Newbe confused about baits / equipments

[MuskieBait]

Another important ID book, which is often overlooked, is the baitfish primer.

Not all minnows are legal to use. Some of them, like the alewife and rudd, are invasive species and it is illegal to use as bait. Other species, like cutlip minnow, silver shiner and redside dace, are threatened or endangered and cannot be used as bait.

Learn to tell the difference between native sculpin species and darter species from invasive round gobies. Native sculpin species are important food items for native fish (and also an important part of the ecosystem), while invasive round gobies can be destructive (although I often debate that point). Just because it is small and look goby like does not mean it should be squashed under your foot!

Please take a look at the link below and take note.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/regions/central...ex-eng.htm

As a general good practice, if you caught something and you don't know what it is, it should ALWAYS be released back to the SAME water where you caught it. If it is native, it always belongs in that water. If it is invasive, it was already in that water. If it is threatened or endangered, it should always be released back into the water. If the fish was out of season, you do not risk poaching and a fine. If the fish has a size limit, again, you do not rish poaching and a fine. As such, it is NEVER a bad practice releasing fish you do not recognize it. If you have a camera, take a clear picture before you release so you can go home and identify it (and so in the future you will then be able to recognize it).