legal or not

Ristorapper · Aug 25, 2015

Fishing the tailrace. One of those pesky half stunned smelt get by all the birds and fish and ends up in my hand as I reach over to fetch it. Can I use it for bait on my hook, legally?

Kickemup · Aug 25, 2015

I would not sure if legal but what the hell.

Captain Ahab · Aug 25, 2015

If it is not truly alive, you can consider it legal.

Lycanthrope · Aug 26, 2015

You can use live smelt in the tailrace anyway, last time I checked at least.....

"It is illegal to use live rainbow smelt for bait anywhere except for: live smelt captured with a dip net or by hand in the Garrison Dam Tailrace and used only in the Tailrace from the Garrison Dam downstream to the southern boundary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Downstream Recreation Area."

I have contacted G&F about modifying the regulations to allow the use of live smelt as bait anywhere on the missouri river system. They said they would discuss it at the next policy meeting, but Im not holding my breath. If any of you guys would like to have the ability to use smelt on Sak or Oahe, I would suggest contact G&F asap and let them know how you feel about it.

Brian Renville · Aug 26, 2015

That would be nice but I would think keeping them alive for any sort of travel would be incredibly difficult. I sure miss the old days of sucker minnows on Sak and the Missouri though.

Fly Carpin · Aug 26, 2015

Absolutely legal. I usually spend the first 30 min. or so at the tailrace collecting smelt with a dip net, which I then use exclusively in the chutes. Lights out on a 3 way rig

LiebelsGuide · Aug 26, 2015

Brian Renville said:
That would be nice but I would think keeping them alive for any sort of travel would be incredibly difficult. I sure miss the old days of sucker minnows on Sak and the Missouri though.

Absolutely would love to be able to use suckers again, they are native to the missouri river system. They are legal in the Red River so why not the Missouri?

Lycanthrope · Aug 26, 2015

LiebelsGuide said:
Absolutely would love to be able to use suckers again, they are native to the missouri river system. They are legal in the Red River so why not the Missouri?

Cuz they are legal in MN, so basically the G&F is just allowing reciprocity with them for that specific body of water. Would be nice if they would open up our bait options a bit. I wonder how hard it would be to get smelt with a casting net during the summer, would need a fast sinking one Im sure....

Tillerman2095 · Aug 26, 2015

Live smelt are 100% legal to us in the Missouri river if stunned by the generators. As for White suckers; the game and fish recognize that White Suckers are a natural fish in the system.

The Game and Fish are not worried about using White Suckers in Sakakawea; but worried that the White Sucker will become bait used on another lake that their not legal to use. So that's why the Game and Fish make them illegal to use or posses other than on the Red River.

We had this discussion with the Game and Fish this spring; Six Mile corner bait shop sent an e-mail to game and fish and what I stated is what they told us.

wildeyes · Aug 26, 2015

I cant wait until the smelt start to run in the river again by the thousands. use to go out and net a 5 gal bail full in about a 6six pack of time and then have a big old smelt fry (good shit there.)

Lycanthrope · Aug 26, 2015

wildeyes said:
I cant wait until the smelt start to run in the river again by the thousands. use to go out and net a 5 gal bail full in about a 6six pack of time and then have a big old smelt fry (good shit there.)

Ive talked to the GF about this and the general consensus is that this probably wont ever happen again. They used to run to sak cuz thats where they came from. They are like salmon and they try to get to where they were born to spawn. Now most of the smelt in Oahe were born in Oahe and they have no reason to head north anymore.... Unfortunate cuz it used to be fun netting them in the spring.

Ristorapper · Aug 26, 2015

HA HA! I'm not sure I've ever heard of anyone measuring time in consuming a beverage(s)!!

wildeyes said:
I cant wait until the smelt start to run in the river again by the thousands. use to go out and net a 5 gal bail full in about a 6six pack of time and then have a big old smelt fry (good shit there.)

Fishmission · Aug 26, 2015

Used to use suckers for spring and fall walleyes and sauger on Sak. Hard to beat a big sucker for northerns in the spring. Used to love watching a pike take that bobber down with a 8 inch sucker on the hook .
Keep hearing about these creek chubs. How do they rate compared to suckers? Do they get up to 6 inches?

Kickemup · Aug 26, 2015

I think chubs get up around the 10 inch mark.

legal or not

Ristorapper

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Captain Ahab

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