# New Regs Prohibit Cut Bait



## nixmkt

This is the new paragraph in the General Info. section of the 2013 Regs:
_It is unlawful for any person to possess a fish in any form or condition other than whole while on or when unloading the fish from the boat, while wading, or while fishing from shore on any waters in this state where a fishing license is required. _

Here is a link to the regs:
http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/regulations/fishing_general.aspx

Heard that this was added last year to help with over-limiting of walleye on Lake Erie and re-worded this year due to complaints/problems with the change last year.

Talked with the Dist. 3 Office in Akron this morning and they agreed as written it does technically prohibit using cut bait (ie: shad, bluegill, etc.) for catfishing but they indicated common sense and discretion should be used and citations should not be issued for that, unless perhaps you were using cut-up walleye.

I made the comment that if an officcer was having a bad day they could still write a ticket. The response was if that were to happen, to call the office and the officer would then be having a worse day.

Something to be aware of though.


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## M.Magis

Interesting. Surprised no one else has caught that yet, or if they did I haven't seen it mentioned here. 
Walleye is legal for cut bait also, as is any fish legal to keep.


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## Net

Yet again the state had a chance to get that "fillet" reg worded clearly enough for every situation. How many chances do they need? Amazing...


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## jonnythfisherteen2

*sigh* how many times are they going to incorrectly word the regs? the regs arent a thing you can just screw up on. some people (new fishermen included) will be confused by the unclear wording. that wont turn out too good if, like mentioned above, a officer is having a bad day. 
ill just send them a email and see what they say.


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## ironman172

Net said:


> Yet again the state had a chance to get that "fillet" reg worded clearly enough for every situation. How many chances do they need? Amazing...


job security I guess they'll get it right one day


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## Flathead76

How many times have fisherman broke thier shinners in half while perch fishing? We always have done this when getting low on bait.


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## fishdealer04

Very interesting as I have not seen that as well. I will be sending an e-mail or a call for some more clarification considering I use cut bait 95% of the time.


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## Shaun69007

Typical legaleze wording. I think that if it is a forage species it should be fine. I will still use cut shad and drive across that bridge when it happens.


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## LeeWoolery

...not concerned about the cutbait law but how many have violated the law about transporting fish from below?

"Fishing / General

The Division of Wildlife has launched a new fishing license sales system. For more information, read about the New License Sales and Game Check System.

It is unlawful to buy or sell any fish taken by sport fishing, including angling and trotlinefishing, taken from any water area in the state.

*It is unlawful to transport and introduce any aquatic species (fish, invertebrate, plant) from one body of water to another.*


It is unlawful for any person to possess a fish in any form or condition other than whole while on or when unloading the fish from the boat, while wading, or while fishing from shore on any waters in this state where a fishing license is required."



I dump my bait: bluegills, chubs, suckers, shiners, channel cats into any lake, pond river or stream when I'm done fishing. 

Also...I have taken fish from one body of water and turned them loose in another for a number of years. Everybody does it!

I'm a law breaker and didn't know it and have been fishing with unconvicted felons for years!!!

The girl who works for me has a picture of a 25 lb. channel cat on her cell phone that her daughter caught in a retention pond at their housing development. I can guarantee you that fish didn't grow to that size in 10 years.


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## gitarzan

How about from the body of water behind the counter at the bait store to my favorite lake?


