February 9, 2018 at 2:57 pm
[caption id="attachment_2702" align="alignright" width="396"]
Bio Specialist Kevin Gallant conducts a Baitfish Dealer Inspection.[/caption]
By Merry Gallagher, Native Fish Conservation Biologist
Did you know that IFW manages some fisheries for commercial harvest? Most anglers are certainly aware that the live fish that they may use as bait are often wild caught from Maine waters by either themselves or by licensed commercial harvesters. IFW also manages commercial fisheries for Suckers, Yellow Perch, American Eel, and Sea Lamprey, but by far, the harvest of wild caught, live Baitfish and Smelt is the largest of our commercial fisheries based on the number of licenses annually issued.
IFW offers three distinct license options for the Baitfish and Smelt trade. Baitfish or Smelt Wholesale license holders can harvest live baitfish or smelt from waters where their harvest is allowed. Maine allows sixteen species of Baitfish and Rainbow Smelt to be commercially harvested and used as live bait for angling in freshwaters. Baitfish Retail license holders can deal and sell legal baitfish species and smelt to the angling public.
The Fisheries Division monitors and manages the Baitfish and Smelt fisheries in a variety of ways. Of course harvest is either allowed or not on certain waters and harvesters are limited to using particular gear types. In addition, Smelt harvesters have daily harvest restrictions and both Baitfish and Smelt Wholesalers must confidentially report their annual harvest to IFW in an effort to better manage the resource for all participants. But another valuable way we monitor the fishery and assure that only legal species are sold, transported and used as bait is to annually conduct Baitfish Dealer Inspections.
This time of year, Fishery Biologists, often in cooperation with the Warden Service, visit dealer shops and businesses to conduct inspections. A prime focus of a standard inspection is to conduct a visual assessment of the stock being sold to screen for overall fish health and to assure that only legal species are being sold.
[caption id="attachment_2705" align="alignleft" width="382"]
A batch of mixed shiners undergoing visual inspection for fish health and species identification.[/caption]
We also often field a wide assortment of questions regarding how to improve maintaining fish in captivity or other aspects of the baitfish trade. Dealers are often quite keen on learning if there are things they can do to improve the general condition of the stock they are selling to their customers. And we agree!
We really do want anglers to be confident that the fish they are using throughout Maine where live bait is allowed are legal and safe for them to use. So go have fun! Go fishing and enjoy using live bait where allowed, but please do remember to never release live fish into any waterbody at the end of your trip. We want to maintain this practice into the future as safely as you do too!
[caption id="attachment_2704" align="aligncenter" width="624"]
Rainbow Smelt in a dealer tank ready to be sold.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2703" align="aligncenter" width="348"]
A Common Shiner, sometimes advertised as a ‘redfin shiner’ or ‘emerald’[/caption]
Bio Specialist Kevin Gallant conducts a Baitfish Dealer Inspection.[/caption]
By Merry Gallagher, Native Fish Conservation Biologist
Did you know that IFW manages some fisheries for commercial harvest? Most anglers are certainly aware that the live fish that they may use as bait are often wild caught from Maine waters by either themselves or by licensed commercial harvesters. IFW also manages commercial fisheries for Suckers, Yellow Perch, American Eel, and Sea Lamprey, but by far, the harvest of wild caught, live Baitfish and Smelt is the largest of our commercial fisheries based on the number of licenses annually issued.
IFW offers three distinct license options for the Baitfish and Smelt trade. Baitfish or Smelt Wholesale license holders can harvest live baitfish or smelt from waters where their harvest is allowed. Maine allows sixteen species of Baitfish and Rainbow Smelt to be commercially harvested and used as live bait for angling in freshwaters. Baitfish Retail license holders can deal and sell legal baitfish species and smelt to the angling public.
The Fisheries Division monitors and manages the Baitfish and Smelt fisheries in a variety of ways. Of course harvest is either allowed or not on certain waters and harvesters are limited to using particular gear types. In addition, Smelt harvesters have daily harvest restrictions and both Baitfish and Smelt Wholesalers must confidentially report their annual harvest to IFW in an effort to better manage the resource for all participants. But another valuable way we monitor the fishery and assure that only legal species are sold, transported and used as bait is to annually conduct Baitfish Dealer Inspections.
This time of year, Fishery Biologists, often in cooperation with the Warden Service, visit dealer shops and businesses to conduct inspections. A prime focus of a standard inspection is to conduct a visual assessment of the stock being sold to screen for overall fish health and to assure that only legal species are being sold.
[caption id="attachment_2705" align="alignleft" width="382"] A batch of mixed shiners undergoing visual inspection for fish health and species identification.[/caption]
We also often field a wide assortment of questions regarding how to improve maintaining fish in captivity or other aspects of the baitfish trade. Dealers are often quite keen on learning if there are things they can do to improve the general condition of the stock they are selling to their customers. And we agree!
We really do want anglers to be confident that the fish they are using throughout Maine where live bait is allowed are legal and safe for them to use. So go have fun! Go fishing and enjoy using live bait where allowed, but please do remember to never release live fish into any waterbody at the end of your trip. We want to maintain this practice into the future as safely as you do too!
| Legal Species for use as Live Bait in Maine | |
| Lake Chub | Couesius plumbeus |
| Eastern Silvery Minnow | Hybognathus regius |
| Golden Shiner | Notemigonus crysoleucas |
| Common Shiner | Luxilus cornutus |
| Northern Redbelly Dace | Chrosomus eos |
| Finescale Dace | Chrosomus neogaeus |
| Fathead Minnow | Pimephales promelas |
| Blacknose Dace | Rhinichthys atratulus |
| Creek Chub | Semotilus atromaculatus |
| Fallfish | Semotilus corporalis |
| Pearl Dace | Margariscus margarita |
| Banded Killifish | Fundulus diaphanus |
| Mummichog | Fundulus heteroclitus |
| Longnose Sucker | Catostomus catostomus |
| White Sucker | Catostomus commersoni |
| American Eel | Anguilla rostrata |
| Rainbow Smelt | Osmerus mordax |
Rainbow Smelt in a dealer tank ready to be sold.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2703" align="aligncenter" width="348"] A Common Shiner, sometimes advertised as a ‘redfin shiner’ or ‘emerald’[/caption]