Kittens for bait?

[Scoot]

I'm not a cat lover (or liker), but I'd never use a kitten for bait. However, I read an ad asking for people to ask around about interest in free kittens. The ad ended with the statement, "be carefull who you give the kittens to, people will use them for muskie bait."

This must be a wife's tale, isn't it?

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Scoot

RodsbyEngel: custom made fishing rods

[turn_in_poachers]

They'll take down ducks and turtles. I wouldnt be surprised. (although it is wrong)
Im not sure, but I think I heard a story about a little girl who got attacked by a muskie while wading or swimming. Not sure though.

[half2fish]

This year in Wahkon bay a muskie came up and grabbed a beaver. I was fishing for northerns when some guy told me and i went over to the place and i saw the beaver wounded in the water then all of the sudden SPLASH. to my knowledge he never came back up.

[TheGuy]

A beaver or a muskrat? Beavers can be 15 lbs. or more. A muskrat is like big rat that is about 15 to 20 inches long with the tail. A small beaver is possible and I've been seeing some pictures of some BIG muskies from that lake!!

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Get the Net!!

[MURPHFISHER]

Here is a site with some pictures and interesting reading on human musky attacks...

http://www.trentu.ca/muskie/biology/biol08.html

copy and paste if clicking the link does not work.

[Fish-n-Freak]

What color were the cats? ;-)

Long or short hair? Long hair has way more action.

Kind of like that St.Croix rod ad, where they have the poodle in a Firetiger sweater.

I have seen baby ducks disappear, one adult duck, muskrat or two and a Pike that went about 7 pounds.

ANYTHING smaller than they are, is Muskie Bait.

[SCUMFROG]

Just last week I caught a pike that was about 19-20 inches long with fresh bite marks on it's back. It was still bleeding. The marks were very big. I'd love to see that fish.

[CRAPPIEBAIT]

P.E.T.A. IS GONNA LOVE THIS POST

[half2fish]

P.E.T.A

People Eating Tasty Animals

[Lost]

If you ever see a bunch of stray cats missing their tails, you'll know what happened.

O

[Crappie Kid]

What is so unethical about it? Is a kittens life more important than a minnows? J/K. Saturday I was up on Lake Wabedo an found a half dead 28 inch walleye floating on the surface. Its back was broken and it had a bite on it so large I got shivers down my spine.

[The Grebe]

Yeah.....I'd say that using a kitten for bait, is a hell of a lot different then using a minnow for bait.

For one thing, aside from it being a mammal and a **** cute one at that, I do believe it would be illegal?

I don't believe that live ducks can be used as decoys to lure in other ducks?

I don't think you can use live animals as bait to trap other animals, like staking out a live rabbit, or something?

If using live animals for fishing bait is/was legal, why don't we here about fishermen harnessing up dogs and let them swim around in shark, or Gator infested waters?

With all the available baits and technology to catch fish, Muskies included, in my opinion, this whole deal does'nt sound very good.

If it is all in the "Gettin" no matter how it's done, why not lob a friggin bell sinker with an M-80 attached at em?

[The Grebe]

Not hard to tell that I have an affection for cats, huh? Dogs to, got one each.

[Muskie-searcher]

Hey Grebe, the big difference is you can't release a muskie you catch with an M-80. I have no problems killing a cat, but I would be sick to the stomach if I killed a muskie.

[half2fish]

It was a beaver but it wasnt like a full grown one. But it did suprise me very much to know that happend. the beaver was prob about 6 or 7 lbs

[The Grebe]

I'd would also feel bad killing a Muskie, I don't believe I would get sick, but I sure would'nt be happy! The same goes for kittens, puppies, baby rabbits.

Like you said, a fish that has been M-80'd, you can't release it, nor would one be able to turn loose a kitten that had been chomped on by a Muskie!

I'm certainly not squimish, I ran traplines each season, for 20 to 25 years and I've certainly had to deal with the cat issue.

You know, this is probably a moot point, anyways, because I'm certainly not going to use M-80's and more then likely you are not going to use kittens for bait, so I guess I'll put my end of it to bed.

[muskylureguyneedsmusky]

A few years ago, my grandparents went to a friend of theirs' cabin. They had a small breed dog like a tea cup poodle or a ****zu. I can't remember the exact breed but anyways they were telling me that this dog loved to chase a small ball of the dock and then swim for it. But one time while the dog was swimming for the ball, a big splash happend and the dog was dragged down under by a muskie. Just like that the dog was gone. I felt pretty bad for the people who owned the dog but man, that just goes to show how big and powerful muskies are.

[Lost]

Ever hear the story about the pig with a wooden leg? Well, the same can go with dogs and cats.

J/K guys.

I love animals tremendously. Some people wonder why I fish if I'm a vegetarian. I find it relaxing and fun at the same time. But I catch and release. I won't purposely kill a fish. That's also one of the reasons why I don't hunt. Isn't that as bad as killing a cat or dog?

[smoked perch]

last year at a local bar, an old-timer regular told me that back in the day they did in fact use kittens for bait. "just before their eyes start to open" is what he said! now i'd had a few beers in me, and i know he did, but he didn't smirk or wink a bit. he said they used to put the kitten in a special harness, with hooks on the harness ("ya couln't hook the kitty, cuz ya wanted it to squirm around in the water"). then he said they would spot a musky or large pike laying in the shallows and "float out that cat on a cedar shingle." when it got in the vicinity, he'd yank the kitten off the shingle, and there ya go.
now i have to admit i was laughing my butt off the whole time he was telling me this. but he certainly seemed like he believed it!
it made for an interesting bit of lore, anyways...

[LABS4ME]

Lost.... ??????

[Jackpine Rob]

Years ago there were quite a few fellows who spent inordinate amounts of time chasing and killing big northerns up North. Many of our grandfathers did all kinds of crazy things in their quest for bragging rights amongst the big northern crowd.

A buddy has a little cigar box he inherited which contains duck harnesses. Baby ducks were captured, harnessed up with treble hooks dangling off them, tethered to jugs, and set out in likely looking areas. You can figure out the rest...

[ARMAN-21]

smoked perch-

That is a classic story, I love it! When my grandpa was still around I heard all the odd things they used for bait on the river & lakes, I wouldn't put it past any of the old guys for using stuff like that for bait. My grandpa used baby chic's sometimes, from what my dad tells me. I don't know if it's true, but you never know.

Scott

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ARMAN-21

[smoked perch]

we have to keep in mind that back in the day, the old-timers didn't have all these fancy $15-$25 lures!!
they had to (in the words of mr. eastwood)

"IMPROVISE, OVERCOME, AND ADAPT..."

[Doonbuggy]

The one true human attack was in '95 at Lake Rebecca. A muskie got inside the beach area (as did two big walleyes via a hole in the net).

At any rate, the kid, about 12, was walking into shore and tapping his hand on the surface of the water.....ended up with 30 stitches to his hand! Being trapped in the beach area I'm sure there wasn't much to eat.

I have a friend who swims Nokomis and Harriet. Funny how she no longer wears any type of jewelry while swimming.... :-)

DB

[Swamp Scooter]

I also think there was a couple of people bitten on Calhoun a couple of years ago off the swimming dock. They did catcha big muskie out there prowling too.

As to the kitty for bait. It does happen and the shingle way is the preferred method. I have not done this but have found the old rigs in a shed to prove it. I have heard that they liked to use the kittys rather than puppies as they struggled more when they pulled them off the shingle.

This was before the jackpots and other lures were even thought of. I think we are better off with the technology and not using the felines for bait. The only bait the cats are in my house is for the dog when she gets fed up with them.