Sardines

[walpy]

I Google'd the heck outta it at work but could get a straight answer... can you use sardines as bait in Maine?

Thanks for humoring my stupidity!

[woodchip]

How are you going to keep one on the hook ?  with a nylon sock? Bait bag??

[walpy]

I'm my head I was picturing a quick strike rig for the bigger sardines (Spanish, I think)

[Seamonkey84]

No, it's not legal to use sardines as bait in freshwater
http://www.eregulations.com/maine/fishing/laws-pertaining-to-bait-dealers-and-use-of-baitfish/
The following species are considered legal baitfish. Any species of fish not listed below, except smelt, may not be used as bait (live or dead) for fishing in inland waters. All other fish species must be immediately released alive into the water where they were captured.
Blacknose shiner

Common shiner

Emerald shiner

Golden shiner

Spottail shiner

Blacknose dace

Finescale dace

Northern redbelly dace

Pearl dace

Creek chub

Lake chub

Eastern silvery minnow

Fathead minnow

Fallfish

Longnose sucker

White sucker

Banded killifish

Mummichog

American eel

[walpy]

Thanks Seamonkey!

I kept seeing the odd post saying they've seen sardines work well when I was searching, that's what confused me.

[joefishmore]

Those sardines might fall off the hook,propagate, and take over the lake.

[walpy]

I was thinking frozen ones.. but, this is why I asked. Didn't wanna go doin something stupid.

[BlackDogAlpha]

store bought frozen smelt work

[woodchip]

I've seen sardines I was eating out of a can . fall into the water and swim away.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   In the mouth of another fish..

[walpy]

store bought frozen smelt work

Work - as in, they catch fish? This is the type of comment I'd see that confused me

[Seamonkey84]

yes dead smelt will work as bait.  You can use store bought smelt, but no other fish. It may not make sense, but that's the law.  But for example, say I have some goldfish (or any imported fish in this argument) that I used as dead bait. sure they won't be invading, but imagine all the exotic diseases that the fish might be carrying and exposing our local fish population to.

[BlackDogAlpha]

Yeah the bait shop was out of smelt and price was the same or less, we doused the Hannaford tub with thai fish sauce for cusking, worked pretty good, extra stinky. Caught a couple togue also.

[NickM]

The law makes no sense for canned fish. They have been super pasteurized. There are no bacteria that could have survived. I understand that it would be hard for a warden to tell if the fish came from a can or a freezer bag, and that's why the law exists, but if you are using fish that have been cooked at 250 degrees, you're doing no harm from a disease standpoint.

I think jack mackerel and tuna fish from a can make excellent bait for horned pout. I've seen it done in other states. That's all I'll say. 

[Fish Wayniac]

Maine's bait laws here are not as bad as Vt. Check out the Vt site about the bait petition.I get the spreading disease thing, but part of the law ridiculous. You need to have receipt of the bait stating what body of water you are fishing.You can't use any leftover bait the next day at another body of water.So it cost fisherman alot of money buying and throwing bait away and buying more the next day because your fishing some other place.My mom was given bait by the neighbor and didn't get the receipt.She was perch fishing in front of her house on Champlain. Warden checked her license and bait receipt,doh! He gave her a break because the bait was fished same area.

Not being able to use caned fish is silly also.