# Is it legal to spear Walleye? Non Native?



## KayakKing23 (Jan 7, 2013)

So here is a video of this guy spearing walleye and smallies in the Chippewa River. Is this legal? I've been researching it and found that Native Americans can do it.

Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrwCIy5edws


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

Nope not legal.


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## KayakKing23 (Jan 7, 2013)

Thats what I thought. Unreal that this goes on. Makes me sick to my stomach.


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## B1g daddy of 3 (Jul 1, 2011)

funny how the video has been taken down.


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## gatorman841 (Mar 4, 2010)

Unfortunately it still goes on quite a bit in the upper I was up a few years ago on lbdn my group rented a house when we arrived there was a huge pile of big eyes mainly all females that were all cleaned. Come to find out they were from the owner and he told us how he speared them the previous wk be4 we got there. So wasn't even within most all of our regular season for eyes and let alone spearing those big girls in a small river in 2 fow. Made me really sick I've haven't seen that many eyes 10lbs caught that were in that pile. We did check and yes he was legal being s Native American. But he looked whiter than me, that's a rule I wish we could outlaw a few guys doing that on a big spawning stream I'm sure has its affects.


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## storman (Mar 12, 2008)

Can't get the video to work. Do you know when thus was? I heard years ago the co caught a guy doing it and apparently he had been doing it for years. This as I was told was on the chip wonder if its the same ******. 

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## walleyebum (Jan 2, 2011)

Real common practice around burt and mullet lakes. I don't know how many times I have seen them out wading in the rivers with spear in hand a stringer of eyes trailing behind. 

Even more frustrating is knowing there is nothing that can be done.......................

I think next time I will take my paint ball gun and wait in the bushes


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Who says he's not Native?

Everyone is so quick to piss and moan...


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## TrekJeff (Sep 7, 2007)

The inland land decree and local tribal regs allow methods that the non native population aren't allowed. So unless you want to go back to the 1800's and rewrite the treaties, smile and be thankful for the resources that are available.:yikes:

Many sportsmen disagree with regs and methods that are available to all. Dog bear hunters vs Baiting Bear hunters, fly fisherman vs spinning ect. Often wonder how many that would complain about this have no issue filling a basket of bedding bluegills.


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## walleyebum (Jan 2, 2011)

TrekJeff said:


> The inland land decree and local tribal regs allow methods that the non native population aren't allowed. So unless you want to go back to the 1800's and rewrite the treaties, smile and be thankful for the resources that are available.:yikes:
> 
> Many sportsmen disagree with regs and methods that are available to all. Dog bear hunters vs Baiting Bear hunters, fly fisherman vs spinning ect. Often wonder how many that would complain about this have no issue filling a basket of bedding bluegills.



Well 4 nights ago I watched first had while a group of so called native americans loaded there van up with more walleye than I have ever seen at one time. All speared in a stream small enough to jump across. They easily speared 200 to 300 walleyes, pike and even some jumbo perch. They filled every cooler, bucket, and tote they had. Then laid a tarp on the van floor and wrapped the rest up. 

There were 6 state cops and 2 co's there watching this all happen and keeping the peace. These guys were from the saginaw area and came up for the week to spear walleye. I over heard them talking and one said they were allowed to take 300 some per year each!!!

They cleaned this little stream out in just a couple hours. They litterally speared every fish they could find!! They had a couple walleye that would have easily gone 13pounds just stuffed with eggs that I could see.

This is just wrong!! There is no way these guys were going to clean all these fish. And they were saying they were up for a week of this. I have never been so disgusted in my life!! 

For a culture that is supposed to protect and live with nature I have never seen a group of people rape a resource like these guys. I will never forget that night unfortunately.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

walleyebum said:


> ...
> 
> For a culture that is supposed to protect and live with nature I have never seen a group of people rape a resource like these guys. I will never forget that night unfortunately.


Coulda been worse,,, luckily they didn't take all your land and then kill you,,, on top of raping the resourses...


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## TrekJeff (Sep 7, 2007)

walleyebum said:


> This is just wrong!! There is no way these guys were going to clean all these fish. And they were saying they were up for a week of this. I have never been so disgusted in my life!!
> 
> For a culture that is supposed to protect and live with nature I have never seen a group of people rape a resource like these guys. I will never forget that night unfortunately.



A lot of assumption on your part. You have seen a group of people rape resources...it's called todays society, the only difference is that what the majority does is acceptable by the masses.


