Trout to catch Trout

[sfef84]

I used a mirrolure the other night on some underwater lights that was trout colored. I jigged it and caught a couple fish.

Question:

If I catch a dink trout
If its bleeding and probably wont survive can I use it as bait for a big motha?

I have seen these videos where people reel in a big*** trout to find that it had swallowed the trout originally being reeled in....

[Robalo]

nope-it's a game fish and you cannot possess one under 15".

[XtremeAngler]

have fun explaining that one to the game warden.

I know how you feel about dead fish though. I hate throwing back a 14.5 inch trout that was hooked in the gill from a topwater treble just so the crabs can eat them but thats the law

[XtremeAngler]

nope-it's a game fish and you cannot possess one under 15".

even if it is 15 inches you still cant put him on a hook and throw him out there for shark bait can you?

[TTU Wader]

You can't use a gamefish as bait. That's why some people are trying to get Croaker to a gamefish status.

[FP10]

You can't use a gamefish as bait. That's why some people are trying to get Croaker to a gamefish status.

Oh crap don't let Mike see this post. How is the birthday boy anyways, lol??

[PasadenaMan]

cant use a game fish as bait, not even the head of the carcus.

[sfef84]

Interesting... Both sides make sense but it seems like you should at least be able to use the carcass for a crab trap. better than attracting all the possums in the trash.

Can you throw the carcass in the water after you are done? or would that be chumming? lol

[PasadenaMan]

I hear ya but the reason I dont keep 14 inch flounder is that I cant afford the fines in a what if scenario, I keep half inch above the min to be safe. Luckaly I don't have that problem with specks. I started collecting hard heads for Sandy's crab traps. Seems that I only catch specs at his camp, great trade off though.

[XtremeAngler]

Interesting... Both sides make sense but it seems like you should at least be able to use the carcass for a crab trap. better than attracting all the possums in the trash.

Can you throw the carcass in the water after you are done? or would that be chumming? lol

They do in Matagorda at the Harbor. Everyone cleans their fish and leaves the remains in big buckets. Crab trappers come around and take the fish to bait the traps. Not sure if its legal or not but like you said, better than trash

[plugger]

Interesting thread.

[sfef84]

I wonder why the law is so tough on the bait deal.... Its either because allowing injured troutto be used as bait would be too hard to enforce.... Orrrr trout is the best bait out there for other trout and allowing dinks to be used for bait would be the equivelant of dropping M 80s around your favorite holes.

PS... Whatever happened to "the circle of life" eg. So these guys using shreded up tuna to lure sharks.... That's illegal too? Maybe we should just drop a POD storage bin full of wasted fish off in austin hahaha

[Explorer21]

Add mullet to the list as well..... Don't do that then Jeremy would not catch his hardheads!

Oh crap don't let Mike see this post. How is the birthday boy anyways, lol??