This is bringing up a slightly old topic, but I want to try to gain insight into this law.
Is it to protect the mighty pinfish?
Is it to create less live bait for larger predators?
Is it a law with no real backbone or reasoning?
Fla can catch em.
What’s next…no cast net for mullet?
I don’t think it’s that pinfish traps are illegal per se, but more of a “fish traps” in general… I can’t remember all of the details, but my weak recollection is that it might have something to do with the terrapin (i.e. endangered), kind of like how they require the escape circles in commercial crab traps.
We were taking part in a study last year involving pinfish traps, and had almost 0 by catch! The only other species I ever caught were pig fish, one spadefish , One juvenile gray snapper, and one eel. Traps with a 3.5 inch vertical opening and .75 with opening are extremely efficient at just catching pinfish. But the powers to be will not authorize us to use them. it is not illegal to own one, it is not illegal to have one in the boat, it is illegal to get caught with fish in it… Do you get what I mean.
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PROUD YANKEE
Oyster Baron
NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
That being said, what do you use to bait your pinfish traps with?
May all your favorite bands stay together…
quote:
Originally posted by 23SailfishThat being said, what do you use to bait your pinfish traps with?
May all your favorite bands stay together…
might as well go all in and bait with cut red snapper filets… 
“mr keys”
quote:
That being said, what do you use to bait your pinfish traps with?
You mean of course IF one were to use a pinfish trap. Not sure I get it either, surely pinfish are in no way endangered.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
quote:Oh you made my day!!!!!
Originally posted by northchuckyquote:
Originally posted by 23SailfishThat being said, what do you use to bait your pinfish traps with?
May all your favorite bands stay together…
might as well go all in and bait with cut red snapper filets…
“mr keys”
Old ballyhoo works pretty well in pinfish traps. I used to catch lots of pin fish, small grunts and tarpon sized blue crabs in my traps in the keys.
I’ve tried about everything for bait, cat food, dog food, hot dogs, old fish. They all work, but I’ve never found anything that works better than old greasy fried chicken. No kidding, we’ve made multiple tests in the GOM and fried chicken always wins.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
with all this been said is it illegal just to throw a minnow trap in a inlet for mud minnows or what ?
I dont think mud minnow traps (the familiar cylinder kind) are illegal. I think the pinfish ones are illegal because they have a bigger entrance hole. Im not positive though, and could very well be wrong
Mud minnow traps are perfectly legal. Shrimp heads are the best bait I have ever used.
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PROUD YANKEE
Oyster Baron
NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
My dad bet me he could catch a fish on fried chicken. Threw it over, and almost instantly hooked a giant cuda. Needless to say, we found out that fish eat greasy ms mac’s.
Listen to cracker Larry and believe in the power of yard bird
Sells…you are correct sir… And as far as terrapins. …I have found many of them in blue crab traps. …Not Cooooool
Nabs work for the mud minnows as well.
According to SCDNR Pinfish traps are legal in SC but only for those holding a SCDNR commercial license ($25) with and a miscellaneous trap license ($25). You could fish up to 50 traps with these two license. If you wanted to sell them you would need a bait dealer license ($25) and have to report monthly on your fishing effort and catch. The reason, I was told, they are not inclined to allow them for unrestricted recreational use is, they are concerned about ghost traps and by catch of managed species which is a documented huge problem in Florida. There are a half million licensed saltwater anglers in SC and even if only 50,000 of them had 1 trap in the water the impact could be huge.
I have all the necessary permits, and was taking part in a by catch study last year. We are also discussing 24 hour soak times and a maximum of two traps per person on a recreational license. They are also looking at only one style of trap, with the dimensions that I mentioned earlier. There is almost no by catch at all.
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PROUD YANKEE
Oyster Baron
NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
More government overreach in my opinion. Its unnecessary.
May all your favorite bands stay together…
best bait IMO for grouper. If you cant get away with a single trap somewere, you probably shouldnt try it. We have used Grouper heads and leftover Menhadens, most any dead fish works,for Pinfish!
If it got any better I couldn’t stand it.