10 inch bullheads

[Scott K]

I think it is saying you can have "upto 100 bullheads" between 7-10" otherwise the old law would still be in place for the smaller ones (12 dozen) for minnows

[A.W.Wolfram]

100 is better then 0. I hope this finaly passes

[SteveD]

You would need a big a$$ bait tank for 100 10 inch bullheads. Better let those guys sit in the Quarantine tank for about a week or they will really mess up your bait tank.

[Scott K]

You would need a big a$$ bait tank for 100 10 inch bullheads. Better let those guys sit in the Quarantine tank for about a week or they will really mess up your bait tank.

You just need to use them faster Steve

[SteveD]

[quote=4wanderingeyes

You just need to use them faster Steve

[Brad B]

I thought the 100 limit applies to even the ones under 7". this whole thing is messed up. if bullheads by the dnr definition are rough fish and there is no limit on rough fish then why did they place the 100 fish limit on them. also why did they list them as a minnnow if they are under 7" and like was stated already minnows you can have up to 12 dozen (144 of them) so why only 100 limit. it should be that a person can have up to 100 10" bullheads and the dnr needs to remove them from the definition of a rough fish or minnow. My other question about this is would it be legal to say keep 7" bullheads and fillet them then use the fillet as bait for channel cats or does it have to be the whole fish.

[Loose]

I'd like to get into some action where I'm going through about a dozen or more a night.

That would be awesome, I would have no problem pesterin Ed once or twice a week for bait.

[SteveD]

I thought the 100 limit applies to even the ones under 7". this whole thing is messed up. if bullheads by the dnr definition are rough fish and there is no limit on rough fish then why did they place the 100 fish limit on them. also why did they list them as a minnnow if they are under 7" and like was stated already minnows you can have up to 12 dozen (144 of them) so why only 100 limit. it should be that a person can have up to 100 10" bullheads and the dnr needs to remove them from the definition of a rough fish or minnow. My other question about this is would it be legal to say keep 7" bullheads and fillet them then use the fillet as bait for channel cats or does it have to be the whole fish.

You need to examine the facts in this situation:

#1: Minnows are defined as members of the minnow family, except carp and goldfish; bullheads, ciscoes, lake whitefish, goldeyes, and mooneyes (not over 7 long); . . . Page 3, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations.

#2: Rough fish are defined as Carp, buffalo, sucker, sheepshead, bowfin, burbot, cisco, gar, goldeye, and bullhead. Page 3, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations.

#3: Bullheads have a continuous open season and the possession limit is 100. Page 19, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations, Listed Under Seasons and Limits - Inland Waters

#4: We already know a bullhead under 7 inches is classified as a minnow so: Licensed anglers may take minnows for their own use with dip nets, traps, or seines. You may possess up to 24 dozen minnows. Page 70, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations.

#5: Regarding your question about cutting up a 7" bullhead for cut bait. It is legal to cut up fish for cut bait except for the following:

- Using whole or parts of game fish, goldfish, or carp for bait is unlawful. Page 9, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations.

Now this is my interpretation of what is happening with this new rule:

You are allowed to possess and transport for your personal use 7.1 inch to 10 inch bullheads. The possession limit is 100 which it has always been for bullhead rough fish. 100 7 to 10 inch bullheads is a lot of fish - I cannot envision anyone needing more than 100 ten inch bullheads at any one time for any reason.

If you want to have some bullheads less than 7 inches for your personal use then you are dealing with minnows. You may have 144 minnows for your personal use (that is 12 dozen minnows). You don't have bullheads, you have minnows.

Now the reality of this issue: My bait tank can barely sustain 50 - 75 7" bullheads. There is no way that I ever will need or want 100 7" to 10" bullheads and 144 7" bullheads. My plan is to keep about 24 or so large 10" bullheads and about 40 or so 5" to 7" bullheads. I don't ever expect to exceed 100 bullheads at one time - my tank cannot support it and I am willing to bet that is the situation for 99% of our MN catfishermen.

[Alagnak]

Yep, you are probably right for 99% of us. [if] one has a means to keep that amount on hand- AMEN! Less trips in the commuter car JUST to gather bait. I still have the problem with the deadly fungi if I keep more than 30-40 at one time anyway...........

