Bullheads for bait

[Guest]

Is it legal to use Bullheads for bait? And if so has anybody tried using them for Northerns or walleyes? It'd be nice to find a cheaper alternative to sucker minnows.

[Surface Tension]

Hard to say.
Have ever been spined by one. It only has to happen once and you give them respect.
Then again why do they swarm? Is it to decept pray or is cuz they like hangin in a crowd. Ive seem otter's eat them like candy.
Smelt are cheap northern bait and they dont have any pokers.

[Guest]

A bullhead is considered a minnow untill it reaches more than 7".So yes you can use bullheads.I use them for cats.I cut the madtoms(stickers) off when I put them on the hook.I don't know if it matters all that much but I was told that it does so I do.
It is a liitle scary reaching into the bait well when there is a couple dozen of those little buggers in there!

[Guest]

Didn't we have this conversation a year ago?

Lots of fish eat bullheads...they grow fat and sassy on them!

FLB

[Surface Tension]

Freckled Lady Bucket, Fat and sassy. I did not know that. I like sassy fish.

[Guest]

Walleye and many other predatory fish love to gobble bullheads as well as many Madtom species of catfish. I have found bullheads as large as #1 1/2 in a walleye before.

-WARNING-
Not all states consider bullheads or Madtom cats legal live bait.

(FYI) ND including the Red River does not allow live bullheads of any size in your possession for use as bait, or mixxed in with bait.

The fine for having bullheads in your bait bucket in ND is $250, so be sure there are not any mixed in with the fatheads. I find them ALL the time and always check now to be darn sure!

Inland waters of ND do not allow suckers as bait, the same fine would apply if busted for it. Suckers are allowed for bait on the Red River and that is about it for ND.

NDG&F
http://www.state.nd.us/gnf/licenses/fishguide.html#ee

Just thought I would pass this along if it was not general knowledge by now.

------------------
Backwater Eddy..><,sUMo,>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300

[email protected]

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[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 05-10-2002).]

[Ole1855]

I had a friend, he's dead now, that use to swear by dog fish minnows. When they swarm near shore he would scoop them up and use them for walleyes. They are almost black and very soft, they almost look like a really fat leech. He'd hook them on a spinner and troll them, he had alot of success using them as bait.

[ghotierman]

Bullheads are considered game fish. Regardless of size. Page 27, 2002 MN Fishing Regs: General Restrictions -- Using whole or parts of game fish, goldfish, or carp for bait is unlawful.

[huskminn]

Although you are right in that it is illegal to use game fish or game fish parts as bait, the 2002 DNR Fishing Regs define bullheads as a roughfish on page 59.

I would have to assume that it is fine to use them as bait.

I do know that bass.....especially big bass...love to eat bullheads, head first, of course.

[ghotierman]

I noticed that too...page 59 deals with spear and netting rough fish, and bullheads are listed..however they still have a limit of 100 fish....which leads me to believe they'd fall under game fish ...

Any CO's care to interpret?

[Guest]

I guess I will have to thank the DNR the next time I catch one of those slimys next time i'm crappie fishn.

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Happy Fishn :D

[Guest]

As I recall, this was discussed in great detail in the catfish forum last summer. I'm pretty certain that someone had a definitive ruling on the subject from MN DNR (complete with email address) that bullheads could in fact be used for bait, as long as they were 7" or less. Would the archives of this forum go back that far?

FLB

[huskminn]

Once again, I feel as though I've stepped in over my head.

I think we can search back pretty far in the archives of the forum here, but I won't get to it tonight.

[Hubcat]

This is the e-mail I sent the DNR and also the response.

Date:
Tue, 22 Feb 2000 12:05:02 -0600
From:
"Kevin Kyle" <[email protected]>
To:
<[email protected]>

Yes, it is legal to use bullheads under seven inches as bait. Bullheads less than seven inches are defined as minnows in Minnesota Statutes.

>>> Bob Schlueter <[email protected]> 02/18/00 06:00PM >>>
I talk to a Catfish guide who said that you can use Bullheads under 5
inches for bait, Is this true?
He also said that he has signed affidavid that says this.
If you cannot anserw this can you tell me who I would contact to find this
information.

Thanks for your help

Bob

[Guest]

Thanks Hubcat,

Isn't this forum awesome?

FLB

[Crawlerman]

no-- Bullheads have a LIMIT (100) that makes them game fish (also.. Carp can't be used for bait either...) Rough fish only includes species that are NOT on the fishing Regulation list; Thats like saying "well I can use perch and bluegills for bait cause they are panfish, not gamefish" If it has a limit; DNR doesn't want you using it for bait. And yes.. I've been stopped from a DNR officer as I had some baby bullheads I had got when seining. He said it was ok to use the minnows and crawfish (as long as I used them on the same lake, of course) But made me throw back the Bullheads. I wasn't fined; however. And.. the DNR actually stocks Bullheads in ponds...

[Guest]

B&M Bait in Rochester sells small bullheads for about .50 ea, he calls them willow cats. Supposedly, walleyes just hammer them out of aggresion because the bullheads eat so many eggs and fry. I've haven't used them yet but they are very popular on the river. That's my two cents.

[Crawlerman]

Hmm... odd. It must have been a recent change to the rulings (within the past 3 years-- that's when I was stopped 3 years ago...) Odd that they would have a posted limit of 100 on them then if they are "baitfish".

[perchpro]

i think they put a limit on them so people woulden't exploit thier schooling in groups of several hundred per pack.