spray lake - no smelts

[nevercatchmuch]

years ago I used smelts at spray.... Saw lots of folks using smelts this summer and read in posts about smelts too. I took a closer look at the regs and it's pretty clear that smelts can't be used. Just a friendly heads up.

[nicemustang]

What the heck are you talking about? Right from the regs, not sure why your mis-interpreting.

Right from the regs

Spray Lakes Reservoir – Open all year – Trout limit 5, but only 3 may
be Lake Trout; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Bait, except
bait fish, allowed.

So you can use bait, just not bait fish. Aslo right from regs: (page 21)

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 sal****er families Osmeridae and
Clupeidae. Use of the freshwater species cisco (Coregonidae), also called
tullibee or lake herring, is prohibited from use as bait.

As as long as they are sal****er smelt, then you can use them.

[mooseknuckle]

Originally Posted by nicemustang

What the heck are you talking about? Right from the regs, not sure why your mis-interpreting.

Right from the regs

Spray Lakes Reservoir – Open all year – Trout limit 5, but only 3 may
be Lake Trout; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Bait, except
bait fish, allowed.

So you can use bait, just not bait fish. Aslo right from regs: (page 21)

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 sal****er families Osmeridae and
Clupeidae. Use of the freshwater species cisco (Coregonidae), also called
tullibee or lake herring, is prohibited from use as bait.

As as long as they are sal****er smelt, then you can use them.

Yep just double checked that smelt is okay

[nevercatchmuch]

Interesting. Perhaps I was the only one confused when I read PG 26 - use of bait fish (dead) is not allowed except at 3 lakes.

Good to know that smelts and herring aren't considered bait fish.....