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Baitfish for muskies


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can any tell me if this is legal? i hear of indiana musky guides using bluegills and crappies for livebait while they are casting muskies during the warmer months when suckers die too quickly. question is, if you catch a bluegill or crappie on the same water you are musky fishing and don't transport them to another lake can they be used as livebait? if you can't use 'gills or crappies- are there other types you can use?

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can any tell me if this is legal? i hear of indiana musky guides using bluegills and crappies for livebait while they are casting muskies during the warmer months when suckers die too quickly. question is, if you catch a bluegill or crappie on the same water you are musky fishing and don't transport them to another lake can they be used as livebait? if you can't use 'gills or crappies- are there other types you can use?

yes u can use blue gills or any pan fish 4 bait but it must go against your daily limit 4 that fish. i asked this question 2 a gamey last summer.

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thanks very much "ice legend"! i just finished an article from indiana that talked about during warmer conditions they use billgills alot. it said that it is common for almost every boat to have "a few" hanging off them while the anglers cast. thanks again!

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hmm...that's cool.

any restriction on how they are acquired? net vs pole?

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i would imagine u would have to catch them... and a crappie would have to be a legal size which i think is 9 inch and there r no restrictions on the bluegills or perch other than towards your daily limit. did pretty well on waneta last year drifting gills. seems they like the smaller ones.probablly caught 6 drifting last year and haven't tried it this year only trolling.

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  • 3 weeks later...

dunno how legal but i often take a can o worms with me,catch a few sunnies or perch,and soak 'em under a bobber while i cast. i get a couple 'skies every year this way. you can catch 'em all this way if you let 'em swallow,but it's bad for the fish. i try to set the hook after 30 seconds or so and take my chances. i boat about every 5th lunge that hits the bait. one in five ain't great,but i never kill any.

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