Mudsuckers ? Where and why?

[fishmounter]

Were did they go as a great live bait for bass? I really am not sure why these saltwater gobies were made illegal here in Southern California to use as a live bait. They were fantastic for giant Channel Catfish and big Largemouths. Super hardy too. You could catch 2 or three bass on the same bait. Since they cannot survive more than a couple days in fresh water why were they made illegal? Were they being overfished by the bait dealers? I remember when you could net them in the Salton Sea and even in the back bay of Newport Harbor.

[Hometown]

Great ? I loved fishing mud suckers back in the 70's @ 80's.

[DEVOREFLYER]

You can put the Mudsucker along with the Water Dog as the two "Go To" live baits for Channel Catfish and Large Mouth Bass. It is still amazing to me every time I go into a bait shop in the South to see the variety of live bait that they have. Live Shiners are killer bait for Crappie.

[smokehound]

The department of fish and wildlife has been making ridiculous changes to their regulations lately.

They have made various reptiles illegal to possess, despite them being common and least-concern.

some of their dumbest new regs include California legless lizards, and snakes of the genus arizona as off limits.

I hate this state.

[RTG]

Hmm, not sure where you're getting that mudsuckers are illegal bait. They're not illegal. Look at this;
4.10. BAIT FISH USE IN THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT.
Except as provided below, live or dead fin fish shall
not be used or possessed for use as bait in the
Southern District:
(a) Dead threadfin shad and live or dead longjaw
mudsucker may be used in all Southern District
waters
As far as for "dumb" regulations that the DFW is imposing, you can thank animal rights whackos who have friends in Sacramento **cough** Jennifer Fearing **cough, cough**.

[trail blazer]

Make sure your referring to mudsuckers,,,scullfin or waterdogs<salamanders,,,,,,,be sure and check the regs on s,manders,,,,,here around bako there off limits now,,SUCKS!

[fishinone]

I think that the stores can't buy them.

Does anybody know where to catch them?

[smokehound]

Hmm, not sure where you're getting that mudsuckers are illegal bait. They're not illegal. Look at this;
4.10. BAIT FISH USE IN THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT.
Except as provided below, live or dead fin fish shall
not be used or possessed for use as bait in the
Southern District:
(a) Dead threadfin shad and live or dead longjaw
mudsucker may be used in all Southern District
waters
As far as for "dumb" regulations that the DFW is imposing, you can thank animal rights whackos who have friends in Sacramento **cough** Jennifer Fearing **cough, cough**.Actually as reptiles are concerned, it was to prevent poaching, because it's legal to sell wild-caught reptiles from california in other states. (except gila monsters and desert tortoises)


Salamanders are illegal, except for waterdogs in the colorado river.

[vampirebret]

I think that the stores can't buy them.

Does anybody know where to catch them?

You can catch mudsuckers/sculpins between the cracks/space of rocks. Anywhere there are rock piles, you'll find them. You can also catch them on the duct as well. Great striper bait!

[Fishbreath]

You can catch mudsuckers/sculpins between the cracks/space of rocks. Anywhere there are rock piles, you'll find them. You can also catch them on the duct as well. Great striper bait!

You do realize, of course, that mudsuckers are not the same as freshwater sculpins. Mudsuckers are found in tidal estuaries, and one reason that they can be used as bait is that they are unable to reproduce in freshwater. The excerpt of the regs that RTG posted would exclude the use of sculpins as bait since they are not listed as an exception to the no fin fish rule.