11/14/2005
South Dakota Fish Spearing Opportunities Expanded
PIERRE, S.D. – People who recreate by spearfishing have increased opportunity under recent regulation changes by the Game, Fish and Parks Commission.
Spearfishing includes taking fish with archery gear, hand held spears or underwater spearguns.
"Overall, a number of changes have been made to provide more spearfishing opportunity, which has recently become more popular, and to increase harvest of rough fish including invasive fish species such as grass carp, bighead carp and silver carp, These species are now found in the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam as well as the lower Missouri River tributaries," said GFP Fisheries Administrator Dennis Unkenholz. He noted that spearfishers are expected to abide by the same rules as do anglers and comply with the rules that govern spearing while underwater.
Spearfishing changes include:
 | Increasing the time that night spearing is open on inland waters by having the season open May 1 through Aug. 31 instead of June 1 through Aug. 31. |
| Aligning South Dakota’s night-spearing rule with Nebraska’s rule, which allows night spearing of rough fish species on the Nebraska/South Dakota boundary waters to be open April 1 and extend through Aug. 31. |
| Adding lakes Whitewood, Preston, Spirit, Albert, John, Mary and Norden to the list of waters open for winter spearing from Dec. 1 through Feb. 28. If Feb. 28 falls on a Saturday, then the season would close on March 1. |
| Extending the spearing season for game fish on portions of three Missouri River Reservoirs from June 15 (formerly opened on July 1) through March 5 of the following year, except for Lake Sharpe, which is closed for spearing during September through November. |
Unkenholz noted that the areas of the reservoirs that are open for the spearing of game fish have not changed and include:
| Lake Francis Case from Fort Randall Dam to the I 90 bridge, except the waters between there and the railroad bridge. |
| Lake Sharpe from Big Bend Dam to the highway 14 bridge. |
| Lake Oahe from Oahe dam upstream to highway 212 bridge. |
-GFP-
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