Fish Trap

[bunzplayer]

Just finished building my first diy fish trap and or bait bucket. Hopefully try to snag some local fish from my nearby pond to hopefully add. Not looking to catch anything that will get huge...maybe some bluegill, perch, pickerel, things along that line. will update later to let you know the aftermath! Wish me luck!!

 

[Noahs ark6]

isn't that illegal!

 

[OldMan47]

I don't know about Maine but here in Illinois it would be illegal to trap fish. Local laws regarding fishing, which that would be considered, vary a great deal from state to state and from country to country. In most of the US, the local laws tend to prohibit resale of any fish taken from local waters. That includes both live capture and the more typical hook and line methods. I have no idea how these laws play out in other countries.
In some other nearby states, like Indiana, I could get a fishing license and use a trap to catch fish alive for my own tanks. I still could not sell those fish though.

 

[bae1994]

Sounds interesting but what for ?

 

[bunzplayer]

I don't know about Maine but here in Illinois it would be illegal to trap fish. Local laws regarding fishing, which that would be considered, vary a great deal from state to state and from country to country. In most of the US, the local laws tend to prohibit resale of any fish taken from local waters. That includes both live capture and the more typical hook and line methods. I have no idea how these laws play out in other countries.
In some other nearby states, like Indiana, I could get a fishing license and use a trap to catch fish alive for my own tanks. I still could not sell those fish though.

Are you trying to tell me that a minnow trap is illegal? If not I really do not see much of a difference here then.
Makes no difference..I didn't catch anything anyways.

 

[bunzplayer]

Sounds interesting but what for ?

Thinking of starting a tank that just has fish from my local waters! Perch, pickerel, bluegill, bass, crappie...whatever I may be able to catch and contain in an aquarium.

 

[OldMan47]

In Illinois, with a fishing license, you can use a minnow trap only to trap fishing minnows. Any small game fish, like bluegills, bass, or crappie, must be returned to the original water unmolested. Basically, if you can't positively identify the minnow as an unprotected non-game species, they can jail you for using a minnow trap. At the price of bait, I will continue to buy mine. I have no idea what the local game laws are where you are located.

 

[Randomitity]

I live in Tennessee and from what I have seen there isn't to much law against doing this even though I will warn you crappie can get pretty big... And as stated almost all states prohibit the sale of lake/pond/river/etc caught fish alive or dead without a permit to do so

You make me think of the basspro in Missouri that had fish caught to put in aquariums, man made rivers, and ponds for display

 

[bunzplayer]

I live in Tennessee and from what I have seen there isn't to much law against doing this even though I will warn you crappie can get pretty big... And as stated almost all states prohibit the sale of lake/pond/river/etc caught fish alive or dead without a permit to do so

You make me think of the basspro in Missouri that had fish caught to put in aquariums, man made rivers, and ponds for display

Don't plan on any type of resale! Only interested in keeping as pets. If I run into issues I'll just take them back to where I caught them to release them. Hopefully I will be able to keep them for a while though.

 

[OldMan47]

You can do as you see fit Bunzplayer. If you used a trap illegally in this state you would lose your traps, your other equipment and even the vehicle you used to go to your fishing spot and of course you would receive a fine of several hundred dollars. Hoping they will let you simply return them is a poor idea. You don't want to find out the hard way. Do your homework on your own state laws.

 

[wodesorel]

Why not just go and buy them? Our local fish and game department has a fish sale a few times a year for people who want to buy young fish to stock their private ponds and lakes with. You just show up with a bucket of water and let them know how many and what type you want. You may have to look into a more rural area for one of these depending on where you live, but they are common. You can find everything from bait-type minnows to bluegill to bass to pike, depending on what they were able to source. And it's really cheap as well! It'll keep you legal and you'll know exactly what you're bringing home.

 

[bunzplayer]

Why not just go and buy them? Our local fish and game department has a fish sale a few times a year for people who want to buy young fish to stock their private ponds and lakes with. You just show up with a bucket of water and let them know how many and what type you want. You may have to look into a more rural area for one of these depending on where you live, but they are common. You can find everything from bait-type minnows to bluegill to bass to pike, depending on what they were able to source. And it's really cheap as well! It'll keep you legal and you'll know exactly what you're bringing home.

Working on trying to get permit...But where can I go for what you are talking about?
Sounds like a much easier way to go!

 

[OldMan47]

Check your local laws, but in many parts of the US a fishing license can be obtained in any sporting goods store, including the sporting goods department of a big box department store. They almost always have copies of the state's fish and game regulations in the same part of the store. Since any store selling a fishing rod should be able to at least point you in the right direction, I find the idea of finding the right place almost too easy to answer if you are really trying.