Good post. That would be a shame to see that happen.

I sent an email to the info@casslake.com and got this response:
"The Chamber of Commerce has no affiliation with the Cass Lake spear fishing movement at this time and neither supports or condemns this movement in its current state."

Thought it was strange, never replied or checked into it but expressed my views.

From a different site.

Kevin Cochran
Posted 1/6/2010 1:30 PM (#415833 - in reply to #414640)
Subject: RE: Meeting to open Spearing on Cass Lake, MN



By the way, the director had 7 pages of names from people that were not in favor of lifting the ban on spearing and 2 pages of people that were for lifting the ban.
All the calls and e-mails showed that the resistence to the lift was much stronger than the people in favor of it.
Thank you to all that took time to show their support.

I'm sure it's not over, but the support will be hard to beat
Dave

The poll as of today only listed 12 votes, it might be resetting on a daily basis.

They actually trashed the old poll and put up a new one (and worded it differently). They think (or thought) they had a bug in the system because of the results suddenly changing. I've been emailing the Cass Lake Times this afternoon trying to explain to them that there is nothing wrong with their system. After much confusion on their part, I hope they now understand and will leave the poll up.

Aaron

Looks like someone's fixing the poll again. 6500 Plus yes's in 24 hours, and 140 no's. However, the site allows multiple postings from the same computer/browser, so there's ways to post multiple times. I wonder if the paper will figure that out? There's basic s/w to prevent you from posting repeatedly more than once a day, but that can be beat...

I have to put in my 2 cents on this topic.

First I am not trying to get defensive, or negative on this, but I enjoy spearing and don't see it as such a negative. After reading this post and some on other forums it really makes it hard to say it outloud without fear of being chastised.

I think we have to be careful on issues such as this. I understand that we are saying that on new waters we won't ban spearing, but when we come out on this completely against spearing it remakes an us vs. them attitude, and that has been a very hard thing to get past. I don't know who has the final or the absolute power as to lift the ban, but would think that it lies with the DNR. If it does not then we end up fighting a lake shore association or town board which is something that I think would be harmful also.

I also understand wanting to protect the resource. But maybe putting a no spearing any pike over 30 inches on the lake instead to protect the big pike but allow the smaller ones to be harvested. It is still legal in MN to spear as it is legal to keep a musky but we chastise against that enough that one might feel ashamed to accidently have one die on you beyond your best efforts that you ashamed to even say you caught it. Spearing is allowed on some musky lakes and the resource is doing fine in those lakes, forgive me if I don't know all of them, but Leech is a good example, and Alex and Shaminau closer to home.

I just feel that we have to be careful to scream tolerance when we want new waters stocked but then scream intolerance when something like this comes up. Everyone has their right to their own thoughts and ideas, just have to be open to others as well.

Paul makes some very good points, and I have to respect him for that.

The decision on this issue SHOULD be up to the DNR, but the parties pushing this agenda are trying to sidestep the DNR and get it done politically.
Also, I like the slot limit idea, and think Cass needs a pike slot for anglers too. But, the darkhouse assc. fights slot limits just as strongly as they fight spearing bans. We've tried to suggest that route MANY times, and they refuse to accept it.
When "selective harvest" is practiced, there's NOTHING wrong with spearing, and slot limits attain that goal.
I've been around spearing my whole life, and have LOTS of friends and relatives that spear. I've even sat in quite a few spear shacks myself, so I'm not here to bash spearers. But, all that experience has shown me that few spearers target smaller "eaters" and let the big ones go. Everyone I know spears every big one they see. That's where the problem lies. There's no arguing that spearing is more effective than angling when it comes to targeting the largest pike in a lake, and when the spearers target those big fish, they can have a dramatic impact on the lake.
My point is this. Big pike are hard to come by. There are only a few lakes that can keep producing them. Cass is one of them. One way or another, some of those big fish should be protected.
As far as the financial gain goes: Big pike are becoming a resource that a lot of people are willing to travel in order to pursue. Simple math would show that more anglers are going to go to the Cass area to catch big pike, bringing more money than the few spearers who would come. Plus, if not regulated, those few spearers can negatively affect the size structure and in the end, FEWER people will want to go there.

The sad thing is that the locals have been sold a story that spearing will bring widespread financial gains to the community, but this would likely end up having the opposite effect.

I agree Paul makes some good points too. Slot limits or not spearing anything over 30"? Excellent idea!!!!!! But like Aaron said, spearers will fight any regs like that tooth and nail whining about not being able to measure a fish in the water and saying slot limits indirectly and unfairly ban spearing on the lakes where the slots are implimented.

I agree the us vs. them attidute is not productive, but which came first, the chicken or the egg? If the spearers wouldn't constantly try to backdoor the DNR the legislation and spread lies and propaganda that are all emotionally based and not scientifically based, then my attitude about working with them would be much better.

Like I once posted during a similar discussion on another website - I'd give a spearer a hug if I wasn't afraid of catching a spear in the back.

We won't be able to work with them until there is trust, and until they stop trying to pull the back door BS and spreading their lies, there won't be any trust.

Anyone who hasn't read Schicktners letter to the MN DNR on the lake Mina (I believe it's lake Mina, apologies if I'm wrong) needs to get ahold of it. The venom, hate and lies in that letter against our DNR and our program was astounding. Work with that? I think not.

Just so you guys are aware, any Muskies Inc. member that attends the meeting next Tuesday, the 23rd, will have their name put into a drawing for a 9 foot Tackle Industries rod, courtesy of the Bemidji Chapter.

Additionally, here's a list of key contacts on this matter. No matter how you feel on the subject, I encourage you to let them know your feelings.

House Committee Chair David Dill: 651-296-2190 rep.david.dill@house.mn
Vice Chair Brita Sailer: 651-296-4265 rep.brita.sailer@house.mn
Tony Cornish: 651-296-4240 rep.tony.cornish@house.mn
Also the Cass area rep John Persell: 651-296-5516 rep.john.persell@house.mn
Senate Chair Senator Satveer S. Chaudhary: 651.296.4334 sen.satveer.chaudhary@senate.mn
Wrote the Bill Senator Mary A. Olson: 651.296.4913 sen.mary.olson@senate.mn

Thanks,
Aaron