Live bait for Pike

tkojemile

Hi guys.

I have all information that live bait is not allowed in Ireland at all for freshwater.
Now, there are many reasons for this and it is clear why.

Latest I was fishing on O'Brien's Bridge Shannon sidewalk, near some rowing club and at first was really good, quiet... then dozens of rowers appear and fishing was... you know.

So I put float and a small hook and tried to fish for some coarse and quickly got several (common) rudd up to 15 cm.
I see this as a good live bait. It is from the same water so no new species are introduced,
no disease...

Can someone give me more information on why it is forbidden, is it just for the conservation of water or some 'bigger' reason?

Thanks in advance.

ardinn

It's to stop the introduction of invasive species, however I feel you should be able to live bait for pike if you catch your bait on that water, it's just handier to ban it outright I feel.

I am pretty sure we are the only country left in Europe that still has a ban on it!

BoneIdol

ardinn wrote: »

It's to stop the introduction of invasive species, however I feel you should be able to live bait for pike if you catch your bait on that water, it's just handier to ban it outright I feel.

I am pretty sure we are the only country left in Europe that still has a ban on it!

Is it legal to use live bait sea fishing then?

I ask this as complete ignoramus. I know we have albacore and have watched Battlefish (I know, sorry) on Netflix. Can we get in on that action?

ardinn

sea is fine - just inshore

twin_beacon

tkojemile wrote: »

So I put float and a small hook and tried to fish for some coarse and quickly got several (common) rudd up to 15 cm.
I see this as a good live bait. It is from the same water so no new species are introduced,
no disease...

In that instance, you are correct. However, there is nothing to stop somebody from bringing roach/rudd/dace from another river/lake in a bucket and using them as live bait in another river/lake. The major risk is that an alien species is then introduced into the river/lake, i.e. dace only exist in a few rivers in the country, and roach were introduced originally by anglers using them as live bait, and they have had a massive environmental impact, they are probably now the most common freshwater fish the the country.

bpmurray

BoneIdol wrote: »

Is it legal to use live bait sea fishing then?

I ask this as complete ignoramus. I know we have albacore and have watched Battlefish (I know, sorry) on Netflix. Can we get in on that action?

Live baiting is certainly banned in other countries. Our neighbours in Scotland have banned it, and in Norway it's also banned in the sea.

My approach to these things is that if they have decided that's how things should be, then that's what I'll do. Second-guessing that it's OK to use live bait from the same water is simply breaking the law, with confiscation of gear and a fine if you're caught.

Ultimate Seduction

Would a large pond be ok to lifebait? Bit late now I've been casting in live goldfish for years.