Posted 1/22/2010 10:03 PM (#418933) Subject: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin
I came across this cool video on another fishing site. The dudes are spearfishing under the ice for carp in 10 below temps but found a few healthy muskies swimmin by. Warm water power plant inlet attracts tons of fish.
Posted 1/22/2010 10:19 PM (#418936 - in reply to #418933) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 8772
Something I've said for a long time.... There's a lot of really nice muskies in Monona. The problem is that there's so much forage they pretty much just eat whenever they are hungry and that's the end of it.
Posted 1/23/2010 7:31 AM (#418951 - in reply to #418933) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 709
Location: sun prairie,wi
i know where that spot is.... you can look down from the top of the tubes...last year acouple weeks before the ice went out.... i saw atleast 30 muskies about 5 maybe 50s swimming.....awsome spot to see...but drives you crazy untill opener..
Posted 1/23/2010 8:36 AM (#418958 - in reply to #418933) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain
"The problem is that there's so much forage they pretty much just eat whenever they are hungry"
I think they have so much forage, all they need to do is open their mouths and food just swims in. These fish in the Chain are really fat compared to elsewhere and I heard this from the PMTT guys when they fished here.
"but if I get in the water I can get as close as I want and stress these fish by invading their spawning grounds"
Let's be clear, if these fish do spawn their eggs never hatch. The bottom composition suffocates the eggs, therefore no natural reproduction takes place.
Jamie, I had no issues with the link and I'm using FireFox for a browser and yes it is a youtube link.
Posted 1/23/2010 1:23 PM (#418997 - in reply to #418980) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin
Dave.........Not to worry. These guys are hardcore spear anglers. They only target rough fish. They are very aware of the fish regs. and talk about this on the comments section of the youtube video. Some dumba..es actually thought that the fish they speared was a muskie. Looks like they also took some heat from PETA types in Europe but they smacked back at em.
L Dahlberg
Posted 1/23/2010 1:42 PM (#418999 - in reply to #418933) Subject: RE: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Great stuff. Makes me want to jump in the lake.. Like, Right Now, Today!! (Jan 23)
One question though, warm water INLET is mentioned. I've fished lots of warm water outlets (always with great success in cool and cold water periods), where the water that has passed through the plant has been warmed and is discharging into the cooler water from which it was drawn. In late fall, with main body water temps in the mid-thirties, these discharges are often in the low 60's or even warmer. Big temp differential.
The inlet would imply to me you are talking about where the cool water is being drawn into the facility. Those spots are usually good through out the season during generation cycles because of the current that it creates, but in cold water periods rarely holds what the warm water discharge attracts because there's not any temp differential..
Was this place the inlet or the outlet. And if it was the inlet, did you check the outlet also? Just curious.
thanks,
L
Posted 1/23/2010 4:30 PM (#419018 - in reply to #418933) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain
Mr D, you are correct in pointing out the error by SteveR. It is an outlet for a coal fired generating plant. However, Madison Gas and Electric has almost shut it down entirely and is relying on purchasing power for the City from other sources.
One thing I question, is it legal? This is within the city of Madison and I know that shooting a bow within city limits is outlawed, I'm not sure if spearguns are also in that group of weapons. I actually like them shooting them. The last two winters they netted carp under the ice on Lake Wingra (300 acres) and that alone help cleared that lake up. Most years the weeds grow to only about 4 to 5 ft, but this past year, they were growing in 9 ft of water. Its normally is the dirtiest lake on the Chain and now is the clearest during the summer.
Posted 1/23/2010 4:47 PM (#419020 - in reply to #418933) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 283
Gerard, are u sure that it's illegal to use a bow with in the city? I was hoping to take my bow out with me and shoot some carp while muskie fishing this year. I'm pretty sure that I have seen ppl duck hunting with shot guns on Lake Mendota.
Guest
Posted 1/23/2010 5:26 PM (#419026 - in reply to #419018) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
muskie! nut - 1/23/2010 4:30 PM
Mr D, you are correct in pointing out the error by SteveR. It is an outlet for a coal fired generating plant. However, Madison Gas and Electric has almost shut it down entirely and is relying on purchasing power for the City from other sources.
