Live bait rules in california

[skekoam]

So I see a lot of guys post about catching lmb with live bluegill.  I always thought it was illegal but can you get around the law if both fish were caught on the same waters?

[Hammer 4]

Using any game fish, i.e. bluegill, is illegal in So. Cali. You can use night crawlers, and lizards..legally. You can go on the Dept of fish and wildlife to see the regs.

[WRB]

Bluegill are illegal except on some areas of the Colorado River.

You can net Shad using a hoop net under 40" dia, no cast nets allowed in fresh water.

Since  quagga mussel invasion transporting crawdads isn't legal in SoCal lakes.

Read the DFW regulations.

Tom

[Hammer 4]

Well, I can't seem to find any info re: crawdads on the dfw site, so, I'll take your word for it. 

[Big Hands]

On 5/1/2020 at 10:30 PM, Hammer 4 said:

Well, I can't seem to find any info re: crawdads on the dfw site, so, I'll take your word for it. 

It's in there. You have to dig for it. Basically, if you can catch the crawdads in the lake you're fishing, you can use them for bait that day ONLY is how I interpreted the regs.

[blckshirt98]

Check local county regulations.  In Santa Clara County live bait like worms are allowed, but live bait that are fish (i.e. minnows) are not allowed because fish cannot be transported from one body of water to another.

[FrankN209]

In the delta, you can use live bait, you fish it where you catch it,  as long as you don't transfer them to another area. Sunfish, Perch, Crappie can all be used as live bait. I called Fish and Game here in Stockton, and they confirmed this. 

[WRB]

Read the CDFW regulations. You are supposed to know the regs when you purchase a fishing license. The San Jaquine Delta has special requlation zones as does the Colorado River. 

Tom

[FrankN209]

14 minutes ago, WRB said:

Read the CDFW regulations. You are supposed to know the regs when you purchase a fishing license. The San Jaquine Delta has special requlation zones as does the Colorado River. 

Tom

Which i do so....

[WRB]

14 minutes ago, FrankN209 said:

Which i do so....

Your area is tricky with all the special regs and understand why you would call the local office. This thread applies in general to all Califirnia residents.

Tom

[FrankN209]

51 minutes ago, WRB said:

Your area is tricky with all the special regs and understand why you would call the local office. This thread applies in general to all Califirnia residents.

Tom

Which I'm apart of. I don't see the problem?

[WRB]

18 minutes ago, FrankN209 said:

Which I'm apart of. I don't see the problem?

Read the thread, the OP is asking a question. In So Cal where the op is from it's illegal to use bluegill for live bait. Yes, you are part of California where it is legal to use bluegill for live bait.

Tom

 

[FrankN209]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Read the thread, the OP is asking a question. In So Cal where the op is from it's illegal to use bluegill for live bait. Yes, you are part of California where it is legal to use bluegill for live bait.

Tom

 

I still don't see the problem? Maybe it might be useful to someone else. You don't have to reply to my posts....

[WRB]

I don't see the problem you keep referring to.

I will reply to whatever is of interest. We will agree to disagree and move on.

Peace,

Tom

[schplurg]

Looks like a simple misunderstanding which can happen on a forum

 

You're pretty safe in California to assume that the answer to any regulation question is going to be "no", unless you want it to be no in which case the answer will be yes.