Can someone summarize how to harvest and use bullheads as bait legally?

[CHEX1982]

1. If I want to use smaller bullheads, bullheads under 7" must be cage-trapped because angling by hook makes it against regulation to use as bait.

2. Bullheads 7" and above can be harvested by hook and still be kept to be used as bait. I assume trapping them will be okay as well but this would be impossible as Minnesota only allows a trap to have a hole no exceeding 1-inch.

3. The goal is to ultimately use these bullheads on the Croix or Sippi. However, in order to bring these bullheads home (alive) and use them on St. Croix or Mississippi (or any other body of water south of Highway 110), these bullheads must be harvested from a lake that is NOT on the "Invasive Lakes" page and has more than two problems listed (for exampe, they have Eurasian milfoil and zebra mussels). If they are harvested from a lake that has an invasive problem, these bullheads may only be used on on that same body of water.

Am I missing anything?

These regulations are annoying. I feel like sleeping now. I don't even want to try big catfishing anymore. Maybe I should just return the Abu Garcia C4. It doesn't seem fair at all that for people to target huge gamefish like bass, pikes, and walleyes, they just go to the store and get the right rod, reel, and tackle. Whereas to angle for big catfish and roughfish, you need a lawyer to interpret the regulations and the fastest way to get bait - buy big suckers at baitshop - is expensive and the average joe (that's me) cannot effectively keep these alive long.

I think this post just made me realize what I should do with my C4. Sadly...

[DTro]

Ok let me try this again.

Yes, it sounds like you have a clear understanding of the laws regarding bullheads. I empathize with you.

The whole bait thing is one of the main reasons I accepted the invitation to participate in a DNR workgroup. Bait is everything to a catfisherman and people don't get that. It was nice to get an amendment that would let us use rough fish caught on hook/line on invasive waters, but I would like to see it go further.

Plain and simple, you cannot move live bait from infested waters, but there are certain gray areas for sure. Think about all the infested lakes in the metro and how many of them drain into the MN river, yet the MN river is not classified as infested. What about drainage creeks coming out of infested bodies of water? Are those off limits too?

Bottom line is that its safe to say 95% of the bullheads in the metro area come from infested waters (whether classified or not). The best advice I can offer is:

Good luck!

[expl]

Yep Im getting sick of this state and all their nanny b.s. regulations also.What do they have a plane or chopper airborne at all times to make sure the ducks,geese and whatever other winged animal is around isnt going from infested to non infested lakes,ponds or rivers?Is there someone following every turtle and frog around to make sure they follow all a.i.s. regulations?Is there a real possible way to get every drop of water off of or out of your boat?Screw their regulations,I bet a large percent of boaters are breaking some a.i.s laws on any given day,along with the birds,frogs and turtles.

[SteveD]

You need to step back and take a deep breath. Read the regs and apply a little common sense and the harvest of bullheads is not that daunting a task. I will attempt to summarize how to harvest and use bullheads as bait legally.

First off let’s look at the harvest of bullheads from non-infested waters:

Bullheads under 7 inches are classified as minnows. Licensed anglers may take minnows or leeches for their own use with dip nets, traps, or seines. The requirements for dip nets, traps, or seines are listed on page 76, 2014 Minnesota Fishing Regulations. After you catch your bullheads you may transport them provided you exchange water in your bait buckets with tap or bottled water prior to leaving any waterbody to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species or fish disease.

In your post you are assuming that it is not legal to catch smaller bullheads for bait with a hook or line and then keep them for bait because that is not a method spelled out in regulations. On page 28 of the 2014 Minnesota Fishing Regulations it states: Up to 100 bullheads, 7 – 10 inches in length, may be taken and possessed for use as live bait. Legal methods of taking include dip net, angling or minnow seines.

Now if you can legally catch a 7 – 10 inch bullhead with a hook and line do you think they are going to throw you in jail for harvesting a 6” bullhead with a hook and line. Believe me, you can catch a smaller bullhead on a hook and line and throw him in the bucket with your 7 – 10 inch bullheads and you are OK. The bullhead Nazis will not round you up and throw you in jail.

So in summary on harvesting bullheads from non-infested waters, if you follow the above protocol you can safely harvest and keep bullheads for bait. You may transport them as long as they are in tap or bottled water.

Secondly let’s look at the harvest of bullheads from infested waters:

Bullheads may be caught by hook and line from designated infested rivers for personal use as bait while on that same river. The bullheads may not be transported alive from or off the river where taken as bait. Now just let me clarify something for you – if I catch bullheads from non-infested waters I can take them onto infested waters and use them for bait. I can take them home again when I am done fishing as long as they remain in tap or bottled water.

Here is the big BUT: If I catch a bullhead from infested waters I can only use that bullhead on that same infested body of water where I caught the bullhead and when I am done fishing I cannot transport that bullhead live from or off the river where taken as bait. It is not as complicated as most people make it out to be.

If you are a serious cat chaser you need to develop a number of non-infested ponds, streams or rivers where you can catch bullheads for bait. I keep a hundred gallon aerated stock tank stocked with about 50 or so bullheads on hand at all times during the summer. Harvesting bait is a big part of the hunt. I enjoy bait harvest almost as much as the fishing part.