Gamefish as Bait

[racfish]

Good Day Stacie. Whats the rules on crayfish and crab traps. I use salmon for crabs. Is it legal to use gamefish for bait like that?

[panfisher]

Good Day Stacie. Whats the rules on crayfish and crab traps. I use salmon for crabs. Is it legal to use gamefish for bait like that?

There was talk awhile back about using game fish such as bass for bait. You can use them as long as they are dead and counted towards your bass limit as the bass would have been retained. I would assume that using salmon in the way you described would be the same.

[obryan214]

you can use the carcasses for bait.

saw a guy recently using trout he caught at spanaway lake for lingcod bait, he got a ticket.

[NimmunDay]

you can use the carcasses for bait.

saw a guy recently using trout he caught at spanaway lake for lingcod bait, he got a ticket.

Trout for lingcod bait? How does that work?

[hlindsay]

Were the trout live? If not I don't see the problem, I don't see anything in the regs.
also as for using salmon for bait.
page 12 of the regs "you may not' "Use salmon , herring , or halibut for
anything other than human consumption or
fishing bait."

[G-Man]

There used to be a line in the regulations that said you couldn't use gamefish for bait. That reg disappeared a long time ago and today any fish you catch can be used as bait. The only issue is with using bait in fresh water, then you need to abide by the following:
It is unlawful to possess or use live aquatic animals as bait, except:
1. Live aquatic animals (other than fish) collected from the water being fished.
2. Live sand shrimp.
3. Live forage fish in the Columbia River downstream of the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line.

Also, in the statewide rules there is this statement under "You May Not":
Transport live fish without a permit.

[hlindsay]

G-man that was my point on asking if the trout was live.
The problem for us is that the pamplet is NOT the RCW or WAC and there can be laws not in the pamplet. The law may still contain the "no gamefish for bait. they just didn't put it in the pamplet. An officer told me we are held to the law not just the pamplet.
fom page 4.
"This pamphlet is a summary of fishing regulations (Chapters 220-12, 220-16, 220-20, 220-55, 220-56, 232-12, and 232-28 of the Washington Administrative Code, adopted by the Washington Fish
and Wildlife Commission; and Title 77 of the Revised Code of Washington, adopted by the Legislature). This pamphlet does not contain nor is it intended to contain all Department regulations."

[The Quadfather]

I feel pretty well read on the "Regs". I.e. "Pamphlet", I mean, seriously, that is what the governing authority puts out for Joe Angler..
Is the gamie who said you were responsible for the law/statutes, expecting all anglers to carry law journals in the boat? If said gamie is serious, then that is why a democracy allows for a chance to talk about a ticket before a judge.
Sometimes even people in positions of authority may need clarification in their understanding of waz. up.

Stepping down from soap box.

[Shad_Eating_Grin]

There used to be a line in the regulations that said you couldn't use gamefish for bait. That reg disappeared a long time ago and today any fish you catch can be used as bait. The only issue is with using bait in fresh water, then you need to abide by the following:
It is unlawful to possess or use live aquatic animals as bait, except:
1. Live aquatic animals (other than fish) collected from the water being fished.
2. Live sand shrimp.
3. Live forage fish in the Columbia River downstream of the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line.

Also, in the statewide rules there is this statement under "You May Not":
Transport live fish without a permit.

Actually, the old rule said that you could not use "live fish for gamefish bait"; it did not say "you cannot use gamefish for bait."

Dead gamefish has always been legal for bait, and it still is. I could go to Costco and buy a pack of rainbow trout, and use them for ling cod bait, crab bait, crawdad bait etc. If gamefish was really illegal to use as bait, then nobody can use steelhead eggs for river fishing for salmon/steelhead; it would be illegal to use steelhead/trout/bass heads/carcasses/guts for crab bait, etc. That is just not the case.

For the guy that got a ticket for using a trout for ling bait, the ticket was probably for some other reason, like a barbed hook, out of season, no license, etc.

The prohibition on live fish for bait was/is a freshwater rule. The state does not want people fishing with live minnows, and then dumping the bucket of bait into the lake after they are done fishing.

With saltwater fishing, you could always use (and can still legally use) live fish for bait. That live fish was/is taken out of the Sound, and would otherwise still be swimming in the Sound whether impaled on a hook, not yet caught for bait, or dumped overboard back into the Sound after a day of fishing.

[racfish]

I guess ive been ok then. I use salmon heads in my traps. After getting pulled over by Island County I was just making sure.

[MarkFromSea]

I guess ive been ok then. I use salmon heads in my traps. After getting pulled over by Island County I was just making sure.

I missed what you were pulled over for up there.... What the hell was that all about... ? A ticket for not having juvenile life jackets on board even though everyone was an adult? Oops, not the thread subject but I keep seeing ref to it, just curious.

[racfish]

Hey Mark that was one part of the ticket. I told them Ive never had anyone under 16 on my vessel. They also said I didnt have anything to throw someone if the fell overboard. The main ticket was I forgot to put the decals on for this year. I had them but it still was a $250.00 ticket.Cops have nothing better to do. Or Krispy Kreme uped their price. LOL.. I called in and wrote a letter they took off $100.00 off. Oh well. Just means I spend no money in Island County. I'll take my business elsewhere.

[MarkFromSea]

Sorry to hear that, I often wonder what I've forgotten to do with regards to the boat. Decals. But I've never heard of being required to have juvenile life jacket on board if there are no juveniles, even then, it's a weight issue as well, a smaller jacket based on weight. That's a wacky thing for sure! I still drag along a throwable I bought in the 80s, LOL, it's one beat up, cracked vinyl, piece o crap but still legal when I've been checked, which seems to be often, once a year, usually just safety checks rather than laws being enforced. Did they check for the boater ed card?

Everret seems good enough for crab...

[Bodofish]

Hey Ralphy, one small detail, Salmon aren't "Game Fish", they're "Food Fish". Good to Go!

[racfish]

Good . I have a bag of 15 heads and fileted salmon carcasses in the freezer. Besides crab bait i use the bones and heads for fish stock.

[Bodofish]

Just because I'm lazy, I've been using turkey legs. I buy them on the island at the IGA, they always bring in cases that are just pre pull date. Very cheap and easy and the little crabitos love them, almost as much as clams. If I don't put legs in, it's the nasty horse clams rom down the beach. Nothing beats them.

[G-Man]

*HiJack alert*
FYI - There is no law, federal or state, that requires anyone to carry extra/spare PFDs for persons not onboard a recreational vessel. The requirements are that there must be one wearable, proper fitting, Coast Guard approved PFD for every person onboard a recreational vessel, regardless of length. There are exceptions for racing sculls and the like. On top of that, an approved throwable device needs to be readily available on boats 16' and longer. As long as the PFDs are in relatively good condition and the Coast Guard approval statement is still legible, the device is good to use.