So are castnets legal or what?

[tbartek]

Need some input. A waterways patrolman checked me today, I was netting some suckers with a 4' radius castnet. He let me keep the ten suckers but said he didn't think that I was allowed to use a castnet in streams. He's supposed to call me and let me know. I know you can use a 10' radius net, with a permit, in Lakes Raystown and Arthur for alewives. So what is the deal??? The book says a 4' square or a 4' radius net. What the heck is a 4' radius net if its not a castnet?:confused2:

[socex]

I'm almost sure you are allowed to use a cast net with a 2-foot radius without a permit. Only problem is I don't think they sell then that small. The smallest I found is 3 1/2 radius. Maybe someone has a rule book to confirm.

[socex]

I just looked at the fish commision site and it say you must apply for a permit to use a ten ft radius cast net in certain regulation areas. It says nothing about smaller ones, legal or not-legal. The 4-ft square he was referring to is landing nets. I was always told 2-radius, but the rules don't mention it so I would bet cast nets are off limits.

[SubnetZero]

Though Im not from PA, I looked up the PA codes.. As usual, they are clear as mud (Why states have to make their regulations so conveluted is beyond me )

This is the main part about Baitfish:
BAIT
BAITFISH includes all forms of minnows; suckers,
chubs, fallfish, lampreys, eels between 6 and
8 inches in length; gizzard shad 8 inches or less;
and all forms of darters, killifishes and stonecats
(except those listed as threatened or endangered
species). Legally taken gamefish may be used as
bait. It is unlawful to use or possess goldfish, comets,
koi and common carp as baitfish while fishing.
FISHBAIT includes crayfish or crabs, mussels,
clams, and the nymphs, larvae and pupae of all
insects spending any part of their life cycle in the
water.
SEASON, SIZE, LIMIT. No closed season (except
as noted below) and no minimum size. The
daily limit and possession limit is 50 combined species.
When purchasing bait, be sure to obtain and
keep the sales slip or receipt. The receipt authorizes
the possession of the fishbait or baitfish so purchased
for a period of 15 days after its date of issue.
Fishbait or baitfish purchased from a licensed
dealer do not have a possession limit and do not
count toward your daily limit of fishbait and baitfish
taken from Commonwealth waterways. Approved
trout waters are closed for taking fishbait and baitfish
from March 1 to the opening day of trout season.
Most specially regulated trout waters are closed
to taking fishbait and baitfish at all times.
TAKING AND KEEPING BAIT is permitted using
rod and reel or handline, dip net or minnow
seine not over 4 feet square or in diameter, or a
minnow trap with no more than two openings that
shall not exceed 1 inch in diameter. All devices must
be under the immediate control of the person using
them. Unattended minnow traps or baitfish containers
left in Commonwealth waters must be
identified with the owner’s or user’s name, address
and telephone number. If fishing in a group and
the total number of fishbait or baitfish taken from
Commonwealth waters exceeds the possession
limit (50), separate containers must be provided
for the fishbait and baitfish. Total possession limit
in any one container may not exceed 50 baitfish
or fishbait combined.
MUDBUGS (dragonfly nymphs) – No daily
limit from lakes, ponds, swamps or adjacent areas;
the daily limit from rivers and streams is 50.
FROGS AS BAIT: Except for those listed as endangered
or threatened, frogs may be used as
bait. Certain seasons and possession limits apply
(see page 23).
Releasing fish from another state, province or
country into Commonwealth waters is illegal without
written permission from the Commission. Transferring
fish from one Pennsylvania watershed to
another where that species is not always present
is also illegal without written consent from the Commission.

Good Luck, maybe the Ranger can clarify it for ya...

[cook]

Need some input. A waterways patrolman checked me today, He let me keep the ten suckers but said he didn't think that I was allowed to use a castnet in streams. He's supposed to call me and let me know. :confused2:

If he didn't know,how the heck are you supposed too?

Clear as mud is right.

Don't rely on a phone call,try to get an E-mail so you can print it out and carry with ya!!

[Blacky]

I used a very large castnet to get my suckers and bullheads. The cops here Philly don't really care, they have worst things to deal with.

[bigpapa15206]

i went through this last year! This law is the biggest load of bs i ever heard of. the law is no NET bigger than 4ft in diameter is permitted. so wat i did was modified a 4ft radius cast net to make it a 2ft radius. very ugly and difficult but it works , to bad they dont sell them this small. o and i raised hell about it to the pfbc and recieved no response, only that 2ft radius nets are availible. when asked where i was given no answer!

[bigpapa15206]

i think we should all bombard the PFBC with complaints and maybe they will adress the issue. or write letters to the major netmaking companies, enlighten them to the PA marketplace that begs for them. hell, id buy 4 of them!

