New to Bass Fishing.

[Warix]

I am very new to bass fishing, in fact I have only been out once. So I amtrying to find out if what the guy I went out with last fall is the right way to do it or not. I plan to take my wife next weekend and I don't want t to get into any trouble.

We were fishing out in the Belfair area (Mason County). What we did was first catch a few small bluegill. Then we put them on a single hook and added a bobber on the line about three or four feet up from that and cast that out and let it sit. I actually did not catch anything that day but my friend and his buddy did. Is it ok to fish with live bait?

I would also be interested to know what other types of bait is good to use?

Thanks!

[Amx]

Normaly we don't use live bait for Bass as 99.99999 percent of us release the Bass so they can reproduce and we can continue to fish for Bass for many years to come, as the WDFW don't grow and plant Bass fry anywhere so the Bass have to do it themselves. Using live bait can allow the Bass the swallow the hook before you even feel the bite, and that can kill them. They can even do that with an artificial lure.

Yes you can use live bait if the bait comes from the river/lake/pond that you are using it in..

[Warix]

Thanks for the reply and the explanation. I do plan to release the fish I catch so I will be looking into other types of bait. I have been told that Bass is open in all lakes all year long, is this true?

[Mike Carey]

It's going to depend on the lake. Some are year round, some not. You're going to have to learn how to read the regs book (we all suffer the same fate) so that you're on solid ground when you fish. Here's a link to WDFW where you can download the regs to your computer or phone:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/

[Amx]

very generally stated;

the big lakes usually are open year around.

Some smaller lakes are open year around.

LOTS of the small lakes are closed from some time in Oct. until late April, and open on traditional opening day. Yes there is a difference between smaller, and small. A couple lakes even have changes to their opening status, such as one lake will be open year around for a few years, then close during the winter for a few years, then back to open year around for a few years.

You'll have to read the special section to look for the lake you want to fish any given day. There is an east-side state, section, and a west-side state section.

As Mike said, read the regs, read the regs again, then read them some more, a few times more.

[fishingmachine]

Pretty sure your not allowed to use any game fish as live bait. Other aquatic animals such as crawdads or frogs are okay if its from the lake your fishing but live fish is a big no no

[Amx]

Yup, that is why you read the regs. I don't use live bait of any kind, so don't remember what the regs are for game fish, food fish, being used for bait, been way too long since I read that part.

[Amx]

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01590/wdfw01590.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

game fish page 13 per the online pamphlet;

Game Fish
Includes bass, burbot (freshwater
ling), catfish, crappie, grayling, northern
pikeminnow, peamouth chub, yellow perch,
tiger muskie, sucker, sunfish, grass carp,
trout (including steelhead, kokanee, and Dolly
Varden/bull trout), landlocked salmon (Chinook,
coho or Atlantic), walleye, and whitefish.

[Amx]

Bait Rules, online page 19;

It is unlawful to chum, broadcast, feed, or
distribute into freshwater any bait or other
substance capable of attracting fish unless
specifically authorized in Special Rules.
Where use of bait is prohibited, or where lures
or flies are used voluntarily, Game Fish may
be caught and released until the daily limit is
retained. If any fish has swallowed the hook or
is hooked in the gill, eye, or tongue, it should
be kept if legal to do so.

It is unlawful to possess or use live aquatic
animals as bait, except:

1. Live aquatic animals (other than fish)
collected from the water being fished.

2. Live sand shrimp.

3. Live forage fish in the Columbia River
downstream of the Rocky Point/Tongue
Point line.

[tnj8222]

No you can not use bluegill to fish with. It's illegal in washington sstate.

[Warix]

Thank to all at have replied about the Blue Gill, I suspected as much. And I did find in the regs the rule that was quoted above about aquatic animals other than fish. I am glad I asked, I am also glad I read the regs and found it. As far as I can tell the little lake that I had planned to go to this weekend is closed. I have. A very hard time trying to figure out what the regs are actually trying to say sometimes. The lake (Oak Patch Lake) is not actually listed but I believe I found something that said that lakes in that area are closed after Oct 31st.

Thanks again for all the help.

[bob johansen]

Kevin B. has a fishing report on Oak Patch Lake along with a couple photos - You might check that out.