# Bass fishing with gold fish?



## DREWSKI3000 (Apr 7, 2010)

Anybody ever fish with gold fish? My father-in-law keeps telling me they used to wear out some bass on them but I could just see myself going into petsmart and having that little girl start to dipping out them gold fish. Then she watches me go out to the parking lot and dump the bag into my minnow bucket. It would probably mess that girl up. So I just want to make sure I will catch some fish with them before I go ruining anyones day.


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## applejuice (Apr 7, 2010)

It works very well from what I hear. The down side is, it's illegal to use goldfish as bait.
I have heard of people putting orange food coloring in their minnow buckets to "change" the color of the minnows to a goldfish like color.( never tried it myself)
If someone knows the "goldfish" rule, chime in. I have always heard it was illegal.


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## castaway (Apr 7, 2010)

As far as I know it is illegal to use them. I wouldnt want to risk the possibility of having a lake I fish full of goldfish one day. Im not sure if they could survive or not just my opinion.


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## DREWSKI3000 (Apr 7, 2010)

Wow, thats good to know. I didnt think of it being illegal, or a gold fish population building up. I guess its a good thing I asked before I tried it.


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## fishinbub (Apr 7, 2010)

It's illegal. I've heard rumors that Clarke Hill has some monster gold fish because of people using them for bait.


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## coreyj (Apr 7, 2010)

I tried fishing with gold fish at a private pond in va. years ago. Bass love em,lol... plus those gold fish can really take a beating.


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## Burger74 (Apr 7, 2010)

I have used them on private lakes for all fish... bass, crappie and catfish. I caught one of my best flat heads on a gold fish. (32lbs!)
I never thought they were illegal. I have seen one grow to a monster size at park pond from were someone released it.


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## DREWSKI3000 (Apr 7, 2010)

I may try them in mt father-in-laws pond since he has been pushing me to try them, but if they are illegal I would not go after anything that would look good on the wall. I would have some mixed emotions pullin out a 12lb bass knowing it was caught illegaly. But, in a public lake, pond, or river I would never do anything knowingly to harm the fish population. I sure wouldn't want to be that guy.


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## el sinko (Apr 7, 2010)

ask your local DNR agent....some places it is legal to use them but its illegal to buy gold fish at a pet store to use as bait....alot of bait and tackle stores carry a differnt kind of gold fish that lots of people use some type of hybrib gold fish i think(but don't quote me on tha thou)


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## turky93 (Apr 7, 2010)

I can't find anything about it being illegal?


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## NorthGaBowhunter (Apr 7, 2010)

They sell rose colored crappie minnows , I have caught bass on orange crankbaits I think they thought it was a gold fish. If it's alive or looks alive a bass will eat it.


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## NorthGaBowhunter (Apr 7, 2010)

They sell rose colored crappie minnows , I have caught bass on orange crankbaits I think they thought it was a gold fish.


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## bluemarlin (Apr 7, 2010)

I've seen large fantail goldfish in the Chattahoochee. Where Soap Creek meets the Hooch... They can survive.


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## Hooked On Quack (Apr 7, 2010)

I'm pretty sure it's legal if you're using "sterile" goldfish, alot of baitshops carry them.


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## biker13 (Apr 7, 2010)

Article in new GON about sterile goldfish for catfish on trotlines.


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## FishinMech (Apr 7, 2010)

At the dug out in kennesaw they sell orange minnows. I have used gold fish in private ponds and caught tons of bass.


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## ylhatch (Apr 7, 2010)

DREWSKI3000 said:


> I may try them in mt father-in-laws pond since he has been pushing me to try them, but if they are illegal I would not go after anything that would look good on the wall. I would have some mixed emotions pullin out a 12lb bass knowing it was caught illegaly. But, in a public lake, pond, or river I would never do anything knowingly to harm the fish population. I sure wouldn't want to be that guy.



yea i would have mixed emotions to,i wouldnt know wheather to eat it or mount it.


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## DREWSKI3000 (Apr 7, 2010)

ylhatch said:


> yea i would have mixed emotions to,i wouldnt know wheather to eat it or mount it.



Mount it and keep it in the bathroom above the toilet.


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## Tim L (Apr 7, 2010)

Not illegal..Many bait stores sale them; the bait store at Twin Bridges used to sell them (probably still do) as flathead bait.  But goldfish are a type of carp; if they survive in a lake they can get up to a few pounds...


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## plottman25 (Apr 8, 2010)

Im not going to say its legal or illeagle, all i can say is I have bought them at at the bait store near Carters spillway. Im not gonna say which one in case its not legal lol.But i never caught anything with them. I was told that stripe hit them good.


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