Originally Posted By: Brad B

I thought the 100 limit applies to even the ones under 7". this whole thing is messed up. if bullheads by the dnr definition are rough fish and there is no limit on rough fish then why did they place the 100 fish limit on them. also why did they list them as a minnnow if they are under 7" and like was stated already minnows you can have up to 12 dozen (144 of them) so why only 100 limit. it should be that a person can have up to 100 10" bullheads and the dnr needs to remove them from the definition of a rough fish or minnow. My other question about this is would it be legal to say keep 7" bullheads and fillet them then use the fillet as bait for channel cats or does it have to be the whole fish.

You need to examine the facts in this situation:

#1: Minnows are defined as members of the minnow family, except carp and goldfish; bullheads, ciscoes, lake whitefish, goldeyes, and mooneyes (not over 7 long); . . . Page 3, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations.

#2: Rough fish are defined as Carp, buffalo, sucker, sheepshead, bowfin, burbot, cisco, gar, goldeye, and bullhead. Page 3, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations.

#3: Bullheads have a continuous open season and the possession limit is 100. Page 19, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations, Listed Under Seasons and Limits - Inland Waters

#4: We already know a bullhead under 7 inches is classified as a minnow so: Licensed anglers may take minnows for their own use with dip nets, traps, or seines. You may possess up to 24 dozen minnows. Page 70, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations.

#5: Regarding your question about cutting up a 7" bullhead for cut bait. It is legal to cut up fish for cut bait except for the following:

- Using whole or parts of game fish, goldfish, or carp for bait is unlawful. Page 9, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations.

Now this is my interpretation of what is happening with this new rule:

You are allowed to possess and transport for your personal use 7.1 inch to 10 inch bullheads. The possession limit is 100 which it has always been for bullhead rough fish. 100 7 to 10 inch bullheads is a lot of fish - I cannot envision anyone needing more than 100 ten inch bullheads at any one time for any reason.

If you want to have some bullheads less than 7 inches for your personal use then you are dealing with minnows. You may have 144 minnows for your personal use (that is 12 dozen minnows). You don't have bullheads, you have minnows.

Now the reality of this issue: My bait tank can barely sustain 50 - 75 7" bullheads. There is no way that I ever will need or want 100 7" to 10" bullheads and 144 7" bullheads. My plan is to keep about 24 or so large 10" bullheads and about 40 or so 5" to 7" bullheads. I don't ever expect to exceed 100 bullheads at one time - my tank cannot support it and I am willing to bet that is the situation for 99% of our MN catfishermen.

[ec30_06]

Originally Posted By: SteveD

I'd like to get into some action where I'm going through about a dozen or more a night.

That would be awesome, I would have no problem pesterin Ed once or twice a week for bait.

I will have 3 tanks set up this year, so I should be able to keep plenty on hand. bring on the spring bite

[Scott K]

Ed, If you need to, I can store some for you in my bait tank

[Gordie]

I can help you out aslo Ed

[ec30_06]

The traps will be going in as soon as the ponds are open!

[dan z]

O' yer spose to measeure them eh I always put mine on the scale LOL

[ktcrew]

#1: Minnows are defined as members of the minnow family, except carp and goldfish; bullheads, ciscoes, lake whitefish, goldeyes, and mooneyes (not over 7 long); . . . Page 3, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations.

#2: Rough fish are defined as Carp, buffalo, sucker, sheepshead, bowfin, burbot, cisco, gar, goldeye, and bullhead. Page 3, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations.

Ok. This has always confused me. Looking at rule 1 and 2. If a fish can be classified as a minnow, then we can't use a bigger size one whole? For example, goldeyes are considered rough fish by rule 2, but since it is also considered a minnow when they are under 7" by rule 1, does that mean we can't use one that is 8" or larger whole? We have to use it as cut bait only?

Hopefully I wasn't breaking any laws, but last year I was using mooneyes and sheepheads bigger than 7" whole.

[Shack]

Quote:

but since it is also considered a minnow when they are under 7" by rule 1, does that mean we can't use one that is 8" or larger whole?

Yes and no~! As long as it is dead

Quote:

Hopefully I wasn't breaking any laws, but last year I was using mooneyes and sheepheads bigger than 7" whole.

