Catching Alewives

[CaptDennis]

I was wondering if any one out there catches thier own Alewives for cut bait rigs? Is it legal? If so when and how? Thanks!

[Skidplate]

You have to use them Sam day and same water and when they come in to the docks at night they are ez to get last year in June they where all over

[kingpossible]

In Lake Michigan I net them off the piers in June when they show up.  Then I either just lay them out on paper towel and dry them with a fan - or I salt them heavily and let them sit in a plastic bag for several hours, and then lay them out on paper towel and dry them.  I wrap them in clean paper town and then freeze. 

 

Sometimes salted works better, other days unsalted works better.

 

If the bigger ones are sitting a little too far from the pier to net, I'll catch them using a sabiki rig.

[hermit]

Here are the general DEC baitfish regulations.  For alewives, you can:
 
1.  Catch them with hooks anywhere.
2.  Use a minnow trap anywhere.
3.  A seine net (max 36 sq ft) on Ontario and Erie except in bays, inlets, and outlets.
 4.  In the finger lakes, use a gill net 25 ft or shorter with a 1" opening.

 

And as darkwater1 said, you have to use them in the same body of water without driving anywhere. (EDIT: Unless in a transportation corridor.  See ifishy's detailed post below... thanks for the correction!)  

 

The Hudson river has special rules too.

Edited April 29, 2015 by hermit

[Big Dave]

subaki rigs will catch em.

[CaptDennis]

Awesome thanks for the help!! I'm going to try them salted and some in brine. I always thought about trying a sabiki to catch them, I use to use them on the ocean for mackerel.

[ifishy]

from the DEC site if you catch them in Lake Ontario you can transport them and use them anywhere in the lake ontario transportation corridor this was a new reg a couple years back.  You cannot take them to a different body of water though weather live dead fresh frozen or salted.  for that they have to be commercially packaged by a means other than freezing.

 

Collection, Use and Transportation of Personally Harvested Baitfish

Any person who has a fishing license¹ or is entitled to fish without a license may collect² minnows (except carp and goldfish), killifish, mudminnows, darters, sticklebacks, stonecats, smelt, alewives and suckers for personal use in hook and line fishing only (sale prohibited) by angling and with the gear types listed below. All other species must be immediately returned to the water. See special regulations for personally harvesting alewife and blueback herring in the Hudson River.

Baitfish or other legally taken fish species intended to be used as bait may only be used in the same water body from which they were caught for bait in hook-and-line fishing. These fish may only be used in a water body where it is legal to use fish as bait. Transportation of personally harvested baitfish overland by a motorized vehicle is prohibited except within a designated overland transportation corridor. See dip net exceptions for smelt, suckers, alewives and blueback herring taken for human consumption.

Baitfish Collection Table

[shorething]

Couple hours in the smoker.....

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[ripper5]

Trolling with bait rigs pretty common, curious if drifting live saw bellies being tried by anglers, specially if fish are found scattered on electronics..Or kind of consolidated in a smaller section of water,,We did it on finger lakes, and other NY large reservoirs and lakes, worked pretty good..Wonder how it would work on Lake O???.

[Adk1]

anyone have any pics of catching alewives with one of those sabiki rigs?

[TyeeTanic]

Sabiki rigs are easy to use. I use them all the time in Florida to catch bait fish. You basically just put a 1 or 2 oz weight on the end of it, drop it down into the water a few feet and jig up and down. Once a fish is on, you just pull it out of the water. Guys who are experience, will just shake the sabiki rig and the fish come off without tangling the line.

[hermit]

ifishy thanks for the correction, hadn't heard of that, guess it doesn't apply to the finger lakes though.

[CaptDennis]

I found this video of using the rigs

[ifishy]

ifishy thanks for the correction, hadn't heard of that, guess it doesn't apply to the finger lakes though.

your welcome I'm a bit odd in that I read the regs book every year when i get my license at least for all the waters i fish

[Morgan-E]

Lots of fun - especially for kids (old and young).  Been doing it for a few years now and the biggest thing is to figure out how many you will need ahead of time because it is very easy to catch more than you could ever use.  Then ask friends if they need bait and go back out.  There are guys that do it on the open lake, but we use blow off days in the bay to catch alewives - just find the depth with the heaviest schools and then anchor in the depth and they will come.

One other tip that works for us is to use a one ounce sinker on the bottom of the sabiki rig to make it easier to keep everything tight - especially for beginners. 

We brine all of ours using the over the counter stuff for color and UV enhancers and then add more non-iodized salt or Sea Salt to firm them up just a bit more.  Lasts like the old stuff used to.

Hope this helps.