Pike Spearing?

[kmoney14]

I know a lot of people do this out on the bay (Tawas Bay) and I would like to give it a shot. I've got a spear and a shapell pop up shanty, thats about it. Will a pop up shanty work are will their be to much light getting in? Also how do you tell if the pike is big enough since you can't just release them. I have a gas auger so how do I drill a hole big enough to get a pike through it?

Thanks, kmoney

[TVCEAST05]

I was spearing out of my portable this afternoon. I just drilled holes close together in a rectangle then broke the chunk of ice free with a spud. As for judging the size i don't know what to tell you. If it looks questionable then I just let it go, plus I don't spear in very deep water so it's easier to tell the size.

[GOTONE]

I was spearing out of my portable this afternoon. I just drilled holes close together in a rectangle then broke the chunk of ice free with a spud. As for judging the size i don't know what to tell you. If it looks questionable then I just let it go, plus I don't spear in very deep water so it's easier to tell the size.



I do the same thing I was all ways told to judge the fish by how far its eyes are apart but if it is questionable I drop down the jigging spoon and see if it will bite

[chuckinduck]

Judging pike takes a lot of time in my experience to get good at it. But a good way for a beginner to start out is, get a 12" decoy, live or dead. And guestimate a fish compared to the decoy. I usually will break a fish down into two pieces, the front half, and back half, and guestimate each length, rather then try and guess the whole length. I find it easier. Pike tend to "grow" the farther down they are, so be careful if you're in deep water. Another method is to set your own "personal" length requirement. For me, I like the 28" mark. I also like to keep my spearing range to 4-5' from the top of the ice, you can certainly hit them deeper, but you also run a greater risk of misjuding, or hitting them poorly. Hammerhandles are generally skinny in nature, and the bigger boys have a much thicker and deep body structure. Good luck.