Has Anybody Ever Sold Bait?

[teamtrout]

Has anybody ever sold minnows or some sort of bait (provided you don't work in or own a bait shop)? I have a good stream where I can get hundreds of shiners from, and plenty of tanks to store them. I keep them for myself, but am considering selling them as ice fishing bait for a little extra cash. I know I need a permit, but that doesn't cost much. Has anyone ever tried this?

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Yep it works if your close to the fishing spot like less then a mile you will be overwhelmed.depending how u catch themi always throw half back then put minnow traps in diff areas as not to get them smart to the traps after a while they seem to notice their freinds disappear.

[aavery2]

You will want to check your local laws, here is KS it is legal for us to sein or use bait traps to catch baitfish.  Some of our laws include:  You may not possess more than 500 fish. You can not transport the fish to another body of water or upstream of where they are caught past a dam or any other natural barrier than prevents fish from passing.  The exception to the second rule is green sunfish, they can be used in any body of water as long as they were not removed from a body of water named in the aquatic nuisance list.  

 

These are laws that must be followed for personal use, and if you sell these fish you may be responsible for following commercial laws as well.

 

My point is, do the research before you decide this is what you are going to do, you may get yourself in some trouble unknowingly if you fail to understand exactly what the laws are or worse yet unknowingly introduce a  nuisance fish into a body of water.

 

Good Luck  

[Bluebasser86]

I catch lots of green sunfish every year for catfishing, it's always amazing to me how quickly you can fish out a small stream like that and be left with very few baitfish remaining a a section until a high water event restocks it. Check your regulations and you can give it a try if it's okay, but unless there are thousands and thousands of baitfish, you may find that you run out of supply pretty quickly. 

[Missourifishin]

If you're keeping them for yourself anyway, it might be worth a try to sell some for a few extra bucks. As other commenters have said, just follow the local regulations.

[gulfcaptain]

Hundreds? Um, you need to think a bit bigger if you're going to sell baitfish.....thousands.  Figure each person you sell bait to buys 2 dozen.  So your "hundreds" now result in 4 people buying bait per 100 fish.  Now you have tanks but need to keep it filtered and clean, feed those new little mouths so they don't die(although some will), and if you don't keep the quality up then they wipe out the who tank.  Good weekend could wipe you out of your hundreds of baitfish, then need to be able to replenish your stock to keep up with demand.  Unless you have access to an area that you can dig your own stock ponds to raise them, you will find out quickly that your great idea to make some fast cash isn't as cost effective as you thought it was.  If you run out of "wild caught" baitfish for you customers, then they are going to go somewhere else.  They come back again and no baitfish there will be no third time. And the .11-.25 cent a piece bait your selling may cost you more to capture and keep to sell then you will make.  By that time you may have wiped out your great bait catching stream of those prized shinners you have and have to go buy some from someone else until their numbers return to havestable levels.  I know I may sound a bit harsh, but you're thinking of a business idea.  Have to look at all the pieces.  I didn't even touch on the legal parts/permits/licenses/taxes.  Yep, all the stuff that go's along with the permit and license to sell those little shinners.  Your profit margin is about $.03 to .05 if you're lucky. Is it really worth it to make a dollar profit for every 100 you sell when you only have hundreds to catch?  

[roadwarrior]

So the next thing you're going to tell me is "There is no Santa Clause".

 

 

 

 

[BassnChris]

So the next thing you're going to tell me is "There is no Santa Clause".

 

Hey? Ain't nobody gonna say that!

Heaven forbid.......land sakes alive!