Out come of the 2011 Catfish Workshops

* Catfish anglers may harvest bait in an infested waterbody and use that bait in the same water body, effective July 1.

Thar she be in black and white directly from the News Release.

I haven’t checked the wording, the way this reads Musky guys might not be able to catch and use a sucker from infested waters.

Onward and upward!

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* Catfish anglers may harvest bait in an infested waterbody and use that bait in the same water body, effective July 1.

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Why only catfish anglers?

Maybe to cut down on the number of bodies of water where it is legal? Can’t say you are fishing cats on Mille Lacs, etc. if you are harvesting bait.

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I haven’t checked the wording, the way this reads Musky guys might not be able to catch and use a sucker from infested waters.

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I would have to look at the wording of the signed bill. I “THINK” cat fishing was used in the law synopsis. But I’m just guessing right now.

I had a link to what the language was, but I can’t find it at the moment. The proposed language I have saved from February did not say specifically for catfishing. Can probably find it on the MN Statute web site.

Joel

So, BK you can catch your bait down there on pool 4 and transport it in your live well up to Brainerd and use it there , correct?

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So, BK you can catch your bait down there on pool 4 and transport it in your live well up to Brainerd and use it there , correct?

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No. You are funny.

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So, BK you can catch your bait down there on pool 4 and transport it in your live well up to Brainerd and use it there , correct?

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Only if his boat never leaves the Mississippi, and it is a well known fact that the Coon Rapids Dam keeps invasive BKs out of the upper Miss.

I finally had time to look up the new language for the bait statute. It does not say catfish anywhere. Here is what was added to the statute and effective July 1, 2012.

(3) harvest of bullheads, goldeyes, mooneyes, sheepshead (freshwater drum), and
suckers for bait from streams or rivers designated as infested waters, by hook and line for
noncommercial personal use. Other provisions that apply to this clause are:
(i) fish taken under this clause must be used on the same body of water where caught
and while still on that water body;
(ii) fish taken under this clause may not be transported live from or off the water
body;
(iii) fish harvested under this clause may only be used in accordance with this section;
(iv) any other use of wild animals used for bait from infested waters is prohibited;
(v) fish taken under this clause must meet all other size restrictions and requirements
as established in rules; and
(vi) all species listed under this clause shall be included in the person’s daily limit as
established in rules, if applicable.

Thanks Joel.

Question – so can dead suckers be transported off infested water to use as cutbait later? I ask because the language says ‘transported live’.

Thanks!

I can answer that. I don’t have access to quote the laws, but nothing can be caught from infested waters and used for bait in OTHER waters. Live or Dead.

If everyone would be responsible and it wouldn’t be an enforcement nightmare, there really isn’t a reason why a person couldn’t catch a bullhead in a zeb infested water, take it home, then fish it on another zeb infested water.

‘ell, I get confused just typing that! LOL!