Smelt as bait?

[DeltaDee]

I was talking to a fellow this past weekend who mentioned using frozen smelts from a grocery store as bait.

Just was going through the fishing regulations, and was that it was smelts and herrings can not be used at all as bait...

Am I reading the regs incorrectly? It was under the definition of baitfish.

Anyone use them? know if thats okay?

[Lefty-Canuck]

I was talking to a fellow this past weekend who mentioned using frozen smelts from a grocery store as bait.

Just was going through the fishing regulations, and was that it was smelts and herrings can not be used at all as bait...

Am I reading the regs incorrectly? It was under the definition of baitfish.

Anyone use them? know if thats okay?

Smelts are not considered bait fish. Is that what you mean?

LC

[Bigdad013]

Bait Fish means any of the following:

suckers (family Catostomidae)
sticklebacks (family Gasterosteidae)
trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus)
Iowa darter (Etheostoma exile)
minnows (family Cyprinidae), except carp, goldfish and the western silvery minnow.
Note: Pet store fish (tropical fish) or crayfish cannot be used as bait fish.

Bait Fish may be used in waters that do not have bait bans or bait fish restrictions. Where fishing with bait fish is prohibited, other baits including smelts, herring, gammarus shrimp and dead fish eggs (e.g., preserved “salmon eggs”) may be used, provided a bait ban is not in effect for that water body.
NOTE: Smelts and herring are of the saltwater families Osmeridae and Clupeidae. Use of the freshwater species cisco (Coregonidae), also called tullibee or lake herring, is prohibited from use as bait.

[DiabeticKripple]

I was talking to a fellow this past weekend who mentioned using frozen smelts from a grocery store as bait.

Just was going through the fishing regulations, and was that it was smelts and herrings can not be used at all as bait...

Am I reading the regs incorrectly? It was under the definition of baitfish.

Anyone use them? know if thats okay?

there is baitfish and then there is bait.

if the regs say baitfish ban, you can use anything that is not listed under baitfish.

so you can use smelts anywhere except where there is a full bait ban.

[Gslice]

what about flathead chubs?

[BeeGuy]

I found this reg somewhat confusing as well when I first moved here. Especially the exceptions.

Gslice.

Chubs and other minnows are baitfish.

Basically, any small fish that occurs in the lake\river you are fishing is a baitfish. You aren't likely to come across any of the exceptions such as the western silvery minnow which occurs in the milk river drainage only.

[Vessey]

I buy my bait at the grocery store, they are usually bigger and are frozen individually so you don't have to thaw the block of minnows.

[dopemop]

I find this confusing also. I would rather it read the species we can use and where we buy them from? I have seen smaller burb's and other fish at T&T Market and was thinking they would be great Pike Bait.

[DeltaDee]

Thanks all, I knew there was some work around that it could be used where baitfish can not be used just wasn't reading that last not clearly. I thought it was stating the use of saltwater species was prohibited as bait

[Geezle]

I find this confusing also. I would rather it read the species we can use and where we buy them from? I have seen smaller burb's and other fish at T&T Market and was thinking they would be great Pike Bait.

Burbot are a sport fish though...so a definite no-no.