Illegal Baitfish...your thoughts

[RedSkullz]

As we all know many types of baitfish are illegal to use as bait. I completely understand why fry from gamefish species such as bass, pike, trout ect. are illegal to use but why are other types? In many bodies of water tiny perch, sunfish and recently pesky gobies are not legal to use as bait, but in many areas fish from these species could really use population thinning as they hammer eggs from more sought after gamefish species.
The one that really blew my mind was the gobies...the mnr wants you to kill any caught. Why would they not want anglers to persue them as bait? Do you think its because some folks may be taking them from one body of water and introducing them to other bodies that dont contain them?
Any thoughts?

 

[Joel52]

Absolutely, exactly the reason. All too often, novice fishers "release" unused baitfish into a lake instead of disposing of them properly. It's far easier to simply make them illegal, reducing the potential risk of propagating invasive species. I believe it's a "let's just not go even close to that idea policy". Besides, there are plenty of legal alternatives available.

 

[UglyFish27]

quit hatin' on the gobies!!! if not for them, my wife would never catch a fish when we go out!!!

and besides... thanks to them, they are now the number one food source for many game fish. so we have some of the fattest pike, walleye and bass ever! lol

 

[Joel52]

Gobies eat zebras... you are what you eat. Think about that the next time you sit down to your plate of "fresh" walleye.

 

[RedSkullz]

The gobies might be the #1 baitfish for predatory fish resulting in fatter walleye, pike and bass, but on the downside they are hammering stocks of gamefish fry, due to their aggressive appetite for fish eggs during the spawn and their sheer numbers.
I wish the gobblers(as we call them) would never have been introduced to our waters. I have noticed an uncanny resemblance to our native? species of bottom dwelling minnows the Sculpin.