Stripers at Lake Pleasant petition

[deepdivered]

I have talked to some spear fisherman. I guess they way to do it is with a boat. You have to look for boils where they are feeding on shad. So you don’t just walk up on them. You have to hunt them down. lol had a guy in the shop tell me the law was already past to spear them. He was buying a gun and heading over there to take some. Said he called game and fish and they told him it’s ok. So I called and they said it will be beginning of next year if it passes. He said he don’t see any reason why it wont.

 

[andresrumis]

I have seen stripped bass while diving in several occasions at pleasant, they are usually, but not always in schools and they are fast moving guys!!!! I don't know a lot about spearfishing, but I can tell you that it would be really hard to catch this guys, but again, hard is not impossible
I wish I could spear catfish, I would be BBQ'ing those after every night dive!!!
any chances on that?
Andres

 

[SCUBAholicEd]

Game fish spearing will never be legal here in AZ.
As we all know there would be no challenge in spearing a bass or catfish.
They have no fear as top feeders.
We would wipe out the populations in no time.
The carp, tilapia and "soon stripers" are considered problem fish.
There are no limits.

 

[AZTEK DIVER]

I have talked to some spear fisherman. I guess they way to do it is with a boat. You have to look for boils where they are feeding on shad. So you don’t just walk up on them. You have to hunt them down. lol had a guy in the shop tell me the law was already past to spear them. He was buying a gun and heading over there to take some. Said he called game and fish and they told him it’s ok. So I called and they said it will be beginning of next year if it passes. He said he don’t see any reason why it wont.

There's no law to pass, it's been legal to spear stripers in AZ for many years, but only at designated lakes (Mead & Powell) all they to do is add the designation for Pleasant.

 

[azspearo]

Utah started allowing hunting of game fish around '00. They limit the bag limit of game fish taken to two a day and if this happened in AZ it would be OK with me. The reason behind the Stripers petition is to see how hunting fishing laws work.
I plan to petition the state next year to make it legal to take game fish with reduced bag limits and laws that would protect us and boaters while doing so.
There are lots of states that allow spearfishing game fish in freshwater and I think with a plan we can do this here as well.

 

[SCUBAholicEd]

I am a hunter and fisherman. When I catch a big flathead, I let him go after the pic. we would never have any big cats if we don't let them grow. I like to spear-fish carp etc. But I would be against spearing game fish. I dive Utah and yes in some of the lakes up north they have game fish spearing. But like the big flathead Reef man showed us, he would be gone on the first day. The big flathead at Bis pt I see all the time. Alot of us have. He would be gone too. They live in the same hole for years. We see them over and over. Spearing him would be no challenge at all. swim up to his hole and let him have it. done. Seeing these big fish are a large part of the fun in diving. Carp and stripers are fast movers. They are a challenge and there are alot of them. Bass and cats come right up to YOU. It is like shooting a cow standing on the side of the road.
Just my two cents.

 

[ffhamm]

Just a reminder. Public Meeting tonight in Mesa, 7 p.m. Sept. 2 , Mesa Regional Game and Fish office, 7200 E. University Dr.

 

[SCUBAholicEd]

Hey any one interested in a PADI under water Hunter class PM me.
I need it for Master Diver and want to know if any one wants to join me.
Need your own spear gun or Hawaiian sling (pole spear).

 

[awoltoday]

Just a reminder. Public Meeting tonight in Mesa, 7 p.m. Sept. 2 , Mesa Regional Game and Fish office, 7200 E. University Dr.

Did anyone attend the meeting? I can't imagine this getting any negative feedback and failing to make the regulations. Great job getting this to the commission.

 

[azspearo]

I went to the meeting. There was no opposition, all positive comments. I talked for a couple minutes about spearfishing while freediving and on scuba. After the meeting a couple of the G&F employees where very interested in spearing fish. And the best part is they told me where all the Striped Bass hang out at Pleasant.
There will be 4 more public meetings around the state and if there is any opposition to the change Kirk from AZDGF said he would keep me informed.

The commission meets in October to vote on the change,this is a public meeting and I will be there as well.