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I was cleaning some trout last night and couldn't help but notice that the deflated swim bladder from these puppies is slender, white, pearlescent, and tough as nails.

Anybody ever tried to use it or a piece of it as bait? It looks a heck of a lot like your standard issue "Jerk Shad" sold by Gulp or Saltwater Assassin. I'm thinking cut a finger-sized strip of it, or just cut a slit down the middle of one side, hook it through the fat end and pitch it under a poppin cork.

Would this qualify as using "Game Fish" as bait and thus, be a no-no? Anyway...just some of the stuff that goes through my mind while I'm cleaning fish.

Very interesting idea. I guided up in Alaska for a Summer and we would use Salmon bellies for Halibut bait. The law up there, given that Salmon are a game fish, was that you couldn't use any edible part of the fish for bait (if this wasn't the case we would be dropping the whole fish ). Not sure if the same applies down here. You can use Bonita bellies for trolling offshore. The "catch" is that you would have to strip out the bellies off of the water (as you can't "clean" fish on the boat). I don't see why you couldn't cut the bellies to your liking at home, vacuum seal and freeze them and use them as you mentioned. Not sure though. I like your thinking!

Direct from the FWC January 2013 Quickchart.....so, there is your answer!



Dubble

Dub is our resident scholar. Nice work!

and there you have it! Them vac seal bags are expensive anyway.

captkeyser wrote:and there you have it! Them vac seal bags are expensive anyway.

If the bellies are considered "gills or guts" then it seems like it would be okay to do it. I would consider bellies guts.

Ya gotta cut the belly to get to the guts! That's what he said.

I have used them and Yes,they are a good bait.
Pearl white.

I understand what you are talking about and have had the same idea but never took it any further. Thanks for posting the question. Thought I might be a degree off or something just having the thought but now might want to try it

Please let us know if you try it first and how it works.

JT, tell us more. Did you use it under a cork or jig off the bottom. Is it better than Gulp or cut bait? Any other special things you know about this bait?

I have used Pike bladders to catch redfin pike in fresh water creeks. That works good!

Very interesting . . . . Good to know details