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can you use fresh water bait for saltwater fishing?

If I were to catch a few brim and use it salt water to catch something surf fishing would it work? I would expect the brim to live but wouldnt it be the same thing as using a cigar mino or dead shrimp?

Public Comments

1. It would probably work, and I doubt there are any regulations preventing it (there are often laws about not using live bait in freshwater which didn't come from that water). (I assume you mean they wouldn't live, which is probably correct, though if you cast them out alive they'd probably wiggle for a few minutes on the hook.) I had a friend once who had an old jar of Pautzke's Balls O'fire salmon eggs, and he tried them when we were bottom fishing in the ocean off off Malibu -- and he actually caught some fish with them.
2. Interesting question, Peter pretty much covered it. you wouldn't want to introduce a species on accident, but most freshwater wouldn't survive in salt Lots of people use salt stuff for fresh. we use east coast stuff (blood worms) on the west coast, still I'd check the regulations to be certain, or calling or e-mailing is even better, then you have something in writing. I haven't thought about Potzkes in a long time. I ate five on a dare...some things never change
3. you can. just the fish aren't used to your fresh water bait. if you're using lures wash them off. salt corrodes the paint.