Bluegills For Bait

[P.I.K.E.]

Anybody know if it is leagal in Wisconsin to use this method?  I cant seem to find the answers on the DNR website, i must be not looking up the right thing.

Yes it is legal. You can use any legal fish as bait, but the fish must be caught from the same lake that you're fishing. I've caught small perch and bluegill and put them on a tip ups. You could even use a bass as long as it's of legal size. 

[xrayman]

Anyone know if it's legal in Minnesota?

[killitandgrillit]

Most states in the Rocky Mountain west strictly forbid the using of a game fish for bait. I know this is true in Wyoming, Montana and I am pretty sure Colorado. We can use parts of gamefish for bait, such as eyes or entrails but not the whole fish. Perch, Bluegill and Crappie are considered game fish. I wish I could use em for bait because the absolute best bait is always a fishes natural forage. I fish one lake in montana where the main forage fish are Cisco. You can use live minnows of any kind in this lake except for cisco or whole game fish. Actually, I am surprised that its legal anywhere to use a perch or gill or any panfish for bait. If its legal, rock on, I know I would.

Bluegills and perch are not gamefish. Gamefish would be pike, bass, walleye, etc.

[killitandgrillit]

Anybody know if it is leagal in Wisconsin to use this method?  I cant seem to find the answers on the DNR website, i must be not looking up the right thing.

I fished wisconsin for years (native cheesehead, now yooper) and it is legal. The rulebook states that you may use any fish for bait, as long as it's legally taken and not a game fish. Game fish include pike, bass, musky, walleye, etc. Perch and 'gills are not considered "game fish".

[fhsww48]

I regularly use bluegill, crappie or perch for tip up bait. It's legal in PA. Best fish I got thru the ice was a 44" 22 lb. musky on a 4" crappie. Sometimes nice suckers and shiners are hard to come by in our neck of the woods. Panfish work better than a wiener!

[P.I.K.E.]

I fished wisconsin for years (native cheesehead, now yooper) and it is legal. The rulebook states that you may use any fish for bait, as long as it's legally taken and not a game fish. Game fish include pike, bass, musky, walleye, etc. Perch and 'gills are not considered "game fish".

You are wrong. In Wisconsin, you can use game fish as bait. As long as they are of legal size. And the fish MUST be caught in the same lake you are fishing. Of course any pan fish can be used as long is it is caught out of the same lake.

[P.I.K.E.]

Here is a quote from the Wisconsin Fishing Regulations.


It is illegal to use any game fish as bait UNLESS they meet any length restriction for the body of water you are fishing and are included in your daily bag limit for that species.