I fish a couple of farm ponds that belong to my buddy's family here in Missouri. Last year, on a couple of occasions, we would catch bluegill and then use them as bait for largemouth. It was very effective for catching bass, particularly larger fish, but I felt awkward about using a gamefish as bait. I think this would be illegal on a public lake, right? This is privavte property so it's not a question of legality, but intead a question of fishing ethics. What's your take?

You're on private waters so it doesn't matter.  If you were doing that on public, the bait would have to be included in your daily possesion limit.   8-)

No problem in my book. 8-)

nope, no problem on my hook,..um I mean,...in my book,hehe

Yeah no problem there.

Hey I fish in North East Pennsylvania and I fish a lot of strippin holes and ponds. I sometimes bring a small UL rod and fish for small bluegills to use as bait. There is no limit and I asked a warden at the lake I fish He said there was no problem with that provided I fished with the bluegill in the pond or pit I caught it in, this is to prevent the spread of disease or parasites to other bodies of water

 If you want Bagley makes some small balsa wood lures that look just like sunnies and bluegills and have been dealy for me in the late spring and early summe BPS usually carries them in their spring catalog.

Growing up in W.VA , blue gills were great baits to use when we were fishing trot lines. My how times have changed.

Yeah,we used 'em on trot lines when I was a kid camping out on sand bars and trotlining for catfish.

Live bait is live bait.  Nightcrawlers, worms, minnows, shiners, small bluegills, whats' the difference?  

Heck, the size of shiners ol' Roadwarrior uses is the size of a small bluegill, LOL!

From an ethics standpoint I see no issue with it.

What I would be more concerned with is State and

Local statutes. In Illinois (where I live) it is similar

to what someone mentioned earlier. You can use a

bluegill for bait as long as you are doing so in the water

that the fish initially came from. For example you can not

(Legally) catch a bluegill in a lake and the take it to the

Mississippi river and use it for bait.

JT Bagwell

I believe in most states if the bluegill is obtained by legal method it can be used as bait. In other words, if you hooked the gill then it's legal, if you netted the gill then it's not legal because it's not legal to net the gill.

In Texas they are not considered a gamefish and can be used as bait at least on all the lakes that I frequent. Here a lake or in a few circumstances a part of the lake may have certain different rules and regulations and many lakes do have exceptions on limits, size and types of bait and fish that can be used or kept, methods, ect. So I would check specificly to make sure before doing it. They can be taken on rod and reel, (legal trap, net, seine) or other legal means and there is no limit unless it is otherwise stated. The way I understand it, they can be transported if used as bait, however releaseing them into other public waters is not permitted.

I don't see a problem with it, as long as you are following the law.

Like everyone else said, if its legal, go for it. You are fishing a farm pond on private property so legality is not an issue.

Look at it this way.

It's a small body of water and most likely the bluegills are the bass' primary source of food. If the bass finds a bluegill, the bass will eat it.

So really all your doing is making the bluegill easier to find. Actually if you catch and release, it's kind of noble the way I see it, like fast food for bass! If you gut hook a bass and he dies, well that's one of the down sides of fast food. ;D

yep, I've use gills, whole and cutbait. Also have used perch while pike fishing, well my brother has, and caught a monster pike on it.   So go for it, the bigger the bait, the bigger the fish.  

Be sure it is legal in the state you are fishing. If it is, then fishing bluegill is just another option. I know a lot of people don't fish live bait and that's fine, but I consider it an option. I like "catching" better than "fishing". I fish many different ways for various species at many different places, lakes, rivers and ponds. Where you are, how you are going to be fishing, who you are with and what you are fishing for dictates the method if you are a recreational fisherman. If I can find the fish I can usually catch a few.

Here in MD, you can use any sport fish as bait as long as it is caught in a legal manner and is legal in size. Growing up, my Dad used to use rock bass for muskies up in PA. Its ok in my book.

Hey, I'm from MO.  Bluegill are not considered a gamefish according to MDC.  It is considered a Nongamefish.  How ever if you are using them for bait you are allowed 50 per day. I got this info from 2005 MDC fishing regs on page 10.

I use them for cats, and sometimes bass.

I see nothing wrong with using baitfish or some small "scrap fish" like bluegill, perch, crappie as bait.  The big problem is the fact that there are too many guys who will not hesitate to transport these small fish to another waterway and use them as bait, therefore transporting any fish diseases and viruses or even new species to a waterway.

Fine in my book too. I have done it when shiners were not working and the bass jumped on them.  

I live and fish in Maine and it is illegal to use any "spiny finned fish" for bait.It is well known that hawg smallmouth have been caught trolling native yellow perch.I personally feel you should be able to use whatever forage fish is native to the lake you are fishing but unfortunately the great state of Maine disagrees.I have caught a few 4pound smallies on senkos that had partially digested 5-6 inch yellow perch half-way down their gullet.Check your local regs because fines can be stiff.B.D.

My Uncle told me that a lot of unethical (but crafty) saltwater anglers illegally use baby Trout as bait because apparently it works better than a lot of other baits. They put a hook through their mouth and cast them out, so if Marine Patrol drives up, they reel it in and say "gee, look what I caught!" and release it.

I don't know if that actually works, but I thought it was pretty funny. To heck with trout.