legal baits???

[catfishcrawler]

I was wondering what baits are legal and whats not. And also what works and what
doesn't. I am talking channel cat baits (from the St Cloud area). Usually the Mississippi or Sauk River. I am under the impression that bullheads under 7 inches are legal. I can cut these up and use as bait right?? What other fish is? Any size suckers? Redhorse I am guessing isnt legal ? Also I do alot of waterfowl hunting and deer hunting. This may sound crazy but can I use duck liver or snow goose parts or other organs as bait? Or maybe even deer parts normally discarded?? The way I see it if people can catch them on chicken parts this idea isnt to crazy. I get confused by the regs. Honestly I mostly use crawlers I dig up at a Buddies house. I have had decent luck with them,, my biggest is a 8 lb channel caught in my favorite hole. The same goes with carp, Crawlers caught me a 20 lb+ carp. This time of year worms are hard to come by though. The strangest thing I caught a cat on was jerky, Bubblegum and some fish flavored bait all on one hook. LOL
Why is carp illeagal to use as bait?? The way I understand it they are a nuisance or exotic? Sorry to ramble on, I forgot the rest of my questions.

[This message has been edited by catfishcrawler (edited 03-23-2004).]

[Dennis Steele]

I think the question should be what works best.I have caught cats on just about anything,but there are baits that out perform others time after time.This could be specific to the waters your fishing or the season.
In the fall you just can't beat a frog,or a beaten frog.
In the spring a soured or spoiled smelly hunk of sucker or creek chub is my bait of choice.
The bait of choice by many catmen on the Red River is goldeye.While that also works on the MN River the bait of choice there is cut creek chub or sucker.
The Mississippi would probably be shad.The best baits are the baits that are abundant to the waters your fishing.
That being said,you will also run into days where something else not native to the waters your fishing will catch more fish.For instance,chicken liver is an awsome bait for smaller fish at times as well as raw shrimp.
Other baits like tulibee,mackeral, and even hot dogs will catch fish also.
I always try to have several differnt types of bait along when I head out fishing.Some of my favorites are cut sucker,creek chub,goldeye,chicken liver,crayfish,(only legal from the water they were caugt in and cannot be transported over land)and of course its always nice to have some crawlers on hand.The only one who can tell you for sure what is going to work the best on any given day is the fish themselves.

In general rough fish,and fish considered minnows are legal and game fish are not.I don't know about using wild game?? I have never seen anything mentioned about it in any regulations.However you cannot leave a carcass in the water as chum or to attract fish.Thats the only law I have seen pertaining to game.
I do believe that redhorse is legal.I have used it and have several waiting patiently in my freezer.
Carp is not legal becuase of the fear that they might infest waters where they have not been introduced.I think that that law might be a little outdated.It used to be that it was a law to kill any carp caught,but now its illegal to do that these days.
They are exotics brought over from Europe as a food fish years ago.The Europeans like thier carp.

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Minnesota River Guided Fishing
www.mnriverguidedfishing.com
[email protected]
NPAA #863

[This message has been edited by Dennis Steele (edited 03-23-2004).]

[DARK30]

Catfishcrawler, Welcome to the site! Fishhead pretty much covers it...He's a good Rat, He should be...I taught him everything he knows! Well, maybe not everything. His boat control is one thing but throwing perfectly good gear out into the river as if by accident...I don't know where he picked that up. Oh, and using old, rancid, mushy, very dead minnows too....it wasn't me.

I've never tried cut bullhead...I wonder if you can use a piece longer than 7" ( or what ever it is...I don't worry about it) I suppose you always fold it over.

I heard something about somebody on a fishing show using baby catfish as bait on the Mississippi River for (I think he said Walleyes) Didn't sound right to me though...I've always used baby walleyes to catch Catfish!

The River has become an obsession!

WET NETS!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[rushing]

We found out clams work great and we also found out from the CO they aren't legal!
These clams were from a buddies private pond so we werent taking them from the river. The clams in the MN river are protected.

wishin I was fishin
rob

[Dennis Steele]

LOL
You forgot to add that I learned how to opperate one of those old fashioned camera's.
I still haven't learned the appreciation for little polished rocks though! We might have to work on that some more this summer.

[DARK30]

"Only from the mind of Minolta" I do need to pick up one of those new fangled little digitals thats easy to carry with!

Yesterday at lunch, I found an agate that would sell on the internet for between 2 and 3 hundred dollars! Course, I would never sell it. Theres some agates to look at .....

http://www.agates-r-us.com/stones.html

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[Ed Carlson]

Lots of good tips from the crew. But clams are a No-No on the Red for sure, and also on the all other inland rivers in ND.

Freshwater clams are protected now in ND (Along with many other Northern states) and can not be harvested or used as bait no matter where you found them.

Yup, they work, but they are endangered in many systems so they shut the door on their use to protect them. I am not sure about inland waters in MN? That you better ask the DNR crew about to be sure Eh?

FYI in spring, early on I like sour sucker (Real Funky and Chunky), then fresh cut sucker, then fresh cut Mooneye/Goldeye. After hard rains in early spring, a Wad-O-crawlers is a safe bet. Then funky dip/punch baits are also darn good, especially in super murky waters that are on the warm.

Good luck............><,,>

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Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson

Backwater Guiding
"ED on the RED"
[email protected]
><,sUMo,>

[Timdogg]

How do you sour your sucker? Do you just cut it into chunks and let it sit in the sun for a while? Also, what is your favorite dip bait? Any info would be great. Thanks.

[DARK30]

And when Ed says FUNKY, he means FFFFUNKY! It works though.

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[Wiskers]

Yeppers they pretty much covered it.. Good advise.. take notes..

