Gobies for bait?

[bulletbob]

Gobies for bait?

 Anyone tried yet??.. I stuck one on a hook/bobber in Cayuga  a few years ago, and got nailed by something good , probably a SMB, swung and missed when the bobber dove under fast and deep,, Never tried catching them in bait quantities, but it would seem a  screen minnow trap with a little cat food or something would catch dozens at a time... Of course they would ONLY be used at Cayuga, where they are already taking over the damn place.. Just wondering if anyone has  given these little SOB's a good try as  live bait???...  Lakers, Bass, Big Perch, Pickerel, maybe even  a Brown  would be possibilites I would think.. any opinions or experience?... bob

[suttontroller94]

I'm sure they would work good however don't get popped using them I had Dec give me hell for using one even after he watched me catch it in the lake

Edited February 18, 2017 by suttontroller94

[UglyStik]

It is illegal now, see Restricted Baitfish Species section:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/47282.html

 

[jk1]

Ok can bring in salted suckers and chubs from Pa then for ice fishing

"Use of Dead Fish as Bait

Any dead fish, or parts thereof excluding eggs, that are legal to possess and are not prohibited for use as bait (see above) that have been packaged for commercial sale and have been preserved by methods other than by freezing only (e.q., salted minnows) can be used in any water body where it is legal to use fish as bait and do not require a receipt. Each package of dead bait fish must be individually labeled, identifying the name of the packager/processor, the name of the species, the quantity of fish contained, and the means of preservation".

[bulletbob]

 That's the NY DEC for you... They live by the millions in Cayuga, but you can't take one out, put it on a friggin' hook and throw it  right back where it came from with a hook through it.. Doesn't make much sense to me... bob

[Sk8man]

13 hours ago, jk1 said:

Ok can bring in salted suckers and chubs from Pa then for ice fishing

 

 

 

Nope can't use anything unless it is  "packaged and commercially prepared"

[rolmops]

The restriction of gobi as a baitfish  is the result of an effort to stop the spread of invasive species. I remember reading in the regulations that whenever you catch a gobi you have to kill it and it cannot be returned to the water. Anyway, they are a bit tricky to use because they do not have a swim bladder and they are very poor swimmers. Most of the time they lay on the bottom and they move swimming upward and sinking back down a few feet away from where they started. Not a very good pattern for trolling, but a great idea for jigging .