Well, I'm trying to get some small (4ish inches) sunfish and a few rockbass for my 55 gallon, I'm going to grow them up with my green sunny and move them to the pond I am building over summer. I am in central Illinois and I want to know if it would be easier to net them in a creek or catch them on a rod, and if so what bait should I use?
Catching small sunfish
- Thread starter dimebag983
- Start date
dimebag983;1828982; said:
since in most areas these fish are considered game fish. check with your laws on em before netting them. easy way to catch small sunfish on hook and line is get a small hook but not one of thos tiny ones other wise fish may swallow it and most fish dont survive from swallowing hooks. but use light line a small hook and a tiny piece of a worm either with no bobber and no weight fished round weeds or rocky/flooded timber areas or round boat docks. or you can use a crappie bobber a small hook and a split shot and a piece of worm. i say crappie bobber as they are a lot easier to set the hook with than say a regular round bobber.
My dad is good friends with a guy that is a conservation officer in our county and he said its fine to net small creeks and ponds.
Thanks,
-Stu
Thanks,
-Stu
dimebag983;1828998; said:
hmm thats odd
most states the only way to net game fish is if the pond is privately owned and not feed from a water source or connected to another lake or pond/water source owned by the state and the state doesnt help to stock it
might be ok to net but its not ok to net game fish like said abovedimebag983;1828998; said:
best way is net minnows and use as bait
use a size 8 or 10 hook and a small ball of bread and you got yourself some tankmates! ALSO try to use a barbless hook so its easy to get the fish off without hurting them!
The net has to have at least one inch holes in it the guy said, so I'm fine on that part. I wouldn't want to catch any fish smaller than that anyway.
use some hooks like this and some crickets or worms
http://www.memphisnet.net/category/hooks_mustad_3261D
http://www.memphisnet.net/category/hooks_mustad_3261D