Sealions in Delta eating the sturgeons now! Bluegill as game

[smworker1]

I launched the kids out of big break the bluegill capital of the delta today, and took the trailer home for some maintenance.
They threw some top water and rip baits but didn't catch any bass or linesides, (maybe should have tried bluegills like the meat hunters)
They called to tell me that they watched a sealion eating a sturgeon in the main channel near sherman island, IT WAS A FULL SIZE ONE GOING 4' to 5' in length.
Last time out in Dec. near the new houseing docks, we seen one with a catfish the was about 24".
What is going to happen to our fishery if these things stay up here and keep eating?
Whats going to happen if the canal passes and the water becomes more brackish?
Did anyone hear about someone shooting a sealion the other day and getting arrested?


I think bluegill should be classified as a game fish with a bag limit and not be allowed to be used as bait!

[DeltaDan]

Not that rare of an occurance at all unfortunately.

See alot of Sturegon's cought up in the tidal waters of some containment booms alot of times. Mostly between Feb- May there are some BIG floaters with just the guts eaten out of them.



Mail you local CA DFG -- They will reply with a nice letter saying that their hands are tied due to Federal Law ..... and GL2U.

[rico]

Bluegill ARE illegal to use as bait

[ASD]

Bluegill ARE illegal to use as bait

NOT TRUE
They can b used as bait on some waters!!
Yes; you can use live bluegill and any other live fish except for trout and salmon as live bait *in the body of water where it was caught*. You're violating the law if you...

a) Catch them and move to a different body of water to fish with them
b) Use them as cut bait in any body of water

In the case of (a) it can be a grey area, especially of the body of water doesn't have a clear cut boundary (Northern California Delta for example). Just don't blatantly violate the law (i.e. pull up to the parking lot at your favorite lake with a bucket full of bluegill in your car and all your gear packed up) and you should be ok.

See section 4.20
http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=10351

[smpboy]

bluegill are legal now huh

[smworker1]

From DFG site that was linked.

4.05. Bait Fish Capture Methods.
(a) Approved bait fish may be taken only by hand, with a dip net, or with traps not over three feet in greatest dimension. Such bait fish may not be purchased, bartered, sold, transferred or traded; or transported alive from the location where taken. Any other species taken shall be returned to the water immediately.

To me this reads as LIVE bluegill cannot be caught in the marina and then taken out into the rive and used as livebait. Or am I reading this wrong?
Or does DFG look at it as the marina and the river 10miles away are still the same location?

[ASD]

I asked in the DFG office and they said "if the fish could swim to where you are useing them from were you got them it's ok"