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## MassillonBuckeye

LeeWoolery said:


> ...not concerned about the cutbait law but how many have violated the law about transporting fish from below?
> 
> "Fishing / General
> 
> The Division of Wildlife has launched a new fishing license sales system. For more information, read about the New License Sales and Game Check System.
> 
> It is unlawful to buy or sell any fish taken by sport fishing, including angling and trotlinefishing, taken from any water area in the state.
> 
> *[/COLOR]It is unlawful to transport and introduce any aquatic species (fish, invertebrate, plant) from one body of water to another.*
> 
> *It is unlawful for the public to tag and release fish into any public water area.*
> 
> It is unlawful for any person to possess a fish in any form or condition other than whole while on or when unloading the fish from the boat, while wading, or while fishing from shore on any waters in this state where a fishing license is required."
> 
> 
> 
> I dump my bait: bluegills, chubs, suckers, shiners, channel cats into any lake, pond river or stream when I'm done fishing.
> 
> Also...I have taken fish from one body of water and turned them loose in another for a number of years. Everybody does it!
> 
> I'm a law breaker and didn't know it and have been fishing with unconvicted felons for years!!!
> 
> The girl who works for me has a picture of a 25 lb. channel cat on her cell phone that her daughter caught in a retention pond at their housing development. I can guarantee you that fish didn't grow to that size in 10 years.




Any relation to Chuck?


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## M.Magis

LeeWoolery said:


> ...not concerned about the cutbait law but how many have violated the law about transporting fish from below?
> 
> "Fishing / General
> 
> The Division of Wildlife has launched a new fishing license sales system. For more information, read about the New License Sales and Game Check System.
> 
> It is unlawful to buy or sell any fish taken by sport fishing, including angling and trotlinefishing, taken from any water area in the state.
> 
> *[/COLOR]It is unlawful to transport and introduce any aquatic species (fish, invertebrate, plant) from one body of water to another.*
> 
> *It is unlawful for the public to tag and release fish into any public water area.*
> 
> It is unlawful for any person to possess a fish in any form or condition other than whole while on or when unloading the fish from the boat, while wading, or while fishing from shore on any waters in this state where a fishing license is required."
> 
> 
> 
> I dump my bait: bluegills, chubs, suckers, shiners, channel cats into any lake, pond river or stream when I'm done fishing.
> 
> Also...I have taken fish from one body of water and turned them loose in another for a number of years. Everybody does it!
> 
> I'm a law breaker and didn't know it and have been fishing with unconvicted felons for years!!!
> 
> The girl who works for me has a picture of a 25 lb. channel cat on her cell phone that her daughter caught in a retention pond at their housing development. I can guarantee you that fish didn't grow to that size in 10 years.




You're misinterperating the rules. Fish can be releases into public waters as long as that species of fish already existed there. Fish can be released into private waters as long as that fish was legal to keep. The quote you highlighted only says that fish can't be *tagged* and then released into public waters. We've had this discussion countless times over the years, and the answer came from one of the directors with the ODNR. They really need to re-write that part of the booklet to prevent confusion.


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## rustyfish

The intention of the law is to prohibit the transfer of fish from one body of water to another. That is ignored and for the most part not enforced but that is the true law. It is not misswritten it is just not realistic to enforce. 

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## LeeWoolery

MassillonBuckeye said:


> Any relation to Chuck?


Yes...I am related Chuck.


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## LeeWoolery

M.Magis said:


> You're misinterperating the rules. Fish can be releases into public waters as long as that species of fish already existed there. Fish can be released into private waters as long as that fish was legal to keep. The quote you highlighted only says that fish can't be *tagged* and then released into public waters. We've had this discussion countless times over the years, and the answer came from one of the directors with the ODNR. They really need to re-write that part of the booklet to prevent confusion.


I changed that highlight. Didn't catch it at first. Sounds like the directors at ODNR need to re-word that section intead of leaving it open to interpretation?


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## LeeWoolery

rustyfish said:


> The intention of the law is to prohibit the transfer of fish from one body of water to another. That is ignored and for the most part not enforced but that is the true law. It is not misswritten it is just not realistic to enforce.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


...sounds like they mean business. I would love to get my hands on some wels catfish from the River Ebro in Spain and put them in the private lake I fish at but I'd end up in prison if I tried contacting a fish smuggler in Europe.

Look what happened when they introduced the Common Carp here...legally...many years ago and now the problem with snakeheads and Asian Carp?


