Question About Gigging/spearfishing?

[jimithyashford]

So I have a buddy who I was relating my fishing difficulties too, particularly my inability to catch any catfish, and be promptly pulls out his phone and shows me pictures from a trip where he easily landed several very large catfish along with his buddy, and they had a number of other fish too, walleye I think, I didn't get a good look. I asked him how the hell he managed that and he told me he got them spearfishing and gigging at Table Rock. He and his buddy had a speargun and a gigging spear that they swapped between and they just used a basic snorkel and goggles to dive. It looked like a heck of a haul.

So then I go online looking for information about seasons and regulations and stuff, and I get the definite sense that most anglers view spear fishing and gigging as some terrible unsportsmanlike blight of a practice, and I just wanted to get your opinions on it.

Obviously I understand that Spearfishing is a non catch-and-release practice, so you wouldn't go stabbing away at things like bass, but if you're looking for a few fat cats or walleye for the table, is there any reason it's not a good practice? I've also heard it's pretty much the best way to try and get Gar and the only reliable way to get suckers.

[Coosa]

Not good!!

I could be wrong as I have never done it but I'm pretty sure this is illegal. I think you can only gig and spearfish for non game fish such as drum, suckers, flying carp ect..

I would stay away from this till you get the facts.

I'm sure others will chime in soon

[Feathers and Fins]

As a diver and spear fishermen the answer I will give is this on ethics (( we are precise and direct on targeted species we do not catch 40 or 50 fish a day injuring them we take a limit or what we can use and that is it )) Some think its unethical but I have always asked them what is more ethical me taking only what I need or people catching many fish stressing them out and then releasing them some that will die others will die that they couldn't keep because of a size limit. It is IMO no more ethical or unethical then any other type of legal fishing. Perhaps even more ethical as its a direct targeting.

As to legality

Season & Limits

Nongame Fish (Underwater Spear)

Underwater spear
Area: Impounded waters and temporary overflow of a river or ditch
Season Open All Year
Harvest Hours: sunrise to sunset
Daily Limit: 20
Possession Limit: 40

Additional Information Limit Restrictions

The possession limit is twice the daily limit, except the Mississippi River which has a daily and possession limit of 100. Goldfish, bighead carp, common carp, grass carp and silver carp may be possessed in any numbers and do not count in the daily or possession limit.

The daily limit is the combined total of all species, except that goldfish, bighead carp, common carp, grass carp and silver carp may be possessed in any numbers and do not count in the daily or possession limit. On the Current River from Cedar Grove downstream to Arkansas line, only 5 hogsuckers may be included in a daily limit.

So Catfish and Walleye would be off limits in Mo as they are a game fish according to that. Now in Arkansas they are fair game so where was he fishing?

[hoglaw]

I seem to recall arkansas being limited to half of the daily limit. I've done it free dividing in the Pacific. Always wanted to try it here.

[Feathers and Fins]

Correct Hog, and of course different regs for different lakes

[ozark trout fisher]

So I have a buddy who I was relating my fishing difficulties too, particularly my inability to catch any catfish, and be promptly pulls out his phone and shows me pictures from a trip where he easily landed several very large catfish along with his buddy, and they had a number of other fish too, walleye I think, I didn't get a good look. I asked him how the hell he managed that and he told me he got them spearfishing and gigging at Table Rock. He and his buddy had a speargun and a gigging spear that they swapped between and they just used a basic snorkel and goggles to dive. It looked like a heck of a haul.

So then I go online looking for information about seasons and regulations and stuff, and I get the definite sense that most anglers view spear fishing and gigging as some terrible unsportsmanlike blight of a practice, and I just wanted to get your opinions on it.

Obviously I understand that Spearfishing is a non catch-and-release practice, so you wouldn't go stabbing away at things like bass, but if you're looking for a few fat cats or walleye for the table, is there any reason it's not a good practice? I've also heard it's pretty much the best way to try and get Gar and the only reliable way to get suckers.

Your question would require a pretty long answer. But to start, if it's a game fish (which includes both walleyes and cats) you had better be using a hook and line and nothing else at least within Missouri. Now, Table Rock is within Missouri, so you can do the math on whether your buddy was poaching or not.

Within season, on non-game fish (ie suckers/carp) and where legal, I wouldn't call it a terrible unsportsmanlike blight or anything.....but I wouldn't ever actually do it.

You can catch suckers just fine on worms bounced along the bottom, and gar on rope lures or live sunfish/minnows. Sure, I love trout and smallmouth, but have spent (and will continue to spend) time chasing these "trash" fish on hook and line. It's not only possible but a whole lot of fun.

Point is, I there's no judgement here if you if you get into gigging (as long as you stay on the legal side) but it's gonna be my natural implication to want to discourage it. Once you learn to fool fish on a regular basis you'll become addicted to it and if it were me I'd let that happen before I resorted to other methods. Just my opinion.

[Ham]

I work with a young lady that spear fishes on Bull Shoals with her family. Once season starts and the thermocline sets up, they will go at least once a week. They work at it and enjoy it every bit as much as I do hook and line fishing. While I don't think it is easy, they generally get fish every time they go. Often getting their limits of walleye for everyone on board.

Much like OTF, I fish for every thing. I don't consider "non game species" to be trash fish. My problem with gigging is the tendency for bad apples to gig every fish they can without worrying about what the species AND that modern gear really makes it possible for ppl to gig a LOT of fish in a night. I understand it's a local tradition and I understand that guys have a lot of money tied up in gigging gear, but I still wish it wasn't going on.

[Mark]

While I don't think it is easy, they generally get fish every time they go. Often getting their limits of walleye for everyone on board.

Gigging/spearfishing for walleye is illegal, correct?

[jpb2187]

Gigging/spearfishing for walleye is illegal, correct?

Not in Arkansas.

[Seth]

I work with a young lady that spear fishes on Bull Shoals with her family. Once season starts and the thermocline sets up, they will go at least once a week. They work at it and enjoy it every bit as much as I do hook and line fishing. While I don't think it is easy, they generally get fish every time they go. Often getting their limits of walleye for everyone on board.

Much like OTF, I fish for every thing. I don't consider "non game species" to be trash fish. My problem with gigging is the tendency for bad apples to gig every fish they can without worrying about what the species AND that modern gear really makes it possible for ppl to gig a LOT of fish in a night. I understand it's a local tradition and I understand that guys have a lot of money tied up in gigging gear, but I still wish it wasn't going on.

The few bad apples give the legal and ethical giggers a black eye, just like everything else that goes on in this world. One of my favorite things to do is catch stream smallmouth but I also enjoy gigging. Most smallmouth guys are very anti gigging due to the turd buckets who like to go out and gig them. I'm as against them as anybody, but I don't see the need to punish everybody because a few people like to break the rules. That's like banning guns from everybody because one person shot somebody. Sadly, there are a lot of narrow minded folks who feel that way. It's the same as somebody who doesn't gig wanting to ban gigging because a few folks like to poach.

I've argued about this subject many times in the smallie section.