legal live bait

I wonder if anyone knows what types of live fish are considered legal. I have been fishing for live bait like pinfish when I can’t net mullet or menhaden. I find myself using fish that may get me in trouble, I’m not using Black Sea Bass or anything that I know is considered a popular game fish. but man, there are a lot of spieces out there and its hard to tell what is what especially when they are small??? LOL any help would be nice and help keep george in my pocket.

I’m no expert but I would say no gamefish unless they are legal size and no species that a no possesion law applies to. I would just study up on the Rules&Regulations book from DNR that runs from July to August the following year, and call them if you need clarification on anything. Ya’ll seen any kings in close yet?

You can’t catch fish on a dry line

Thanks, I figured about as much. I did look at the rule book and decide that most of the spieces I have been using fall into a catagory that there is no min size and no limit of posession.

“I fish therefore I lie”

2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha

Oh and I have only heard of a few off the piers but the small spanish seem to be here.

“I fish therefore I lie”

2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha

i would almost say that i enjoy fishing with pen fish than mullet… thats what everything eats when the mullet are gone.

19’ cc Mako
150 yammy
Bottomz up

That makes sense, I can always catch a pen fish at the three mile off murrells inlet. I still have had no luck with the kings. I’m sure it is me and not the fish, I think I may go with the cigar minnow rig in the future as my boat idles so high I am pulling the live bait too fast and hate bumping gears all day…

“I fish therefore I lie”

2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha

You might try frozen ballyhoo/w/ballyhoo rigs. You can troll at 4knots with them.
There a few tricks to making them swim right. Ya gotta pinch the length of the spine to make them swim

Pins work ok on a float rig if you can keep the sharks away. Jig up some blue runners at the bell bouy or small blue fish. Both can keep up slow trolling. Rigged frozen ballyhoo, sardines or cigars work on dead rig when live bait not available. Have caught alot of kings at three mile on all the above.

2486 WA Triton OX-66 250