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## S.B. Walleyes&Waterfowl (Jan 10, 2012)

walleyebum said:


> Well 4 nights ago I watched first had while a group of so called native americans loaded there van up with more walleye than I have ever seen at one time. All speared in a stream small enough to jump across. They easily speared 200 to 300 walleyes, pike and even some jumbo perch. They filled every cooler, bucket, and tote they had. Then laid a tarp on the van floor and wrapped the rest up.
> 
> There were 6 state cops and 2 co's there watching this all happen and keeping the peace. These guys were from the saginaw area and came up for the week to spear walleye. I over heard them talking and one said they were allowed to take 300 some per year each!!!
> 
> ...


That is complete bull s**t, idc native or not. It's 2013! If they wanna play by those rules then it should only be allowed on reservation land. Defintley also disgusted! Don't wanna get into it anymore than that on MS though... 

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## Gill'in time (Apr 20, 2012)

Hmm no sure of everyone's background but me non native but respect what we have so for them them canadianin or Jewish no disrespect intended let them have their catch/ spear as long ad it's legal !


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

S.B. Walleyes&Waterfowl said:


> That is complete bull s**t, idc native or not. It's 2013! If they wanna play by those rules then it should only be allowed on reservation land. Defintley also disgusted! Don't wanna get into it anymore than that on MS though...
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Hey, if we want to give back all the land from Muskegon to the Mackinaw Bridge, and east down to Rogers City, plus about 2/3 of the UP, I am sure the Indians would give up spearing fish in the rest of the State. That is the deal with the treaty of 1836. You might want to consult everyone who lives in Traverse City, and Petoskey, before you make that call. We wouldn't be able to use the Mackinaw Bridge anymore, either. How much do you really hate seeing gamefish speared in 1 river?


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## Waz_51 (Jan 10, 2010)

Fishndude said:


> Hey, if we want to give back all the land from Muskegon to the Mackinaw Bridge, and east down to Rogers City, plus about 2/3 of the UP, I am sure the Indians would give up spearing fish in the rest of the State. That is the deal with the treaty of 1836. You might want to consult everyone who lives in Traverse City, and Petoskey, before you make that call. We wouldn't be able to use the Mackinaw Bridge anymore, either. How much do you really hate seeing gamefish speared in 1 river?


I have a feeling that this happens on a much larger scale than just one river...

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## bucknduck (Nov 7, 2003)

Funny how when it&#8217;s native Americans doing something legal, it&#8217;s labeled as raping the resources, but when it comes to all the commercial fishing nets spread across the great lakes, it&#8217;s a family tradition. Sounds a bit fishy! 
As a teenager, I dated a native American girl and she took me spearing on the local river. It was more enjoyable spending time with her and watching her try and spear fish than dealing with the long lines of boats at the launches on weekends.


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## S.B. Walleyes&Waterfowl (Jan 10, 2012)

The spearing isn't the issue, its the shear amount of fish taken...

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## bucknduck (Nov 7, 2003)

A 300 walleye limit per person per year seems pretty low in my opinion considering that a licensed fisherman has the potential to catch 1,825 (limit of 5 per day x 365 days) walleye per year from Michigan waters. 

How many times have you read posts on these forums about the same guys catching multiple limits of walleye a week throughout the year. But we have rules about questioning those limits.

Seems to me that the guys caught their limit of walleye in one week instead of spread it out over the course of a year which would be less than 1 walleye per day for a year.


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## FredBearYooper (Oct 5, 2009)

walleyebum said:


> Well 4 nights ago I watched first had while a group of so called native americans loaded there van up with more walleye than I have ever seen at one time. All speared in a stream small enough to jump across. They easily speared 200 to 300 walleyes, pike and even some jumbo perch. They filled every cooler, bucket, and tote they had. Then laid a tarp on the van floor and wrapped the rest up.
> 
> There were 6 state cops and 2 co's there watching this all happen and keeping the peace. These guys were from the saginaw area and came up for the week to spear walleye. I over heard them talking and one said they were allowed to take 300 some per year each!!!
> 
> ...


You have to be one of the most ignorant people I have met so far on this forum, did you ever think that those fish might feed his whole family, or that they might give the fish to Elders or donate them to fish frys? I think your just upset that you cannot partake it this therefore you feel the need to bitch and moan about it, like another poster said, if you take your limit of eyes every chance you get your gonna surpass 300 walleye pretty quickly.


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