Spearfishing in MN

[Freedive WI]

One of my dive buddies is from hte Czech Republic. She kept telling me about the "Christmas Carp" her mother used to make when she was growing up. She actually brought me back a Czech cook book the last time she was there and it had at least 4 recipies for carp in it.

I still prefer the large crappie, perch, and blue gill for taste, and low mercury counts. Big fish equal big toxins nowadays. It would still be nice to be able to shoot a walleye, but I'll take what I can. Bass would be too easy, as they are always in my way when I am trying to get that spooked crappie at the back of the school. Some of them will actually come up and start nibbling on my speartip while I am lying in wait on the bottom.

Musky are always sniffing around my float, where I keep my fish, and I think that they're eyeing up an easy meal. I've tried to hand feed them before, but they never get quite close enough to take anything from my hand- I wonder how Captain Slate started??

I've never had a pickled northern, mainly because I don't like pickeled anything, but have had many northern fish boils in the past. They were pretty good and I would always choose a northern over a carp if I had the chance.

I don't do any other types of fishing, other than spearfishing, as I find it too boring just sitting there. Actually jumping in and trying to hunt them down is so much more fun than just sitting in a boat and waiting for something to happen. I used to do quite a bit when I was a kid, I quit as soon as I got certified- when I was 14.

Another nice thing aobut freedive/ spearfishing is that it makes those shallow inland lakes interesting again. After so many years of wreck diving in the Great Lakes it's kind of nice to be able to challenge yourself in one of the 15,000 inland lakes we have in Wisconsin.

Not a big deal to have a 20' teather on a spear. My speargun has a teather of no more than 10'-12' on it and has more range than I will ever need.

Here's a shot of one of those freindly Musky now. ;D

Jon