One thing I question, is it legal? This is within the city of Madison and I know that shooting a bow within city limits is outlawed, I'm not sure if spearguns are also in that group of weapons. I actually like them shooting them. The last two winters they netted carp under the ice on Lake Wingra (300 acres) and that alone help cleared that lake up. Most years the weeds grow to only about 4 to 5 ft, but this past year, they were growing in 9 ft of water. Its normally is the dirtiest lake on the Chain and now is the clearest during the summer.
Actually, I wasn't trying to point out an error, I was hoping he'd discovered something I may have overlooked! Darn.
And yes, the reduction of carp can do wonderful things to clear up lakes.
This summer I visited a lake I'd not been on since high school. Back then it had the biggest carp I have ever seen; like small barnyard animals approaching 60#. It was turbid and filthy with almost zero weed growth beyond a couple of feet. No measures have been taken to clean it up, but a good bunch Ski's were planted about 20 years ago. They grew like crazy. Now, for some reason (I suspect hungry muskies, but of course that's only a guess) the carp population has diminished to the point where you see very few and water clarity has increased by 6 feet or more and has a 9' weedline, plus coontail and cabbage! And guess what, it yielded the second fattest a musky I have ever seen, ( 40#+ ) my first visit!
btw, interesting question regarding spear gun or bowfishing in city limits. IMO it sure would be dumb if that were the case. Have you ever heard of any innocent bystanders or water toys being punctured by an errant spear or fish arrow?
LD
Posted 1/23/2010 6:00 PM (#419032 - in reply to #419026) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Location: The Yahara Chain
You cannot bowhunt in the city of Madison. I'm not sure about spearfishing like these guys are doing but I doubt that it is legal.
Bowhunting for Carp is legal on the non Madison waters on the Yahara Chain. The Mud lakes, Waubesa, Kegonsa and on the Yahara river once you are out of the city limits.
Is anybody ever going to use the proper name for our chain of lakes?
JM
Posted 1/23/2010 6:11 PM (#419034 - in reply to #418933) Subject: RE: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Probably not legal, but interesting, none the less. (YouTuber's have a habit of posting illegal behavior in the name of entertainment )
Posted 1/23/2010 6:51 PM (#419049 - in reply to #419032) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin
Troy and Gerard are correct. No use of bows, spears, airguns in the city limits under ord. 25. with a fine up to $429.00. Unless used at an "approved range". As Troy mentioned jurisdictions outside of the city limits allow bowfishing, even duckhunting on the lake shores.
Having said that, and after having been involved in law enforcement in the past, nothing would be done to enforce underwater spearfishing unless a complaint is called in or one of the spear anglers is injured. I am also aware that bowfishing for carp at night has taken place many times in the past on the city side of Lake Monona. Again, probably an ordinance violation but no complaints....... yet.
Posted 1/24/2010 2:04 AM (#419134 - in reply to #419079) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 4266
That was a cool video.
Am I the only muti-species angler here? I was starting to get twitchy looking at the quality and numbers of big bluegills that made their appearance on screen. I used to ice fish a lot, and drove from Milwaukee to Madison on many winter 'sick days' just to go catch some "Madison Gills". What a fishery. I saw one very nice pike made it on screen too.
They should make bow-fishing for carp legal and encourage it. I hear that they make great fertilizer.
This isn't in the same area where guys used to fish in an open man-hole in the middle of winter is it?
Posted 1/24/2010 9:19 AM (#419164 - in reply to #418933) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 413
Location: Madison WI
Really cool video. In regard to whether what they are doing is legal or not, it may have been illegal when the video was shot, but I just read the regulations for this year (2009-2010) and its perfectly legal to underwater spearfish or use a bow in madison as well as all of dane county. There are some rules on where you can spearfish and use a bow, but it is by no means illegal at all. Here is a list of this years rules http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/regulations/2009/documents/SpearNet0910.pdf
Posted 1/24/2010 10:51 AM (#419178 - in reply to #419164) Subject: Re: Spearfishing Carp on the Madison Chain
Posts: 255
Location: MadCity Wisconsin
Jeff..........Yes, that is the state law, you can clearly use those methods on rough fish in most Wisconsin waters. But local city ordinances like ordinance 25 in Madison prohibits the use of certain weapons within the city limits. It's a ticket issued.
Would someone get hasseled by the city police for spearfishing underwater in the winter time? Probably not, unless a complaint came in. Even then it would more than likely result in a verbal warning with no citation issued.
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These fish in the Chain are really fat compared to elsewhere and I heard this from the PMTT guys when they fished here. 
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