10 inch bullheads

[Ed Carlson]

I think I'll set up the tank this weekend and get some bacteria growing.

Tip for ya guys on long term bait storage. Add 1/2 cup of Solar Salt crystals (No salt with any chemical additives..pure Solar Salt) to the tank per 30 gallons of water...do this every week or so. It acts like Gatorade for the fish. The Solar Salt balances the water so the fish maintain and produce a healthier slime coating and wards of bacterial infections. They will stay much healthier and survive longer.

[Gordie]

Thanks for the tip Ed.. I know that the big flatties will salt and pepper to taste any ways

[Scott K]

Any update on this? did it go through? Or will there be and special meetings or what? I have a hole with a bunch of 7-10 inchers wondering if they will be food, or bait, and I would like to give them the good news that they will get to be bait

[Rollincoal]

I did a little digging on the DNR HSOforum and i found a couple articles. From what i understand they did change the law and we can now use bullheads up to ten inches. Here are the articles ill let you read them and see what you think, they are a little hard to understand.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/fish_wildlife/fisheries/input/rules/201003-sonar.pdf

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/fish_wildlife/fisheries/input/rules/201003-rules.pdf

[blakeb]

woo hooo!

[DTro]

I think those are just the proposal documents.

[harvey lee]

Maybe they need to change the law for use of panfish. Many seem to have very good luck with them.

[Gordie]

Maybe they need to change the law for use of panfish. Many seem to have very good luck with them.

that would be sweet but I dont think it will ever happen Harvey Lee

[nsnutter]

Harvey I agree it would be nice to be able to use some smaller 'gills for some flats. Although, for now I would be plenty content with some 10-12" bullhead if that law passes.

[harvey lee]

I am not asking for a new law to use them, I am simply stating that there are so many that use them now.

So many would like a new bullhead law and I was saying they should first leagalize the panfish since so many use them

I always knew that some used them but boy, many more sure do.

[nsnutter]

Wow, I have never noticed, least not where I'm fishing. Silly as some of our regulations may be, I'm a stickler for them. If the rule is 7" bullie, you better believe only 7" and under are swimmin in my bait tank. I would love to be able to use panfish for bait, would give us a much broader range of bait options, and may help to thin out some of those lakes that are just teeming with tiny panfish.

[harvey lee]

I would also love to use them as I have heard how well they work from others.

[howellcanufish]

The local bait distributor informed me last week that it is now legal to use up to a 12" bullhead. She said she has the document/letter to prove it and will provide me with one the next time I stop by. I'm not sure if it's in deed true or not, but I am curious to see what document she has. I thought if anyone would be in the know, she would. Although, I would have thought that someone else would have been informed of this as well if it were true.

[tweedlap]

Harvey,

Our guys in Minnesota use them? Never heard of it except on the St Croix

thread.

tweed

[Koepper08]

Ya hopefully they put an article in Outdoor News about it if they did change it...It is terrible that we cannot use anything larger than 7", we all know those big kitties want more to eat that little bully...

[Scott K]

Ya hopefully they put an article in Outdoor News about it if they did change it...It is terrible that we cannot use anything larger than 7", we all know those big kitties want more to eat that little bully...

I have caught most of my bigger fish on 5-6 inchers.

[nsnutter]

haha

[Gordie]

Originally Posted By: Koepper08

Ya hopefully they put an article in Outdoor News about it if they did change it...It is terrible that we cannot use anything larger than 7", we all know those big kitties want more to eat that little bully...

I have caught most of my bigger fish on 5-6 inchers.

is that 5 plus 6 Scott

[harvey lee]

Harvey,

Our guys in Minnesota use them? Never heard of it except on the St Croix

thread.

tweed

It is very common practice to use panfish for bait on the Minnesota. I would guess that just as may do than don't.

[nsnutter]

That's a shame. While I agree the law should include small panfish, it's still unsportsmanlike to abuse those laws, flawed as they may be.

[cjac]

Originally Posted By: tweedlap

Harvey,

Our guys in Minnesota use them? Never heard of it except on the St Croix

thread.

tweed

It is very common practice to use panfish for bait on the Minnesota. I would guess that just as may do than don't.

Wow, that's a pretty bold statement to make Harvey Lee.

That's like me saying it is common practice for half the muskie guys I see on Mille Lacs using 12"-14" walleyes on their Quick Strike rigs in the Fall instead of suckers in my estimation (or guess as you said)......

I'd like to think one would use one's cellular and access one's pre-programmed TIP number or call one's local CO if one knew of one's peers doing that. I, for one, would do so.....

[harvey lee]

Maybe bold but true.

I have watched guys use them and many others have said they also use panfish and other specie.

Many would be shocked to know just how many do.

Thats fact.

[blakeb]

yeah i ran onto one recently. He was fishing one of "my" spots, chit chated with him he told me thathis favorite bait was blugills, i said you know that illegal right?

he says yeah but only if you get caught, bad additude, be honest.

[Alagnak]

The one FACT is you don't know the real numbers. I'm not going to argue with you- i'm sure they are out there but to say what you said is fact is wrong. Did you do some study or something and have some quantitative data or are you just pulling numbers out of your azz? The second one. I've never run across you on the river that I know of so I know for a FACT you don't know what is in my cooler- and its not gills.

[harvey lee]

Fact is, way more use them than anyone realizes.