01-15-2009, 10:41 PM
[quote ChadMiller]I have never used perch meat as bait before....in fact....putting a perfectly good piece of perch fillet on the hook rather than in my belly seems criminal! [
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What are the regulations behind using perch meat as bait? Do you clean your first one and then catch nine more?
Chad[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]I think you were probably asking ME these questions. You need to click on a post made by the person you are addressing rather than on just the last post.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You need to review the proclamation to learn the regulations. Basically, you can use perch meat on any water in which perch live. The differences are that you can't use it in Bear Lake and you can't use a piece bigger than 1 square inch when fishing Pineview. Otherwise, you can use anything from whole (dead) perch to pieces of whatever size you want to.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I do not sacrifice "filleting size" perch for bait. But, on many perch excursions I end up keeping a few smaller ones specifically to "process" for future use as bait.. Ideal is about 6" to 7" in length. Any smaller and you don't get much for your trouble. Larger ones are big enough to fillet for the pan.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I begin by scaling the ones I will be cutting up for bait. You need to scale them before they dry out or the scales turn to iron...and you can't remove them and you can't put a hook through them. Once scaled, I fillet the perch and slice out the rib cages. Then I freeze two small fillets in a little plastic bag, with a bit of water. I squeeze out the excess water and air bubbles to prevent freezer burn.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The day before a planned trip, I take one or two packages of bait fillets out of the freezer and thaw at room temperature. Then, I cross cut the little fillets into bait strips. I sprinkle them with salt and squirt on some crawdad oil before putting them back in the bag and then into the refrigerator until I load up for fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The law on Yuba says you can only keep 10 perch, and that you must keep the first 10 you catch during the winter months...when the perch come from deep water and will not survive being released. The letter of the law would be that you can only have 9 perch plus a bait perch in your possession. However, the DWR officers have tended to overlook it if you bring some bait strips from perch caught in another lake. But...if you cut up a perch you catch at Yuba and use it for bait, they could just as easily include that in your fish count for the day. Some discretion here.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A lot of perchhounds start fishing with crawlers or waxies and then either cut up the first small perch they catch...or cut a belly strip from a larger one. Of course perch eyes are often good bait and each perch you catch provides two more baits.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Virtually all the predators (including perch) in Yuba feed on perch, so perch meat is traditionally one of the best baits.[/#0000ff]
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] What are the regulations behind using perch meat as bait? Do you clean your first one and then catch nine more?
Chad[/quote]
[cool][#0000ff]I think you were probably asking ME these questions. You need to click on a post made by the person you are addressing rather than on just the last post.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You need to review the proclamation to learn the regulations. Basically, you can use perch meat on any water in which perch live. The differences are that you can't use it in Bear Lake and you can't use a piece bigger than 1 square inch when fishing Pineview. Otherwise, you can use anything from whole (dead) perch to pieces of whatever size you want to.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I do not sacrifice "filleting size" perch for bait. But, on many perch excursions I end up keeping a few smaller ones specifically to "process" for future use as bait.. Ideal is about 6" to 7" in length. Any smaller and you don't get much for your trouble. Larger ones are big enough to fillet for the pan.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I begin by scaling the ones I will be cutting up for bait. You need to scale them before they dry out or the scales turn to iron...and you can't remove them and you can't put a hook through them. Once scaled, I fillet the perch and slice out the rib cages. Then I freeze two small fillets in a little plastic bag, with a bit of water. I squeeze out the excess water and air bubbles to prevent freezer burn.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The day before a planned trip, I take one or two packages of bait fillets out of the freezer and thaw at room temperature. Then, I cross cut the little fillets into bait strips. I sprinkle them with salt and squirt on some crawdad oil before putting them back in the bag and then into the refrigerator until I load up for fishing.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The law on Yuba says you can only keep 10 perch, and that you must keep the first 10 you catch during the winter months...when the perch come from deep water and will not survive being released. The letter of the law would be that you can only have 9 perch plus a bait perch in your possession. However, the DWR officers have tended to overlook it if you bring some bait strips from perch caught in another lake. But...if you cut up a perch you catch at Yuba and use it for bait, they could just as easily include that in your fish count for the day. Some discretion here.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]A lot of perchhounds start fishing with crawlers or waxies and then either cut up the first small perch they catch...or cut a belly strip from a larger one. Of course perch eyes are often good bait and each perch you catch provides two more baits.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Virtually all the predators (including perch) in Yuba feed on perch, so perch meat is traditionally one of the best baits.[/#0000ff]
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