spear fishing

[hammerhead]

What are the regulation for spear fishing (hand held) from shore in ohio. is it legal ?

[M.Magis]

I don't believe that's a "legal means" of fishing in Ohio.

[Lance]

Hear you go,

FORAGE FISH means freshwater drum (in the Lake Erie fishing district only), carp, quillback, suckers, bowfin, gar, buffalo, gizzard shad, and goldfish. These species may be taken by any method except by means of explosives, poisons, firearms, electricity, chemicals, nets, seines, or traps, or by snagging within 1,000 feet downstream of a dam

It even specifically notes spears under the Pymatuning regs.

As far as spearing Pike or any other gamefish your pretty much out of luck. If you've really got the urge MI allows spearfishing for Sturgeon, Northern Pike and I "think" Musky but it's only open through the winter and you do it through a hole in the ice.

[george tinkham]

i know a old woodrat that sinks a pitchfork into big ol carp...when they swim up the creek from dow lake...he's a carpeater

[M.Magis]

I stand corrected. I guess I was thinking more of game fish spearing like some other states allow.

[brian]

Man, that brings back memories, my Great Uncle used to take me sucker spearing in early spring at night. We used carbide lamps and would wade up the small streams that emptied into some small lakes in the area. Some years if you hit the run right, we would fill up a feed sack. He would can the meat and make fish cakes all year long, actually they were very good. I'm hoping to take my boy next spring(he will be 7) although the stretch of creek now has about 20 houses built around it and will probably be hard to get permission.

[hammerhead]

I bought an antique frogging spear from this yard sale, its old but pretty cool looking. i think it would be fun to try to get some action out of it on carp.
Lance you mentioned Gar as a forage fish. I didnt know that. I saw about three of them in rocky river the other day, very thin long snouts. I thought they were probably protected so I didnt bother them too much. It would ve been cool to catch one of those.

[Beentown]

I bow fish for gar in the tributary of the Hoover Reservior in Galena and Sunbury. Didn't know they were there til the other day when someone mentioned it to me at the Bow shop. Got a couple in a short time.

Beentown

[Ðe§perado™]

Beentown, Drop me an e-mail and we can hook up and go bowfishing. I know lots of great areas on Hoover and all the lakes in the area. I'm looking at heading out to Hoover or Buckeye today. It depends on what a friend wants to do. ;)

[Thunderflight]

Hows the bow fishing around labor day weekend?

TF

[george tinkham]

gar are everywhere,at night when i'm catfishin they come up real close,watch yuh cast a big ol chub minny,then they here it hit an they follow your line to that big ol chub minny an off goes your bobber,zip zip zip,yuh yank,git nothin,reel in your line an shore enough that big ol chub is gone or in minny cases the head is still there

[Fish-n-Fool]

I speared 4 nice big bullfrogs this past Saturday night!:D Saw many others, but decided to let them grow up a little.

Never tried to spear fish, but definately could have many times.

[hammerhead]

there are ton of big old carp and few gar in rocky river. It would be fun to go spear fishing for them but what I am I going to do with the fish afterwards. Cant even practice" catch and release" here. Bugger !

[george tinkham]

i bowfish only if i have a carpeater handy...

[Lance]

If that's really a frog gig those carp will make pretty short work of the prongs. I grew up spearing carp and suckers in the ditches around my house in MI and carp are brutal on all but the most solid spears. I stuck one kind of light once and it actually bent the tip of one of the prongs Had to take a big file to it!

[george tinkham]

my frend swears by the pitchfork...

[hammerhead]

really ! I didnt realize that they were that powerful. This sounds like even more fun that i thought.

[Lance]

Oh yeah they're alot of fun but even better with a bow! You'll want a fairly long handle on the spear, if you don't pin them down till they stop thrashing you won't get anything decent sized in. They'll trash off all but the very best spears. need long prongs with heavy barbs.

[The_Duck_Hunter]

Has anyone else heard of the New England state (dont recall which one) that still honors an age old sport of shooting pike with a 22?
I read it in one of the bigger publications once and have never seen anything else about it.