Any dark house spearers?

[Clear_Ice]

I know ice doesn't occur in substantial amounts in every locale, but for those who get lots of the stuff, who spears? It's my favorite winter pastime and is a relaxing way to spend time in the winter. Here's some pics of my spearing endeavors

[NKlamerus]

We don't spear down here, we flounder gig, same concept.

Bright lights on the front of a Jon boat, cruise the flats looking for flounder, sting rays, Sheepshead, and sometimes mullet

Use a 12' Bamboo gig as a push pole and spear/gig.

[NKlamerus]

Any reason you couldn't use a bow and arrow?



2 Flounder from the recent trip. Pretty much a tiny Halibut lol.

Sting ray and Blue Crab.

[zoidberg]

Used to do a fair bit, recently though not so much.

[NKlamerus]

Used to do a fair bit, recently though not so much.

Pinching fish with claws doesn't count!

[zoidberg]

Used to do a fair bit, recently though not so much.

Pinching fish with claws doesn't count!

Yes it does!   

[Clear_Ice]

It is legal use a bow, but adds extra difficulty. I bowfish in the summer too and it is much more challenging in my opinion

[Clear_Ice]

Whacked this 33" 7 pounder today. I went to fill up my wood stove and he was in the hole when I turned around

[SteveC]

Sweet, you should be able to get some nice fillets 

[Clear_Ice]

Sweet, you should be able to get some nice fillets 

Aye, he is gonna taste real good after he gets pickled 

[David]

Looks like a lot of fun.

[NKlamerus]

Sweet, you should be able to get some nice fillets 

Aye, he is gonna taste real good after he gets pickled 

So true. Pickled Perch will be the death of me.

[Clear_Ice]

Pickled perch? Now I'm gonna have to try that! Sounds dang good! We normally don't keep perch but I may have to start!

[NKlamerus]

Pickled perch? Now I'm gonna have to try that! Sounds dang good! We normally don't keep perch but I may have to start!

Definetly recommend. Multiple recipes out there.

[Eyegor]

I'm a casual ice fisherman from upstate NY, but I've never speared in a dark house. I'm intrigued. It looks like you cut your hole with an auger but after that I have no clue. Lots of questions? Care to give us a ice spearing 101 piece? How the hut is constructed? How deep is the water? Lures? Species? Chumming? etc. etc. I think this is timely and interesting to at least some members here. Thanks.

[Clear_Ice]

I'm a casual ice fisherman from upstate NY, but I've never speared in a dark house. I'm intrigued. It looks like you cut your hole with an auger but after that I have no clue. Lots of questions? Care to give us a ice spearing 101 piece? How the hut is constructed? How deep is the water? Lures? Species? Chumming? etc. etc. I think this is timely and interesting to at least some members here. Thanks.

I usually cut my holes by using either a chisel or auger to cut 4 corner holes and then use an ice saw to cut between them. Here is what I use for an ice saw:
http://www.icesaw.com/?redirect=false

After a hole is cut, you can't see far unless you block out the sunlight and sit in the dark, hence the term dark house. The fish house I use is a 4x8 with a 3.5x2 foot hole in the one end. It's a skid house on 2x6 runners and is framed up with the 2x2's. Here's a pic:


Most of the time, I spear in around 10 feet of water. Occasionally I will spear as deep as 15 or as shallow as 5. Just depends on what lake I'm spearing or the time of year. Usually I center my efforts around a weed line that has lots of panfish in the area.

For lures, I use both a live decoy sucker minnow that is around 10-14" long, as well as a wooden decoy that swims in circles when jigged. Here's some pics of the ones I have in my collection that have sentimental value:

The only species of gamefish legal to spear in Minnesota is Northern Pike, but rough fish are also fair game. I know that other states have different regulations, and may allow other gamefish species to be speared

Any other questions that I didn't answer? Hope this helps!

[Clear_Ice]

Oh and I found this short video I took of a buddy cutting his spear hole with an "ice saw" that's much more expensive and much faster than mine! That's a Stihl chainsaw and 42" bar. There's no good way to do this without getting soaked haha

[Eyegor]

Thanks for the reply. That fits with what little bit I already knew. I find the artificial decoys awesome. Love the shanty but would hate to have to drag it from lake to lake.  I have a collapsible one that is not bad to drag out on the ice. Most of the guys who have actual shacks drag them out to "the spot" once and it doesn't move (hopefully) until the end of the season.

[Clear_Ice]

Thanks for the reply. That fits with what little bit I already knew. I find the artificial decoys awesome. Love the shanty but would hate to have to drag it from lake to lake.  I have a collapsible one that is not bad to drag out on the ice. Most of the guys who have actual shacks drag them out to "the spot" once and it doesn't move (hopefully) until the end of the season.

The shanty is pretty light, and as long as there is less than a foot of snow, I can Move it and put it on a trailer by myself. I've speared out of portables but they just don't get dark enough for my taste. Plus, I like using the wood stove in my hard sided house.

I usually leave my house in the same spot for 2 weeks at the longest, then move it to a new spot or new lake. I don't mind the work of moving and cutting a new hole for good fishing!