Using Cut bait in Bear lake?

[captainjac15]

So I have been trying to figure this out.... Can you use a whole dead cisco at bear lake these days? I remember reading in the past regs books that when using cut bait, you had to use a piece that was 1"x1" or smaller. To me this is silly, the fish that are eating these cisco are eating whole fish out there in the wild. I just read the 2016 book at length and couldn't find mention of this cut bait size limit in there. Can anyone give me a definitive answer?
Also what about using smaller whitefish? I couldn't find any info or mention of them in the regs book either.
I moved out here from the east coast about 8 years ago. Growing up ice fishing for perch, walleye, pike, lakers, rainbows and browns... my whole life. We were allowed 5 tip ups and two hand lines where I come from. Also, you could go to the fishing shop and buy certified live bait (minnows) and use those on your tip ups, yeah live, still swimming while hooked. Or you could catch your bait at the lake and use it alive in that waterway. I would do this often when fishing for lakers, using a small perch or whitefish that I had caught that day. I can understand putting laws in place that prevent the transport of live or even dead fish from one waterway to another, that is smart management, but otherwise the extensive regs here in Utah seem to be in place only to prevent people from being successful. Kind of .
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[RockyRaab]

Your are correct that state hunting and fishing regs are weird. Like religions, what one approves another will condemn.

Even odder, where lakes straddle state lines, you can have laws that contradict each other, both valid only feet apart.

BTW, you may be right about the chunk size at Bear Lake but the only place I know of that has that 1"x1" reg in place is Pineview. And it is there to keep people from using whole perch as bait for tiger muskie.

We could discuss the live bait issue at length, but it is not going to change in Utah any time soon - if ever.
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[captainjac15]

Thanks for the reply. I really just want to make sure that I am fishing within the lines. I just want to use a whole cisco at bear lake, it just makes sense. I have been up there twice in the last two weeks and the fishing has been so slow for most of the guys I have talked to. I mark fish all day, and get tons of looks, but those bigger fish are so picky. I know how to catch them for sure, but want to make sure the technique is legal before I drop my "potential ticket" down the hole. Hahaha.

As far as the tiger musky and the 1"x1" rule...

-Utah DNR: Yeah guys we're super excited about our tiger musky program, "LOOK" we put a whole write up about it in the regulation book.

-Fisherman: Oh cool, I know how to catch those, they are super aggressive and eat huge fish for there size. I used to use 12" suckers ice fishing for them. One time I hooked a 15" bass and a tiger musky that was only 30" grabbed it while I was reeling it in. Sweet! Get out the big baits!

-Utah DNR: OH no, no no no.... we don't actually want you to catch them, especially through the ice. Its just our pet project. You have to go buy big $20 lures if you want to target those fish.

HAHAHA...
I just feel like Utah has all these programs for fisheries, they boast about their work, and then put regs in place to prevent an angler from catching fish in ways that are traditionally effective. I can only guess they want to make the fisheries more trophy oriented, so that catching a big fish is not easy. More memorable? IDK, like you said its kind of like religion.
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[Hazzy_Hazbourne]

As for using whole cisco, yes you can use a whole dead cisco for bait. My understanding is if the proclamation does not specify the size of the bait, then the whole DEAD fish may be used. It is usually only places with muskies that have the 1"x 1" regulation.

I understand DWR's concern about transporting fish to waters where they are not wanted, but if a fish is legal to use for bait on the water it is caught in, then I don't understand why it cannot be used live. Example: carp or chub minnows used alive on the water they were caught in, but not transported to another body of water where they might not have these species.

I've often thought the prohibition on live bait might be because it is "inhumane" to the bait....but with effective as it is...it wouldn't be inhumane for long when something big gulps it down.

I also don't understand prohibitions on corn. So many people say it is because it kills fish, but I have read studies that disprove that theory. http://fishandboat.com/images/pages/qa/f...n_chum.htm

Like Rocky said, the Utah DWR will hold to their rules as they see fit. We can talk until we're blue in the face, but until they change the regs it's up to us to follow the ones we've got. In the meantime, it creates an extra challenge for us fishermen to outsmart our prey and we can always use Berkeley Gulp Corn and Gulp Alive Minnows. It says right on the package that it outfishes live bait. []
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[Moosedog]

You said, "I can understand putting laws in place that prevent the transport of live or even dead fish from one waterway to another"

What is the reason for not being able to use dead cisco in other waterways? Just curious. Friday we snagged a few cisco and a couple small white fish that looked really similar and a sucker a guy came by and was wishing he had some bait. He told us you could not use the white fish but welcomed the sucker filet my buddy offered and the cisco.

I love Bear Lake I hope that fishermen are good stewards of the resource[], not sure why I through that in?
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]As others have mentioned, you can't use live bait and you can't use any part of those small whitefish for bait. Cisco only. But you can use whole ones. Some guys have a buddy row their lines out off Cisco Beach...out to deep water...with a whole dead cisco. They do catch some big cutts and macks.

But for vertical jigging...ice or open water...you really don't need a whole cisco. In fact, some guys actually use too much bait on their jigs. All you need is a small piece to add flavor...to a good jig. You will get just as many hits and probably better hook sets if you scale down the meat portion.

There are other fish species that work well in Bear Lke for tipping jigs too. The aforementioned suckers...and chubs and even carp minnows. But even though there are yellow perch in Bear Lake it is one such lake in which perch meat is not legal to use for bait.


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[SkunkedAgain]

I'll second Pats recommendation on small pieces of cisco is all you need... Last Friday I just cut a small slice (cross section of fish or a mini fish steak) of cisco maybe a 1/4" thick off or enough so it will stay on the hook, that was all you needed... Fish hit really well for me.. Tails worked the best for me, but my head piece I used was a little larger (maybe 2" long) and I never did get a hit on that... Cut a new fresh small chunk and went back to catching fish... Don't know if it was a coincidence or if smaller offerings are more acceptable when the fishes stomachs are chuck full of cisco eggs... So I wouldn't push too hard to use whole cisco, it didn't seem to be necessary... PS... The monster that busted off for me was on a small piece of cisco, so big fish did take smaller offerings... Just for what it's worth... Later J
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