[Beckr2]

Hi everyone! Has anyone cut up sheepshead and used it as bait before? I always used night crawlers and chicken liver, but was looking for something a little different!

 

[GrandpaGoneFishing]

If it legal I like using live fish for bait. Shad or gill heads are my favorite. If it is indigenous to the waters you fishing I say Go for it!

 

[kitsinni]

I doubt there is a "sucker" type fish left in the waters I fish that I have not cut up and used for bait.

 

[flathunter]

I always use cut fish for flatheads and channels, mainly shad but other fish work well to.

 

[CBH]

Beckr2, I have tried cut up sheepshead quite a few times for flatheads and have had zero success with it. It's hard to beat the bluegills, shad and skipjack.

 

[Squ1rr3l]

So if I went to walmart and bought a casting net I could use it at the GMR in one spot transport the bait in a bucket to another spot and be legal?
When you say cutbait do you just cut the fish up and put the pieces on the hook? Or do you have specific cuts that you use and others you discard?
Is there any fish that is illegal to use for bait? I know there are size limits on some species. If they are under the size limit can you still cut them up?

I have so many questions but I will stop there. I hope I didn't just hijack this thread I just wanted to add to it.

 

[jugghead]

beckr 2,i fish the maumee for flats and channels,so using crawlers i usually fish during the day and catch some small sheephead and keep em in bucket in the river to keepem alive,and then usually use the heads and guts together for flats and have good sucess,used live goldfish the other day and got 1 at 1:30am he was 17lbs so good luck and keep trying.peace

 

[CatCatcherSteve]

Cut fish/live fish is the best bait to use for any species of catfish and here's why... think about it, catfish hunt using smell, right? well catfish, like every other species of animal that hunt, have evolved to pick up the scent of fish that are natural to their environment more sensitively than other scents i.e. stinkbaits and liver and stuff like that. don't get me wrong i'm not saying that those types of baits won't work, but i am saying that if you use fish then your chances of catching a more fish and bigger fish will most definitely go up. so thats my theory, good luck!

 

[Northernglitch]

So if I went to walmart and bought a casting net I could use it at the GMR in one spot transport the bait in a bucket to another spot and be legal?
When you say cutbait do you just cut the fish up and put the pieces on the hook? Or do you have specific cuts that you use and others you discard?
Is there any fish that is illegal to use for bait? I know there are size limits on some species. If they are under the size limit can you still cut them up?

I have so many questions but I will stop there. I hope I didn't just hijack this thread I just wanted to add to it.

To my knowledge. The Ohio Fishing Regulations will answer most of these questions. I believe your first question about transporting is illegal. The reason being they don't like transporting fish unless you have been authorized (fisheries or whatever) because of possible disease introduction or introduction of an aggresive breeding fish into waters that couldn't handle that population change and shift in resources/food availability.

This is just my thoughts. Please investigate all Ohio laws by going to their website or contacting your local ohio fish and game official.

 

[slimdaddy]

its illegal to use a cast net for anything other than shad or creek chubs all fish are legal bait but u must catch them with rod n reel and be legal size for the water ur fishing and the transporting like bluegills is not a problem they are native to about all waters in ohio

 

[Beckr2]

Thanks for the tips guys, I did my PB with a 11lb channel!!