Does anyone know why we can't use carp for bait?

[Stick500]

According the to the MN regs, we can't use carp or carp parts for bait, but of course we can cut up sheepshead and suckers as long as we use them in the same waters. Does anyone know why common carp are off limits? Why wouldn't that be the thing to do in the same waters you caught them in?

Is there really any waters in all the midwest that don't have common carp?

I've been using suckers for cut bait, but of course you can't easily find them in the summer and I wish I had the option of carp. I know where plenty of them are!

[mwal]

I am sure they are afraid of the invasive species stuff. But yes carp are everywhere and if you are not transporting it should be no different than the sheepies and suckers . But its the law so they are off the fatty bait list

[bobbymalone]

I don't really understand the bait laws.

Why can't I use walleye as cutbait? I can legally keep them, why does it matter what I do with them? I could cook them for my cat and it's perfectly legal. I could bury them in the garden next to the carp with arrows through them and that's legal too.

[Getanet]

Is there really any waters in all the midwest that don't have common carp?

I realize this isn't the main purpose of your question, but the lake my family's cabin is on in Crow Wing county doesn't have carp in it. At least, we've never caught or seen one in the 30+ years we've had our cabin there, and the DNR netting report doesn't list them - but does include some fish I've never heard of.

[delcecchi]

Quote:

Why can't I use walleye as cutbait? I can legally keep them, why does it matter what I do with them? I could cook them for my cat and it's perfectly legal. I could bury them in the garden next to the carp with arrows through them and that's legal too.

I bet that would be considered "wanton waste" and you would have a problem in court.

[laker1]

Most of the waters and watersheds in Northeastern Minnesota do not have carp.

At present there is no carp above the Brainerd dam on the Mississippi river.So all the watersheds going into the river from Itaska park down is carp free.

[DTro]

Just another archaic rule here in MN. Nobody really thinks you can introduce new carp into a body of water using cut up pieces of it, do you?

Cut carp makes great bait and it along with it, other things such as sunfish could and should be allowed.

Good luck with that though....

[RebelSS]

Just another archaic rule here in MN. Nobody really thinks you can introduce new carp into a body of water using cut up pieces of it, do you?

Cut carp makes great bait and it along with it, other things such as sunfish could and should be allowed.

Good luck with that though....

I'll heartily agree with that. The people that dream these things up with no real evidence/source info and slap a label on them are what I call "wanton waste".

[laker1]

We survived this long,I am find to leave it as it is at present.

[leech~~]

Carp makes wonderful-Bear Bait!

[Tom7227]

Just because a rule is old doesn't mean it is obsolete, and just because you can' t think of a reason for the rule to exist doesn't mean it serves no purpose.

[smackem33]

Are you going to make a point Tom? Or are you just going to post poems?

[Markula]

Just because a rule is old doesn't mean it is obsolete, and just because you can' t think of a reason for the rule to exist doesn't mean it serves no purpose.

So, what is the purpose of this law?

[Stick500]

the more I think about this, I'm guessing the biggest fear is that if carp are allowed as bait, anglers will be using live ones and of course that could infest waters that don't have carp

when they added "carp parts", it might have simply been to make sure carp were completely off-limits since there is no way "carp parts" is going to harm waters any more than cut sucker or sheepshead, so that part of the law really doesn't make any sense

[Getanet]

the more I think about this, I'm guessing the biggest fear is that if carp are allowed as bait, anglers will be using live ones and of course that could infest waters that don't have carp

That would be my guess as to why the law was originally created. Now with the AIS concerns, that would be even more reason for the powers-that-be to not allow it. Wouldn't be surprised if some bait shop and/or minnow suppliers bent the ear of their local legislators somewhere back in the day to get this included.

[delcecchi]

That would be my guess as to why the law was originally created. Now with the AIS concerns, that would be even more reason for the powers-that-be to not allow it. Wouldn't be surprised if some bait shop and/or minnow suppliers bent the ear of their local legislators somewhere back in the day to get this included.

Believe it or not, but Carp were the AIS of their day, and some effort was made to prevent them from spreading. I remember when they got into Fish Lake, near North Branch, in the late 50's.

[LindellProStaf]

This is a little off topic but I like to tell the story so sorry... When I was about 12 years old my mom used drop me and my brother and a couple of friends at "The Pits" for the afternoon. It was the sand pits south of town that had lots of bluegills and sunfish in them. Well we had some worms and were catching lots of fish. We knew what the limit was and were proud that we knew the regs. Well we ran out of worms cuz the fish were biting so good. We had them on a rope stringer. Well Mom wasn't coming back for another hour or so and we didn't have a limit yet and were out of bait. I started gutting our bluegills and we were using their guts to catch more fish. Worked great. We were pretty proud of ourselves. A game warden stopped and was really nice and wondered how our fishing was. We proudly showed him our catch and showed him how smart we were by using the guts of the fish that we were going to eat to catch more fish. He said, you guys can't do that. I said as I my bobber went down again, well yes we can, see it works great! He said no I mean it is illegal. I said well that does not make any sense. We are keeping the meat and are just using the guts so why does that matter. He said well that is the law. As we proudly kept baiting up and catching more bluegills in front of him and showing him how smart we were for thinking of this idea he just smiled and said Ok you kids have a nice day and remember what your limit is and got in his car and drove away. It was a great first experience with a Game Warden for us.

[leechlake]

when I was about ten my Grandpa and I got into some bluegills big time one day and we too ran out of worms. He started popping the eye balls out of the fish we had kept and they worked as good as the worms. No game warden around but I've still got the photo and it was an epic bluegill day and a great memory.

[LindellProStaf]

Good one. How cool to fish with Grandpa too.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

Leechlake, same story here. I was fishing with my grandpa and dad. I was maybe six or seven years of age. We never kept limits, only enough for a nice fry. Anyway, it was a great day for gills. We ran out of bait and my grandpa started using the eyeballs of the fish we kept. Worked great. My grandpa grew up during the Depression and explained they did this often because there were no bait stores. They did what they had to do to eat.

I don't understand why we can't use cut carp as bait. I also don't understand a lot of the laws passed in this state.

[Great Outdoors]

I think that Shiners are a member of the Carp family(?), and can carry the VHS virus.

Before trapping and transporting Shiners, you must have the ponds tested for VHS, and dealers must have a statement of origin when hauling them.

This may be why the Carp parts are taboo?????

[Bobby Bass]

May be an old wife's tale but back when I was a kid ( 50 years ago) I think I heard it said that you could not use goldfish because they were a killer on the hook. Gold fish were so bright in the water that the walleye just ate them up. Might have just been a story, I was a kid remember.

[delcecchi]

May be an old wife's tale but back when I was a kid ( 50 years ago) I think I heard it said that you could not use goldfish because they were a killer on the hook. Gold fish were so bright in the water that the walleye just ate them up. Might have just been a story, I was a kid remember.

It vas yust a story. Goldfish are a close relative of carp, and are/were considered invasive species.