PIKE: Unhook 'em from game fish list

I live at Hayden Lake. I can see the lake from my house. I am 15 years old and I love to fish in the summer.

There are a lot of people who spearfish, I am one of those. When I was reading the rules I saw that pike are a game fish and it is illegal to spear game fish. I can see why we don't want to spear bass and other native game fish but I ask why do we have pike who are not native and prey on our native fish? I would like to see pike off the game fish list.

I don't want a fish with a mouth full of sharp teeth swimming around in Hayden Lake. Ya, they are a challenge to catch and men like challenges but it's not like we spear fishers have it any easier - in fact we have it harder. We have to get within a few feet of the fish before we even have the chance to strike.

I think pike are the wolf of the water. You kill one and there's two born so it's not like the spearers are gonna wipe out the whole population or ever hurt the fisherman's luck of catching one. And another thing: They taste nasty.

NICK PEARL

Hayden Lake