Bluegill as bait?

[eriksat1]

Most states let you use a legally caught fish as bait as long as it is in the same lake.

[Lowellhturner]

Have often used thin strips of bluegill or perch and chub meat on ice jigs ice fishing for alot of kinds of fish. Also during the summer will take a live 3- 6" bluegill and cut off the dorsel fin and put a #2 or #3 circle hook in the upper 1/3rd of it`s body right in front of it`s tail ENSURING you miss it`s spinal column and toss it out under the biggest "WING IT" bobber I can find and LEAVE the bail OPEN...bass and cat generally don`t take too long to find it. I force myself to count to 5, then close the bail, await a taunt line and set the hook. Most of the times (3 outta 4) will hook them in the corner of the mouth...Let`s face it, it`s a "fish eat fish" world out there and nothing tastes as good to them as FRESH MEAT, literally...

[gabowman]

Seems that scent definitely helped. Glad to see you caught a few.

[bdorman]

Most states let you use a legally caught fish as bait as long as it is in the same lake.

Thanks Slabmaster. That appears to be the law in Illinois. However, the mistake I did make was to toss back the 90% of the bluegill that I didn't use (I just cut a few strips out of its back). It won't be an issue in the future since I'll "harvest" some bait when I do my fish-cleaning at home.

[shipahoy41]

Welcome from Alabama. There is a true saying. "Big fish eat little fish." That is why so many people fish minnows imitators and put a scent on the plastic to attract them. I suspect the fish sensed and smelled an easy meal and attacked it. Whatever the reason, the fish let you know they liked it.

[Bronson]

Could be the strikes close to the dock were from brush around or under the docks. The flash from the scales might have helped entice a strike as well but I definitely think scent was a factor. Keep trying it and let us know how it goes.

[kycreek]

We caught a 12 incher last week running limb lines in a local creek. I'd have never guessed we'd catch one in that hot shallow water. Plenty of cats though. 2 to 3 inch bluegill was the ticket.

[digihax]

I wish I could use bluegill for bait in tenn, but it's prohibited,http://www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/fishguide.pdf...

[ShilohRed]

I wish I could use bluegill for bait in tenn, but it's prohibited,http://www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/fishguide.pdf...

You can use bream if you catch them. You can use Crappie, Large Mouth bass, Small Mouth bass, Any fish you catch and is included into your daily limit is legal in Tn. Its on page 34 of the link you posted. Not sure how you got it prohibited? You have to catch them from the body of water your fishing.

Live Bait ReguLations
The following sections explain which species can
be used for bait, and how they can be harvested,
sold and transported. Under no circumstance
shall live fish or crayfish be intentionally
released into Tennessee waters away from
the waters from which they were harvested.
These regulations do not apply to bait that is
dead. Dead bait can be sold, transported, and
used without restrictions.
For the purposes of these rules, a sport angler
shall be defined as anyone who attempts to take,
kill, injure, capture, or catch any sport fish and
every act of assistance thereof. A bait dealer shall
be defined as anyone engaged in the business of
selling or offering for sale any legal species of
live bait fish. All bait dealers must purchase a
type 118 (resident) or 116 (nonresident) license
annually, and make all necessary reports as
required to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency. The harvest and use of bait fish by
commercial fishers shall be regulated in the
commercial fishing proclamation.
A licensed sport angler (with all required
licenses, and permits) can harvest game fish
(including rainbow trout and sunfish) for use
as bait from the wild using legal sport fishing
methods. When harvesting game fish, all
restrictions in the sport fishing proclamation
apply (including creel and length limits, sea

[digihax]

You can use bream if you catch them. You can use Crappie, Large Mouth bass, Small Mouth bass, Any fish you catch and is included into your daily limit is legal in Tn. Its on page 34 of the link you posted. Not sure how you got it prohibited? You have to catch them from the body of water your fishing.

Live Bait ReguLations
The following sections explain which species can
be used for bait, and how they can be harvested,
sold and transported. Under no circumstance
shall live fish or crayfish be intentionally
released into Tennessee waters away from
the waters from which they were harvested.
These regulations do not apply to bait that is
dead. Dead bait can be sold, transported, and
used without restrictions.
For the purposes of these rules, a sport angler
shall be defined as anyone who attempts to take,
kill, injure, capture, or catch any sport fish and
every act of assistance thereof. A bait dealer shall
be defined as anyone engaged in the business of
selling or offering for sale any legal species of
live bait fish. All bait dealers must purchase a
type 118 (resident) or 116 (nonresident) license
annually, and make all necessary reports as
required to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency. The harvest and use of bait fish by
commercial fishers shall be regulated in the
commercial fishing proclamation.
A licensed sport angler (with all required
licenses, and permits) can harvest game fish
(including rainbow trout and sunfish) for use
as bait from the wild using legal sport fishing
methods. When harvesting game fish, all
restrictions in the sport fishing proclamation
apply (including creel and length limits, sea

Oh ok, thnx for clearing that up for me. I remember reading that now when I got down to type 118 resident license lol, I must've misread it somehow...