I see some controversy on Gobies. Illegal to be caught with one in your possession live (assume that means away from the body of water where you just caught it) or to transport it. Thus technically the CO office sees you with a live goby on your hook and you fishing with it you are in trouble, or you can say you just caught it?
They are silent on the dead goby issue, or using dead ones as bait. I've read CO officers threatening to ticket anyone with a goby in their possession dead or alive, but that is a gray area.
Certainly I wouldn't want to get caught transporting them even if it is legal to have them in your local pond.
Source:
link to source: Here was a ask the DNR question.
From Ask the DNR:
QUESTION 07/08/2008 01:50 PM
Goby... The law is very clear that "Live" goby can not be used as bait. What is the "LAW" on using dead ones as bait ???
ANSWER: (Lynne Thoma) 07/09/2008 09:47 AM
You are correct: the law is clear that persons shall not use "Live" gobies for bait. Unfortunately, the language is silent on the use of dead gobies for bait. So, technically, you can use dead gobies.
We already have the restriction in the Fishing Guide about the use of live gobies. It's the very first thing listed under the Unlawful section on page 7. We remain silent on the use of dead gobies because we really don't want to encourage the use of gobies for bait--this would only encourage anglers to move them around the state, which is something we really want to avoid as it is important to keep them out of the inland lakes.
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Followup question: 07/09/2008 10:59 AM The state might address this as more and more are using them for cut-bait ect. If was a total ban on using them as bait "dead,live,parts" would help prevent any more contamination.
Follow up answer (Lynne Thoma) 07/10/2008 02:14 PM
Using the same logic, a complete ban on their possession (dead or alive) is unnecessary. We're not concerned about the use of dead gobies as bait, especially if they are used in the same waters where they were caught. Our concern is the movement of live gobies to waters that currently do not have them, thus the reason for the prohibition on live gobies.
I imagine every state has different laws and Canada probably different yet. And then each CO officer can apply the law as he sees the situation unfold.
It seems if you net them out of the water and use them for bait in the same body of water that should be OK, but would using a live goby for bait be different from the law standpoint even if it is in the same body of water....
How confusing..
