The House Ag and Natural Resources Committee of the South Dakota Legislature Tuesday moved a bill forward to allow live bullheads to be used as bait. Representative Dick Werner of Huron said he was contacted by a pair of brothers who made the request. Werner said it’s been legal in Minnesota for about 10 years and is one of the preferred baits for flathead catfish and other species of fish. Werner said that current statute doesn’t allow bullheads to be used as bait and that a change in statute would be needed to make the allowance. He said it’s a simple change. Tony Leif director of the G F & P Wildlife Division says he asked the fisheries staff to analyze the expansion to allow bullheads to be used as bait fish….
He says his department wouldn’t have a problem with bullheads being used as bait. Leif says there wouldn’t be any provisions yet for commercial use….
South Dakota has 2 species of the fish: Black and yellow, the majority of which are black bullheads. The bill passed and was moved to the consent calendar. It could have another hearing before moving to the Senate.