About the clams??? I thought you could use them as long as they were harvested in the waters you intend to use them??? Maybe I am wrong??? bummer cause they work awesome.. so I have heard.. lol

#1 bait choise for me is cubed steak.. either brined or not it works awesome.. shhhhhhh dont tell anyone.. its a secret.. shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

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Wiskers Guiding Service
Red River, Red Lake River & Minnesota River,for Channel Cats, Flatheads & Walleyes
Crookston, MN
[email protected]

218-280-0442

[korn_fish]

What was already said but add in mudpuppies. Hard to come by these days, especially in catfish size but they sometimes outfish everything else.

[any fishin is good fishin]

i'm a rookie, but have always liked catfishing. i found a shallow 3-4 feet backwater area with a small flowage ( channel ) running through it. we were fishing for whatever would bite our nightcrawlers ( catching mostly sheepshead, carp and 3-6lb catfish) as we were running out of bait and not ready to leave a fun bite i decided to cut up a sheepshead. we started slaying the catfish with the biggest being 18lbs. ?????? is this legal, strange, or did i just find some unusal fish. since then we've gone back numerous times and only brought enough nightcrawlers to catch a sheepshead. can anybody explain?

[Aquaman01]

A buddy of mine's Dad said sheepshead work well 'cause of the shiny skin - visibility.

Clams/Mussels of any sort may only be harvested in inland waters with a permit, and even collecting empty shells is regulated by season (see reg book for MN).
The reasoning behind this is two-fold and neccessitated by the difficulty in telling one species from another; zebra mussels are bad and nobody wants a hobbyist to spread 'em, and many native species are endangered and and it can be hard to tell them apart.
Mussels are a vital part of the food chain, though, and finding a big mussel bed can be a good sign that fish are lurking downriver. Mussels spawn by broadcasting their 'goo' into the current to latch into bigger fish's gills, the detach later. The Science Museum has a really great display for identifying different species, and the Mississippi River Visitor's Center there has lots of info, too.

Before I knew that it wasn't okay to use Common Muckets (really abundant mussels) for bait I had a great outing using them for redhorse, goldeye and cats.

As these dang Asian Ladybugs wake up I've been tossing them into my aquarium and the Rock Bass are scarfing them up! Maybe they have a use, after all...crappie bait!

I need to go sucker fishing real soon - my bait freezer quit on me and I didn't know it until the stench made me look in there. UGH! A dozen ziplocs full of squishy goo. My wife called it River Rat Stew

Best Fishes,
Rob

[Roughfisher]

Clams: On the St. Croix it is completely illegal to kill or molest any clam. Just in case there were any clam-molesters out there. Several types of clams are almost extinct.

As far as suckers, make sure you are using the right kind. It is illegal to kill any blue sucker, black redhorse, greater redhorse, or river redhorse in Minnesota because they are threatened or endangered species. You can only use shorthead redhorse, golden redhorse, or silver redhorse for bait. The rest carry a fine of several thousand dollars with possible forfeiture of fishing license. Same thing in Wisconsin, although the black redhorse has become extinct in Wisconsin so you don't have to worry about that one. Know your suckers!

[Mr Special]

Hey Aquaman01,

I know who's dad you're talking about. Oh wait, that's my old man. But Yes my dad used sheepheads quite often. He would take the fillets with skin on and cut them into little triangle pieces about 2-3" long and 1"wide at the base. He claims they look like a shad and they actually do kinda. Sheepheads are oil, with a strong smell so I think they do work good.

Good luck

[Jim W]

Not a real cat guy, but I am curious about the law. Maybe it should be re-addressed?

If I plan to take home some rock bass and filet them up and eat, why can't I feed them to some poor hungry kitty cats???
They fell prey to my hookline and sinker, they should be mine now to dispose of how I see fit. Other than wanton waste of course!
Now they can be food for other predators.

A nice circle of life if you ask me???

ANd no Dennis, Trout will never be used for cat bait!!!!

Jim W

[joshb]

hey catfishcrawler, i'm from cloudtown to. we should hook up and go out cattin' sometime.

[DARK30]

No, never a brown anyway...But those little hatchery rainbows might work pretty good! Almost as good as baby walleyes I bet!

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cast,cast,cast,cast......

[deadeye]

I have a question, has anyone ever used smelt for cats? I have to oportunity to get some so I was wondering if they would work very well. I use them in the winter for lakers and northerns so maybe they will work for cats?

[buzbunni]

I've often wondered about that in regards to various species of 'underutilized" fish.

For instance, it appears to me that there are quite a few carp out there(and I for one don't mind catching them for sport). Why can't an angler keep one of them to use for cutbait during the day (keeping in mind that the entrails are disposed of properly)? Although it is not legal, I'm sure there are some anglers that do this.

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SERIOUSLY! It was THIS big!

[EBass]

Sheepies work to! I've tried cut up carp for bait (I didn't know) and it wasn't as tough or as good as cut sucker. Thus I'm a sucker for sucker.

[Roughfisher]

Smelt are EXCELLENT bait for big channel cats. They rank right up there with chicken liver, bad shrimp, and squid.

[deadeye]

Good deal, I am hoping to get a few of them in the freezer so it is good the hear that they do work.
><>deadeye

[catfish1]

I'm surprised that no one has told EBass that the use of any part of a carp in illegal. Here in minnesota anyway. I E-Mailed the DNR about that and got back an answer about some law so old that what it was made for is no longer has any bearing on the subject. Or at least in the southern part of Minnesota. There is no real reason way the carp should not be use for cut bait or even smaller ones as live bait. At least in the rivers of southern Minnesota. I'm not familiar with rivers way up north. But they told me there are rivers up there that do not have carp in them. And that is way the law is still on the books. I say draw a line and let us use them down here. Just my two cents.

Catfish156123