Are we allowed to use live minnows for bait while fishing for crappie and bluegill here in Idaho? And are we allowed to use bee moths or as some call it wax worms?
Answer:
No live swimming bait is legal for use while fishing in Idaho waters. Non-swimming live bait like worms, nightcrawlers, fly larve (maggots), wax worms, etc. are allowed to be used while fishing. Live crayfish can only be used for bait if they were captured from the water in which you are fishing.
The reason for not allowing live bait is two-fold. First, we don't want new invasive fish species to be established in Idaho from live bait escaping from anglers. The second issue has to do with transmission of diseases. Some out-of-state bait sources carry diseases that could be transmitted to Idaho fish populations and cause population level mortality. This not only effects recreational populations of fish but can also become introduced into commercial fish rearing operations and have huge impacts on their business.
Answered on:
Thursday, March 31, 2016 - 8:30 AM MDT