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## M.Magis

rustyfish said:


> The intention of the law is to prohibit the transfer of fish from one body of water to another. That is ignored and for the most part not enforced but that is the true law. It is not misswritten it is just not realistic to enforce.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Actually, the only intent is to prohibit the *introduction* of a fish species into a body of water where it doesn&#8217;t already exist. The key word in the regulations is &#8220;introduce&#8221;. It&#8217;s perfectly legal to catch bluegills from one lake and later dump them in another lake as long as bluegills already exist in the second lake.
I think this is one of the most misinterpreted laws printed in the booklet. I really wish they would make it more clear.


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## timmyv

M.Magis said:


> Actually, the only intent is to prohibit the *introduction* of a fish species into a body of water where it doesnt already exist. The key word in the regulations is introduce. Its perfectly legal to catch bluegills from one lake and later dump them in another lake as long as bluegills already exist in the second lake.
> I think this is one of the most misinterpreted laws printed in the booklet. I really wish they would make it more clear.


It most certainly is not legal to transfer blue gills from a lake into a public lake. You can contact the ODNR and they will make that real clear to you.


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## KaGee

Don't understand why you guys are getting all twisted up about a regulation that was written to address the problem of over-bagging on Lake Erie. Mostly out of state scumbags stuffing portable freezers full with cut up fillets of walleye and bass.

Mr. Woolery,
Your practice of dumping "bait" into any body of water is now frowned upon, especially in your part of the state. You need to rethink that.


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## M.Magis

timmyv said:


> It most certainly is not legal to transfer blue gills from a lake into a public lake. You can contact the ODNR and they will make that real clear to you.


Like I said, we&#8217;ve done just that. Actually, it was Rick Seevers that did the leg work. It absolutely IS legal. Go ahead and check for yourself. Be sure to go further up the ladder than the first person to answer the phone.



KaGee said:


> Don't understand why you guys are getting all twisted up about a regulation that was written to address the problem of over-bagging on Lake Erie. Mostly out of state scumbags stuffing portable freezers full with cut up fillets of walleye and bass.
> 
> Mr. Woolery,
> Your practice of dumping "bait" into any body of water is now frowned upon, especially in your part of the state. You need to rethink that.


True, but the way it was written now makes it illegal to use cut bait all over the state.


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## nixmkt

This thread sure took a turn.  As Magis said, the transporting baitfish reg is confusing and preferrably would be re-worded and clarified better. But in the meantime, as Magis also noted, that reg has been discussed here many times, including posting of the response from ODNR noting it is legal within the limits Magis explained. Please read through some of those old transporting baitfish threads if you don't believe him. Because the reg is confusing, some at ODNR will tell you at first that it is not legal. That is why I carry a copy of the ODNR response with me. Would be nice if we could get one for the fillet reg too till it gets re-worded again.


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## rustyfish

Dude this is a law all across the country. It is illegal to transfer fish from one body of public water to another. It is much about disease as it is introduction. I would like to see this statement. If anyone in dnr said otherwise it is an adapted interpretation due to the fact that they seldom enforce it. Seldom but sometimes, they have stopped many bass tournaments that allowed fishing of multiple lakes and weight in and release a single lake. But the law was written to read exactly like sounds, its clearly stated and doesn't require interpretation. Introduced species is a species that does not occur in the lake, introduced fish is a fish that did not come from that lake.

Trust me if they found out that a group of guys were going out bass fishing every weekend on different lakes and taking them back to there local lake then you would see this rule used real fast.

