Crawfish as bait?

[RUGER]

Seems like I have seen, from time to time, threads on here regarding crawfish.

The way I understand it, it is illegal to say trap some crawfish from a pond, then go to a lake and use them as bait?
Is that correct?

Does this apply to all crawfish or just certain ones?

I am speaking strictly in the state of Tennessee.

 

[TNReb]

I wouldnt have thought that would be illegal. Weird. I wonder what the reasoning is? Transfer of disease/parasites/etc?

 

[cbhunter]

I think you are correct. However I thought I remembered it being illegal to remove them from ANY body of water and use them at another location. I used to wear the smallmouth out in Arkansas with them in a creek off of the spring river. Lots of fun!

 

[RUGER]

LOL I googled it and the first thing that came up was this:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=357490&start=20

In a nutshell, the way I understand it, as long as you don't release them alive they are legal to use.

 

[TheLBLman]

Sport Fishing Proclamation 19-05-20-BR549:

SECTION VIII. TURBIDITY

A. Clear as Mud.

 

[WTM]

i found the proclamation but didnt post it on the other thread. there are a few streams on which its illegal to even have crawfish in your possession and those are listed. pretty much can use them as bait away from their native waters as long as they are dead before putting them in the water.(a hook threaded through the body pretty much kills them quick).

a native species in one stream can be an invasive species in another.

a pretty good live bait for stripers on their spring runs.


looks like SCN posted the current proclamation so i deleted my link.

 

[Pilchard]

I live on a tributary of Mill Creek in Brentwood. I knew the Nashville crayfish was there and protected but I didn't realize that all crayfish from the creek were as a result of its presence. Thanks for the info, SCN!

Off topic, but there are also the most beautifully colored fish in the same creek that I catch in my Minner trap. They have the most awesome shades of blue, orange, red, green etc. I have no idea what they are. About 3 inches long, slender. And much more pointy than your average minnow.

 

[scn]

I live on a tributary of Mill Creek in Brentwood. I knew the Nashville crayfish was there and protected but I didn't realize that all crayfish from the creek were as a result of its presence. Thanks for the info, SCN!

Off topic, but there are also the most beautifully colored fish in the same creek that I catch in my Minner trap. They have the most awesome shades of blue, orange, red, green etc. I have no idea what they are. About 3 inches long, slender. And much more pointy than your average minnow.

Are your fish maybe one of these: http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/E ... caeruleum/

 

[Pilchard]

Yes! That's them. Although the image on the site you linked doesn't do the colors of these things justice. They are truly extraordinary. They remind me of tropical reef fish.