[navigator]

in PA your patrolmen are also your game wardens?

Ours are different here in NC though we only have like one or two in my county, most counties have about 3.

[Blacky]

You know f'ed the PAFB commission is, get this!!!! It is illegal to harvest hickory shad in PA. You can get a $1000 fine or up to 15 days in jail. But at the shore in NJ, these same fish are caught and live-lined for stripers or chunked up for bluefish. And it's all legal!!!! Kinda messed up, huh???


you can get a fine in PA, but if you're across the river in NJ, it's perfectly OK!!!

[tomcat85]

i hear from tons of different people about bluegill in pennsylvania and ive read the manual and i cant figure out if they are legal to use as bait or not and its driving me nuts! help please lol

[Blacky]

you can use bluegills as long as you catch them by rod and reel.

[tomcat85]

thanks man i appreciate the help its been driving me nuts. howd you find that out? lol

[Pennsylvaniacatchaser]

thanks man i appreciate the help its been driving me nuts. howd you find that out? lol

tomcat85 - refer to the first page of this thread. SubnetZero posted the Pa laws on bait. It states there that all legally taken gamefish may be used as bait.

[gadzooks]

Move to Texas, our limit on castnets is 14ft...try throwing a sucker that size.

[laidbck111]

Ahi cast nets offer a net in a 3 and 4 foot diameter, are if you prefer a 1.5 and 2 foot radius. I think the web site is www.charkbait.com (http://www.charkbait.com) if not try a search for Ahi cast net. I hope this helps yall out some.

[socex]

Just went to the site and only saw sizes 5-12 ft diameter cast nets.

[Amigo108]

If your like me, I can have any size net in the world and I can't throw it so it opens more than 4 ft diameter LOL. Course, I only tired it a few times following the instructins on the package.

Seriously though, I don't know how they can expect you to know the legislation when most of their officers probly don't. And I read the maryland statutes (until I got dizzy and fell unconscious LOL) and they too are very difficult to understand. I think they hired the same guy to write the regulations as writes the instructions for putting together toys made in China with tons of little parts.

Oh shoot, now you got me thinking about all the other idiotic instructions I've tried to decipher over the years. I once put a very large playground set together. Following the instructions it literally took about 5-6 times as long to assemble it as I could have built one from scratch (and there's still a bunch of pieces left over that we couldn't figure out where they went!) If the assembly instructions say "Warning, don't have any loaded firearms around as you try to figure out these instructions or you may be tempted to blow your own head off" then you know you are in for a nasty ride LOL. I guess I shouldn't post when I'm dead tired, I get giddy.

[laidbck111]

rickstackle.com has them are search Ahi cast nets

[buddah]

TAKING AND KEEPING BAIT is permitted using
rod and reel or handline, dip net or minnow
seine not over 4 feet square or in diameter, or a
minnow trap with no more than two openings that
shall not exceed 1 inch in diameter. All devices must
be under the immediate control of the person using
them.

There ya' go...

[tbartek]

Sorry, my mistake the book does say 4' diameter not radius. I still haven't heard back from that fish warden. Guess that means he isn't gonna sight me. Yet at least!:crazy:

[delawareriver]

i agree if they didnt know them selves then they shouldnt be able to site you,

i know you cant use a net in trout waters but thats about it.

[delawareriver]

hey blacky
the hickory shad rule was made because hickory shad dissapeared from just about all of the PA rivers where NJ only really has the delaware river one strong point where hickory shad are still caught sometimes. ive caught plenty of hickory shad in the ocean but never any in PA rivers so i can understand why the rule is different

[Blacky]

delawareriver,

Hickory shad are the greatest flathead catfish bait in the whole world!!!! It's pathetic how people in PA rant and rave about these things and yet at the shore, people catch them and use them as bait!!!!

[tbartek]

Ahi cast nets offer a net in a 3 and 4 foot diameter, are if you prefer a 1.5 and 2 foot radius. I think the web site is www.charkbait.com (http://www.charkbait.com) if not try a search for Ahi cast net. I hope this helps yall out some.
laidbck111, I just got an email from a Ben Hong of Ahi castnets and he said all their castnets are sized by radius. Their smallest net is a 3' radius or 6' diameter. He told me that as far as he knows, no one makes a 4' diameter castnet. That's probably why the beloved fish commision made the rule 4' diameter rather than saying that castnets were illegal without a special permit. When you have a special permit for Raystown or lake Arthur you can now use a 10' radius net or 20' diameter. So I still say what's the deal???:angry:

[FlatheadMan]

If we all could stick together on this Im sure this law could be changed they have done it in other states