Trout for crab bait?

[MRWHITE87]

Sometimes its better to ask forgiveness instead of permission. Especially when morals and ethics are on ones side...

[SabineHunter]

I do use ladyfish, whiting, etc but why not the remains? I can use the remains of quartered deer as 'bait' to hunt coyote. A person can abuse that as well.

[CastAndBlast]

Got it. I just think it is crazy to dump pounds of good bait in the trash cans when I can use it to catch crabs. Is it enforced? If not a biological issue, what is it?

Too much grey area created if they allowed "parts" of a game fish to be used as bait. Opens the door to too many options/possibilities to illegally posses or waste game fish.

With that being said, we have used the carcasses of cleaned fish to bait traps. I would be willing to bet that a GW wouldn't cite you if it is obvious that the carcass was properly cleaned. However, they most definitely can.

[SabineHunter]

I'm sure it's to prevent abuse. Game laws can be very confusing, which creates a ton of grey areas. I have no problem with simply having a rule that states game fish can't be used as bait. The intended use of a legal game fish is for consumption, not cut bait.

If you have some freezer burned, old trout filets, I'm sure you could throw them in a crab trap. Technically illegal, but lets be honest. Is a GW going to be able to identify old trout filet that have been in a crab trap for a few hours? probably not.

With that said, if you want cheap and easy crab bait, throw some dead shrimp on the bottom and catch a few hard heads. They work just as good as anything. Oh and it's legal.

Cut bait is wanton waste of gamefish meat, should be illegal but not the waste of a filleted trout.

[Snowflake Killa]

I didn't read everything above but I use nothing but 5 lb trout and bigger for my crab bait

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[SaltwaterSlick]

I've been told the absolute best big blue cat bait is a piece of the belly meat filleted of a blue cat, but cant use it for bait...

[CastAndBlast]

Cut bait is wanton waste of gamefish meat, should be illegal but not the waste of a filleted trout.

How is cut bait waste of game fish? I don't know of anyone that used fished deemed "game fish" by the law as cut bait. That would be illegal as well.

[SabineHunter]

How is cut bait waste of game fish? I don't know of anyone that used fished deemed "game fish" by the law as cut bait. That would be illegal as well.

We agree, maybe I wasn't clear.

[JACK750]

What happens to the waste of game fish in Matagorda cleaning station??? I was told that people use it to run crab traps?

[Montec man]

We agree, maybe I wasn't clear.

A high ranking CCA member might see and become offended, advising to TPWD that redfish and trout stocks are being depleted as a result of widespread use as bait by crab fishermen. Limits will be dropped to one of each. Now, see what you've done?! Hope it was worth it

[S-3 Ranch]

All I know is speckled trout make awesome offshore snapper fishing bait
But are illegal to use
Sand trout as bait GW says is ok

[SaintBlaise]

First of all, has anyone ever been cited for using discards in their traps. I doubt it. It's like driving 56 in a 55. I wouldn't worry about it and use your specks and reds. Like someone else said, don't leave the skin or heads on.

Now for the best bait here they are. You want smell or oil.
1. that smelly bi-catch from a shrimp boat... a big red or big drum that is dead on the beach, look for the flies. Cut them up with a bow saw, you may want to use gloves.
2. Pogey. This is what the crabbers use if they buy bait. It stinks and is real oily.
3. Speck and Reds you cleaned.
4. Chopped big mullet. Low odor, not oily.

[SabineHunter]

Okay, I just talked with an upper level biologist in Austin and while he sympathize with this situation and that it's not a biological decision, it is an enforcement issue and has been discussed many times over the years, particularly concerning grabbers. It has been found that some law breakers would use undersized fish for traps. So, because of a few, the many can't use the remains of gamefish.

SH

[panhandlehunter]

Chicken works better and cheap anyway.

[Shurshot]

Trout carcass’s make great snapper bait, or so I’ve heard


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