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Bluegill/ sunfish as bait

17K views 19 replies 17 participants last post by  james breeden 
#1 ·
Been using bluegill and sunfish for flatty bait for years...the other day a fella at the river told me it was illegal in virginia to use a "gamefish" as bait and 'gills are considered gamefish in virginia. I always thought as long as you caught them on hook and line it was fine to use them as bait. I looked in the regs and 'gills are considered a gamefish but it doesn't mention thats its illegal to use them as bait. Anybody know for sure?
 
#5 ·
Bluegill and sunfish are legal to use as bait as long as you catch them on hook and line. Crappie are legal to use as long as you catch them on hook and line aswell.
 
#8 ·
Bluegill was the bread and butter bait for flattys in Ohio, A lot of guys would spend rediculous money on goldfish for bait but I always did have better results with gill's. I moved to virginia a year ago and have found that the mud cats love the pan fish just as much here and it is perfectly legal.
 
#10 ·
definately make sure they are caught on hook and line. especially if you carry a throw net on the boat all the time. i have seen dgif look for holes from the hooks. had a guy get a ticket one night on buggs when he had bream in his bait tank and no tackle on board to facilitate catching bream. it's just like with many other va game laws. ask 10 different game wardens.......my bad conservation police, and you will get 10 different answers.

i'll tell you another one that will stir your brain. go to any body of water in va and bring bait from another body of water............anyone ever had problems with this?
 
#14 ·
that is so true-never thought about it that way-I feel bad too-alot of times on my way home I stop by creeks and catch 6-10 gills and throw them in my 40GL cooler in the boat to use on the weekends when I go to the James-I do the same thing with the lake connected to my apartments. I mean I never let them go live-I use them until the fish eats them all-but I guess fish diseases are something we dont have much knowledge of
 
#19 ·
definately make sure they are caught on hook and line. especially if you carry a throw net on the boat all the time. i have seen dgif look for holes from the hooks. had a guy get a ticket one night on buggs when he had bream in his bait tank and no tackle on board to facilitate catching bream. it's just like with many other va game laws. ask 10 different game wardens.......my bad conservation police, and you will get 10 different answers.

i'll tell you another one that will stir your brain. go to any body of water in va and bring bait from another body of water............anyone ever had problems with this?
No I haven't I've heard it's not preferable due to the wildlife officials being scared that you will transfer didymo algae, but I haven't had a problem, I've gone to tournaments with a bucket of bluegills and I'll tell the officials that it was from a pond near my house, yet they don't seem to mind
 
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