I assume (but am not sure) you were using the mooneye and sheepheads as a live presentation? No, that is illegal. If you hook up a "dead" mooneye or sheephead and use it as cut, then yes you can.

Note: The above is subject to transporting the bait from home or another body of water. If you are catching these fish on the same body of water and the classification of the fish is correct, then you could use them live. If you are taking them from a local stream, bring them home to the bait tank, then down to the river, you are breaking the law. Technically, by the way the regs I read this year, you catch a 24" sucker on the body of water you are fishing, you can use that sucker as live bait.

[DTro]

Yep, Shack pretty much summed it up.

Except for of course, you can't use live or dead Carp no matter where you caught them.

Confused yet??

It's ridiculous, it really is.

[ktcrew]

"If you are catching these fish on the same body of water and the classification of the fish is correct, then you could use them live."

Yeah, I was using them live, but I was also using them, where I caught them, so I guess I was in the clear? Man, the regs. are confusing sometimes. Oh, yeah. I definitely knew about the carp.

[Gordie]

by the way the regs I read this year, you catch a 24" sucker on the body of water you are fishing, you can use that sucker as live bait.

One more thing to pattern and fish for

[ec30_06]

I think the sucker pattern will be to seine some flooded corn fields in a few days

[Brad B]

I went back and reread this whole thread and still have one question. Is it correct that if a bullhead is over 7" ( say a 12") you can't use it alive but if it is dead then you can cut it up as cut bait or use it whole as long as it is dead since it is definied in statute 97A.015 as a rough fish. I could not find any statue that say you can't use whole or parts of rough fish as bait. But there is the one that say you can't use game fish as bait.

My opinion on this is that if statute 97A.015 defines a bullhead as a rough fish and there is no statue saying you can't use a rough fish as bait regardless of the size of the fish why wouldn't a bullhead over 7" be legal for bait (dead or alive) since it it a rough fish. Am I missing something, this whole issue just makes my head spin.

[DTro]

From what I understand, yes you can use that 12" bullhead for cutbait. As long as you don't transport it alive or take it from infested waters to use somewhere else.

You can use any roughfish for cutbait besides carp. That is another dumb one too. You can go out and stick them with a bow, or spear, and load the pickup bed with them, or dump them in a farmers field by the thousands but heaven forbid you take a small one and cut it up of bait.

I remember in one of the Catfish Insider magazines, Doug Stange gave a recipe for his favorite cat bait. Cut up a carp fillet into small chunks, place in a jar and bury it in teh ground partially exposed to the sun for a week. Carp? .....oops

[Gordie]

well I know someone that did that with bullys in a plastic jar and kept in the back of an SUV in the hot sun for a day and I'd be glad to hand that over to Doug Stange for him to have for bait

[SteveD]

My opinion on this is that if statute 97A.015 defines a bullhead as a rough fish and there is no statue saying you can't use a rough fish as bait regardless of the size of the fish why wouldn't a bullhead over 7" be legal for bait (dead or alive) since it it a rough fish. Am I missing something, this whole issue just makes my head spin.

You are not totally correct. The issue with rough fish is that they are not legal to use as bait fish if they have been transported alive from one body of water to another. Reference page 10, 2009 Minnesota Fishing Regulations: Transporting Fish - Except while on the body of water where taken, live fish may not be transported in a quantity of water sufficient to keep them alive unless the fish are bait minnows or the person is authorized to do so by the DNR.

So, to try to clarify your response - It should be noted in every case I mention below that it is illegal to use carp, whole or cut, alive or dead for bait at any time.

#1: You can use a rough fish,(in this case a 7"+ bullhead) alive or dead in the body of water where it was caught. You can catch it and place it in your livewell and use it for bait.

#2: You cannot catch a rough fish (in this case a 7"+ bullhead) in one body of water and transport it alive to another body of water and use it alive. That is illegal.

#3: You can catch a bunch of rough fish(in this case a bunch of 7"+ bullheads) in one body of water and kill them and then transport them to another body of water and cut them up and use them for cut bait

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

well I know someone that did that with bullys in a plastic jar and kept in the back of an SUV in the hot sun for a day and I'd be glad to hand that over to Doug Stange for him to have for bait

Ya that guy was out of his mind, but think Doug Stange should give it a whirl.