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## Net

LeeWoolery said:


> ...*not concerned about the cutbait law *but how many have violated the law about transporting fish from below?
> 
> "Fishing / General
> 
> The Division of Wildlife has launched a new fishing license sales system. For more information, read about the New License Sales and Game Check System.
> 
> It is unlawful to buy or sell any fish taken by sport fishing, including angling and trotlinefishing, taken from any water area in the state.
> 
> It is unlawful to transport and introduce any aquatic species (fish, invertebrate, plant) from one body of water to another.
> 
> 
> It is unlawful for any person to possess a fish in any form or condition other than whole while on or when unloading the fish from the boat, while wading, or while fishing from shore on any waters in this state where a fishing license is required."
> 
> 
> 
> I dump my bait: bluegills, chubs, suckers, shiners, channel cats into any lake, pond river or stream when I'm done fishing.
> 
> Also...I have taken fish from one body of water and turned them loose in another for a number of years. Everybody does it!
> 
> I'm a law breaker and didn't know it and have been fishing with unconvicted felons for years!!!
> 
> The girl who works for me has a picture of a 25 lb. channel cat on her cell phone that her daughter caught in a retention pond at their housing development. I can guarantee you that fish didn't grow to that size in 10 years.


Next time please start a new thread in the appropriate forum. Thank you.


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## M.Magis

rustyfish said:


> Dude this is a law all across the country. It is illegal to transfer fish from one body of public water to another. It is much about disease as it is introduction. I would like to see this statement. If anyone in dnr said otherwise it is an adapted interpretation due to the fact that they seldom enforce it. Seldom but sometimes, they have stopped many bass tournaments that allowed fishing of multiple lakes and weight in and release a single lake. But the law was written to read exactly like sounds, its clearly stated and doesn't require interpretation. Introduced species is a species that does not occur in the lake, introduced fish is a fish that did not come from that lake.
> 
> Trust me if they found out that a group of guys were going out bass fishing every weekend on different lakes and taking them back to there local lake then you would see this rule used real fast.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Again, weve been over this more times that I care to remember. This isnt all over the country. This is an Ohio law, though Im sure other stated have similar laws, but theyre all separate. And again, the key word is introduce. If the intent was keep people from moving bait from one body of water to another, that word would not be in there. But it is there, and its there for a reason. Anyone that doubt us can do a search and see all of the old threads on the subject. Eventually youll come across the one where Rick got the answer from one of the upper guys from the ODNR.


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## rustyfish

Ok im going to let you this one go becasue no one cares about what you do with bait. Either way they choose not to inforce it so i make no difference how it is worded

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## M.Magis

rustyfish said:


> Ok im going to let you this one go becasue no one cares about what you do with bait. Either way they choose not to inforce it so i make no difference how it is worded
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


You arent letting anyone go. The law is what it is, and youre just one of thousands that misinterpreted the wording. Like I said, its very confusing and thats why Rick went to the top to get the answer. I sure as heck wouldnt be telling everyone this if I wasnt absolutely sure. But this isnt my interpretation or anyone elses interpretation, the law is exactly like its written. *Introduce*"


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## rustyfish

Sorry the word "you"was a typo, didnt mean it like that. I want to let this go but its not going to work. So it is ok to do this with game fish? All that bass i can legally catch. Take them home to the local lake. And all sunfish are not bluegill, are there supposed to be orange spotted sunfish in that pond. How about pumkinseeds are they already in your lake. How do hybrids work if on parent species is there is that ok. We have white crappie so i can add black crappie right because they are the same thing. And where is it posted what minnows are in what lake. Because there are some state ponds that i fish that i dont think have brook stickle backs and i get them in my bait all the time. Now what about if another guy started putting them in there already and now the are living there can i do it then. I have no problem understanding the law. It is a stupid law that no one ever follows because it is impractical. This includes the dnr guys and thats why they gave you a bs answer. They are not allowed to say that it is a stupid law that no one follows. It says transfer and introduce. Transfer. Transfer from one body of water to another. Fish, plant, invert. Do you know what plant matter is on/in you fish. How about micro invert are the on/in your fish or water. Dont act like you understand and follow this law because you are stepping all over. It is a law of common sense " guy lets not go moving everything around if we can help it or it might just go to hell on us" end of story.

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## Net

Thread closed.


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