[epic]

"Goldfish are classified as a minnow"..

BE CAREFUL. I was told by a Park Ranger at Pueblo that goldfish were a no-no.

We couldn't get minnows anywhere becaue it was so early, so we bougth soem goldies, and we were made to kill them and dispose of them.

Something about introducing non-native species.

I would have told that ranger to pay for them and then he could have them, according to the fishing rules guide any water you can use minnows on you can use goldfish since they are minnows.
Always carry the book with you and make them show you where it says something.

 

[idratherbfishing]

keeping the fishing regs with you is a good idea. Just because someone is a park ranger, conservation officer or otherwise does not mean that they are up on the current regs. Also be sure to check for signs that post up-to-date regs for the water that you are fishing. Sometimes they have regs that are not in the fishing regs book. But generally below 7000 feet and east of the continental divide it is legal to use goldfish. They are members of of the carp family.

Dan

 

[Guest]

RIght on, guys!

Best advice I've heard in a long time. Heading out to get my copies of the regs today..one for the boat, and one for the truck.

My old lady always TTELLS me I don't know EVERYTHING!

 

[jdferguson]

I used gold fish this weekend at Chatfield. Bass love them!!! I got one on Saturday on 3 on Sunday morning.

Anyway, our friendly DOW officer (he was a nice guy) was by on Saturday checking licenses and I just straight up asked him. He was fine after I showed him the print out.

I don't believe that I would release my left over bait there though due to the concerns of introducing a new species to the lake.

Ironically, my Wife also had concerns about introducing them to her fish tank so I gave them to the neighbor's kids.

If she don't start cooperating her little gold fish that she named "FLUFFY" gets to go fishing with Daddy this week.....

John

 

[epic]

Is that anything like when my dad took my dog on a "Hunting Trip" with him and he ran away? :-\

 

[jeremycallahan]

My thoughts exactly John. I'll either keep the fish for the next trip (gold fish are easy to keep alive) or give them to my neighboor who feeds them to his fish.

 

[shadowbiz]

Ever been to a pond and caught a goldfish, itself? Way way back in the late 90's when I 1st learned to drive, we used to go try for crappie on a lake to the west of 104th and Sheridan. I think it was called Margret's Pond or some sort. Well anyway, we caught some huge 10 inch goldfish on worms and jigs which I thought was weird. They weren't frikkin koi either, they seemed like good ol' ugly common goldfish to me.

I have caught one too in this little pond off Church Ranch and Hwy 36 besides the new target. Interesting...

 

[jdferguson]

Is that anything like when my dad took my dog on a "Hunting Trip" with him and he ran away?  :-\

Kinda Epic..... I swear if she don't get with the program... FLUFFY gets it!!!!!

I mean, she has this big aquarium.. whats wrong with storing a few feeders for the CAUSE???

John

 

[1eyered]

Is that anything like when my dad took my dog on a "Hunting Trip" with him and he ran away?  :-\

Kinda Epic.....  I swear if she don't get with the program... FLUFFY gets it!!!!! 

I mean, she has this big aquarium.. whats wrong with storing a few feeders for the CAUSE???

John

Maybe she's afraid of Fluffy catchin disease.. I used to be an aquarium owner and I never put my minnows into the aquarium with the top dollar fishies. Is Fluffy expensive?? As for my tank where I used to raise $2 fancy guppies and baby channels or bullheads or even sometimes sunfish and crappie, I'll be willing to store bait in em' for a few days.. As a kid I raised a channel catfish from 1 inch to about 5 inches over a period of a year and a half in my 10 gallon and as he grew, more and more we had a place for leftover bait, if ya know what I mean. 5 inch Channel catfish will keep eating until he explodes. Mine didn't but once had that happen to a tropical pictus catfish in a tank overstocked with feeder guppies.

 

[James]

You're not using them as bait. You are taking your Pet Goldfish for a walk.     Hopefully there's no 6 foot leash law.

 

[myboysrmyheart]

according to [email protected]

        NO FEEDER GOLD FISH ARE NOT LEGAL BAIT FISH


      See page 7 of fishing regulations

       They state,

        4. use and collection of bait fish:

          (b) the only fish species that can be taken and/or used for consumption or personal use as bait (alive or dead) by seining,netting,trapping,or dipping are minnows.
(except in "c" below bluegill, hybrid bluegill, carp, sunfish, gizzard shad, sculpin, whit and longnose suckers, yellow perch, and rianbow smelt.
 
  statewide bag limits apply to sunfish, bluegill, hybrid bluegill, and yellow perch:

   It is illegal to take, possess or harvest for private or commercial use as bait threatened or endangered species or species listed as nongame regulations,  see #5and 6 below for a list of these species.

        michelle kinseth


        colorado division of wildlife


          303-297-1192

 

[epic]

according to [email protected]

        NO FEEDER GOLD FISH ARE NOT LEGAL BAIT FISH


      See page 7 of fishing regulations

       They state,

        4. use and collection of bait fish:

          (b) the only fish species that can be taken and/or used for consumption or personal use as bait (alive or dead) by seining,netting,trapping,or dipping are minnows.
(except in "c" below bluegill, hybrid bluegill, carp, sunfish, gizzard shad, sculpin, whit and longnose suckers, yellow perch, and rianbow smelt.
 
  statewide bag limits apply to sunfish, bluegill, hybrid bluegill, and yellow perch:

   It is illegal to take, possess or harvest for private or commercial use as bait threatened or endangered species or species listed as nongame regulations,  see #5and 6 below for a list of these species.

        michelle kinseth


        colorado division of wildlife


          303-297-1192

Now if you look at the same regulations:
page 6 I believe

MINNOW: Members of families of fish classified Cyprinidae (carp, chub, dace, goldfish, minnow,
shiner, stoneroller and tench) Cyprinodontidae (killifish, topminnow) and Clupeidae (gizzard shad)
except those designated as nongame, threatened or endangered.

So basically she said No they arent legal and Yes they are legal in the email to you.

 

[myboysrmyheart]

I guess it depends on what ranger comes upon you when your using them and what kind of mood they are in

with my luck I know what the out come would be

 

[epic]

That is so true. However if you have a copy of the regulations with you maybe the ranger will let you keep the goldfish instead of killing them and dispose of them before they left.
The only thing about that is the next time that same ranger checks you and you have goldfish they may not be so forgiving, it depends on cirrcumstance I guess.

 

[idratherbfishing]

Section 4 Use and Collection of Bait Fish, does not prohibit the use of goldfish. It just tells you that you can collect from waters in the state to use as bait. So If you read it clearly you are not allowed to trap, seine etc goldfish for the purpose of using them as bait.

In the section that tells what are acceptable bait fish it clearly states goldfish are legal.

Each section refers to a different area of the regulations and do not appear contradictory to me. Poorly written perhaps but not contradictory.

Dan

 

[epic]

Section 4 also says USE and collection. It however reads more for the use of bait you collected then the overall use of bait. Something about govt. regulations they have to read so they dont make that good of sense.