asking $1200 for it.

This one is a J Walz and the guy is taking offers and it is $1100 right now.

Call Hjelle Arc Spears and see what their spears sell for. They are from New London.

WOW! Those are some incredible (and almost scary looking) spears! I really like the big barbs. That said, there is no way I would spend $1,000+ on a fish spear! I don't care if there is a picture of Les Kuoba holding it, there just isn't one that is worth that to me. Our "affordable" models kill fish just as well.

I agree 100%. I have poste picture on some spearing sights and catch heck for have a junk spear and decoys. But I will bet my spear has taken as many fish as theirs and the spear doesn't make fish come in. The biggest thing is setting where the fish are. Some decoys work better than others and it can change depending on the day, but any decoy will attract fish. Color and movement both can make a difference depending on the fishes mood.
John Pususta trout decoy $203.50 + 9.75 shipping. Two days and 21 hours left. If you bid $250, you might have a chance, but it could end up over $350

Holy cow! I have a couple that my grandpa and great grandpa carved. They aren't much to look at but have put a lot of fish on the table!

Just think of how many you could get with a $350 decoy. Pike swimming in and saying take me take me. Wait maybe that wasn't pike that said that.

hjelle is a local here, and hes an artist with metal working. the wooden handles on alot of his spears are made and decorated by another local. hjelle also makes "fire axes", and alot of those are raffled off by different fire depts as fund raisers. like i said, hes an artist.

great post guys thanks

I agree that Hjelle is an artist. But people buy them to spear with. The trout decoy is art too. But once it is on a line and down a hole swimming to me it is a user.

Sure wish we could spear northerns in Wisconsin. Looks like a lot of fun.
Mark, how big of a hole do you cut for spearing? That seems like it could
be a bit of a chore.

Zim

The hole size I cut depends on what house I take. My portable only has a 24X30 hole. I always try to cut the hole with the bottom a little larger than the top. You get a larger viewing area and you can push the block under the ice easier. My wheel house has two holes a 24 x 36 and a 24 x 48. I drill holes with an eight inch auger as close together as I can with out connecting them. I connect them with a ice saw. Once you get two foot of ice or more, it takes a while to cut a hole. That was not near as much of a factor 10+ years ago. I chiseled 24 x 36 holes through over two foot of ice when I was younger. Once you get over three foot of ice you start to wish you had a young guy along. The bigger the hole the more view and the more work it is. A lot of our ice has a lot of sand and dirt in it from the wind. It is hard on auger blades, they get dull fast. A sharp auger makes a world of difference.

Same goes whether it’s spearing or under ice beaver eh?! I got an ice saw a couple years ago but had kids around the same time so haven’t gotten much chance to use it. We used to always have a designated ice cutting chainsaw for beavering and northern spearing holes. Happy trapping! ScottW

I knew WI had some screwy game laws (OH We do too) but it's just plain wrong not being able to spear pike. I thought it was absurd (well it is) that we can't spear those fresh water coyotes (muskies), but WI takes the cake I guess. I think the guys from Michigan can spear muskies. I wish!

I use a Stihl 044 with a 36 inch bar for both spear holes and beaver trapping. I just run vegetable oil in it for the bar.

In ND we have to register for a spearing number and they send us a questioner at the end of the season. I always write on it to open spearing to all game fish. Are fish that are speared deader then ones that are caught on a hook and kept? People always say you can't release them spearing, but I do all the time by not throwing at them.

Agreed MJM. People seem to have this misconception of spearing (maybe a lot like trapping) that's not based on reality or fact but what someone once said or thought they knew.

I was out the other day and let 5 fish swim by ... I didn't spear any. Guys with tip ups hook those and flop them on the ice all day long, but we're the bad guys.

im gonna have to try that, we cant ice spear in nh but can spear suckers from march to may, spearing any fish feeds the primal predator within. people talk about getting endorphin release from various activities, two of my favorites are seeing a filled trap & feeling a spear connect! if you know, you know.