Live Bait for Fishing

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Live Bait for Fishing
George Scholten September 17, 2009
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Bait Dealer Rule

• Bait Dealer - the business of capturing legal
  species of fish and other aquatic life for the
  purpose of sale as bait, or the business of
  selling legal species of fish and other aquatic
  life for bait.

Sport Fishing Proclamation
Minnow traps and seines as defined below may be
used to catch minnows subject to all laws and
regulations governing the catching of minnows.
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Major Bait Issues

• Importation of unwanted species
• Introduction of unwanted species
• Transfer of diseases through bait trade
• Harvest of vulnerable species for aquarium trade
• Regulating the use of rainbow trout as bait in
  areas with quality trout regulations

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Live Bait Proclamation 09-20

• Bait Committee formed in May 2006
• Reviewed current regulations and identified major
  issues
• Surveyed all bait dealers
• Developed methods to resolve major issues
• Selected least intrusive methods that offered
  sufficient protection

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Section I. Class A Bait Fish

• Defines fish species that can be
• Harvested by anglers for use as bait
• Imported/exported by bait dealers and anglers
• Sold by bait dealers.
• Class A Bait Fish
• Found statewide and pose little threat
• Sold by major bait distributors
• Most commonly used bait species

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Section I. Trout Regulations

• Anglers can catch and use their limit of rainbow
  trout
• Purchased rainbow trout
• Under 8 inches - can be used without limit if
  angler has a receipt
• Over 8 inches - can be used if angler complies
  with limits
• Receipts must be consecutively numbered and
  contain seller and buyer information, number
  sold, and date sold.

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Section II. Class B Bait Fish

• Defines fish species that can be
• Harvested by anglers for use as bait
• Imported/exported by anglers
• Cannot be sold
• Class B Bait Fish
• Found statewide and pose little threat
• Most commonly used bait species
• Not sold by major bait distributors
• Anglers limited to 100 of each

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Section III. Class C Bait Fish

• Defines fish species that can be
• Harvested by anglers for use as bait if the
  angler does not leave the water with them
• Cannot be imported/exported
• Cannot be sold
• Class B Bait Fish
• All species not listed as Class A or B Bait Fish
• Not typical bait species
• Not sold by major bait distributors

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Section IV. Crayfish and Salamanders

• Dusky salamanders and crayfish can be harvested
  and used for bait.
• Salamanders and crayfish cannot be sold or
  imported/exported.
• Certain small creeks are closed to harvest and
  use of crayfish.
• Crayfish harvested from the following watersheds
  can only be used within the system from which
  they were harvested.
• French Broad River
• Holston River
• Clinch River

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Vulnerable Crayfish Areas
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(No Transcript)
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Section V. Legal Gear for Bait Harvest
Shad Trawl
Minnow Seine
Cast Net
Minnow Trap
Dip Net
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Commercial Fishing Proclamation 09-21(Amendment)

• Allows commercial fishers to harvest and use most
  Class A species as live bait
• Provides guidelines for Bait Dealers who want to
  harvest live bait from the wild for the purpose
  of sale.
• Species that can be harvested for commercial
  purposes
• Skipjack herring
• Gizzard shad
• Threadfin shad
• Fathead minnow
• Golden shiner
• All commercial fishing regulations and reporting
  requirements apply to commercial fishers and bait
  dealers who harvest these species from the wild.

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Sport Fishing Proclamation 09-22

• Remove live bait regulations listed in SECTION
  VIII. MINNOWS
• Replace with Licensed sport anglers can harvest
  and use fish and other aquatic life for live bait
  as provided by the Live Bait Proclamation.

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Rule 1660-1-17-.01

• Part (5) - contains some rules on use and sale of
  live bait
• Most of these rules will now be covered in Live
  Bait Proclamation
• Amend Part (5) to read Live native and
  non-native species may be bought and sold as
  provided by statute or proclamation.
• Necessary to prevent the sale of crayfish and
  dusky salamanders.

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Actions Needed

• September Commission Meeting
• Set date and location for November Meeting
• Needs to be after November 15, 2009
• October Commission Meeting
• Vote on Live Bait Proclamation (Proc 09-20)
• Vote on Sport Fishing Proclamation, including
  changes to bait section (Proc 09-22)
• Vote on Amendment to Commercial Fishing
  Proclamation (09-21)
• November Commission Meeting
• Vote on Amendment to Rule 1660-1-17-.01